Few people were closer to history on 9/11 than a Suwanee woman who was onboard Air Force One with President George W. Bush.
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Wanda Joell was a flight attendant on Air Force One in Florida at the time. She and staff were waiting on President Bush after he learned of the attacks while reading to students in Sarasota.
"We got airborne and had to make some deviations in flight and different plans just to keep our president safe," said Joell. "I felt like we were going to be OK, we were safe with our guardian angels."
Security orders still remain for Joell not to reveal many details about those harrowing hours when the President's plane was airborne. She says Air Force One was protected by two fighter jets on either side, as she and others first learned of the magnitude of the attacks from the news.
"I was in the conference room in the airplane and I looked at the news and that's when I saw the second tower had fell," said Joell. "We were all shaken. It was a very emotional experience."
Joell retired in 2010 after nearly three decades in the Air Force. She spent 24 years flying, first with Vice President George Bush on Air Force Two before transitioning to Air Force One when he became president. She was part of the staff for the two Bushes, and Presidents Clinton and Obama.
Joell now lives in Suwanee, closer to her parents in Lawrenceville, and with her 16-year-old son Darius. He tells he doesn't' remember much of 9//11, just that his mom was with the President.
"It made me feel safe and the rest of my family definitely," said Darius Joell.
Wanda Joell says she is now a motivational speaker who wants to tell her story of how discipline, hard work and dedication put in her a place of history she will never forget.
"I know that I made history and I'm honored and humbled and blessed to be a part of it," Joell said.
Joell was also the first African-American woman to work as a flight attendant onboard Air Force One.
Sunday, May 19 2013 7:24 PM EDT2013-05-19 23:24:30 GMT
Rising flood waters trapped horses inside a Sandy Springs stable on Sunday afternoon. Rescue teams were called to Summit Equestrian Solutions on River Run around 4 p.m.
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Sunday, May 19 2013 7:10 PM EDT2013-05-19 23:10:38 GMT
On a day filled with nasty storms and heavy rains, there is a bright spot. A Suwanee police officer is being credited with saving the life of a baby bunny that was swept away by flood waters.
On a day filled with nasty storms and heavy rains, there is a bright spot. A Suwanee police officer is being credited with saving the life of a baby bunny that was swept away by flood waters during Sunday's downpour.
Sunday, May 19 2013 2:00 PM EDT2013-05-19 18:00:39 GMT
President Barack Obama addressed a crowd of soggy graduates and guests at Morehouse College's spring commencement ceremony on Sunday.
President Barack Obama addressed a crowd of soggy graduates and guests at Morehouse College's spring commencement ceremony on Sunday, telling graduates to take the power of their example-- as black men graduating from college-- and use it to improve people's lives.
Sunday, May 19 2013 1:53 PM EDT2013-05-19 17:53:40 GMT
President Barack Obama addressed graduates at Morehouse College's commencement ceremony in Atlanta on Sunday.
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Saturday, May 18 2013 10:09 PM EDT2013-05-19 02:09:05 GMT
They say you can't win if you don't play, and thousands of people are. The jackpot for Saturday night's Powerball drawing is an estimated $600 million, giving many a bad case of lottery fever.
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Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Wanda Joell was a flight attendant onboard Air Force One.
