The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

The Area's Ripple Effect From The Attack On America

by Dessa Rodeffer,
Quill Editor/Publisher

It seems everyone felt the effect of Thursday's terrorists attack on America.

We are so global, so spread out these days, yet, so close due to our vast communication systems and ability to travel. It can't help but reach each and everyone of us.

The coverage that came into our front rooms causing us to eye-witness this senseless tragedy is unbelievable. But the rallying of Americans across this great U.S. in support of our country is very reassuring.

A phone call came to the Quill, soon after the attacks.

Jack Kinslow of Stronghurst called after having witnessed the World Trade building's second attack as it happened live in front of him via TV. He heard the report that the Pentagon had been hit and he was in a frantic search for information about Pentagon survivors hoping his son, Michael was not killed in the blast.

He was not able to get a hold of his son or daughter-in-law, and The Quill had no contacts at that time to help him out. Since then, we've been overloaded with information from media providers.

It was some time in the afternoon when his son was able to call with a "I'm okay, Dad."

Jack followed up with this e-mail to the Quill and to friends:

"I still can't believe what happened yesterday (Tues, Sept. 11)! It still doesn't seem possible that it actually happened!

"And I was watching live TV when the second plane crashed into the WTC Tower!

"Then came the shocking news that the Pentagon had been crashed into also!

"That's where my son, Michael, is assigned in the Air Force! I'm still not sure what time it was, but it was in the a.m. and I couldn't get hold of him with his office number, his cell phone, his wife's cell phone nor their home number. There was no relief until sometime around 3 p.m., the phone rang and it was Mike and he was OK and at home finally.

"He was at the Pentagon when the plane crashed into the Pentagon, but Mike's office is on the opposite side of the Pentagon from where the crash occurred. He felt the jolt and heard the noise, but he didn't find out what had happened until they were evacuating the Pentagon.

"After the evacuation, it took him four hours to travel the 50-60 miles that he lives from the Pentagon. That was when he called me right after he had gotten there! And he had to go back in today for a while, then was sent home due to continuing conditions there. Tomorrow he has to go back in at regular time and probably make a full day of it.

"Prayers are answered!! I don't think I've ever worried about something the way I did yesterday, nor prayed as much. Thanks for letting me go with this - it helps. Jack"

Then I called our friends Bob and Joyce Louden of Stronghurst to see if their son Larry was safe. He is a retired pilot from the U.S. Air Force and now he and his wife Pat live in O'Fallon near St. Louis and he works for TWA/American Airlines. He flies a 717 and also is a flight instructor.

At the time of the tragedy, his plane was on the ground in Charlotte, North Carolina. His flight remained grounded until he was allowed to return home with his small number of passengers Friday afternoon to St. Louis.

Larry Louden's son, Ben, who just graduated from Eastern University, is in the National Guard and was called to active duty this week. He is in the security force guarding Scott Air Force base in O'Fallon.

Hazel Hart of Stronghurst called to say her son Max ( a pilot of DC-9 for Northwest Airlines) was flying from his home in Harrisburg, PA to Detroit, Michigan to go to work for Northwest. Their flight was forced to land in Akron, Ohio. On Wednesday he rented a car and drove on to Detroit so he would be ready to fly. He returned to the air on Thursday with his regular schedule. His last flight was Sunday, and now is home for a few days.

He reports that security is now very tight, but people are cooperating and he felt it was going to work. They have been able to fly on empty seats of other airlines, but now they won't be able to. He also mentioned that the terrorists were only trained to fly the large 757s which have a different cockpit than others such as his DC-9. The 757s have enough fuel to travel across the continental U.S. It is interesting to note that pilots and co-pilots are not allowed to eat the same meals and there are other such precautions, Hazel said.

We received a call from the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ron Peterson of La Harpe, Rhonda Leaky. She and her husband are at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Rhonda is busy with her three children and their questions while their daddy is on a mission somewhere in the states. Friends of their's work at the Pentagon where the majority is military personnel. Rhonda wants to share her columns which she writes for the Army publication that serves over 80,000 readers. She thought it would bring a perspective from a military family to those back here. Her column called "Home Front" appears every other week. Look for it elsewhere in The Quill - very moving. Rhonda's father is the President of the First State Bank of Western Illinois in La Harpe, Macomb, and Carthage.

I received a phone call from John Louden on his way home from trucking. He was in Nebraska with 333 miles left to travel back home to La Harpe. John, a former state head of the Masonic Lodge in Illinois, wanted to do something to help. He said the La Harpe Masons would be meeting early Sunday morning at a breakfast to plan a dinner benefit for the Red Cross. He hoped we could hold space on the front page to rally support for this. They did mee and Sunday September 23, 2001 the La Harpe Masonic Lodge will hold a Benefit Hog Roast, at the Masonic Lodge, starting at 11am. It is free with your donation for the American Red Cross to help with the funding for rescue and recovery efforts of the victims in New York and Washington D.C.

Betty Schaley of Stronghurst said her brother "Hack" Robert C. Miller and his wife Doris, telephoned to tell of their 3 granddaughters. Doris is the sister of Harold Nolan and Lucille Freed and live in Grand Junction, Colorado. They moved away from Stronghurst in 1955.

I phoned Doris who said two of their six grandchildren were on flights and a third was at work in Manhattan.

Their son Bill's daughter, Brady, an artist who works in a Manhattan museum (The American Academy in Rome), had arrived at work Tuesday from her home in Brooklyn. Everyone at her work was evacuated to Central Park. Brady is Program Assistant and sets up displays and is leaving for Rome, Italy this next week. Saturday, she was busy using her artistic talent to make banners for people.

Her twin sister Brandy, a flight attendant for United, was on a plane headed for California and was grounded at Omaha, Nebraska until Friday.

Bob's daughter, Anne, was in New York. She did work for United but now is a Director of Flights for Frontier Airlines out of Denver. She was flying from New York to Denver, CO. Her plane was grounded to Detroit, Michigan. There was a young 8 year old boy flying alone and she offered to take him when they landed, and he stayed with her 3 days. His grandparents in Portland drove to Detroit to get him. He was coming from N.Y.

Anne told her grandparents, "I think I have a friend for life."

Grandma Doris said sometimes she tells her grandchildren to just put the cell phone down for awhile, but she realizes how important they were in this instance. Brandy was able to phone Brady on the cell and find out her sister was safe in New York.

The twins parents, Bill, is a manager of a National Fish Hatchary in Orofino, Idaho, and Anne's father, Bob, is an attorney in Denver and lives in Greeley and just retired as Director of Human Resources from Ames Community College in Greeley.

The twins parents, Bill, is a manager of a National Fish Hatchery in Orofino, Idaho, and Anne's father, Bob, is an attorney in Denver and he and his wife live in Greeley where his wife just retired as Director of Human Resources from Ames Community College.

Word was received in the La Harpe Quill office from Jean McGee of her son.

He, Dewaine Bradford, was in New York City on Tuesday, September 11, at the time of the Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center. He works for the Secret Service out of Washington D.C.

He arrived in New York on Monday and was scheduled to be there for 26 days.  He was in the hotel in Building #3 and did not feel the first hit, but did feel the second hit.

He left the building and was heading for Building #7 to receive his orders when the building his hotel was in collapsed.  Building #7 is located about three blocks from the World Trade Center. Their luggage, computers etc. as well as all the government cars, which were parked under the twin towers, of course were all lost. Jean and the family were all relieved to hear on Tuesday night that he was safe.

Several were put on a boat and sent to New Jersey. Dewaine returned to Washington D.C.

Dewaine grew up in LaHarpe and was a 1976 graduate from LaHarpe High School.

My son Troy Andrews had flown from Tulsa, OK to San Antonio, TX wth a group from Williams Energy Group and was forced to drive back to Tulsa after airports closed. But more alarming, was his wife's first cousin and husband Donald, who graduated this year from Oral Roberts University.

Don worked for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co., and had traveled with six other employees, all around 21 years of age, for a week's training at their offices at the World Trade Center. He was on the 61st floor of the second building when the plane hit.

Morgan Stanley's firm had been the World Trade Center's largest tenant, covering 25 floors of the 110 floor building. Finally, Don called from his hotel to report he had escaped and was okay. He had lost his billfold, credit cards, etc. and asked his wife to make appropriate phone calls. They said it was only by God's grace, he was alive.

For the rest of his company, there's limited information as to the fate of all its employees, their CEO Philip J. Purcel, said. On their web site, he thanked the hundreds of firefighters, police officers and individuals for their courageous efforts, and said, "We are a company that will never forget the extraordinary value of human life."

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Brokaw of Biggsville called to relate a message from a cousin, Peggy (Thorlby) of Nottingham, England. She does a lot of traveling, and said it was overwhelming the feeling over there. She wanted us to know their prayers were with us and they were supporting America. "The whole British Isles is in mourning for us. Instead of the changing of the guards, they played America's National Anthem in support," she said. "Even the Irish, protestants, and Catholics were holding hands."

Jack had volunteered when Pearl Harbor was struck, at age 19. He said, he had the same sort of feeling now, as he had back then. He wants to serve his country.

"I think I'm too old, and they won't want me," he said. "But I am going to see if there isn't something an old man can do. Maybe a Marshal's job or a guard on a plane." Jack said he is going to check into it.

Jack was knocked out of action in Belgium as part of the Air Force ground crew on Omaha Beach at Normandy. He was shot and sent to England to recuperate. That is where he met his wife, and they married. He returned home December 1945, and she wasn't able to join him until March of 1946.

[If you have an story to share or some information that connects to "The Attack On America" about someone you know, please email it to us, call us, or write us with the information. We would like to become as close as possible in America, and this is one way we can all help do it, by sharing our stories and concern for each other. Thank you.. The Editor.]