9/11 Looking Back: Katie Klauber Moulton

Al Gore had stayed with us the year before while he was preparing for the debates. Because the vice president had just been there, the Secret Service knew the property and could secure it in just four days. This time, we not only had the president and all of his top-ranking officials but also the White House Press Corps, so we set up the conference-room area for them to file stories.

The president arrived in his state-of-the-art limo. John McKay, whom I’ve known for 25 years, got out, and I hugged him. Then, Jeb (Bush) got out, and I’ve met him maybe 50 times, so I gave him a hug. Then, the president got out of the limo and joked, “I don’t know if I should hug you. Are you family?”

All of the staff and volunteers were in a small area and had been told to keep quiet. Suzy (Bassett Klauber), Tommy (Klauber) and I stood at the door to greet him. As soon as he passed us, he went to that room to greet every single one of them.

When he came down for dinner, he was very relaxed. Tommy picked his favorite Tex-Mex menu.
The next day started early when the president went for his run. Later, he came down the stairs at 8:23 a.m. (on his way to Emma Booker Elementary School). My father and I walked him to his limo. I offered my appreciation to him for his selecting Sarasota for his trip and acknowledging our schools and kids.

Then, my father and I went over to the restaurant for coffee to debrief and decompress. One of my employees came over and said he thought I would want to see the TV. He said, “You’ve got to see it, this place is on fire.” We thought he was saying the Colony was on fire, but then we realized it was the World Trade Center.

My first instinct was to run to the head of detail who had become like a friend over the past few days. They were only starting to get bits and pieces of it. We didn’t know in those few hours whether the president would be coming back to the Colony. Staff was concerned we could become a potential target. We learned the president would not be going back.

The rest of the time, I was stationed in the room with White House staff and the military team. At one point, I was acting as their eyes and ears for everything that was going on on the television. They were so tied to their radios that they were using me as their reporter on what was happening on the news. At the time, I had no idea of the magnitude of what we were doing.

Someone asked me the other day when we realized the magnitude of what was happening. I don’t think you ever do. We went from this incredible high — and it truly is a high when you perform for that level of a guest — to such a state of fear and confusion. Even looking back, I’m not sure any of us understood how great an event it was.

 Read more Longboat  9/11 coverage here.