Crazy

It's actually kind of funny for me to read my last post. I thought I was just going to stand on the side of the street and see the procession. Who knew.

I think this is the story I am the most proud of writing during my time in D.C., just because I have never written first person narrative before and the events surrounding it were insane. Plus it made the front page of the ARN above the fold, and the paper even posted a picture I took of the casket infront of the Capitol. Yay.

They did add the big paragraph in parenthesis to my story, which broke up the flow and sucked. I could have added one myself, but no...



ACU junior sees history up close

Special to the Reporter-News
June 10, 2004



WASHINGTON - I lost my brand-new Boston Red Sox cap while running away from the Capitol building after a security alert.

I had been waiting in line with other members of the press, trying desperately to look like a real journalist even though I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. I thought I saw Brian Williams of NBC near me, but I wasn't sure.

What was I doing here? I was witnessing an event that hasn't occurred since 10 years before I was born and trying to comprehend the importance of it.

Once the cops started yelling about an alert and to evacuate immediately, everyone turned and sprinted up flights of stairs, through halls filled with statues, out the Capitol doors and across parking lots and lawns. Women in dresses and heels and men in suits were sweating and panting as they fled from danger.

(Police feared an airplane was headed for the Capitol and warned: ''You have one minute to impact.'' Within minutes, authorities determined the small plane was carrying Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher to President Reagan's funeral and had mistakenly entered restricted airspace. Two F-15 fighter jets were diverted from an air patrol to intercept the plane, the Associated Press reported. The building was reopened about 4:30 p.m. EDT, about an hour and a half before the start of the procession taking Reagan's coffin to the Capitol Rotunda.)

After fleeing the Capitol I realized I had lost my new cap as well as being separated from my group of friends. I had stuffed the cap in my bag while trying to look professional in the Capitol. I had intended to watch the procession of Reagan's casket from the street.

The police announced the alert was over and I headed back to the Capitol, met up with a group of students in my program, and made it through the press line. Press passes will get you anywhere.

I went back to where I had been and found a cop I had talked to earlier and he handed me back my cap. I was so happy I hugged him. He just smiled.

We ended up on the front lawn on the west side of the Capitol with other members of the press, trying to not look conspicuous in our sweaty, casual attire.

In front of the press stands, Brian Williams (I now knew it was him) was behind me and to my left. The caisson carrying Reagan was about 15 feet away from me, headed for the platform that once held Lincoln's body.

We watched the procession with the feeling that we were the luckiest college journalists in the world.

We didn't just witness history, we were in it.