Welcome Home, Mr. Sullenberger

The afternoon of January 15, my mom mentioned to me something about a plane landing in the Hudson. All 155 passengers had been saved, but the pilot's name hadn't been revealed. Though we knew that Katie and Kelly's dad was a pilot, we didn't call their house because we figured it couldn't be his plane.

My dad called me that evening, while my mom was on a walk, to ask if Lorrie Sullenberger's husband's name was Sully. It was. "That pilot who landed in the Hudson was Sully," my dad told me. He had been watching the news and thought he recognized the name. The pilot was Katie and Kelly's dad. We turned on the news and saw a face on the screen that we had seen in person and in pictures at the Sullenberger home in Danville, California. How strange to see someone you know on international news and on Yahoo.com when you open up your internet.

My mom became friends with Sully's wife Lorrie a few years ago through a hiking group in Danville. My sister and I got to know their daughters Katie and Kelly, and we've been swimming at their house a few times. Their family raises guide dog puppies, and their family pet, Twinkle, has been mother to some of the guide dogs they've raised. One such puppy is a yellow laborador named Misty (right), who looks just like her mother. Misty went through guide dog training, but there was always a spunkiness to her that just couldn't be tamed. When the time came for the final test to become a guide dog, Misty missed the mark. Her spunkiness cost her the chance to become a guide dog. Like other dogs who don't pass the test for whatever reason, she was then available as a regular pet dog. There is a waiting list for dogs who didn't pass the guide dog test, and who wouldn't want a dog that had been fully trained to obey every command? Since the Sullenbergers had raised Misty, they could choose a family to give her to.

I'd always wanted a dog, but my sister had never been quite as excited about them. When we got the call one evening from Kelly asking if we'd like to have Misty, I was beyond excited. We thought about the responsibility it takes to have a dog. We knew dog hair would become a part of our lives, but we never could have imagined how much there would be and how, no matter how hard we tried, we just would not be able to get it off of the couches and the floor. We said yes, and soon figured out just how wonderful, fun, and hectic taking care of a dog can be. But at least we didn't have to worry about training her, and we had the Sullenbergers to thank for that.

Once my mom found out that Sully was indeed the heroic pilot who saved the lives of those on his plane, my mom called Lorrie. Someone else answered the phone and said that Lorrie wasn't available to talk. We suddenly realized what it meant that Sully had saved those lives with such a margin for error and tragedy; their lives had instantly been changed. Media and news vans swarmed their Danville home and there would be no peace on their home phone lines for quite a while.

It was strange to see Lorrie's face on television, and to hear about Mr. Sullenberger on the news each night. I can't even imagine how it must feel for their family. In one moment, their lives became the focus of the evening news, and Sully's face, and the story of his heroic landing, were spread across the internet, the television, and the newspapers. And not only nationally, but internationally, as well.

We heard about the welcome home celebration planned for Mr. Sullenberger's return to Danville and planned on attending and saying hi to our friends. My mom got an e-mail that we were on the VIP list of family and friends and were invited to a private reception after the event. So, on Saturday, January 24, my mom, sister, and I got ready with our Peet's coffee and our bagels, and drove into Danville, a fifteen minute drive from our home. Parking wasn't as bad as we'd expected, but there were definitely crowds of people milling into the park where a stage had been set up and a banner strung across the top, reading "Danville welcomes our hometown hero, Chesley B. 'Sully' Sullenberger III." News vans lined the street and American flags flew from their posts in the ground. The park was not yet filled, but people had congregated near the fenced off section in front of the stage.


My mom noticed chairs right in front of the stage and wondered if they were reserved for VIPs, or for the dignitaries like Congressman McNerney and the mayors who were attending. We walked around, closer to the front, and noticed an entire section of chairs filled with people. We made our way through the ever-increasing crowd to where the media were seated, cameras filming and shooting the crowd and stage. We made our way to a fence, where a man was checking names to permit people access to the VIP seating.
"Last name?"
"Ott," my mom said. He scanned the list.
"You must be Guest Ott," the man said to my younger sister. "What's your name?"
"Kelsey," she replied.
"With a K or with a C?"
"With a K."
"Okay, you can go in. But your mom has to stay," he joked. We went into the seating area and got our programs. We sat about fourth row back, right beside the cameras and reporters waiting to capture on film and photographs the first public appearance of Mr. Sullenberger. I snapped photos like mad, my new camera loading up its memory card with hundreds of pictures.

The San Ramon Valley High School marching band performed, making their way around the crowd. The United States Army Reserve Band played after them. They were conducted by 1st Sgt. Keith Barlow. Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich, Congressman Jerry McNerney (who was donning a brown fedora), and other dignitaries walked onstage and took their seats. A bagpiper, Nick Theriault, made his way to the front of the stage. Then, the media turned their cameras toward the library doors, which had opened to let Sully through. He and Lorrie, flanked by police officers, walked onstage, the crowd cheering and the cameras snapping wildly. From my place behind a standing crowd, I snapped shots of the couple waving and smiling to their hometown community who were applauding and welcoming Sully home.

The Danville mayor welcomed the crowd and spoke briefly about Sully and what happened January 15. He remarked that when Flight 1549's engines failed, Sully "came through when it counted." As the mayor put it, Sully had only 121 seconds to determine what his plan of action would be to safely land the plane. I noticed Congressman McNerney put a cough drop in his mouth while the mayor was talking. The Mayor then wished Katie Sullenberger a happy 16th birthday, and told the crowd that Sully had indeed been home to see his family on her birthday. They had sneaked him home for the evening without any of the media catching hold of the secret. My mom had told me that secret earlier that morning, but I'd promised not to tell because, up until the mayor said anything, no one knew but the family and friends. The mayor then wished Sully a happy birthday, for his had been the day before.

Following the mayor's welcoming remarks, the United States Air Force Color Guard from Travis Air Force Base presented the flags. Seventeen-year-old Grace Leer sang the National Anthem, sending chills with her remarkable talent. Then, as a surprise, a U.S. Air Force plane flew over the crowd and then circled the park a few times.

Congressman McNerney's cough drop must have been in preparation for his remarks about Sully following the Air Force flyover. He said that, thanks to Sully, 155 people were safely home with their families. McNerney presented Sully with an honorary framed, folded American flag (left) that had been flown over the White House.

Danville Police Chief Chris Wenzel then spoke. He presented Sully with an "honorary town of Danville police officer badge #1 for bravery, commitment, and leadership." He is the first and only person to receive this badge. Below is a picture of Sully with the Danville Police force at the reception following the public ceremony. Wenzel also gave Sully a photograph of the Danville Police force, engraved with Sully's name and "Service Before Self," along with the date that Sully safely landed the plane.

San Ramon Valley Fire Chief Richard Price then presented Sully with a "medal of honor and...valor," for performing "one of the most skilled personal feats" in history.

The Mayor gave Sully a key to the city, noting that he was only the second person in Danville's 150 years to receive the honor. He explained that Danville is not a city, but a town, with a "big heart and a small town atmosphere."

Lorrie Sullenberger then stood up and thanked the public for their love, support, and cards, apologizing for the tears that came to her eyes. She spoke about how much she and her family loves Danville and the safety they felt returning home that week from the inauguration. To her, she said, Sully is the man who makes tea for her every morning. She said she knew what the outcome of that day would be because she knew her husband. And finally, the moment the press and the nation had been waiting for: she introduced her husband Sully.

Chanting of his name, cheers, a standing crowd, and applause welcomed him to the podium as he hugged his wife and proceeded to speak publicly for the first time. As a man of few words, he spoke for only 27 seconds before thanking the crowd and returning to his seat. But what he said showed the public that what people had said about him was true; he humbly told the crowd of thousands, and the many viewers at home, that it was "circumstance" that led his crew to be on that plane on that particular day. "I know I speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the jobs we were trained to do," he said. "Thank you."


The Mayor made his final comments, and then the couple stood downstage and waved to the supportive crowd.

They left the stage, arm in arm, and walked to the private reception building. The VIPs waited on the instructions of a volunteer and a police officer to wait until the reception was ready for them to arrive. Someone near me pointed out to a friend that the rose bushes had been cut down to the bare remains to avoid any snags or cuts of those walking through the area. A cameraman attempted to sneak past the designated media section, and a volunteer barked at him to get behind the post.

Eventually, the policeman gave the okay, and the VIPs were released. We formed a line outside the building where the reception was held. Our names were checked at the door. Inside the lobby, the awards and things that Mr. Sullenberger had received were displayed on a counter. The main room had tables with fruit, cheese, crackers, bread, and desserts. The table along one wall had two silver coffee dispensers with glass containers of milk and paper insulating cups, complete with both white and brown sugar cubes. Iced tea and fruit punch in large clear containers were surrounded by plastic cups, and water bottled lined the space behind the tea decanter. We stood in line beside this table, waiting to say hello to Mr. Sullenberger and take a picture with him. We saw Kelly and Katie and my mom gave Lorrie a hug. Our turn to came to say hello to the "Hero on the Hudson," and I handed my Canon Rebel XS camera to the designated cameraman. Mr. Sullenberger said hello to my mom and gave her a hug, and shook hands with my sister and me. We took a photo with him, and then walked over to the display of dessert.


The chocolate dessert I selected had a little flake of gold on top. It was a little difficult to eat the small cake, because it was an awkward shape and had frosting on top. It was delicious, though! We saw Katie Sullenberger and spoke with her for a while. She told us how neat it was to meet the President and the First Lady after the inauguration and talked a little bit about how she's been doing with all the media attention on her family and her dad. Their family had gotten to speak with President Obama and his wife for ten minutes before the first Inaugural Ball. Katie said that the Obamas were so normal, and that talking to them felt like talking to a regular person. I can't even imagine! We talked about how our dog Misty's been doing. She was glad to hear she's doing well.

People continued to stream in and take pictures with Mr. Sullenberger. I observed from a chair along a wall, snapping pictures. The coffee was good. My sister had a large strawberry and some punch. The Danville Police force came in and took a picture with Mr. Sullenberger, and I took a picture of my sister with Kelly.

We said goodbye to the Sullenbergers and made our way to the lobby. We looked at the things Mr. Sullenberger had received. The key to the city was in a box that had his name and the date engraved onto a small plaque. On the key is the town's symbol, a tree with "Danville" underneath it. We left the lobby and the historic day around three o'clock, and walked back toward the main street, Hartz Drive. Upon passing the other side of the building where the reception was being held, a crowd was standing near the window through which Sully could be seen getting his picture taken. They were taking pictures through the window, and I realized then just how fortunate I was to know the Sullenberger family and be able to be a part of the history being written that day.