Where were you on Sept. 11th, 2001?

[DarkSimian]

With the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon coming up, I've been thinking alot about that day. It seems like such a long time ago, but it also seems like it just happened. And so much has changed in the world since then...

I remember that day my then wife and I were sick with the flu. I had just gotten home from work, and laid down, when the phone rang. It was my wife's friend; she told us to turn on CNN. This was shortly after the first plane had hit the WTC. We sat and watched, stunned, as the second plane hit. It was like watching a movie, it was so surreal. We watched for hours, as the towers fell, as the Pentagon was attacked, as Flight 93 went down in Pa. I had to run into town, to get some medicine, and everywhere I stopped, people were in shock; nothing like this had happened in our lifetimes. Every TV was turned to the news, people clustered in small groups, and rumors were flying of further attacks, gas shortages, of us going to war. I stayed up all day, watching, hoping that this was all a dream, all a hoax....But on Sept 12th, it was all real, and everyone around the country tried to pick up the pieces.

I didn't know anyone that died or was injured in the attacks, but I've known plenty of people that did have friends or relatives that were killed or injured. And I've known alot of people that have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. To everyone that's been impacted by the events of that day....I offer a toast, and a moment of silence. Always remember......

 

[arnoldlane84]

I was in the library at school studying on a free period. The enormity of what went on never really sank in at the time, it was only when I turned the radio on when I got home, that I realised what had happened

 

[cowslinger64]

I was at work. We only got details filtered into us where we were at, and soon they shut the job down for the day. It wasn't til I got home to see the news...that I realized what was going on. It made me sick to watch the scenes then, and still does.

I remember some images that they must have quickly decided were unsuitable for tv, cause I never saw them again... and that was people jumping out of windows to certain death. What a horrible way to have to die, having to choose that.


Senseless..totally senseless. I hope the motherfuckers responsible are roasting in a special place in hell.

 

[jeff_is_smiling]

I have a tale like others I suppose. I was at the Salem nuke plant in NH as a peer doing an assessment on training.

I arrived on 9/9 to get situated, and drove to see the plant on that Sunday. The assessment started on 9/10. I remember seeing that a small business center was directly across the street from the entrance to the plant driveway, noting that a post office was there, along with Taco Bell.

My son's b-day was 9/14, and I had given him instructions to scrape and repaint the deck while I was gone, and was going to give him a nice b-day card with a check to cover his work and his b-day...and mail it from the post office. I drove to the post office and dropped off the card/check and continued on my way.

On 9/11, I was sitting in on a classroom presentation when commotion started up outside. They had set up a black and white TV with an antenna to see the Today show and the damage a plane had done colliding with the tower. People would go by occasionally and watch a minute or two, then take off.

Then the 2nd plane hit....and it became clear something was going on. An announcement was made that all non-essential people were to evacuate the plant site. This was about 11:15 in the morning. So, I gathered up my things and went to my car. I decided to go to the Taco Bell for lunch, and went inside. The manager was stunned...looking at his phone, in hand, then muttering to me, "They all quit! Every employee I have just called in quitting!"

"What am I going to do now?"

I responded with, "Well, I'd like two tacos..."...and he smiled at me, then said, "You're right..." and went to get my order.

The following day was surreal at the plant. It seems that the community where many of the plant folks live is ALSO a typical community that airline folks live...and they knew the airline folks that had died. One of the administrative assistants (you know the type, the one that manages to make everything work smoothly) had her parents on the plane out of Boston....the entire plant was in a state of shock.

Counselors were called in and mandatory sessions with the counselors were set-up...even for visitors like me.

By wednesday afternoon, I was trying to figure out how I would get back to California. Airlines were grounded, but trains were accepting plane tickets....but I'd have had to travel from Boston, to NY, to St. Louis, to Seattle, to Portland and down to my place...a lengthy trip. I could also have taken a bus...a 28 hour bus....I could not rent a car because there were none to rent by that time....

So, I called the airline to see if I could get a trip home...when would they be flying again. It turned out that I was "lucky" as they JUST got permission to start flying the next day...if I wanted to take that trip. I said yes.

The next day I drove into the Avis center...pretty much deserted...no one around except employees...then took the shuttle to Boston airport...alone...no cars on the roads at the terminal at all....

The process for that first flight looked like this: You went to the ticket counter for initial screening. They checked your ID and ticket, then gave you a voucher for a 2nd screening, then you hauled your bags to a line of people waiting to get x-rayed. The line was lengthy with people like me trying to get home.

It took about an hour to get to the front of the line. You stood in the line in front, an agent asked for your ID and ticket voucher...then asked you specifically the following question - "Is this bag to your right yours? Has anyone but you touched it?" Then repeated the question for the other bag. Then you were required to place your luggage on a x-ray machine and stand by while two armed guards were on either side of you. Once the baggage was screened, they took the bag and you went back to the airline counter to actually get your boarding pass.

The airport after the next security screening was just about empty as well. The plane loaded up...maybe 1/3 full....so I was asked to sit at a exit window seat....and we took off. A normal ride, until we landed.

Upon landing, the passengers cheered a bit, then the doors were opened...no words from flight attendants...nothing from the Captain...just the doors opening...and the next crew rushed in...the crew we had, and the oncoming crew had a group hug...really crying hard...and the passengers simply got up and walked out..patting them on the back as they left...very silent and very moving scene for me.

Oh, my b-day card and check never made the trip home. Seems the post office sends the mail going outbound on a plane...a plane out of Boston....so it never arrived....

 

[mwmnpa]

My God Jeff...

I was at the gym, doing leg presses. The owner came over and told me a plane crashed into the WTC. I went over to the TV to watch, then saw the second plane. Then I heard about the Pentagon.

One of my best friends was at the WTC a lot for business. And one of my brother's customers was the Pentagon. I left and went home, tried to call both. But you couldn't get through.

Finally, my friend answered. he was scheduled for a meeting that day at the WTC, but it had been postponed a few days before. Then my brother called.

Frightening stuff...

 

[Chocliterary]

Briefly, I was at the WTC. Then I was in class.

 

[omgitselaine]

I was at the time working for a Japanese bank that was on the 20th Floor of World Trade Center 1

 

[sunshinegirl05]

I was working in a small room with 3 other ladies. We were joking around, checking the batch cards...like normal. The phone rang, and it was my husband, telling me what happened. I thought he was joking around. He said he wasn't, and we turned the radio on. The rest of the day, we sat there, pretending to work, waiting till we could leave so we could see what exactly what was happening.

When I got home, he arrived shortly after me......and we sat there watching the footage.........and everything that was being shown.

Seeing the horror of it all....the people running, crying,etc.........I had to leave the room for a while and go do something else.

Even now, when I see programs about 9/11...........while I watch......I still get that lump in my throat...tears in my eyes.

 

[BarGuy]

I worked for a company that did a lot of business with clients in both Towers. That morning, I happened to be in North Carolina, and was on the phone with one of my co-workers who was due to have a 9:45am meeting at the WTC.

He was in a building that had a direct view of the Towers, and literally witnessed both the first and second plane hit the buildings. He described it to me, and then told me he was evacuating the building immediately. I remember saying to him "Just don't get on the subway"......and then the cell connection went dead.

Fifteen minutes later, his wife called me. She and I had never spoken before, but he and I had worked together long enough so she knew my name and phone number. I could hear the fear in her voice -- and can still hear it to this day -- because she knew her husband was supposed to be at the WTC, and had a habit of showing up for appointments really early. I told her I had just hung up with her husband, he was fine and was on his way home.

He ended up walking home to his place in Long Island -- a four hour walk -- and called me that night to thank me for reassuring his wife that he was ok. I was the only person that knew he WASN'T in the Towers, so his wife was able to call his family and reassure them as well.

He and I had at least 20 business contacts that vanished in the disaster. It was without question the worst day of my life, and something that still stays with me to this day.

 

[UpStandingMember]

I was working at an Army base in South Korea. Actually I was sleeping when everything happened. When I woke up to get ready for work, my boss called and told me not to go into work. They closed all the bases down worldwide because they didn't know what else to expect. We were civilian contractors, I still am, and I'm back in Korea now.

My sister in law worked in one of the buildings next to the towers. She was one of those running to the boats that morning. I spent most of the next day watching the news and making phone calls to see how she was.

I've been trying to do my part against terrorism since 91. I had a cousin, her husband, and their two little babies murdered on Flight 103 in Scotland. So I kind of take these things personal. It also killed my uncle too later on, she was his only daughter. I think he died of a broken heart.

 

[NorthRockJohnson]

I was living in Boston at the time where the planes came out of. The day itself was pretty surreal. I remember getting a call as I was leaving for work from my GF at the time telling me there was a major plane crash in New York. I turned on the news and saw it all. I was shocked and horrified and couldn't believe what I was seeing.

In somewhat if a state of shock I got onto the subway still planning to go to work. Before I got to the next stop I got a phone call saying that a plane went down in PA. I don't remember details, but apparently I got off at the next subway stop and ended up walking to a Target. I think really I just needed to be around people and figured there would be people at a department store.

I stood in front of the big TV displays watching it all happen in non-stop coverage. It was gut-wrenching. Another fellow was watching and he said "Man, this is worse than anything I've seen in Korea."

The next few weeks were like this, just a state of shock. There were non-stop bomb threats around town during this period. Whether or not they were legitimate or just some wacko being an asshole was beside the point. It kept people angry and scared. At one point I went to a movie to take my mind off things and the theater ended up being evacuated mid-movie. It was pretty awful. Both the event and the movie (Rock Star).

I found out later I lost my childhood babysitter and a couple of friends lost loved ones as well.

A heavy, heavy time indeed.

 

[Sensualdreamer]

I was at the time working for a Japanese bank that was on the 20th Floor of World Trade Center 1

Unreal!!!!

~~~~

I was getting ready for my first day on a new job...showed up, and 3 hours later the company sent everyone home b/c the building where I worked started receiving bomb threats.

 

[papadoc19]

I was in my dormroom getting ready to go to class...I just happen to have the news on and watching the first coverage of it...think it was CBS because I seem to remember Bryant Gumbel discussing it. I ended up going to class...made it through one before the rest were cancelled.

 

[NeonSubtlety]

My high school psych class. Second period. All classrooms had a tv with cable, so we watched it all. I grew up in a city with a pretty famous history for being a part of nuclear weaponry. So, when the nuclear facility was evacuated (being a high priority target), we were a bunch of very worried kids.

 

[Rathskeller]

I was driving into boston to do service calls from the office in braintree ma, when the planes hit. I remeber looking at the sky, watching the planes leaving logan airport only to turn back to land. I was parking near the gardens when the first tower fell. all my calls were cancelled and went back to my house in dorchester and drank and waited to hear from my friends in NYC. I lost a good friend that day.

 

[omgitselaine]

Unreal!!!!

~~~~

REAL i will never forget the faces of the dozens of firemen that were running up the stairs as everyone was being evacuated from the floors !! I thank God every morning for allowing me to get thru that horrible day. May we never relive another day like that in our lifetime.

 

[JSensei]

I debated putting my answer to this question. It is not the typical answer, but I am satisfied with my reasons.

When it first happened, I was in bed. That much, I'll never forget. I had just woken up and my roommate had it on TV. I was trying to figure out what happened. And then I sat up, and he told me class was canceled.

I sat there trying to take it all in, and I decided I couldn't. I used the day off to go and so something I enjoyed, I played DDR. I know it seems callous. But I realized that I was in New Orleans. I knew no one in New York. I could sit there and watch the news, where talking heads would tell us what they didn't know. Staying in and watching it would not make the problem better. It would not make ME feel better. Even if I did watch, they wouldn't really know anything for a while anyway.

So I went out, I tried to enjoy my day. At the time, I don't think we knew it was a terrorist plan, but when I got back, we did. I thought about that, and I was somewhat happy that I went out. Terrorists win by making the world afraid. So to me, I was denying them another victory by trying to go out and live my life.

I realize this is not the typical answer, it it will probably not garner me much support, but it's true.

Ten years later though, I think back on it, and I still agree. I was right to deny the terrorists that victory. I still am. They've made it harder for me to travel. They've put restrictions on what I carry. But they have not made me bow down to fear.

 

[SubmissiveBrat]

I was in 7th grade.

It was a hard thing for me to understand why anybody would attack us when we do so much for other countries.

Oh how naive I was then.

 

[Wolfking05]

REAL i will never forget the faces of the dozens of firemen that were running up the stairs as everyone was being evacuated from the floors !! I thank God every morning for allowing me to get thru that horrible day. May we never relive another day like that in our lifetime.

WOW! Very thankful that you made it out

I was asleep from working the night before. My mom called and told me to turn on the tv. As we were talking the first Tower began to come down. I was like "wait a minute, this is happening right now?" I was glued to the news watching all the reports. I remember jumping up when I heard the sounds of a jet(This was after all civilian aircraft being grounded) Turned out to be 2 Air National Guard jets that had refueled at a small local airport near where we lived. Not sure if it had anything to do with Flight 93 or to patrol the air space over the nuclear power plant here

This video was aired that evening and the song always brings tears to my eyes when I hear it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzMm6KTSV20&feature=related

 

[MrsBorg]

We have been talking about this today....

I was at work in Leicester. My (now ex) partner was on a day off and called me to say a plane had hit the WTC. I wandered around the offices in our dept (about 5 in all) passing on the info. Over the next 30, maybe 60 mins or so he called me a couple more times with updates and I passed them on again. One of my colleagues (an arsehole called Peter) took the piss out of me "oh look at xxxx - Miss News Reporter" or something similar. I may have told him to fuck off, I certainly thought it!! At that point I told my boss I was going home (I think the 2nd plane had hit) because it was serious, it was more important than work, it was a big deal.

I went home. The teen came home. We all sat and watched. It was a big deal and I will never forget that day.

 

[Aquagal]

I was sleeping in bed. Baby was a month and a half old and the phone rang. It was like 6 or 7 in the morning. My first reaction was who the fuck is calling a dead tired mom that early in the morning? It was my husband telling me to turn on the tv. The second plane had just hit. We were stunned by what was happening. It was his day to fly home from the bush. And was stuck there for 3 more days. I called my mom in Cali who hadn't heard either. I spent the next week holding my baby and watching nonstop news.

 

[sereneone4u]

I was in nursing school listening to a lecture when it was interrupted by an instructor making us aware of the the situation and flipping on the television. We watched and then class was dismissed and we headed over to the local Red Cross to assist in any way we possibly could.

 

[chaz57]

Great thread! I was in my apartment getting ready for a meeting. At the meeting we sat around watching T V

 

[blade_rocknut]

I was replacing fixtures in a public restroom at a mobile home park. Point in fact, I was back there today for a little job.

I had two guys working for me at the time; hardly more than kids, they were...We had no radio or tv on, so we were clueless 'til we all walked in the office at the park. The tv was on, crowd gathering. The second plane hit while we were standing there. The guys and I went to my houset; we gazed at the tv along with my wife for hours. The youngest of the two boys was a 13FOX in the Nat'l Guard......he got called up in a few weeks. He spent over a year in the sand, took a couple bullets, too.

My everyday reminder? That day I was using a 1/8" HSS bit to drill screwheads off to remove wall hangers. Three of the screwheads got stuck on the bit.

That bit is in my truck; I never fail to remember that job, that day, those people.

 

[tekgirl]

I was working that day. I was orienting a new employee. The Today show was on in the dayroom. I remember the activity director coming out to say a plane had hit one of the towers. Slowly people started drifting into the dayroom.

Then the second plane hit. It was like the whole place just stopped. That room was packed with people the entire day. I had to keep working, but it was like everyone was in a fog. Very surreal.

And that night when driving home, the sky was empty. Not a sound. That to me was very scary. Like time had stopped.