“September 11th was a beautiful, sunshiny day. No one knew they might not see their loved ones that evening due to horrific terrorist attacks. We must stay ready for the unimaginable.”
- Linda Mathes, former CEO of the American Red Cross National Capital Area
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Linda Mathes played an instrumental role in the Red Cross response to the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon
Q1. Where were you when you heard about the 9/11 attacks? What was your first thought, and what was your first action?
I was in a meeting at our chapter headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C. with officials from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. We had a good working relationship with them and several officials from the department came over to talk about what more we could do together day-to-day. We had not been talking for very long when a couple of members of our staff team pulled me out of the meeting to inform me about what was beginning to be covered in the news. A plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City! I returned to the meeting and informed them of what was being covered in the news. Shortly after, the same staff pulled me out of the meeting again to tell me another crash had occurred, only this time it was across the river at the Pentagon! We wrapped up our meeting immediately, and got to work.
My first thoughts were:
- The team – confirm they are safe, accounted for, accessible
- To find out what’s going on. Facts, get the facts.
- Mobilize people and resources needed.
After wrapping up the meeting with the Police Dept, we began collecting facts about what was known, what was not known. The disaster director, Charles Blake, reached out to our local emergency management colleagues, to disaster colleagues at Red Cross National Headquarters (NHQ) not far away and to our local Red Cross colleagues at the Arlington County Chapter located not far from the Pentagon.
We proceeded to account for members of the team to ensure they were safe and available for whatever we would need to do.
In the midst of these actions, I was aware that what was unfolding was big and bad and something we had never experienced before. I needed to stay calm and steady, of course. That’s what Red Cross people do as we seek to bring calm to chaos. I listened to and tried to be responsive to the concerns and anxieties that were being communicated to me. We could see the smoke from the front windows of our chapter, where we were temporarily renting space on K Street in downtown D.C. This was unfolding in real time. Many of us knew people who worked inside and in support of the Pentagon. The husband of one member of our team worked in a key position in the Pentagon and the hours until his survival was confirmed were some of the moments I will never forget.
One of the memorable parts of that day was mobilizing our emergency response vehicle called “The Rollin’ Nolan” to the Pentagon where it could support what was needed there. The presence of that Red Cross vehicle and its capabilities helped bring more order and collaboration to a scene that was complex, chaotic and filled with many different military and first responder units.
At some point, I took a few moments to call and let my family know I was OK, would be busy for a while, and that I loved them.
Photos were taken by Cynthia Dial. Dial is former Assistant Director of Public Affairs for Dallas County Chapter and long-term friend who came to stay with Mathes and help in aftermath of September 11.
Q2. What was your Red Cross role in the response to 9/11, immediately and as the days, weeks and months followed?
The moments turned into hours, the hours turned into days, and days became weeks. We just kept going. Before we knew it, we had supported the set-up of the operations, “Camp Unity,” on the grounds of the Pentagon parking lot, had helped find and set up the operations center for the Red Cross response in a big empty building that’s now a popular Target, had worked with Blood Services and NHQ colleagues to organize major blood drives, had engaged many and diverse groups in the community, had mobilized hundreds and hundreds of volunteers and much more.
Others on the Red Cross team set up the family support center at a hotel not far away.
One of my personal roles throughout the experience – immediately and in the weeks and months that followed – was to continue to listen to, care for and support members of the team in doing what needed to be done and done well. There was fear and stress. No one knew what was going to happen next. Lots of unknowns. While the team and I had been through a lot of disasters, this was different. But, as usual, members of the team stayed focused on the mission. I remember feeling proud that our team was professional, responsive, engaged, connected, compassionate, competent, focused and resilient.
Most people don’t realize this, but our chapter team responded to a major incident August 11, September 11 and October 11, and between September 11 and October 11, in addition to responding to the everyday local home fires and providing other mission services. On August 11 we responded to major flooding (Presidentially declared) in Washington, D.C. On September 11 our role was mostly in support of the incident at the Pentagon. The anthrax scare unfolded October 11 with requests from our emergency management colleagues to be involved in the community’s response. Between September 11 and October 11, a tornado came through D.C. and touched down not far away in College Park, Maryland. I remember gathering members of our team to safety in the garage under our building. The tornado went past us onward to College Park where it touched down and killed innocent people. Our work in response to disasters was ongoing. Never dull.
My role throughout it all included a lot of communicating, daily, constantly – internally and externally – what we knew, what we didn’t know, what the role of the Red Cross was, what we were doing about it all and what people could do to help. And, since my team and I knew the community and were significantly connected with it, we were highly engaged in responding to and involving the community.
The community came forward. Everyone. Everyone in the community wanted to do something. They called, wrote, lined up at our doors. As we felt the devastation of the incidents in our community, in New York and in Pennsylvania, we were uplifted by the outpouring of support from people of all kinds throughout our community. Members of the team and I were working constantly and passionately to meet the needs of the people most directly impacted by the incidents and to be responsive to the people who wanted to be involved in some way. The outpouring and engagement of people and many and diverse groups was massive and unforgettable.
The magnitude of the September 11 incidents transitioned quickly from a local chapter response to a national one. We all worked together in a unified way to get things done. This was and still is one of the major standouts from this period of time: unity. Unity in response to something that was bigger than all of us.
My team and I focused primarily on the Red Cross response at the Pentagon, but we also helped mobilize volunteers and staff for the incidents in New York and Pennsylvania.
The visibility of the Red Cross was high, positive, extensive. With that recognizable emblem on our vests, members of our team and I were stopped frequently on the sidewalk or while driving down the street. People stopped us to express their appreciation for what the Red Cross was doing. It’s a reminder of how trusted the Red Cross is, how people turn to the Red Cross when they see a crisis and want to help, and how high the expectations are for the organization to perform its mission.
That changed after a while. Much has been written about what unfolded. I’ll stay focused here one expressions of respect and appreciation for the role of the Red Cross and the people who delivered its mission. There were tough days as well, of course, as we navigated the criticism that unfolded.
My role included a lot of fundraising, too. From the pennies raised by kids through lemonade stands and proceeds from tooth fairies to the hundreds of thousands of dollars from foundations and corporations, millions of dollars were donated locally. Giving money was a way to help. This entailed a lot of time and attention to meeting with groups of people who wanted to give, providing the information they needed, thanking people, meeting with the foundation and corporate community, building relationships – relationships that, for the most part, would be long-lasting.
A significant role of mine was further developing relationships with major funding sources, business organizations, and other service providers. The community learned much more about the role and capabilities of the Red Cross and that led to long-term relationships and collaboration in the community. The situation led to thinking about what could be done differently and better to meet the needs that were evolving. We developed new and improved collaboration regarding casework and service delivery with other service providers. We developed a new preparedness kit with the leadership of Harvard University Business school graduates. We developed and helped lead a community nonprofit emergency preparedness council. We served in a leadership role on the region’s new Emergency Preparedness Council.
Having learned previously that disasters don’t know or honor city, district, county or state boundaries, we had developed a metro-wide approach to voluntarily working together to deliver disaster services. We worked in support of each other to get the job done.
Teamwork – volunteers, staff, board members, community partners, chapters from the metro area and from across the country – was evident and made a big difference.
Q3. What one memory stands out above all others when thinking about the survivors of 9/11 who you helped or who your team helped?
Too many memories stand out!! My mind, my heart, my soul are filled with unforgettable memories.
The outpouring of support from people of all kinds, all cultures, all ages stands out. Everyone wanted to do something to help. There were lines out the door with people wanting to do something. At a luncheon to thank key people and groups for what they did to help, I will never forget people from different cultural groups – Vietnamese, Indonesian, Japanese, Hispanic and others – standing up spontaneously and expressing how their involvement had given them the opportunity to give back. The Vietnamese community planned a major event of their own in less than 42 hours at which I was invited to come, speak, and receive a contribution with several hundred people attending. They wanted to give back to America.
Quite a few of the people who stepped forward to volunteer or be involved in some way are still involved today. Hundreds and hundreds of volunteers were involved locally. It was an honor to conduct tours of the operation for community leaders to show them what the volunteers and staff were doing to make a difference.
Young people played a major role. Our youth program received and organized thousands and thousands of cards from youth across the country that were made available to thank workers involved in the response.
Everyone played a part, dogs included. And when the need was expressed for booties for dogs since the ground was rough where they were helping at the Pentagon, thousands of dog booties were donated immediately.
Collaboration was evident in a big way. The Red Cross operation set up in the parking lot at the Pentagon was named “Camp Unity.” We were all working together to meet the needs of the families directly impacted and the workers who were working 24/7.
Another standout memory is that there were flags everywhere. People were unified in their support for America, and you could see and feel this everywhere in the prevalence of U.S. flags.
Q4. What work and life lessons did you learn from your role in the response? What do you do differently now than before 9/11?
When I part from family members and friends, I have in the back of my mind that this could be the last time we’re together. I don’t feel morbid about it, just realistic. I try to express my love and appreciation for this loved one every time. September 11th was a beautiful, sunshiny day. No one knew they might not see their loved ones that evening due to horrific terrorist attacks. We must stay ready for the unimaginable. This includes making sure our personal details are in order – all that paperwork none of us want to think about – wills, bequests, power of attorneys and more. Our work in support of the survivors reinforced the importance of this.
Preparedness. I have given more attention to the importance of preparedness since September 11. It has been important to “walk the talk” as we ask members of the community to take some basic actions to prepare themselves and their families. But, September 11 reinforced for me that it is important to be prepared and resilient for unimaginable incidents that might occur – like they did that day and likely will again. This means maintaining a readiness, a willingness, an ability to act in the face of things we haven’t experienced before and to always be ready to help others through “it.”
It’s important to regularly check on the emotional and mental health of family members, volunteers and staff while supporting and serving others. Our team and I worked for months on adrenalin, mission focused, without taking time to check on our own emotional health throughout it all. For an extended period of time, we were pretty singularly focused on the people and families who were directly impacted and our role in support of them. We’ve since gotten much better as an organization at providing emotional and mental health support for staff in addition to volunteers and service recipients. But… we went a long time after September 11 before we gave adequate attention to this need. Team members were stretched. In addition to their involvement in responding to the events of September 11, they were involved in responding to the everyday disaster incidents and other mission work of the Red Cross. It was a lot.
Democracy. Never take our democracy for granted. Stay actively involved and connected with community. Advocate for unity, for engaging people of all kinds in working together for the common good.
Q5. Do you keep in touch with those you worked with on the response? How do you keep in touch with them?
Yes. I’m still in touch with several people – volunteers, staff, community colleagues and others – who were involved then and are still held together by experience we had together way back then. Some of my deepest, richest relationships arose from the depths of our experience in the aftermath of September 11 – long lasting, meaningful bonds. We’re in touch via emails, cell phones, texts and get-togethers. On each September 11, I reach out to several individuals to remind them how important they are. We’ve connected for September 11 anniversaries and other occasions too.
Q6. What are you doing now?
There is no doubt that my September 11 experience spurred and deepened my passions, interests and continued involvement. I’m involved pretty much full time in several initiatives for which I did not have time to engage while involved with my Red Cross career work.
The main thing I work on is developing the next generation of leaders, leaders who can lead in this polarized environment. Throughout my career with the Red Cross I learned and experienced a lot of what it takes to lead with all kinds of people and in difficult environments. I’ve been concerned about the degree of polarization in this country. So, I’m trying – in a number of ways – to do something to reduce polarization and develop leadership for our country.
I serve as the special advisor for the Bipartisan Leadership Project through which I’m involved in several initiatives including having developed the Political Leadership Academy in partnership with George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, creating a multi-year series with PBS Books featuring leaders who demonstrate how we can disagree without being disagreeable, developing the John Lewis Leadership Academy/Program for high school students, and supporting the Western Governors Association Leadership Institute for young people interested in public service.
To help communities develop resilience before, during, and after crises, I serve as a board member for the Institute of Sustainable Development and for the Innovations in Peacebuilding International.
I love supporting young people in their leadership journey, so I continue to serve as an executive mentor for the social entrepreneurs selected to participate with the Global Good Fund each year.
With a life-long commitment to service, I enjoy serving as the co-chair of the DC Advisory Council for the National Museum and Center for Service, a movement to honor and inspire more service in this country.
I continue to support the work of the Red Cross as a Tiffany Circle member and pitch in to support the team in various ways, especially in making connections and continuing the important collaborative relationships developed many years ago.
Linda Mathes, former CEO, American Red Cross of the National Capital Area at the time of September 11th, 2001, began with American Red Cross in 1973. She wrapped up her career with the Red Cross after 47.5 years in June 2020 as CEO of the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region.
