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| John A. Volpe |
While processing the speeches of John A. Volpe, Second U.S. Secretary of Transportation (January 1969-February 1973) I stumbled across some insightful lectures that give insight into the establishment of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the enactment of laws to upgrade and renovate transportation systems during Volpe’s tenure. Archival work, especially work with manuscripts is often thought of as mundane and painstaking. It is. As a history buff working in the archives, there are times when the work can be exciting, unpredictable, and goose bump inducing. Discovering the eerily coincidental September 11, 1970 statement of Secretary Volpe following President Nixon’s designation of the Department of Transportation as the agency directing the Administration’s Anti-Hijacking Program was one of those rare goose bump inducing times.
The statement marked for “immediate release” by the Department of Transportation News: Office of the Secretary, details the Department’s acceptance of the “very great responsibility placed up it by the President for administering the program to curb hijacking and piracy in the air”. The statement continues with an admonishment of the “intolerable” “incidents witnessed in recent days” and goes on to discuss U.S. “highjacking countermeasures that are also applicable to international flights”. After reading the statement in its entirety I rushed to my internet browser to do a little research on the airline transportation events occurring around September 11, 1970.
A search of the date September 11, 1970 led me to an article about The Dawson’s Field Hijackers. I learned that on September 6, 1970 a jet aircraft bound for New York City (Goosebump Alert!) from Zarka, Jordan was hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. On September 11, 1970 when Secretary Volpe released his statement, The Dawson's Field hijackers released 88 of their hostages. The remaining hostages, mostly Jews and Israeli citizens, were held until September 25[1]. Isn’t that spooky? Before reading Secretary Volpe’s statement I had not heard of the Dawson’s Field highjackers and could make no association between September 11, 2001 and the date of the Department’s news release beyond it being an eerie coincidence.
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| Dawson's Field Hijackings |
Volpe’s speech closes with a reassuring reminder that “As far as the U.S. Department of Transportation is concerned, we will make flying safe for American travelers—whether it be in the United States or any foreign country.” Secretary Volpe died in 1994 and did not witness the atrocities committed against American air travelers on September 11, 2001.
[1] Wikipedia.com The Dawson’s Field Hijackings
* Footnote Note: I know Wikipedia is not considered a reputable academic source. Don't get it twisted, I am a REAL librarian who knows how to use "The Book of Days" and other print and electronic research resources. Whether you want to accept it or not Wikipedia is used by many internet users, even the pedigreed (GASP), as a preliminary research point. It is not the most reliable but it does provide basic, easily verifiable information. I also fact checked the wiki article against my new favorite preliminary research tool wolframalpha.com, a computational knowledge engine.
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