Woodbury Airport Worker Recalls 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles in which Woodbury residents recount their memories of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. This year marks the 10th anniversary. If you’d like to be included, email kris.janisch@patch.com.

This first piece is an essay from Jackee Rettler, who was working at Sun Country Airlines at the time.

It was my day off and I was just waking up when my husband called.

"Have you seen what is happening?" he asked. "If not, turn on the TV right away."

I turned on the TV and watched in horror as they showed an airplane hitting one of the World Trade Center towers. He said, "I thought you would like to know. I have to get back to work."  

I was working at Sun Country Airlines at the time and the news affected me on many levels, but I was not aware at that moment just how much impact it would have on my life.

I couldn't take my eyes off of the TV as I listened and watched the incredible scenes unfold.

Then my phone rang again and when I answered, I heard my daughter Jessica's voice, "Mom, I was on a plane going to Atlanta with my boss and our plane just got diverted to Cincinnati. We're sitting in the terminal, but they're not telling us anything. I thought you might know what is going on since you work at the airline."

I had no idea she was on a flight that morning and I wanted her safely home. I quickly told her what had happened and said she should rent a car and come home right now.

She and her boss went straight to a car rental company, rented a car and drove 11 hours straight back to the Twin Cities. They were lucky they rented the car as soon as they did as the car rental counters went crazy busy once passengers discovered what happened and realized that renting a car was going to be the quickest way home.

During the days that followed, I was glued to the news and even listened to the public radio channel when driving so that I could keep current with the developing news.

Our home was in an area near the airport where we had gotten used to the sound of planes flying overhead. Now the skies were eerily silent, I missed the familiar hum of the aircraft that were now grounded.

I went into work and they kept us up to speed with what had happened, new safety protocols that were being put into place and how our jobs were being affected. The Humphrey Terminal was not only empty, but looked totally abandoned. Apparently the cleaning staff had also been told to stay home, as there were papers and trash strewn about.

It reminded me of one of those apocalypse movies as my footsteps echoed in the cavernous hall that was usually filled with airport personnel and passengers.

At one point I saw a man of possible Middle Eastern decent walking around talking on a cell and I wondered if I should notify security or if I was over reacting and guilty of racial profiling. Since planes were still grounded, I dismissed the thought as one of over reaction and went about my business.

I was saddened by the terrible loss of life and was thankful that my daughter who was on a flight that morning was home safe.

My heart went out to the families and friends of those that didn't make it home safe that day.

It makes you feel so powerless and I kept thinking about what could be done differently to ensure passengers and crew would be safer in the future. New FAA and security procedures were being implemented and seemed to be changing constantly. There was confusion with all of the changes being made and everyone's confidence level had been shaken to the core.

We were finally given a date that flights would begin again and all staffers were requested to be on hand that day. It was a tough day, we had a flight attendant that couldn't stop crying and refused to board the aircraft.

On one of the flights boarding at the gate, I noticed the pilot's hands shaking, his normal demeanor was quiet strength and assuredness. To see this man shaking rattled me.

One of the flights I was handling at the gate had a different crew member show up that had a Middle Eastern name that didn't match the names on my manifest. I had a moment of panic as I verified his identity and information with operations. I felt bad for him as I knew the situation had to be exceptionally difficult for him as well, yet he was understanding and I was so thankful.

At the counter, I checked in passengers whose flights had been diverted to the Twin Cities on 9/11. One of the groups I was checking in at the counter was a young R&B group traveling with their manager.

Their manager told me he was a police officer and the name of their group was Code 5. (I hope I got the number right). He told me that they had originally been booked on the LAX flight that had hit the tower, but had switched to Sun Country because they saved $50.

He said if he had been on that flight, it may have had a different ending (him being a cop).

I glanced at the boys traveling with him, they were acting like normal teenage boys and didn't appear as traumatized as I would have been. 

One boy was listening to his iPod and obviously enjoying the music as he nodded his head to the tune. The manager gave me a card that had their picture on it and I kept it in my wallet for several years. At some point I finally let go of the card, but I'll never forget that story.  

Their manager said they had been on their way to a recording session in Los Angeles. I told him that I was glad he had made the decision to switch flights.

Whenever I thought about them, I hoped they had been able to achieve some level of success with their music and appreciated the fact that they had narrowly missed being on that flight without being haunted by it.

My daughter told me that she had heard that her Atlanta flight had also been considered as a possible target. I was glad I hadn't known she was on a flight until she called that day.

I felt that the security staff had been doing a good job with the rules that were in place. But I also remembered being surprised that knives were allowed on aircraft at all and now wished I had voiced my concern more strongly.

I thought about other security issues that bothered me and ended up calling the FAA about one of them. I thought then (and still do) that it didn't make sense that we issue drivers licenses to anybody from another country with very little information.

At the time, I called the DMV and asked what I needed to obtain a driver’s license if I was from another country.

She said: "Bring in whatever you can provide as proof you were allowed to drive in that country, even a handwritten note would possibly be accepted."  

Yet, at the airport, we had been told to watch for people presenting passports from countries known to support terrorism. So, how were we supposed to be able to tell if they were here visiting our country legally or illegally and whether they were from a country that supported terrorism, if all they needed to check in was a state issued drivers license that was that was that easy to obtain?

The FAA guy told me that it was a good point, but that I should talk to Secret Service. There was no Homeland Security in place at that point. I called the contact info he gave me. I told him that I thought licenses should show the country they are from if they are not U.S. citizens and the visa expiration date should be the same expiration date for the license. I don't think it has changed yet.

We were notified that we were going to be furloughed. There were cutbacks in staffing and I worked an overbooked flight with six wheelchair passengers (two requiring special lift chairs), connecting passengers that didn't speak any English, non-revenue passengers, standby passengers and an unaccompanied minor.

My gate partner never showed up and I asked a wholesale travel representative to go and request help from the supervisor who was at the next gate (we no longer had working radios). She came back and said he informed her that he was too busy to help.

One of the airline employees that was trying to fly stand by said that he would help with the wheelchair passengers. I had called earlier for ramp assistance with the lift chairs that never showed. I knew the agent and accepted his offer of assistance. I continued to assist passengers at the gate desk.

The lead flight attendant stormed off the plane and said that the agent had tried to carry a wheelchair passenger onto the plane and had "dropped" him. She said she was holding me responsible as I was in charge of the gate. I was mortified and questioned the agent when he returned to the gate. He denied that it happened the way the lead had described it. I told him he needed to write his version of the story and turn it in.

We finally got everyone on board. The plane pushed from the gate 45 minutes late that day (the pilot and lead flight attendant were furious and it didn't help that the pilot's computer froze and had to be rebooted). 

I managed to hold it together until the plane pushed from the gate, but then I leaned against the jet way wall and sobbed as it left the gate. I wrote up a report, but never heard back from anyone. That was my "flight from hell.” I thought after that experience, handling anything else would be a piece of cake.

I had just purchased $100 in non-revenue employee travel passes that were now worthless. I was told to turn them into the corporate office and I might get reimbursed. That never happened.

I got a job working part time at a small charter airline in November of that year and worked there for a year and a half. Eventually I quit because it interfered with another job, which was full time. At one point I was working three jobs trying to make ends meet. One of the guys I worked with said he had five jobs.

I firmly believe that our country's current economic situation is a result of what happened on 09/11. The economy faltered and then continued to struggle. In 2009 both my husband and I lost our jobs (he worked for Denny Hecker).

We were lucky enough to sell our home (our dream home on a lake in Wisconsin that we had just spent four years rebuilding) instead of it going into bankruptcy. My father also died in 2009. That was not a good year.

That home had been a place where the family gathered and that was what I missed most. I got a new job working in a call center for a cable company in the twin cities. I worked nights with Tuesdays and Wednesdays off taking over 150 calls per night. My husband got a job working days Monday through Saturday.

I saw less and less of my two daughters and the rest of the family. My sister and I seldom spoke. I was grieving over the loss of my home, the loss of my father, the loss of connection with my family and was completely stressed out at work. My stress tolerance was at an all time low.

I read once that optimists are much more likely to suffer from depression than pessimists as pessimists always expect the worst so they don't feel disappointment as deeply as an optimist does. I am the optimist and my husband is the pessimist. Of course, he says he is a realist and I live in a fantasy world.

I knew that we had to move on with our lives and we worked hard putting together a new plan. My attempts at planning are often thwarted by my husband (the pessimist) who is also still recovering emotionally from what we've gone through. He wants to just take it day by day and not make any plans for the future.

However, we have managed to purchase a home in Woodbury and both found new jobs that we like. Although now my husband works nights and I work days we both have weekends off. My current job is much less stressful, although I constantly worry about whether I will have that job tomorrow. I'm attempting to reconnect with friends and family I have pushed away since 2009.

I feel guilty about grieving over the loss of a house when so many people have had their homes repossessed. I try to focus on what is positive in my life now and I am working on a plan for our future as a family.

Since I have evenings off now, I am looking into classes and hobbies that may also help with my stress management and give me the opportunity to make new friends in Woodbury.