I understand. As young as I was when it happened, I haven't watched
Platoon because of my brother.
I have to admit, I admire their bravery - forced or not - so much. I don't know what I would do if a loved one called me from a plane that had been hijacked, knowing what else was happening.
A little levity: My daddy, brother & sister-in-law were golfing that day, about 50 miles away from Shankstown. When the Towers were hit, my mother (she & I were working that day) called my daddy on his cell, saying what had happened. Then, when the Pentagon was hit (and at the time, we knew a lot of people who worked there), she called him again. Then, she called to say that a plane was nearing Pittsburgh, and my SIL (she'd get along with KR's MIL!) said, "Are you going to talk on the phone all day or golf?" as my brother grabbed the phone off of my daddy & asked what the big fuss was. The shadow of Flight 93 passed over them about then. The rest is history.
But my SIL will NEVER, EVER live down, "Are you going to talk on the phone all day or play golf?"!!! Nor will I ever let her!
Just the week before, I had been in Fairfax, and had an interesting conversation with a Fairfax fireman. That night, as they were showing the footage of the burning Pentagon, I saw him, filthy black from all the smoke, sitting with a few other firemen, exhausted - and they all had tears running down their faces. I'm pleased to say that he was all right, and that I got a great article out of it!