Viewing Ronald Reagan's funeral procession was an incredibly powerful experience: less so for the pomp and circumstance than for the multitudes of everyday Americans who came from all over the country to pay tribute to a great leader. Later today, I should have a link to an article I wrote based on my interviews with attendees. This was an historic event not because it was a president's state funeral, but because it was President Reagan's state funeral.

In addition to being emotionally gripping, my experience on Constitution Avenue was quite scary--at least for a little while. For several minutes, it was my impression, and the impression of just about everyone near the Capitol, that the terrorists were striking again.

Police began screaming. A massive crowd resonded by stampeding away from Capitol Hill. Someone said that they smelled chemicals. Others imagined hearing an explosion. Witnessing older men in full-on sprints, ladies removing their high-heels, and children crying made for an unpleasant scene. I asked a policeman, "What's going on?" He loudly replied, "Run!" Where? "North! Run north!" Since the usual practice of law enforcement is to encourage calm and prevent panic, hearing the opposite counsel underscored the gravity of the situation. I arrived at Union Station intact, but drenched in sweat.

Apparently, police issued the ominous warning for the Capitol building: "You have one minute to impact," and noted an "incoming plane." That plane turned out to be carrying not a Muhammed Atta impersonator, but the governor of Kentucky. Thankfully, it turned out to be a false alarm and I returned to Constitution Avenue within twenty-minutes.

The scare was quick, but I must say, intense.