I received the following from my good friend State Senator Frank Klouceck (D-Scotland).  I know a lot of you either love or not love Frank, but this first hand account of his visit to Washington, DC on September 11, 2001 bears reading.  It is an eyewitness statement on one of the most critical days in United States history and is powerful simply in its telling.

Frank, thanks for sharing.

September 11^th 2001 Washington DC by Senator Frank Kloucek

The day started the night before traveling under the Pentagon in the subway and meeting two Air Force officers coming from work at the Pentagon. They had agreed to meet with me on some South Dakota legislative issues the next afternoon at 1pm in the Pentagon. Our Ag group had also finalized plans to meet with Senator Wellstone Tuesday evening for supper. Neither meeting materialized. It had been my goal for several years to see the Pentagon. Someday it will be a reality.

Mark Uckert of Clear Lake and I proceeded to his sisters home in Alexandria for the evening. The next morning we dropped Mark and his mother off at National Airport. Their flight was the last one to leave at 8:45 from National airport and landed in Grand Rapids Michigan safely. They were stranded there for two days. I remember driving by the Pentagon at 9 am we listened to the radio news about the first airplane hitting the twin towers in New York.

Our Farmers Union group proceeded to walk to the Russell Building for a 10 am appointment with Senator Carl Levin’s Ag Liaison. Michigan Farmers Union President Carl McILvain [now deceased] was in our group. At approximately 11 am we were ordered to vacate the building immediately. Evidently the 4th unaccounted for plane was still in the air and speculation of possible targets were the White House or the Capitol. The Senators were on the lawn across from the Capitol talking to their staff and we had the opportunity to visit very briefly with them.

As we proceeded down the capitol grassy mall Security staff roped off the Mall and asked us to go back to the sidewalks on the north side of the mall and proceed west until we got down to the street crossing as an added precaution. Some told us to run and get in a basement or secure area. However due to Carl McILvain’s bad hip we could not leave him. We decided to wait and escort him even though it would take a lot longer to get to the Holiday Inn.

Time seemed to stand still. Families of Air Force personnel were crying on the streets, as they could not reach their loved ones in the Pentagon on their cell phones. Sirens were blowing. Everything seemed so surreal.

We got back to the hotel at around 1pm. At 3pm National farmers union had a prayer vigil in the hotel meeting room. We were getting ready to do a blood donation effort and learned there was not a great need because it appeared there were very few survivors. Marsha Sumpter was instrumental in keeping everybody cool, calm and collected.

Tuesday night we were ordered not to leave the hotel. No one was allowed in without clearance as well. The next day Wednesday morning I visited the offices of Senator Daschle and it was like a ghost town. The Hart building had a few skeleton staff in the offices. The whole Capitol was in an eyrie mode of silence.

Fortunately, our South Dakota Farmers Union bus’s with drivers Bill Van Beek and Bob Wissinik [deceased] with backup drivers drove straight through and picked our group up Wednesday late afternoon! Again driving straight through we arrived in Sioux Falls early Thursday evening.

The tragedy of September 11^th and the tragedy of loss of life in war, or any wrongful death are preventable if we work at it.

I had the opportunity to participate in The Wagner Labor Day tribute to our Vietnam Veterans. What an outstanding event! Vietnam Veterans memorial ceremonies in Pierre as well as McGovern library dedication in Mitchell in October are two events that will honor our past. Looking forward we should learn from our past success and mistakes.

We as a state and nation must build on our successes and vow to never again repeat our tragic errors. September 11, 2001 a day that will reflect on our nation’s ability to spread democracy and its role as a world power for years to come!

Senator Frank Kloucek