General B.B. Bell
photo by Russell Bean
General B.B. Bell helped mark the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the United States, noting that an early morning meeting scheduled that day may have spared his life.
The featured speaker, a Retired Army Four Star General, went into detail of what happened 23 years ago.
General Bell said he had flown from Fort Hood, Tex., to the Pentagon before going to the Capitol for an early morning meeting with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. That was "a blue bird day. It was perfect weather," he said.
The speaker said CNN was on the TV and it was "normal" news when suddenly there was a news flash about a plane hitting one of the Twin Towers. He said he initially thought it was a civilian plane that had gone astray. Then he saw that it was a very large plane that had hit the skyscraper, and then there was a report of a second plane.
General Bell said he canceled his meeting with Senator Hutchison and was on the Capitol steps when he looked across the Potomac River and saw the plane that struck the Pentagon, where he had just been.
He said, "My first thought was we're going to war. The U.S. is under attack. It was surreal."
General Bell said he knew he needed to get to the nearest military installation, which was Fort McNair, about two miles away. He told his aide they needed to summon their car, but the aide pointed out the gridlock that had traffic stopped after people fled their offices and tried to get out of the city.
The speaker said he and the aide then sprinted to Fort McNair, where he took command since he was the senior officer. He said he inquired about a plane he could take to his home base of Fort Hood in Texas. He was told there was one at Andrews Air Force base, but no way to get there.
General Bell said he asked for a sergeant who was well familiar with D.C., and one appeared. He said the sergeant drove on everything but roads, including through yards and ball fields. They made it an hour, and he was able to catch a flight to Texas.
General Bell said the plane flew over the Pentagon and he looked down to see all the horrific damage, including the section where he had just visited with his friend Tim. He was later told that Tim was missing. General Bell said he called Tim's wife about a week later and she said they had recovered his wedding band, but nothing else. He was among 126 people killed at the Pentagon.
The welcome at the special observance at the County Courthouse was given by County Commission Chairman Jeff Eversole.
Juvenile Court Judge Rob Philyaw offered prayers for local and state governments.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly and Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp issued a joint proclamation in observance of this day. County Mayor Wamp noted he was in junior high and his family had trouble locating their dad (Congressman Zach Wamp) in Washington, D.C.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department Honor Guard posted the colors. Vocalist Stacie Caraway sang the National Anthem and God Bless America.
Prayers were offered for the military and first responders by Retired Major General Bill Raines.
Love fellowship church pastor Rev. Gerald O’Guinn offered the prayer for churches and families.
Nearly 3,000 people died when terrorists attacked the United States at the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. They also crashed a plane in Pennsylvania.
Click here for video of General Bell's comments by Ben Cagle.
Click here for video of comments from city and county officials by Ben Cagle.
Mayor Tim Kelly
photo by Russell Bean