9/11 Remembered: Debi & Sandra

As the the 24 year anniversary of the September 11th attacks approaches I wanted to get the perspectives of those who were effected, whether that be directly or indirectly by interviewing them. In this interview I spoke with Debi Saunet who lost her cousin Sandra Taylor in the attack on the Pentagon that morning.

Joe: How did the morning of September 11th 2001 start for you?

Debi: The morning of 9/11/2001 started like any other morning. I was working as an Administrative Assistant at a college in Concord, NH and I was the only one in the office at the time. I had arrived at about 7:30.

Joe: When did you become aware of the attacks?

Debi: I didn’t learn about the first attack in New York until people started arriving at the college campus and I was horrified. Like so many other people around me I thought it was just a mistake by the pilot until the second attack. Then I became so frightened. The campus had a tv in the lobby so we turned it on to see what was happening.

Joe: What was your initial reaction?

Debi: We were a secondary college so there were only classes at night so there were no students. The representatives had appointments to enroll new students but considering what was going on in New York all appointments got rescheduled and no one could concentrate on anything but what was happening.

Joe: At what point were you notified about the attack on the pentagon?

Debi: I learned about The Pentagon being hit from the news and immediately I went into panic mode. I knew Sandi was back at the Pentagon so I called my brother. There are four of us that are first cousins. Sandi has a brother Wayne so my brother called Wayne and I called Sandi hoping she was home but unfortunately I got no answer. My brother got no answer from Wayne either. Sandi had a daughter who lived in New York but we had no contact information so my brother called her ex-husband who had no information at all. That whole day was impossible for all of us. My other cousin was out of town but his wife called him to tell him and he was on his way home.

That whole day was made up of phone calls back and forth trying to get information. My cousin Wayne left Massachusetts for The Pentagon as soon as he heard the news but of course he couldn’t get near the site. It wasn’t until late that night that we all learned that the plane went in close to her office so she was killed instantly. It goes without saying that we were all devastated. Sandi was only 50 years old!!! That day is one of the worst days of my life!!!

Joe: Who was your cousin Sandra Taylor and what was her job at the pentagon?

Debi: My cousin Sandra was amazing. She was the second born first cousin. She was born in Somerville, Ma and had one brother. She lived in Cape Cod for a few years when she was married and once divorced she moved to Fairfax, Virginia with her daughter. She worked at the Air base in Bourne, Ma so once she got to VA she got a job at The Pentagon in the recruiting office. She was a civilian. Sandi worked for Colin Powell at one point. I always admired her and she was so beautiful and so put together. I miss her and when 9/11 comes along I feel her in my heart.

Joe: When you first heard about the crash at the pentagon did it immediately occur to you that Sandra had been affected by it?

Debi: When I heard about the attack of course I thought about Sandra being harmed but I had so much hope in my heart all day that she was safe!

Joe: At what point did you and your family find out that Sandra lost her life in the attack?

Debi: My cousin Wayne, Sandi’s brother called us and so did her ex- husband. Her ex-husband honestly was so cold about it throughout the whole day. Side note……I’m glad she divorced him! Lol!

Joe: What was the aftermath of 9/11 like for you and your family?

Debi: As mentioned we were all heart broken. We had to tell people we worked and close family members. I couldn’t stop crying. It was unimaginable pain, Joe. I couldn’t fathom the hate and the fury in someone’s heart to kill so many people in one day. We were not only mourning Sandra’s death but all the others that died that day as well.

Joe: Did you attend any memorials for the attack?

Debi: Actually if you remember in October of 2001 President Bush held a memorial at The Pentagon and all four of us we invited to attend that memorial free of charge. We all went and we were treated with such respect and dignity! We were assigned our own officer to make we were taken care of. It was a beautiful and very sobering memorial. To be surrounded by other families that were feeling loss like we were was something I will never forget. It was a very difficult time but we were all very honored to have been included. The next day we had a family and friends private memorial for Sandi.

Joe: I’ve always felt that the pentagon was never given enough focus like the World Trade Center attacks, would you agree?

Debi: I definitely agree. I have no idea what the big secret is. I’m sure I’m not the only one who agrees either.

Joe: What do you think the nation could do better to commemorate the victims stories of the pentagon?

Debi: Well I have been to Ground Zero and toured The Pentagon and I think both have done an excellent job. The Pentagon has the benches and I had able to see where the plane entered the building. Also, there is a private memorial downstairs which was absolutely beautiful and was sort of closure for me.

Joe: How would you like Sandra to be remembered?

Debi: As for how I want her to be remembered……as a loving, caring human being who lost her life way too early. She was a very strong, independent woman with a great sense of humor! Sandra had so much more to offer to the world and people filled with hate took that away. I loved her with all my heart and I miss her to this day!