As our nation marks the 15th anniversary of the terror attacks that changed our world, residents across the country remember where they were and what they were doing. South Plains native Jodey Arrington was working for President George W. Bush during that time of turmoil.

“To think that its been 15 years is hard to believe,” Arrington said.

Arrington was in the White House as the events of that fateful day unfolded.

“I guess you could say it was seared on our minds and our hears. so you just kind of carry that forward. It almost like time stands still,” he said.

The Plainview man remembers evacuating after the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked, and there were concerns that a fourth plane was heading for the White House.

“I remember the people, women taking their heels off and running. Lots of chaos and confusion and fear,” he said.

“The images that I have are images of people that were running out of the White House screaming ‘Get out, get out, a plane is coming for the White House.’ At the time they didn’t know it was going be the United Flight 93 that went down in Pennsylvania, thanks to the heroes who were passengers on that plane,” he added.

Arrington recalls seeing smoke rising from the Pentagon, a pinnacle of United States defense.

“You see the sort of physical manifestations which is the smoke and you say, ‘My god, we’re under attack,'” he said.

In the following days, the Bush Administration, and others, pushed patriotism as a way to get by.

“I was meeting with the President every week in the Oval Office and I watched him and observed a guy that was steady and determined,” Arrington said.

“There was that magnificent image that we all remember of him standing on the rubble talking to those first responders who lost colleagues, friends and family members,” he explained. “So you had the uniting, the patriotism, and the sacrifice from the and the bravery of the first responders. And then you had my President, our President, my boss and one of my heroes. Just taking it in.”

Arrintgon said understanding the moments of grief for so many helped shape his own political inclinations. Ultimately, targeting those responsible for the death and destruction has become a theme many have gathered around.

But as Americans reflect on the 15 years since those attacks on our country, Arrington said the national pride of fellow citizens has had a long-lasting impact.

“On that day and for the days and weeks to follow, we were just Americans. We weren’t Republicans, we weren’t Democrats, we weren’t black, we weren’t white. We were Americans. And that was really special,” he said.