Page 140 - Abilene Living

Many of us were glued to our television sets in disbelief and horror as we watched the twin towers burn and crumble with thousands of men, women and children inside. Tom Perini, owner of Perini’s Steak House, and 20 of his family, close friends, and crew were in Washington, DC that morning preparing to cater the

Congressional Picnic on the White House lawn. T

Tom says it was as surreal then, as it is today, “It’s a date I will never forget, and to be from little Buffalo Gap in Taylor County in those circumstances...that was the big league, real quick.” He describes that day in full detail, still in disbelief. It was a beautiful crisp day with a clear blue sky and the sun shining brightly. The kind of day where you just want to sit outside and enjoy the crisp fall air. Except on this day, Tom says he will never forget the phantasmagorical feel of that moment, because instead of crisp air, all he could smell was the smoke from the Pentagon as it burned. He could hear sirens going off all over town, and when he looked up at the sky, he saw the wings of the F-16 fghter jets circling Washington. “The sunlight would hit that wing, and it was like a mirror refection, it would create a little glint. Before me, as Tom relives the moment, I am struck by the fervor with which he tries to recreate the scene. “With the blue sky and the airplanes and the smells, well, I'm not gonna say it was exciting.” It was a moment he knew was like no other, to be a part of history in Washington on a day that shook America's sense of security to its core.