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Nation Prepares to Mark 2nd Anniversary of Terror Attacks

Aired September 04, 2003 - 15:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In one week, America will pause to reflect back on the nation's worst terrorism attack. At the White House, the president, his staff and the first lady will observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., the exact moment that the first plane hit the World Trade Center.
At the Pentagon, they've already begun marking the anniversary.

Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is there. She joins us now live.

Hi, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra.

Well, as the second anniversary approaches here at the Pentagon of that very horrible day when the building came under attack, Pentagon personnel are already stopping to remember what happened here.

We had a look a little bit earlier today at a very private event. Pentagon personnel here in the building began to quietly enter a room, each of them having lost colleagues and friends in the building that day. What happened was they all picked up a piece of colored glass and placed it in a window frame. It was a very personal moment. These survivors are assembling four stained-glass windows that will remember the 184 people who were killed here. The windows are going to be dedicated next Thursday on the anniversary by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in this private chapel inside the Pentagon that is dedicated to the 9/11 attacks. A private chapel, of course, that much of the public never gets the chance to see.

We talked to one of the military officers who stopped by to put a piece of glass in the windows.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't forget, particularly at this time of the year. And especially if you survive something like that because I feel very fortunate that you are able to continue on. But you can never forget that there were others that were not so fortunate that day who gave their lives. It's a difficult time for many families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: And then, Kyra, I have to tell you, this assignment, again, got very personal. Because I was one of the people inside the building that day along with many other members of the Pentagon Press Corps. The chaplains running this event came up to me very quietly and asked me if I would like to place a piece of glass in one of the window frames to remember the people who died here in this building on that day. And, of course, I did. I placed that piece of glass on behalf of all members of the Pentagon Press Corps and then signed a memorial plaque, remembering the people who died here.

So two years later, as the anniversary approaches, moving on but absolutely not forgetting any of it -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Oh, Barbara. I'm just curious, what did you write on there?

STARR: Well, I just signed my name and said, "On behalf of the Pentagon Press Corps," because so many of us here that day. And on a personal level, we were all so lucky. Everybody got out of the building very quickly from the press working area. And then we began to cover that story.

And I have to tell you, even two years later, we still all stop and talk about it in the hallway. It's something that I think really never leaves you when you work in this building every day.

PHILLIPS: Well, Barbara, I don't think it ever leaves you because that's also your birthday.

STARR: It is, indeed.

PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 4, 2003 - 15:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In one week, America will pause to reflect back on the nation's worst terrorism attack. At the White House, the president, his staff and the first lady will observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., the exact moment that the first plane hit the World Trade Center.
At the Pentagon, they've already begun marking the anniversary.

Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is there. She joins us now live.

Hi, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra.

Well, as the second anniversary approaches here at the Pentagon of that very horrible day when the building came under attack, Pentagon personnel are already stopping to remember what happened here.

We had a look a little bit earlier today at a very private event. Pentagon personnel here in the building began to quietly enter a room, each of them having lost colleagues and friends in the building that day. What happened was they all picked up a piece of colored glass and placed it in a window frame. It was a very personal moment. These survivors are assembling four stained-glass windows that will remember the 184 people who were killed here. The windows are going to be dedicated next Thursday on the anniversary by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in this private chapel inside the Pentagon that is dedicated to the 9/11 attacks. A private chapel, of course, that much of the public never gets the chance to see.

We talked to one of the military officers who stopped by to put a piece of glass in the windows.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't forget, particularly at this time of the year. And especially if you survive something like that because I feel very fortunate that you are able to continue on. But you can never forget that there were others that were not so fortunate that day who gave their lives. It's a difficult time for many families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: And then, Kyra, I have to tell you, this assignment, again, got very personal. Because I was one of the people inside the building that day along with many other members of the Pentagon Press Corps. The chaplains running this event came up to me very quietly and asked me if I would like to place a piece of glass in one of the window frames to remember the people who died here in this building on that day. And, of course, I did. I placed that piece of glass on behalf of all members of the Pentagon Press Corps and then signed a memorial plaque, remembering the people who died here.

So two years later, as the anniversary approaches, moving on but absolutely not forgetting any of it -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Oh, Barbara. I'm just curious, what did you write on there?

STARR: Well, I just signed my name and said, "On behalf of the Pentagon Press Corps," because so many of us here that day. And on a personal level, we were all so lucky. Everybody got out of the building very quickly from the press working area. And then we began to cover that story.

And I have to tell you, even two years later, we still all stop and talk about it in the hallway. It's something that I think really never leaves you when you work in this building every day.

PHILLIPS: Well, Barbara, I don't think it ever leaves you because that's also your birthday.

STARR: It is, indeed.

PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com