Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Zone 7: When the Planes Came to Gander - A Flight Attendant’s 9 11 Story

Episode Date: October 4, 2026

September 11, 2001,  U.S. airspace closes after the terrorist attacks in New York. Dozens of transatlantic flights are diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. Thousands of passengers and crew from around the world landed in the small town, nearly doubling its population within minutes. Their story later inspired the Broadway musical Come From Away. Today, Sheryl McCollum is joined by her sister, Sharlene Bowen. Sharlene was a flight attendant aboard Delta Flight 15 from Frankfurt, Germany, to Atlanta when the plane was ordered to land in Gander. Sharlene recalls 30 hours grounded on the tarmac with little information, and the moment she finally saw the attacks on television, and the note that led her to Constable Oswald “Oz” Fudge and a hug from Sheryl back in Atlanta. Over the next five days,  the people of Gander open their schools, homes, and churches to the “plane people," as the locals called them. Listen to this inspiring, truthful tale.  Highlights: (0:00) Sheryl introduces the story of Gander, Newfoundland, and her sister Sharlene Bowen’s experience on September 11, 2001 (3:00) Sharlene remembers when an ordinary flight from Frankfurt to Atlanta suddenly changed and the crew learned something had happened in New York (7:00) “All US airspace has been closed.” The announcement that silenced an entire cabin (11:45) How passengers and crew worked together during 30 hours aboard the grounded plane● (16:00) Why every passenger had to be cleared before leaving the aircraft and how Gander prepared for thousands of unexpected guests (20:45) Sharlene finally sees the attacks on a TV at Walmart more than a day after they happened (23:00) A note and a police hat lead Sharlene to Oz Fudge and a message from her sister (28:00) Teenagers give free rides, Walmart hands over its keys, and the hockey rink becomes the town’s refrigerator (36:45) Local teenagers create a special experience for stranded Make-A-Wish kids who missed their trip to Disney World (41:45) Returning to Gander, hearing the original air traffic control recording, and seeing Come From Away with the people who lived the story (46:30) How the hug from Oz Fudge delivered on Sheryl’s behalf became part of the production of Come From Away (51:45) A scholarship fund started on the flight home has now sent more than 300 Gander students to college (56:45) Delta employees wave American flags along the Atlanta taxiway, and Sharlene share a message about remembering the way people cared for one another after 9/11 Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire. --- Sharlene Bowen spent 34 years as a Delta Air Lines flight attendant and was a crew member aboard Delta Flight 15 when it was diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, on September 11, 2001. She later became a level one trauma nurse and charge nurse at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where she recently celebrated 20 years of service. Related Episode From Crisis to Compassion: A 9/11 Retrospective with Constable Oswald Fudge Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a metro Atlanta police department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than four decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing. Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023. Social Links: Email: [e-mail] X: @ColdCaseTips Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum Instagram: @officialzone7podcast TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Real with us. Must be 19 years of age or older to play. Only. Please play responsibly. Concerned about your gambling or that of someone close to you, visit connectsonterio.ca. Y'all, today is a feel-good 9-11 story. Today, Zone 7 will honor the incredible people of Gander Newfoundland. Jumbo jets descended on their little island that they call the rock, doubling their population within minutes. Now I want y'all to think about that.

Within minutes, your population has doubled from people from all over the world. They weren't expecting one JumboJet that day with 7,000 people from different countries with different cultures and medical needs, dietary needs, religious practices, different languages. Y'all, they had people there that were supposed to get married, people that were celebrating different things. They even had a group of children from Make-A-Wish. Our guest today, let me tell you just a little about her. She's a former beauty queen. She's a former majorette, but not just a major-rette, no, sir, fire baton. She's a W-SI certified lifeguard. She is just recently celebrated her

20th year as a level one trauma nurse, a charge nurse, at the largest inner city hospital in Atlanta, Grady Hospital. But prior to that, she had a whole other career where she spent 34 years as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines. On September the 11th, 2001, Charlene Bowen was a flight attendant on Delta Flight 15 that was taken all from Frankfurt, Germany, bound for Atlanta, with 218 passengers on board. Y'all, please, welcome to Zone 7, my sister, Charlene Bowen. Thank you, Cheryl. That was quite the introduction.

Well, you know, I'm sorry I had to reach back to the 70s, but I had to find some things that made you look impressive. You did pretty good. All true, two people. All true. But you know, I think about that day, and it is so emotional. And you and I are talking today, and today is September the 11th. And, you know, there's so many tragic stories on that day. But your story is so unique.

And that's why I just wanted to have on this 25th anniversary the good news. I just think that's so important to tell that part too. But again, in 2001, you were already a veteran flight attendant. You had seen medical emergencies, bad storms, engine issues. Charlene, when did you know on this flight something was different? Something was odd. Well, we were in the air. Everything was just going normal.

We were coming back from Frankfurt, Germany, coming into Atlanta, we were like five hours into the flight, over the ocean, everything's going great. We had served, you know, our first meal. All the passengers were happy, settling in, getting comfortable. And our captain had called and told us that we really needed to start buttoning up everything and putting everything away. So we thought it was going to be some weather, you know, that was coming in at the beginning. And anyway, he said,

You know, he called the coordinator up to the front, and then she came back to the back and was telling us, you know, don't say anything to anybody or anything yet, but we're going to have to land pretty quick, so we've got to get everything buttoned up. Well, then we didn't really know what was going on. They said they thought that there was some kind of emergency of some sort going on in New York.

I mean, they really didn't know what was going on yet. So the captain came on and he just said, ladies and gentlemen, he said, I just wanted to let you know that there has been a light that has come on in the cockpit. And so we're going to have to land. We're real near Gander, Newfoundland, and we're going to have to land and just get that light checked out. And then, you know, it's just an FAA thing. We'll won't be there long. Everybody was going, oh, man, you know, thinking delays, you know, what?

And so he said, we're going to land and then hopefully we'll be on our way shortly, but, you know, we don't really have a choice here. So then we get another phone call from the captain, and it said, so we're kind of thinking, too, okay, something might be going on, but maybe it is a mechanical, you know, we're just not real sure. And anyway, and so then he calls back and he tells us that something had happened for sure in New York, and there had been an airplane that had hit one of the Twin Towers. But, you know, it was all coming through radio, so it was just like real, you could only get limited information.

Well, anyway, and so he told us that for sure we were going to be landing. So we were like, okay, well, then he called back not too much longer. And he said, you know, look, at the time we had what they call airphones on board. Like, there was only a couple of people that might have had an international cell phone. You know, so they were these airphones. He said, I'm cutting all the airphones off because people could pay and use the air phone to call. It was pretty cool, you know, that you could do that. But one of the main reasons we had those on board were for medical emergencies,

because you could tap right into a hospital and talk right to a doctor if we needed to. So that was pretty cool. But this particular day, you know, they just cut everything off and they told us just don't say anything to anybody, but there was definitely something, you know, bad, some kind of bad emergencies going on because now they're, and they felt like it was, you know, terrorist activity and that, you know, the second Twin Tower had been hit.

So we were like, oh, my gosh. So, of course, we didn't say anything. We were just, you know, real quick, got everything put, all the carts put away and everything locked up and we checked everybody, but everybody was in their seat. He came on and he said, ladies to me, you know,

we're going to be landing here in like 10 minutes. Then five minutes, you know, flight tenants take your seat. So we took our seat. We had no earthly idea where Gander was. I had no earthly idea where I was, where we were going. And so he, at the moment our wheels,

I'll never forget it as long as I live, the second those wheels hit the ground, he came on and he said, ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure that you can look around and you can see that we're not the only, aircraft that had been diverted to Gander. He said, all U.S. airspace has been closed, and the United States is under terroristic attack.

From that moment on, I have chills right now. Every person in that airplane, it went silent. There was not another whimper, not another complaint. Every single person was just kind of like, what in the world? And so, because I didn't have any idea. He said, I have no more information. Soon as I get any information, I will pass it along to you. But as you can see, we are amongst many other aircraft.

We'll come to find out we were one of the last that were able to land in Gander. We were at a 38 aircraft. We were, I think maybe one landed behind us and that is it. That's all they could take. Well, our captain had been asking the, um, air traffic controllers, you know, hey, you know, is there any way, you know, we can go to Halifax or can we go to, you know, they were trying to get to a bigger city. So if we had to stay there, our passengers wouldn't be so inconvenient. They'd be able to get, you know, hotels and all that kind of stuff. And they told him absolutely not. If you have, boom, the nearest airport, you were to land. And that's where you're going to. That's where your designation is. So we had to go. we couldn't even get through to other many air traffic control. You know,

there was the communication was so limited. Actually, many of the airplanes were only having to talk to the other captains to find out, like, where exactly are you landing? Where are you? What's your altitude?

They were literally, manually, like helping each other, guiding each other, because all the lines were just jammed and people couldn't really get in to talk like they normally would, you know, to air traffic control. So when we landed, they pulled us over.

And I mean, it was wing to wing. I have some of the most incredible pictures of all these aircraft that are just landed there. And the only reason that we were able to land there, the only reason they were able at all to accommodate us is because it was a landing strip that's kind of unknown during World War II where people could, a refueling station for the military. so they were able to accommodate, you know, so many of these aircraft. So mostly the people that landed there, even back in the day,

were a lot of these, you know, trans-American, you know, transatlantic flights that people were taken, but mostly the rich and the famous. And they would be going across but laying there in their private jets, but rarely did any big jumbo jets come in there other than those during the war. And a few military jets from time to time would come in. And so as soon as we landed, we got situated. We had no idea how long we were going to be there. We had no idea anything.

Nobody had any information. It was all coming from the cockpit, what little information that he could get through the radio. Shortly after we landed, he found out about the Pentagon. And so once he told us about the Pentagon, we were just getting all this information delayed and in little pieces, you know, as we were going along. And so our passengers were all just, oh, they were just fabulous. They all were desperately wanting to get in touch with their families and stuff like that. But, you know, there was really no way.

There was two people that had international phones. And so those two people had been trying. They couldn't even get through on their phones. And they kept trying and trying. And eventually they did get through. But we were on that ground for 30 hours. during the 30 hours that we were on the ground. We,

number one, we had, you know, served, of course, drinks and everything, but no alcohol because we had, you know, we had locked all that up. But because we didn't know what would happen, you know, we didn't want anybody to get out of hand. But everybody, they were just so great. We just kept, you know, serving the drinks and we had peanuts and we had powerful. You know, you're normal stuff.

But Charlene, I had got to have. to just jump in here. I want people to really understand what you just said. Charlene, I have watched people when we finally get to the gate. Oh, they jump up and they are just beside themselves, wait for that door to open. They're so impatient. You're telling me, for 30 hours, y'all were on that plane, and y'all had locked up the liquor, which probably was a good call. But, you know, you're talking about some peanuts, and y'all go into action saying, okay, what do we have. We have an apple here. We have some crackers. We've got some orange juice. Like, what is your most need? Like, is somebody diabetic? Does somebody have a baby? I mean, y'all are in triage.

Yes, because we had served our meals. We did have a little snack. And we had served that, like about an hour or two into it, just kind of keep people happy, you know. Well, then it was getting on down into the hours where we were like, okay. So these passengers, we had to be made friends by then. We had knowing everybody by first name, you know. And our captain was a smoker. And, you know, we were no smoking at that time. So he had told everybody that was like really pacing and getting kind of antsy that he would, every so often, he was going to come to the back of the airplane. We were going to open the doors so that the smokers could meet him back and have a cigarette. So that's what they did. And in the meantime, all my friends, you know, that we were baking all along the way, I said, you know what?

We really do have some food back here. I said, I'm going to go back here because a lot of things were individually wrapped. And so I started going through all the trays and the carts and passengers, these ladies, they were so sweet, were helping me. And we made baskets. I mean, it was like, all of a sudden it was like, wow, we really did have quite a bit of cheese and crackers. and hooky, you know, different things. So we were just trying to make the best of it, actually.

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Roll with us. Must be 19 years of age or older to play. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. Concerned about your gambling or that of someone close to you, visit connectsonterio.ca. That's the most troubling thing I've ever heard. Here we're under terroristic attack. We're going to make some baskets and we're going to make the most out of it. Absolutely.

Amen. And here's the thing. We've been talking for 20 minutes and we ain't off the plane yet. But one thing that you notice, you notice one constable by himself, tootling around in his little bitty car all around those jumbo jets. Yes, that's all. There was, all the planes were there.

We couldn't, it was night. You know, we couldn't see anything. We didn't, like I said, we had no idea where we were. So we're on board trying to make people happy. There were other, like, babies and there were older ladies that were helping mothers,

tended babies, and, I mean, like, loving it. You know, babysitting, I'm rocking them. And then we had Army, rangers that were on board that were helping. We had a lot of disabled people, and they were helping with the sick. We had some real sickly people that didn't have their medications. They were helping us take care of them.

I'm talking about this was all hands on deck. Everybody was lending in, pitching. I was already seeing the best in people just on that airplane, how they were trying to help. And then, like Cheryl said, looked out the wind and we're like, wait a minute, maybe we're going to get off. But then he was just like driving around, just checking on everybody. And it was like on into 20 hours, 25 hours, you know.

And we finally get, one of them comes up to our plane and they go, oh, we do have a few supplies for you. And we're going to empty the restrooms, dump the toilet. You can imagine 30 hours into this. The toilet's needed dumping. Yeah. Yeah. It was very nice that they did come and take care of that. But when you really realize they had 38 airplanes to service,

and they had no supplies there, they were not, you know, they didn't have catering. They weren't set up for this? Oh, no. And that's another thing I want to remind people why y'all had to stay on those planes. They did not know if other terrorists were on board somewhere. So they had to clear every manifest. name by name by name. Yes.

We had 21 different countries represented on my one airplane, and we didn't know who was on our airplane either. And of course, by this time, early on, we had also heard about the other aircraft that had crashed. So we knew at this point there was four, but we had no TV, we had no anything, just word of mouth, by the captain, passing back, and that's it. So finally, they came up to us and gave us some coax

and some crackers and candy bars. And we were like really happy to get that, you know, so we gave all that out. And then it wasn't too much longer, you know, a few more hours. And then they came and they said, okay, it's y'all's turn. And so all of a sudden these school buses came. Well, I'm known to us as school bus drivers had all been on strike. Well, they had all come back to work.

And they, in that 30 hours, I can understand why it took them that long because of what they had done and accomplished. in that amount of time. Not only, like Cheryl said, cleared every single person so they knew who was coming in their country. They wanted to know who was landing and getting off that airplane in Gander.

And they had it all, you would have thought they had been planning for years. It was like playing like an Olympic event. They had every single person, every single aircraft, a specific place for them to go. They had all the,

they only had a couple of little motels. they had them completely cleared out for all the crew to go to those motels because they want everybody in one spot, you know, so they could easily get in touch with them when it was time to reload the airplanes. And then they went to community centers, to churches. They went to the skating rink. They went to the high school, the middle school, the elementary school. And that's all there was. And they had already had army cots brought over from how.

Halifax, which you have got to where we are in Gander, it is like an eight-hour ferry ride to Halifax and then 10-hour car drive. I could have that mixed up, but I don't think so, to New York. And so once you're where we are, there's no getting off. There's no getting in a car, writting a car and going anywhere. You are there. And so for them to get any supplies to us, that's the same route. it had to come back to Gander. Everything you can imagine was brought in there to help us.

And they had it set up just like a disaster area where there were army cots in these school gyms and everything. And then as we got off the airplane, they had sack lunches made for every single person. They gave us drinks and sack lunches and then you boarded your school bus. And then they took you to your designated area. Well, whether it be churches, there were people, like I said, on church benches. There were people everywhere. But where we went, I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself, but where they took us was to this motel.

So when I got to the motel, they gave us a room. And, of course, there was four of us per room. You know, you didn't, by any means, get a room by yourself like you normally would. So there were four of us in there. Well, I was determined. I was going out. I had to figure out where I was. and I just had no idea.

And I was like just desperately trying to get to a television, to try to get to a telephone, to try to see, you know, if there was any way I could at least let my family know where I was or what was going on. And, you know, once everybody was where they needed to be and safe, everybody had their areas. So I took off walking. I told my crew, I said, I'm, you know, just going to go out for a walk

and just see one of my crew members went with me. So we started walking. Well, I asked them where did they think I could go where there would be like a television I could see. And because our rooms weren't set up or anything. And they were trying to clean them and do stuff like that. And so I just said, I'm taking off. So there was a Walmart.

So it kind of down the street. It might have been, I don't know, a mile, mile and a half. So I walked down there. And when I got to Walmart, it was really a strong. strip mall. There was a Walmart, but then there was a few little mom and pop type little shops, you know, in this little strip mall. And there's probably, I don't know, 20 stores maybe at the most there. And so in the middle of the mall, they had television set up. And so it was kind of like everybody was just glued to these TVs. That was the first time that I saw what was

going on in my country, you know? And I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, just couldn't believe what I was seeing. I'd heard it. But we're 30 hours really more than that. Past that now. And I'm seeing this. And I'm just like, oh, my gosh. Yeah, because you're 30 hours behind what's happening. Yeah. I mean, this is like unbelievable. And then you see the next twin tower. And then you see them collapsing on television? I'm just like, what in the world? Because we didn't even know that. And then the Pentagon, then the field, I was just like, oh, my gosh. And then you just know all these people that have died. And then you just see all these people just pulling people out, rescuing people and this.

And I mean, it's just like, I cannot believe this. I cannot believe this is happening, you know? And so then after I finally was able to pull myself away from the television because I've I thought, well, I better go back and see what's going on. But I'd been there. I don't even know, probably four hours at least, maybe longer, just watching and looking and hearing for the first time. So then I get back to the hotel.

When I get back to the hotel, I stopped to get my key, because I had not even gotten a key before I left there. And I stopped and I told them who I was. And they went, oh, you're Charlie? And I went, yes. I am, but how do you know that? Because there's 7,000 people here, you know. Anyway, I said, yes.

And they went, oh, well, I have a note for you. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, Delta's looking for me. Oh, oh, oh, we're ready to homes. Missing my flight home. Yeah, I'm missing my chance. But anyway, and so they handed me this note. And so it was this note, and it said, and then they handed me.

me this hat and it was a police hat and it was this note and it said um hello can you this is Ozzy Fudge um can you i'm the pull i'm one of the policemen here in Gander can you give me a call and i was like oh gosh what have i done? I said well okay but then I thought wait a minute I think I just passed the police station because it was just right up the street So I go back up the street as, you know, before I called, I just went up there. I went, well, I think that's the police station. So I went up there. We'll come to find out that was the mayor's office.

That was Claude Elliott's office. Anyway, Mayor, Mayor Elliott. Oh, anyway, so I go in there and he goes, and I said, hello. I said, I was looking for Ozzy Fudge. I had got a note from him. Is this the police department? He goes, oh, no, this is the mayor's office. Come on in.

you must be Charlene and I went, what? I said, um, yes, I am. I said, but I got a note. I'm supposed to call Ozzy. Let me get him on. Let me ring him up for you. Well, anyway, and so he calls him. And so Ozzy says, go back to the hotel and do not move.

I am coming there. And I said, okay. So I'll walk back down to the motel. Well, really, the mayor, Mr. Elliott, Claude took me back to the hotel in his car. So he takes me rising back down to the hotel. So I get out, and I'm kind of like standing at the desk for a minute. And then all of a sudden, the police car pulls up.

There was two of them that hopped out of the car. And Ozzie Fudge, or I didn't know him at the time. But anyway, he comes right over to me. And he went, are you, Charlene? And I said, yes. and he picked me up, literally picked me up, swore me around, hugging me, and he went, that's from your sister. And I went, what? And he went, your sister, Cheryl? I could rust it out trying. Cheryl had tracked me down in gangers. I had not been able to talk to anybody. I had not been able to find a phone I could get through anybody.

But she somehow got through to Ozzy Fudge. The only police officer, really was too, in Gander and talked to him and told him, listen, my sister was on, his own, how she found out at this point I was even in Gander, I really don't know except. Cheryl, how did you find out? It came over the radio, because we didn't know. And all of a sudden, I'm headed to the Pentagon and news breaks. and it says local Atlanta flight is headed by diversion to gander, you know,

and I'm like, I don't know where gander is. I've never heard of Gander. I'd heard a Newfoundland because of the dogs, but, I mean, I couldn't have told you where it was. And Gander, I didn't know it was Gander, Newfoundland. I had no idea. And so I just told Walt, I'm going to call the constable, and Ozzy answered the phone.

And was the, and here's what's really funny. So, you know, we had heard, obviously, the Twin Towers. I was put on call for the National Crisis Response Team. They called me back, said, you're headed to the Pentagon. So that's where we're headed. And I'm thinking everything is tragic. I mean, everything is horrible. Everybody is sad.

Like you can't go to a gas station or a grocery store or just everybody's in disbelief that we're under attack. And when the phone rang, it rang one time. And I heard this voice, hello. Hello. The friendliest voice. And I almost started crying then. And I said, you know, this is Cheryl McCollum.

I'm with the Fulton County Sheriff's Department because I was at the time. He goes, what can I do for you? And so I told him, he went, I'll go straight away. And the whole time Walt kept saying, that man's going to hang up on you. Do you have any idea what his world is like right now? I mean, he's got people from 80 different countries with everything going on imaginable on top of, he doesn't know if he's got terrorists in his country.

But he transferred me to his cell phone and rode around till he figured out where you were. So I'm forever indebted. Forever. It was unbelievable. And then he goes, you want to talk to her? He pulls out his phone and curls her, gets her on the phone. I mean, I was still just crying. I just couldn't believe it because you got to remember.

remember, I didn't know where I was. I didn't know what I knew. My family didn't know where I was. My children didn't know where I was. My husband certainly didn't know where I was. It was just, it was unbelievable. And so it was just made, oh my gosh, from that moment on, I had a friend forever. For life, I have a friend, but I had a friend for that entire time that we were there. We were there for five days. We were locked out of our country for five days. He, I was with him every day. He would come pick me up. Starting that day, he took me all around with him.

So I got to see firsthand. It was so unbelievable, so amazing how they took care of. Remember, they doubled their population. So even as I was that first day, as I was walking, people were pulling over. Can I help you? We all became known as the plain people. and they knew we were the plain people. Well, it was so fun for them

because they got to meet all these people from all over the world and all these different languages and all these different stories. And it was just incredible. And they had all the kids from the high school. They were like basically Uber before Uber came around.

They started coming. And of course, at no charge, they took no money or anything. and anyway, as they become wrong, they would say, hey, where are you headed? You know, do you want to lift? Can I take you somewhere? And because people were just walking because, of course, we didn't have anything else. And so as we're walking and going or any passengers or, you know, walking around,

they would just pick them up and take them places. And at the, like the older people, they made sure they were in people's, they were in people's personal homes. they was in the high school, they had like honeymoon suite set up. They had a medical like nurses and doctors right there because remember all we had were the clothes on our back. We had nothing except things that we had on the plane. If you had a carry on, you could take that. Other than that, we had nothing.

And so they had set up at these high schools. There's, you know, girls and a boys, you know, dressing rooms. in the dump locker rooms. And so they have, how many showers? Six, I don't know. You know, not that many in each one of those. And that is where everybody showered, like the people that were staying in the schools,

and hundreds of people we're talking about. And so they would, Walmart gave them the key to their store and just said, anything y'all need. So Walmart donated everything they could, like towels and soaps and shampoos and toothbrushes and toothpaste and deodorant and just everything was just lined up. And people could just go take showers. They had clothes there.

They had like sweatpants and t-shirts and sweaters and sweatshirts. And just anything you could need, like the essentials that you had to have. Not to mention all the parents, they closed down all the schools so the kids, you know, all the high school kids could help drive people around. And then all the parents were home cooking, bringing in. food. They were serving us three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner in all these schools, and other places too. Like there were several schools and then the community center and one of the churches, I believe. And it was like every, you know, every time it was like morning, noon,

morning, noon and at night, they would have these food lines open. And in between, they were just doing everything they could. As people walked by, oh, I've just put on a cake. I have some tea. Come on in, have a piece of cake or pie tea with us. Unbelievable. There were people, I saw them pulling pickup trucks up to their homes and unloading mattresses to take up to these different schools and places. That first day and second day, still anything they could give, sheets and blankets, everything they had they gave us.

Now, Charlene, one of my favorite things, because you're talking about the food, Tell them about the ice skating rink. Oh, yeah. All these supplies, remember I had said that we're coming in from Halifax and from all over the place? Well, all this food started showing up. And so, Gander, during that 30 hours, they were shipping food over there, too. That's where they were getting all this food to cook for us. And anyway, so they had turned their hockey rink into the world's biggest refrigerator.

and they had it. You know, Ozzy took me to all of these places. And so anyway, they had, you know, gallons of milk just in all these big crates, like, stacked up. It was probably 30 gallons of milk, 50 gallons of milk. Does something crazing? And like eggs, just so many dozens of eggs. It was like more than you would find at any grocery store.

There was so much food in there. There was bread. There was, you know, peanut butter. There was jelly. there were meats and I mean they were cooking like real meat food I mean like dinners like more like what the school would be serving or what a church you know Sunday on the ground type meals like and then people would bring stuff from their home that they had cooked well not only that they um had had like in different places they brought out all these bands I saw where everybody else was saying the worst in

people, all I saw was just the best that mankind possibly has to offer. Amen. We're doing everything. They were just out, just going just like over the top, anything they could do to make our experience wonderful there. The Hard Rock Beck Casino app is now in Ontario, the name you know and trust, which means credibility, impeccable 24-7 customer support, and an easy-to-use app are also here. So you can play here, there,

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Tell them what everybody did with their golf clubs. Oh, it was unbelievable. They, not only were they offering to take us, you know, open the golf, you know, the golf course for anyone that wants to play golf. Well, they realized they didn't have enough golf clubs. So they had everybody in the town. Hey, you know, we need everybody. Go, bring your clubs in.

We need y'all to come bring your clubs so all the plain people can use them so they can have something to do. So anyway, they brought in, people just brought their golf clubs up there. People would just be able to go up there and play golf if they wanted to. They took people out on their boats. They took people way up. It's a really famous place for hunting. And they didn't really do hunting, but they did, like, go moose watching and whale watching.

They took us everywhere. They took you out where the Titanic sank. Well, they showed me where the area that that was at. And what they took me to was there was so many things I learned about Gander when I was there and I just got to see all of it. But it was Air Arrow. That big military airplane that had crashed. And it had come down this entire mountain hill.

They have this whole beautiful memorial set up for that. And you can see all the trees are still missing down that whole mountain. And, you know, that was like, there's just so much history. The Titanic did go down, right, you know, offshore, about 200 miles. from where Gander, you know, is. There was just that, the arrow, there have been many other things that have happened in that area

that they just have a whole lot of history that I was just totally unaware of that I learned, you know, while I was there. But just seeing they were throwing, like I said, bands would come out. They would entertain people. Then they had birthday parties that were going on because they got out of 7,000 people

how many people were having birthdays that week. They were going to be a lot of birthdays, but mainly children, you know? And they would have all these decorations and like clowns coming out, entertaining and having fun and doing magic tricks. And they had people, all the libraries were all open in the schools. So, you know, people were reading to little kids,

like all the little books and entertaining them. And then like Cheryl had made for the make a wish kids, we found out that these children, you know, their wish had been to go to Disney World. And of course, you know, at this point, their time was going to be so limited. They weren't going to be able to make that trip and they knew it. And so the teenagers there, they said, you know what?

They came up with that on their own. We're going to make this happen for these kids. So these different teenagers, one of them being Ozzie's daughter was one of them, and she got some of her friends together. They put on Princess costumes, and they just went in there, and they made those kids feel like they had been to Disney World. They had probably a better encounter and better experience than had they had gone to Disney World. Their whole worlds were changed and lit up, and it's just every single thing they could do to just, make it so special for all of us. Anything, they were flying our flag at half mass.

They were so, you know, respectful. They were just like of America. But, you know, they wanted to know about all the people where we were from, who we were. And then at one of the high schools, their media teacher, he had, right off the bat, he had told all the kids to get the cameras because they had their own little TV.

station, you know, in morning news, you know, for the school and stuff like that. And anyway, so he had gone around and given all these cameras to these kids and said, just go start interviewing, you know, all these different passengers. Where are you from? Tell me your story. What plane were you on? So that is the only known history now and the recordings live that were actually happening is what from the media center that they captured while we were there. And it was incredible. Since that time, I later found out that Oprah and her people called me and they were, you know, wanted to get all this information and everything from me because I had taken a lot of

pictures. I did go to Walmart and I bought disposable cameras. And I was like, I knew I had to capture it. I had really, that was the only thing really I got there. And there weren't that many left either. But I bought all the cameras, you know, that I could. And I bought, and I took pictures of everything. But anyway, I didn't have a recorder, though.

I didn't have no cell phone like we do today that could be recording all this. And so anyway, when they called me, I told them, I said, well, I do have pictures. I have, you know, snapshots, like of a lot of different things, but really who you need to talk to is, you know, the media teacher there in Denver. I love that Charlene starts producing for Oprah. Here's what y'all need to do. I know. Well, that's just what they did.

They showed in. They showed him. They called him. And anyway, Cheryl and I were fortunate enough to go. I've been back twice. I went back because they did a whole big special and flew me out back to Gander after all this was over, but there's a lot more we need to get to.

But Cheryl and I went back, and he, the media teacher told me, he said, Charlene, he went, I just have to tell you, thank you. And I was like, what? And he said, you would not believe my entire life changed as soon as I got in touch with Oprah. I mean, as soon as I got in touch with me. And he went on to work, instead of staying as a media teacher,

he went on to work all in TV and producing and all sorts of things. So he said he got a whole career out of that change. Well, you know, when we got to go back, part of me was like, I know these people were great. I know it was a wonderful experience and they took care of them. I knew that. But, you know, you think, is Charlene exaggerating? I mean, is it really that beautiful or the people really that extraordinary?

Well, they are, and it is, because the moment we landed, you could feel it. But here's the thing that knocked me out, and I think it is one of the first of several times that I cried on that trip. But once people recognize you, and here you are in this other country, and all of a sudden somebody's like, Charlene! And they're so thrilled to see you. And they want to hear, like, what all's been going on? Like, you know, tell us everything since, you know, you've left. It was so warm and inviting.

It wasn't just like, oh, yeah, we met, and they helped me out, you know, during the time. You literally left there as family. And one thing I want people to know, you did something that I think is one of the coolest things I've ever seen, and it was also just profound. We had an opportunity to go to the Broadway play, come from away there in Gander, and you wore your Delta uniform, and the reaction that you got from people, you want to talk about people just busting out crying. They were so happy to see you, and that just meant the world to them that you did that. Yeah, it was very special. It was like really special. And it was so special to see it there in Gander and with my friends and my

family. That's for sure. And then I had told them all about y'all. So it was so nice that you got to go, Walt got to go, my husband got to go, he got to see it, he got to experience, he got to really realize. Until you see it, you can't really imagine how it really was. There's no way. There's no way. You can't. They have an entire memorial. I mean, this whole museum set up. And it's like just incredible. I couldn't believe a couple of things. First of all, there's so much else we want to talk about.

But when we went back and I was, we went to the museum and Cheryl and I were walking around, I didn't even know this was there. But there was an actual recording of our actual, the recording of the air traffic controllers to Delta Flight 15. And it was, you know, bringing us in to Gander. And it was just like, oh, my gosh, it was that day. I mean, in real life, they have that there. Directing those aircrafts.

We're number so-and-so, Delta Flight 15, landing into Gander, you know. And, I mean, it just brought it all that. Oh, I cried then, too, with the headset on. Because I wasn't expecting that. I didn't know what it was. Y'all, they just have this huge terminal, and it's just what the air traffic controllers look at. So it's showing you all these aircraft everywhere, and all of a sudden they're just... All these dots just start converging and just clearing the sky, but they're all just dumping on gander.

And it was just like, you can hear. You just couldn't believe it. This is Delta flight 15, and I'm just like, oh, Sharma was on that plane. You know, that was clearing as they're coming through, and those dots, just dissipating, like before your eyes and landing. Yeah, unbelievable. It was unbelievable. And the other thing that was super cool was when I went the first time to that play,

come from away in Atlanta, and I'll never forget, I wasn't expecting for people from Ganderer. I didn't know they were going to be there. And it was just so awesome because all of a sudden I looked up, and there was Floyd Elliott, the mayor. Yep, yeah. I was like, I have to go see him, you know. And so, you know, they were, it was at the end of the shows when they came out.

And so I got up and I walked in there. I went, no, no, no, you don't know. I know him. And so I let me go up there. Then right there, and that was here in Atlanta. You know, he went, Charlene, you know. It was just, I mean, I don't know, it was pretty special. It is pretty special.

And I got to meet, you know, Ozzie. person, and that was overwhelming. And he's so funny. And, you know, here's, you know, your husband and my husband, you know, and I said, listen, you know, you will never know what that meant to me personally, just to know Charlene, somebody's taking care of her, you know. And he went, what? You asked me to hug a blonde flight attendant.

I think I could do that. Like, no problem. It's like, that's not the hardest job I've ever had. He's just so funny and just a lovely human being. And when we got there, he did the same thing for us. He did for you. He said, get in the car. We went and looked at moose and bear and, you know, out there at the point.

I just had a tremendous time with everybody. Everybody was so incredible. So, Charlene, tell everybody that you had something that I consider an honor in the U.K. this year. what did they do in the Broadway show come from away in the UK? Oh my gosh. I don't know if y'all've seen that. Broadway show come from way or not.

If not, I highly recommend it. It is only the tip of the iceberg, of course, of what I experienced. It is amazing. But anyway, they called me and they said, you know, wanted to interview me and find out all about me and Ozzy. You know,

and they have Ozzy, of course, in the play and everything. So they called me and they told me that they were going to put in the hug. And so it's the hug from around the world. So everybody has gotten to know about the hug. And sure enough, they ended up sending me little clips and things.

And it was amazing because I actually, that got to be portrayed in the play. And so I think they're, you know, different plays. A lot of times they've added different little parts and take away different little parts and are always adding and everything, but that one might stay in, I have a feeling. But it was just so special to know that they,

you know, they just thought it was such an incredible thing. And it really was that he did that. And so they added it in and it just made, oh, it made me feel so good. And they ended up sending us brochures and stuff. And of course they invited us to come. I wish I could have gone. I would have given anything to go see that one. But it was really amazing.

Tell us about getting screeched. Oh, yes. When you go there to Gander, one of the things, everybody, you know, that they, you know, consider family, friends, and, you know, forever, you know, when you come to visit, it's a thing to get screeched in. Well, I had no idea what exactly I was getting myself into. But, yeah, he said, oh, yes, and we have to take you to get screeched. And I'm like, what? Well, they changed it to the fire department along with a couple other people. And here we are in this fire department.

When you walk in, I'm like, hold up now. This looks like a frat house. This is the fire department. I mean, it's like, it looked like, honestly, you were in a pub and it was like happening, you know, in this fire department. But it was super cool. They were like just so friendly and nice. and everything. And so they pull out this what they, it's called screech.

And so, in other words, they say all this and they have you kiss this fish. And then they have you take a shot of screech. I was like, oh, Lordy. And anyway, I'm not much of a drinker at all. And so, anyway, here are both. I said, okay. So it gives it to me. And so I was like, okay.

and I ended up, he went, okay. And I, it burnt from my mouth to my toes. But I have screeched in. And since you're screeched in, you get an honorary citizenship into gander once you're, you know, screeched in. But y'all, I just want y'all to understand that here we were worried sick about Charlene. And she's at the frat house with a bunch of cops and firefighters doing shock. No, no, no, please. That's not exactly how it was.

But anyways, Cheryl and Lance and Walt on our trip when we return were also screeched in. Show did. I kissed that cod dead on the lips. Titched it right on the lips. And that was with the whole crew from, come from away. So they had the whole cast in there. And we got to go to that big cast party and get, they all got. to get screeched in as well.

So we're all honorary gander citizens. The Hard Rock Bet Casino app is here, Ontario. And with a name like Hard Rock, you know you're in for an experience you can only get here. Exclusive games, an exclusive progressive jackpot, and the kind of trust and security you can only get with Hard Rock. And now you can enjoy the things you can only get here anywhere. Hard Rock Bed is here, Ontario.

Download the app. Roll with us. Must be 19 years of age or older to play. only. Please play responsibly. Concerned about your gambling or that of someone close to you, visit connectsonnetsoot.ca. Well, the folks in Gander, I mean, opened their homes, opened their hearts, wouldn't take any money from y'all. And I want people to know this is not a rich province. I mean, they do not have money to give away, but they gave everything they had and more. So on the way home, Delta Flight 15 did what? Well, like you say,

they had given us everything. We had tried to pay, you know, for things. They would just say, no, no, that's just the way we are. And we would do, you would do the same for us. You know, that's just what we want to do for you. And I'm really not kidding. When I'm telling you, they are the poorest providence in Canada. I mean, most of these kids don't even get off that island.

They never leave, you know. And just the nicest people, you know. you could ever hope to me. And so on the way home, we, well, we finally got the call. We were leaving. It was kind of a bittersweet. And we're like, okay, you know, gosh, I mean, we have just, we're so happy we're going to be able to go home.

But, you know, it's like, oh, my gosh, am I ever going to hear or see these people again? We'd all exchanged numbers and telephones. And, oh, you know, I knew I was going back. But anyway, on our way back, you know, everybody was just. just by this point, fast friends. I had gone to all the places where everybody was staying. Everyone had just gotten these whole communities of the plane. The people just knew each other, knew everything about everybody.

So we're back on our flight, going home. And Shirley, she was just one of the sweetest ladies that we ever could have met. Anyway, her and this doctor, it was really his idea. He said, you know, we just really want to do something for the, these people in gander. Like, what? I just have this idea, and I think it worked. Just more really needed to say, but we also had people from the Rockefeller Center on border airplane.

And so they had had to run the Rockefeller Center out of this antiquated computer lab. That's also where the media center was and all that kind of stuff. So they had already decided, boy, we get back. we know we're sending money to get their computer lab update. Yeah. And so, you know, they've been talking about this because they said they were going to do that. And so they were saying, we just got to do something for these people. And so they came up with, they wanted to come up with a scholarship fund.

And they wanted to see how many people on board were, you know, going to go ahead and donate and be willing to do it. Well, of course, they already had a lot of money just from our. airplane worth of people. And so they have come up with enough money to give at least one scholarship just from our plane. And so we thought, God, that's a fabulous idea. We were so excited. And then it went pretty much crazy. Shirley heading up the whole thing. And she has gone. Now it is like, I don't even know how many people they send, but the first year. I can tell you. I can tell you. It'll blow your mind. On the way home, y'all had people. pledging $15,000 and somebody on board matched it so y'all had $30,000.

Today it's worth $1.5 million and y'all have sent 341 children to college from Gander. It's just unbelievable. But that particular one, they ended up inviting me and Cheryl, my husband and Walt, to the Canadian Constable's office here in to their house here. in Atlanta. And so we got to go to this big nice dinner and big thing. And they brought by the first student that ever went on that scholarship. And so it was so cool because she had become a doctor. And so since, like Cheryl said, it's just unreal. It's like a way over a million dollars, they send like, you know, several kids every year, you know, to college.

And it was just like the opportunities that we felt like we were offering them. But guess what? Oh, no. We can't out gander them. Oh, no. We think we're doing all this great, fabulous stuff. They have turned around. They have their own scholarship fund.

And guess what? They now send, at least it started out one. There's no telling how many now, several, I'm sure, each year of children, of people that had died. in on 9-11 in New York and the Twin Towers. They send, you know, several children now, I'm sure, but they started sending a child from the survivors of 9-11, the children, but of the people that had died, their children. And I just think, you know, that just says more about them than anything.

They're so grateful for what we did. But it's like, gosh, we've got to do that. And they just turn around. They're just the most wonderful giving people I've ever met in my life. And I had just feel like it was such a blessing. And it was just such a miracle, really. And probably one of, obviously, one of the most memorable things I'll ever live through because it was such a horrific event.

And then I just saw just the best people possibly could offer of mankind where everybody else has seen the worst. And I'll never forget, one of the last. things, you know, when we were finally getting that word, we're going to take off, we're coming back, and, you know, we're about to land in Atlanta. I wasn't expecting this at all, but we come back, and as our wheels hit there in Atlanta, we were one of the first to take off out of Gander since we were one of the last into Gander. So that was kind of nice because we were one of the first to take off, so we were one of the first to land back into Atlanta. And when we come

landing, the whole taxiway was just lined up with Delta employees and they were all waving American flags. And I don't know. I just was like, I just bust it out crying again because now it's like all those emotions that you had had, then all the ups there. And then coming back to America, then you'd see all the devastation and what else is really going on, but then all how everybody had come together. And it was just such an unbelievable time in history to just see how every American was standing, trying to help their neighbor,

help their next person, volunteering, doing whatever they could to try to help the people in New York, giving blood, everything you could. And on my drive home, all these people were still just all over the place, like painted, red, white, and blue. There were American flags flying everywhere. And I just cried all the way home.

And then, of course, I got home and then I got to see my family. I mean, it was just, I don't know, so emotional, every single piece of it, from not knowing what was happening, what was happening, where I went, not knowing where I was, how we were treated, and then the whole wonderful experience that we had there, and then you come back to America and then just realize how, it could have been my airplane. It could have easily been my plane.

And to realize that the whole time, too, I flew the very next weekend, and it was like, wow, you know, I'm getting back on this plane. Because you just, I don't know, you just never know how when you really realize it could have been my airplane. And just how thankful I am that, of course, it wasn't my airplane, but just how compassionate and sorry. And, you know, you are of all these people that just lost their family members, their children, their mothers, their husbands, their wives. It was just too much.

and anyway, I just hope everybody, that's one thing. I just hope people will never forget, absolutely never forget how we were on that day and on September 12th, just, you know, people trying to just help each other and pick up the pieces and help your neighbor because that's the Gander way and that's how I pray that the United States will be

is support each other instead of all this inner, you know, disagreements and everything, just realize we're all Americans and just we're so fortunate to be living where we're living and just protecting ourselves and helping our neighbors is just the best message I can get a, you know, send to people. Well, Charlene, I appreciate you being on Zone 7 and sharing your amazing story. You have lived your adult life serving others as a flight attendant and as a nurse and not just on that plane on that day, but you literally make everything better. Every party, every family function, every event, even some of our first Fridays, everything is

better. Everything. So I just appreciate you, and I'm proud you're my sister. Thank you. Well, I'm proud to be your sister, that's for sure. God bless you and God bless America. But y'all, I'm going to end Zone 7 the way that I always do. with a quote, you are here at the start of a moment on the edge of the world where the river meets the sea,

here on the edge of the Atlantic, on an island in between there and here. Come from Away, Broadway play, and your newfoundland. I'm Cheryl McCollum, and this is Zone 7. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.