Tragedy+10: Recalling the ‘unnatural silence’

Editor’s note: The following essay is from W.R. “Bud” Harper, former Sebastian County Judge and former director of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management. Harper was the ADEM director on Sept. 11, 2001.

essay by W.R. “Bud” Harper

Sept. 11, 2001: The Day America Changed
A date we will always remember, September 11, 2001 brought about changes in all our lives. America as we had known it will never be the same.

I well recall the unnatural silence on the highway as my wife, Jo, and I returned to Arkansas. We had been “locked down” on that unforgettable day, along with the other fifty State Emergency Management Directors, in Big Sky, Montana, following the horrific events.

We had been attending a National Emergency Management Association annual conference. I will never forget the uncertainty we felt as we drove across the openness of the western states. No vapor trails in the sky. We felt hollow – empty. Suddenly patriotism was evident as we saw car after car with U.S. flags streaming from their windows. There was not a lot of traffic that day. We were returning home, not knowing what was next.

I was the Director of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM). While each of our lives had suddenly changed, my job also changed considerably. We, at ADEM, were responsible for the education, training, preparedness, response and recovery regarding disasters. We certainly had one now – one that was foreign to all of us. ADEM is the coordinating agency in the state for response resources of each of the other agencies. We had a great team and we were more prepared for the terrorist activities than most any other state.

In early 2000 we formed a terrorism task force, utilizing nearly every state agency with the addition of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On September 12, 2001 I was comforted to know we, in Arkansas, were as prepared as any state – ahead of the game with our early planning.

At ADEM, our center of focus changed drastically. I was appointed as Arkansas’ Homeland Security Point-of-Contact by Governor Mike Huckabee. In the months that followed, along with Homeland Security point of contacts from other states, I was in contact with Gov. Tom Ridge, the F.B.I., President Bush’s office and other federal and state officials regularly. We met periodically in Washington D.C., keeping everyone in the loop.

In the weeks following Sept. 11, I was invited to New York City by State Director Ed Jacoby. As his guest, I visited “Ground Zero” as they were in the process of removing the debris of the two World Trade Center Buildings. Being there, seeing the horrible remains of two magnificent buildings I had visited months earlier was a terrible experience. Along the walkway that had been constructed, there was a wood dividing wall. I will never forget the tearful experience as I observed the pictures of the victims that were posted along the way, along with the flowers, notes, charred boots, personal items and notes of memories and love for those lives taken. Seeing the charred and scorched soil that held the remains of the hundreds of souls is indescribable. I could not hold back the tears. The reality of the horror and suffering touched my heart. May God forbid this ever happening again!

I returned to our Emergency Operation Center with a determination that I would do everything within reason to prevent such an unthinkable thing from ever happening again. The task at home was now a challenging reality beyond description. Security was essential. Our Emergency Op Center was in a wooded area near Conway, Ark.

The Department of Corrections provided workmen to clear out the trees around our fence. Barriers were installed inside our gate, and entry security was beefed up. We realized the exposure of being the information center for the State of Arkansas. Cell phone calls were unsecure, and I would be directed to return the calls from a land line.

I worked closely with Gov.Huckabee, the Arkansas National Guard, the Arkansas State Police, and other state agencies, sharing information. Through a mutual agreement, I assigned two of our ADEM employees to work at the FBI Headquarters in Little Rock alternately to keep communication of events constant between our two agencies. People of Arkansas were great in responding to the call for vigilance, reporting unusual happenings and activities as they observed them.

The Union Pacific Railroad railway runs parallel to the Arkansas River. Their crews were familiar with normal activities on the river. I recall one night I was called from a meeting, instructed to get on a land line. A Union Pacific crew had spotted an unusual craft on the Arkansas River near Nuclear One. I notified the Arkansas State Police and the F.B.I. The boat was pulled ashore and inspected, possibly thwarting a terroristic event. The State Capital, Pine Bluff Arsenal, Union Pacific Rail Yard, Highland Industries, river bridges and Federal Buildings were among other highly secured vulnerable locations in the state.

As a result of the vigilance, awareness, preparedness and cooperation, our preplanning and organization was successful. I am convinced our early realization of the reality of possible terrorist activity prevented some very serious consequences. I am also certain that Arkansas was as well prepared for response to a terrorist event as any state due to both our preparedness and the patriotic cooperation of our citizens.

While our state and nation have continued to gain more knowledge and experience regarding terrorism over the past ten years, Arkansas remains on the cutting edge of preparedness, response and recovery – mitigating our exposure to terrorism.

We thank God for our blessed United States of America, and continue to pray that we will never experience another attack similar to September 11, 2001.