I was blamed for the 9/11 attacks

On 11th September 2001, Virginia Buckingham was head of Boston’s Logan Airport when two planes were hijacked after taking off from Logan and flown into New York’s World Trade Center. She immediately rushed into work to shut down the airport and help families try to find their relatives. But within days, the media and politicians began questioning her leadership and some news articles even suggested that she was to blame for the 9/11 attacks. She felt pressured to resign and was later diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The feelings of guilt continued to haunt Virginia for nearly two decades and it was only through an ongoing friendship with the mother of a woman who was killed on one of the flights and through taking part in a leadership scheme where she started to write her memoir, that Virginia finally began to recognise that she wasn’t to blame for what happened that day. Her book is called On My Watch. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Andrea Rangecroft (Photo: Virginia Buckingham holds a press conference after her resignation as head of Boston’s Logan Airport in 2001. Credit: MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

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Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Our guests come from every corner of the globe: from Burundi to Beverly Hills, New Zealand to North Korea, Rajasthan to Rio. And their stories can be about anything: tales of survival, humour, resilience and intrigue. From the mind-blowing account of the Japanese man trapped in his own reality TV show, to the Swedish women rescued from lions by a tin of spam. It’s life’s wild side, in stereo. Lives Less Ordinary is brought to you by the team behind Outlook, the home of true life storytelling on BBC World Service radio for nearly 60 years. Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784 You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice