National

MY 9/11 from Page 1

with his brothers for a spectacular night at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

In Mount Vernon, my editor told me that I would confront the compelling story of Patrick Dolan Critton, a 54-year-old teacher who for 30 years hid as a fugitive in plain sight.

Critton belonged to a Black liberation group that, in 1971, allegedly robbed a bank and engaged in a shootout with the police. The group then hijacked an airplane to escape arrest.

But there he was, teaching high school in New York as if he had never been on the FBI’s Most Wanted List and oblivious to the desperate desires the NYPD maintained for his capture.

Yes, this had A-1, above the fold, written all over it with my byline.

Early that morning, I gathered the pertinent details and headed back to my bureau located in nearby New Rochelle.

Indeed, I possessed all the goods and if we were a tabloid, I’d have “The Wood.”

Entering the office shortly after nine in the morning, I found my colleagues standing around the bureau’s wall-mounted television. The first terrorist-controlled airplane had just struck the Twin Towers.

“Wow, what an accident,” a colleague remarked.

Moments later, after the second airplane struck the towers, one colleague shirked, “That’s no accident!”

It certainly was not. I had been to the World Trade Center and entered those towers many times. Now, right before my eyes, they quickly disintegrated to immense piles of rubble.

Shocking and completely unnerving, my colleagues and I realized that many lives had been lost -- as would later be confirmed. But the terrorists weren’t finished. Far from it. Another airplane would rock the western side of the Pentagon in D.C., and still, one more crashed in southwestern Pennsylvania.

We began to wonder how many more airplanes the terrorists had hijacked.

Suddenly, my hijacking story about a former Black liberationist fell off the radar – ticketed for the middle of the newspaper.

Someone had declared war on America and for the first time since Pearl Harbor, an enemy had attacked America on U.S. soil.

Phones in the office rang wildly.

Reporters ignored incoming business-related calls, choosing, of course, to check in on their loved ones who lived or worked in lower Manhattan.

Jermaine Jackson, the king of pop’s brother, called me.

“How do we get out of New York? Can you help us get out of the city,” Jackson asked?

The Jackson family had arrived in New York as part of Michael’s shows to celebrate his anniversary in show business. At that time, we were longtime acquaintances and collaborators.

“This is scary. People are panicking,” exclaimed Jackson, who, along with several family members, had stayed at the W Hotel in downtown Manhattan not far from the terrorist attacks.

Ultimately, the Jacksons rented two RVs and escaped from New York by taking the 3,000-mile drive back to Los Angeles. For me, the irony couldn’t be overstated.

I sat there with a notebook containing facts about a man named Critton who had hijacked an airplane 30 years ago. American justice had finally caught up with him. But his story -- as big as any -- had become a mere footnote.

A terrorist and mastermind named Osama bin Laden, who lived a cloak and dagger life more than 6,700 miles away in Afghanistan, escaping U.S. forces by living in caves and underground bunkers, stole Critton’s frontpage.

Bin Laden stole my front page. More importantly, his wicked and cowardly act cost thousands of precious lives and broke countless hearts.

Twenty years later, I’m confident that many would have preferred if my story had remained the biggest headline of September 11, 2001. WI @StacyBrownMedia

MEDICAL OFFICE CLOSED

Joel H. Wilkerson, MD, has retired and the office at 1130 Maryland Ave, NE, Washington, DC, has permanently closed. However, former patients may contact us at the same office number to obtain their medical records and assistance with finding another physician. Our contact information is as follows:

Mailing Address: Joel H Wilkerson, MD Office# 202-547-1225 12460 California Avenue Fax#202-544-3805 P.O. Box 47 Yucaipa, Ca. 92399

5 The memorial garden and bench errected to honor and remember the students, parents and teacher who were part of the Leckie Elementary School family, killed when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. In year's past, students commemorated the lives lost with a day of service. (DR Barnes/The Washington Informer)

District Prepared for Terrorist Attacks, Homeland Security Official Says

James Wright WI Staff Writer

The District stands prepared for terrorist attacks on the scale of 9/11 should it occur, the city’s director of homeland security said recently.

“If the unfortunate case of an international terrorist attack were to take place here, the District of Columbia’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency [HSEMA] is ready to coordinate the city’s response,” Dr. Chris Rodriquez told the Informer. “We are the agency designated by the District government for that type of action. We are ready to serve and aid D.C. residents.”

His remarks came on the heels of the House Armed Services Committee’s approval Sept. 2 of a measure giving D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser control of the District’s national guard.

While the international terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 focused on New York City, Shanksville, Pa., and the Pentagon located in nearby northern Virginia, the District had its share of bedlam that day.

Former Ward 7 advisory neighborhood commissioner Kathy Henderson remembers traffic being snarled on Florida Avenue for four hours as she went to pick up her daughter from school near the U.S. State Department. Former D.C. Council member Sandy Allen received orders from the office of Mayor Anthony Williams to stay in her house while a police escort remained outside throughout the day.

And while some District residents wonder what would happen if another attack occurred, Rodriquez says plans already exist to keep citizens safe.

D.C. HAS A PLAN READY AND WAITING

Rodriquez said in the case of a terrorist attack, HSEMA would quickly initiate actions to thwart the impact.

“We work in conjunction with the Emergency Management Services, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Department of Human Services to prepare for that type of event,” he said.

“Since 9/11, the city has engaged in comprehensive planning and training of city employees for an attack. Additionally, we will work with our regional partners in Maryland and Virginia to see what can be done to keep people safe.”

Rodriquez said while he lived in another part of the country on Sept. 11, he has since heard about

DC Page 17

DC from Page 16 Some residents have concerns

the District’s traffic jams and confusion that lasted up to eight hours. “One of the things we are fo- that in case of a terrorist attack, cused on is getting people out of town,” he said. “We have plans to coordinate with transportation city officials will prioritize more networks such as Metro and the roadways to get people to safety. If needed, we will evacuate the city. affluent neighborhoods over Again, that is part of our regional effort. We use communication tools such as emails and texts to poorer ones. Rodriquez said keep people informed of the latest developments.” that’s simply not true.

Some residents have concerns that in case of a terrorist attack, city officials will prioritize more affluent neighborhoods over poorer ones. Rodriquez said that’s simply not true.

“We want to make it clear that we will not leave anyone behind,” he said. “Our headquarters is in Ward 8. We are [entrenched] in the community. Everyone will be helped equally and fairly.”

Still, Rodriquez said residents should be prepared for a terrorist ple can visit the HSEMA web site attack. and sign up for our text alerts at “If you see something, say some- AlertDC.gov.” WI thing,” he said. “That protects our @JamesDCWrighter communities and our lives. If requested, we can provide training (Bottom right) Dana (3) and Zoe (8) for community organizations. This Flakenberg is important because September is National Preparedness Month so (Bottom left) Rodney Dickens (11) emergency training is emphasized (Top right) Bernard Curtis Brown, II (11) and crucial at this time. Plus, peoQ4 AMTRAK PRINT 1_Washington Informer (outlines).pdf 1 7/7/21 10:33 PM (Top left) Asia Cottom (11)

NATIONAL

COVID-19 Accentuates the Problem of a Nationwide Nursing Shortage

James Wright WI Staff Writer

The shortage of nurses has been a problem for decades but profession leaders said the coronavirus pandemic has heightened the issue because more of them are needed to treat virus patients, and others, and to man hospitals.

In August, the American Nurses Association, the trade organization for the country’s 4.2 million nurses, urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “to declare the current and unsustainable nurse staffing shortage facing our country a national crisis.” In a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, the ANA wants the Biden administration to take solid action to address the nursing shortage that prevents its members from serving patients.

“The nation’s health care delivery systems are overwhelmed, and nurses are tired and frustrated as this persistent pandemic rages on with no end in sight,” ANA President Ernest Grant said. “Nurses alone cannot solve this longstanding issue and it is not our burden to carry. If we truly value the immeasurable contributions of the nursing workforce, then it is imperative that HHS utilize all available authorities to address this issue.”

Grant’s comments come as the New York Times in its Aug. 23 edition published an article, “Nursing Is in Crisis: Staff Shortages Put Patients at Risk” revealed that more than 1,200 nurses have been killed by coronavirus-related illnesses. In late August, many retired or former nurses in Nebraska have received notices from the state government asking them to come back into service with bonuses as high as $5,000 and with no requirement to be vaccinated. Many nursing journals and scholars say the U.S. faces a critical shortage of nurses until 2030. In May 2021, “The American Nursing Shortage: A Data Study” published by the University of St. Augustine for Health Science revealed that 1.2 million new registered nurses will be needed by 2030 to meet the needs of the present shortage. The shortage challenges will be compounded by a prediction from a 2015 study that over one million nurses will retire between the present and 2030.

Meeting the Challenge

In his letter to HHS, Grant wants the Biden administration to convene stakeholders to identify short-and-long term solutions to staffing challenges, work with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to promote payment equity for nurses, educate the nation on the importance of the coronavirus vaccine, sustain a nursing workforce that meets current and staffing demands and provide additional resources including recruitment and retention incentives to attract students to the nursing profession and keep skilled professionals working.

“ANA stands ready to work with HHS and other stakeholders on a whole government approach

5 A nurse aids a sick patient. (Courtesy photo)

NURSE Page 42

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