Mal Fuller, 68, planned to retire from his job in January 2002 after a 36-year career in air traffic control.

But he retired at the end of September 2001.

Fuller had experienced the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists in control of two planes struck the World Trade Center in New York City.

They also crashed a plane into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. and hijacked a jet, United 93, that was forced by heroic passengers to crash in a Pennsylvania field in Shanksville, Somerset County.

Before crashing, United 93 appeared to be carrying a bomb, according to flight communication chatter, and was thought to be heading directly for the Pittsburgh International Airport, where Fuller was air traffic watch supervisor.

It was Fuller who evacuated the airport's control tower and radar room.

And it was Fuller who learned afterward that during the evacuation period -- when United 93 was no longer under radar coverage -- it had crashed at 563 miles an hour in Somerset County.

Later, it was learned the hijackers were targeting the White House or Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

In a deep, resonant and powerful voice, Fuller gave an almost a minute-by-minute account of the United 93 tragedy to about 100 senior citizens Friday at the Phoebe Berks Village in Wernersville.

The title of his talk: "9-11 and the Heroes of Flight 93."

He urged seniors to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial at the crash site and to remind their children and grandchildren of the heroism of the 40 ordinary passengers aboard the plane who, he said, "sat down as strangers and stood up as one and looked evil in the eye and stopped it."

Fuller is currently on the board of Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial and made an appeal for donations to support the group.

He served as an air traffic controller in the United States Air Force and worked for the Federal Aviation Administration at Philadelphia International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, Baltimore and JFK International Airports as well as Lancaster and Capital City airports.

"The story I tell is about the 40 Heroes on Flight 93; my role as an air traffic watch supervisor is incidental," Fuller said.

He explained that he moved up his retirement not only to help his wife with her father who was recovering from surgery, but also because of the trauma of that fateful day.

"In the end, it made me appreciate the people around me more," Fuller said.

He said his family lived in Elizabethtown at the time of 9-11 and he commuted for a time to serve at several major eastern airports, including Pittsburgh.

"I'm glad people like this come and keep reminding us of this event because it is so easy to forget," said Gerald Breininger, 78, a Phoebe resident.

The Rev. Walter Krieger, 75, a retired pastor at Christ Episcopal Church, Fifth and Court streets, said he vividly recalled the events of 9-11 because two of his adult children lived in New York City. His daughter worked for a publishing company and his son was employed at Sotheby's Auction House.

"Both children, very committed to life in New York City and having lived there for eight and 10 years, decided to leave the city and move to the Lehigh Valley within the next 12 months," Krieger said.

The horror and trauma of the events of 9-11 burned in the memory of those who lived through them.

"I was 16 years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor," said the Rev. Kenneth E. Dearstyne, 90, a World War II veteran and chaplain.

"My first thought on 9-11 was this type of thing can't be happening again."

Contact Bruce R. Posten: 610-371-5059 or bposten@readingeagle.com.

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