About Me

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Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
Born in the year of the Coronation, I'm a Baby Boomer. In April of this year I decided I too would have a Diamond Jubilee celebration and completely change my life and that of my Husband's in the process

Sunday 10 September 2006

Linda George, a victim of Flight 11.

I couldn't let this day pass without making some small tribute to those innocents who lost their lives on 11th September 2001. There is one person in particular I would like to mention, she has been in my thoughts for some time now.

First my memories of that day.

I will never forget that Tuesday afternoon. I was sitting at my desk at work and the phone rang. It was my daughter, Catherine, she was home watching the television. She said, “Mum, a plane’s crashed into the World Trade Centre.” She didn’t know any more at that time. I assumed it must be a light aircraft piloted by some drunk, or nutter, as the chance of a commercial flight hitting one of those towers seemed unlikely.

As the afternoon progressed she kept ringing back with more and more unbelievable information. I know for a fact very little work was done that afternoon.

One of the girls I worked with had a call from her partner. He worked shifts, arrived home after 2pm and put the television on for company while he ate his lunch. The first channel had some disaster movie on it, he changed channels, again and again. They were all showing the same disaster movie. He thought there was something wrong with the television but then realised, this wasn’t a disaster movie, this was real life. He was one of the many family members, who stayed on the phone for most of the afternoon. No one wanted to be on their own while this horror unfolded, they needed to be able to talk about it.

At 4.30 I finished work and went straight home, to see for myself the shocking news reports.Hoping that somehow it wasn’t as bad as I’d been hearing but of course it got worse.

Mike rang me at 5pm, he’d been out all afternoon doing something for the radio station and hadn’t had the car radio on. When he returned to the studio, he’d walked straight to his desk and phoned me, without speaking to anyone else. He said “Hi. Anything happened today”. I thought he must have been joking but replied ”Haven’t you heard?”  And as I started to tell him, he said “ I know, I can see it” he’d just started to realise what he was seeing on the tv monitors.  

It was really odd but I was angry that he didn’t know. I can’t explain that reaction.

There were hurried calls, as soon as we could get through, to all our relatives in Massachusetts. They were able to confirm they were all safe but one family member had got stuck in another part of America, as all flights were grounded. A minor inconvenience in comparison.

My sister’s partner’s son had been in New York at the weekend and I was worried for his safety but it turned out he had arrived back in Britain just before the planes hit. He had been at the top of the World Trade Centre during the weekend. What a strange thought for him, remembering that view and knowing two days later it was all gone.  

So those are my memories of that day.

The implications lived with me for longer. My son had just completed 8 months of his 4-year artifficer apprentiship, in the Royal Navy. At that point they are assigned to a ship for a year's practical training of engineering on board.

The ship he was assigned to was HMS Southampton, which was on its way for a nice safe training mission in the gulf. Of course, as things unfolded in the next few weeks this rapidly changed to a war footing with Bush and Blair chasing Bin Laden and his cronies.

By the time Simon was supposed to join his ship, he couldn’t. There were threats of attacks on the ships and so they couldn’t put into the normal ports. All their movements now had to be secret. Instead of going out on a commercial flight, He was to be flown out by the RAF to a secret location, from there they would be transported to wherever the ship could briefly stop to pick them up. It was November by the time he could go.

He rang my on his mobile to tell me they’d arrived safely and was being whisked through the desert somewhere to join his ship.

He was 21 and never been out of the country on his own before. Although he seemed OK, I know it was a worrying time for him. As for me I could be seen crying in the supermarket whenever I walked by the Christmas goodies, wondering if he would be home safe for Christmas the following year.

Of course he did come home but my feelings during his absence makes me feel even more for those who lost their loved ones on that horrific day. Fear and worry were my constant companions during those long, winter months. 

On this the fifth anniversary of those atrocities against humanity, i would like to remember one of the victims of flight 11.

I first found out about this young woman when i did a Google on my own name. I was shocked to find it in a list of the passengers of Flight 11.


                        


Below is some of the information I found about Linda. I have also read postings on message boards and know she was a much loved young woman.

Linda George was 27 when she died. She was from Westboro, Massachusetts and was a buyer for TJX Cos., The off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions. She was on her way to California on a buying trip with a number of her colleagues. Her Father, Mother, Sister and Brother survive Linda.

She was engaged to be married within the month. She would have had a wonderful life before her.


Here is information about a memorial set up in her memory.

Linda George Memorial Scholarship

The Linda George Memorial Scholarship is awarded to students from St. Peter Marion High School who will be attending college. St. Peter Marion High School, Grove Street, Worcester, MA 01605.



Today Linda, 11th September 2006, another Linda George, in Worcester, England, will be saying a prayer for you and your loved ones.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Linda thankyou for unfolding your thoughts on that horrific day ~ I too was in work and my husband phoned me to say a plane had crashed into the WTC and like you the news spread fast and work almost came to a standstill ~ That day will be etched in memory for ever ~ for the bravery and courage of the firemen ~ and people from all walks of life who rushed to help the survivors and to help save lives ~ My prayers go out to all who died that day ~ they will never be forgotten ~ Ally

Anonymous said...

A wonderful tribute to another Linda George ,may she rest in peace ,how that day touched everyones lives most certainly yours, because of your son ,we should never forget ,.,.,.,Jan xx

Anonymous said...

This is a beautiful tribute to Linda. I watched the TV while giving Sarah her mid-day bottle. She was only a baby then, and I cried while I watched. I could not take it all in that day. It was only several days later that the true horror of what had happened hit home. 9/11 changed the world. You must have been through hell and back worrying about your son, Simon at sea. Have a peaceful day,
Kate.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/bobandkate/AnAnalysisofLife/

Anonymous said...

Ah Linda what a lovely entry, a wonderful tribute to another, less fortunate, Linda George. That poor lady and her family, my heart and prayers go out to them. I can only begin to imagine how you worried over Simon all those months too, awful as a mother, that must be.
Take care, hugs Debbie ~xxxxxxx~
http://journals.aol.co.uk/debbiewebb4465/TheLifeTimesofanEssexGirl

Anonymous said...

I was stood in Argos when i first heard the news, Jordan was a baby in his pushchair and i remember standing in front of a display tv for ages, mouth open, watching the horror unfold, i too thought it was a film but all too quickly realised that unfortunately, it was real.Your entry was really nice, brought a lump to my throat.Beckie.x

Anonymous said...

http://journals.aol.com/artloner/SheSaidWhat/entries/2006/09/12/our-friends-over-the-side-of-the-pond...thanks-girls-so-very-much/977

thank you.

andi

Anonymous said...

A lovely tribute to Linda.  How sad, such a waste of life.  I think all of us who have paid tribute to a victim somehow now feel a little closer to them.  It is wonderful we have all come together like this.  May she rest in peace.  I heard all the names read out yesterday and heard my victim mentioned as well.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/jeanno43/JeannettesJottings/

Anonymous said...

What a lovely tribute, thank you! I can't believe how you found out about her. It was very touching of you to do a tribute for her. Thank you for stopping by my journal :)

Mandy ~  http://journals.aol.com/mmartinez07/UnhappilyEverAfter/

Anonymous said...

I was at work and got a very frightened phone call from 14 yr old Charlotte worrying that we were about to be bombed, she wanted me to go straight home as she didn't want to be on her own, I had njo idea what was happening, everything had been normal when I left for work. When I got home at six I put the tv on and stood in front of it with my hand across my mouth in horror, I felt sick when I saw the poor people throwing themselves from the top of the tower and the sight of that plain slamming into the tower will always live on in my mind, awful business, I intend to go to New York to lay flowers one day
Kerry

Anonymous said...

I have friends who live around the towers and I was sick with worry on that horrendous day.  

It was nice to read your memories of 11 Sept.  

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this.  Your blog truly honoured those that lost their lives so innocently that day!

Susie

Anonymous said...



I love your journal and have put it on my alerts.  I taught for 18 years and live to talk about it!  LOL  I really enjoyed your comments about that little hussy of yours!  It sounds as though your hens rule the family animal kingdom!  What fun!

Cheers,

Susie
http://journals.aol.co.uk/susanebunn/ItAllStartsAfter50/

Anonymous said...

Wow, how lovely that you've done this dedication to someone who shared the same name!

I'm not sure if I've ever been here before, but I'll put you on alerts!

Thanks for your comments on my journal,

Lv Stevie
xx

Anonymous said...

very nicely written Linda, a very moving account of one person's memories of that day..and we all have them. It is also a very endearing thing to have included this lady in your blog. What a lovely person you are
Chunki x

Anonymous said...

Not sure why I didn't get an alert for this so I'm a bit late, what an amazing entry.