Remember 9/11?

[JohnT]

I have resigned myself to the fact that I have "Swiss-Cheese" memory. There are lots of things that I simply can not recall. Call it a part of getting, old but one thing is for sure. I have a vivid memory of 9/11.

I live within 35 miles of NYC, and work with 10 miles. I remember that the day was simply beautiful. Sunny, cool and crisp without a single cloud in the sky.

At the time, I was a consultant. This job sent me everywhere. One day I am in LA, the next in Dallas, and the next in Podunk. On 9/10 I was in the twin towers teaching a class. I normally taught a 2 day class, but was a "refresher" one day class.

On 9/11, I was driving into the bowels of Pa to teach a class at a steel company when I heard about a plane crashing into the twin towers over the radio (WPLJ, Scott and Todd show). Remembering my history, I recalled how a bomber crashed into the Empire State building back in the forties. As I am thinking about this, I remember feeling that it was very odd since that particular disaster occurred in dense fog and here it was sunny and clear. As a one-time student pilot, I also felt it odd that a plane should crash into a building since early pilot training teaches how to look for suitable emergency landing sites and that area of Manhattan simply was not one of them.

Then the second plane hit.

In that split second, things changed. In that moment, I realized that we were under attack. My emotions ran from concern about an accident to anger over an attack. I remembered how the towers were bombed years before (a van stuffed with explosives was set off in the lower level parking garage), I remember thinking that this should be cleaned up in no time.

Then the towers fell.

After the initial shock, it struck me that I was in the south tower just the day before. As my classes normally ran 2 days, I realized that my wife might think that I was there today as well. I had to call home.

In that day, the cell phone (an old one) had horrible service. Being in the middle of the Pocono mountains did not help any. The increased cell phone usage due to the disaster also meant that calling home was next to impossible. I tried calling home so many times that my phone eventually went dead. Out of frustration, I made a U turn and headed back home.

When I finally got home, I felt a tremendous body slam. It was my wife hugging me. As she sobbed, I pulled her away from me only to have her say "Don't you ever ****ing do that to me again. I have been calling you for hours. I thought that you were dead".

She was lucky. Her spouse came home. Many spouses did not.

Sorry if this post is too long. Just felt in the mood to share.

 

[DoctorCAD]

I worked in an industrial park at the end of the runway in Pittsburgh. We all heard about the first plane on one of my co-workers on-line streaming of Howard Stern. We heard about the second plane and our management set up a conference room so we could all go watch the news coverage. It was a horrible day...

Later, when the unidentified plane was turning around (flight 93) we were all evacuated because the air traffic controllers were worried about the plane crashing into the Pittsburgh airport. I went home and watched it all day.

I had to go to a class that evening and the professor was Arabic. All I could see was a target on his forehead, I wanted tokill him with my bare hands...I hate that feeling but still cannot shake it. Every time I see footage of the planes hitting the towers, I feel exactly the same way, I hope it goes away eventually.

 

[Elmer]

I was driving up route 7 on my way to work at the musuem. I was power chugging a coffee and chain smoking and listening to Howard Stern as I did on every morning commute.

I listened to for the entire ride to work.
Like Stern or not, he did an exceptional job of covering the topic at hand, having people call in and explain what they saw and what was going on.

When I arrived at the museum I went into the basement to handle the collections as was my job. I turned on a 1930's GE radio and began listing to AM radio's coverage.

I remember in the darkened basement walking upon some of the elder women volunteers, who spent their time dusting the collection. I informed them of what happened and they began listening.

At lunch time I left the building as I always did, grabbed some soup and sat in my truck at the park and just listened to the radio, ESPN covered it as did every other station.

When I returned to work from lunch, 15 minutes late (I took only 1/2 lunch of an hour, so I could leave early) the parking lot was empty and the building was locked.
After banging on the door the security guard informed me the director sent everyone home 2 minutes after I left for lunch.

So I went home and just watched the news for the next 20 hours.
I will say that from a historical perspective it was fascinating to observe a moment in history albeit a horrific one.

However on the other hand I felt like a child who had just learned that Hanukkah Harry or the easter bunny was not real. It was a shattering like I had gone lost my youth and gone from child to adult in a day.

Not to mention those I know who were down there and even more directly affected than I.

 

[Rocky]

I was Purchasing Director for a local company and was just about to start a meeting with a representative of the company from which we leased our buildings. Just as we were ready to start, his cell phone rang. He looked at it and said, "This is from my wife. Let me take this before we start." and he left my office to take the call. He came back in and reported that his wife had told him that a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center towers. We all thought, 'What a terrible accident.'

Minutes later, his phone rang again and he again took the call. It was his wife again and she told him that a second plane had flow into the other tower. We knew immediately that we were under attack. We all went to TVs scattered around the company to watch the horrific day unfold. Shortly thereafter, the company dismissed for the day and we all went home. My two most vivid memories of the time, firstly, was the next day when all air traffic had been suspended and I looked to the empty skies. I live near Columbus, Ohio and at any time of the day, one can see a number of planes or contrails in the sky. When there were none, it gave me the strange feeling that we were all alone. Secondly, I recall how everyone suddenly became more courteous to one another, in stores and in traffic, as though to say, "We are all in this together."

 

[berrycrush]

I came to work at Midtown Manhattan that day and everyone is glued to the TV terminal on our floor. It is until the first tower went down before we realize that we need evacuate. There was no panic in the City, people simply didn't believe what is really happening. All trains and tunnels are halted and we had to take the ferry to get to Jersey. At the ferry terminal in Hoboken, passengers were asked if they came from downtown when unboarding, if the answer is yes, you got hosed for the fear of potential chemical/biological contaminate.

 

[bakervinyard]

I was at Logan Airport that morning. I was supposed to fly to Texas for work. It was the first time flying by myself. As I was waiting for my flight to be called my cell phone rang and a co-worker said that a plane had crashed into one of the twin towers. A few minutes later my wife called and told me another plane crashed into the second tower and to not get on my flight. She said I don't care if you get fired don't go. I decided to leave the airport right away. I left my luggage at the airport got on the shuttle to my truck and as the shuttle was going to the remote lot the radio was on and the news reported that the first tower collapased. I'll never forget the looks on the other passengers on the shuttle.
I went to the closest store that I worked for at the time and called my boss. He was relieved that I wasn't on the plane. I ent home after that and watched the news the rest of the day.
The next morning as I was getting ready to go to work I heard a plane over head and said to my wife that planes were flying again. She told me that it was a fighter jet doing patrols.
I'll never forget that day and to this day the hair on my arms raises when I recall the events of 9-11.
Sorry for being long winded, Bakervinvard

 

[BernardSmith]

Thank you all for sharing your memories of 9/11. I have no particularly interesting memories to share except to say that two years ago on 9/11 I chose to become a US citizen. The local immigration office and a judge worked very hard to enable me to take my oath on that day (no public ceremony) and through their actions I was able for myself, to transform that date from one of unalloyed horror and tragedy to one that (for me ) now also offers hope.

 

[Boatboy24]

I remember that morning as if it were yesterday. I had overslept and was getting ready to leave for work when the first plane hit and it was reported on the Today show. I lived about 9 miles from Dulles Airport at the time and my house was directly under the flight path. My commute home had me coming over a hill on the highway about a mile or two from home, and at that point on I66, you can almost always spot 2 or 3 planes on/near final approach. That afternoon, there was only one plane in the air - a fighter jet. I always loved sitting on my deck and watching the planes fly over, but after 9/11, the quiet was deafening.

 

[fabrictodyefor]

I read this thread this morning and wept over the lost souls, the lost of innocence and the anger. I've never quite understood the necessity to condemn others for their beliefs. It is not in my nature. But this afternoon I hear the door bell ring...it takes me a few more seconds than most...I work in my basement, I need to turn off my machine, turn off my timer and CD player. I go to the door and no one is there, but a pink sticky note. On it says, "Happy 9/11". I run out and wonder who could think so little of me they would pierce my heart in such a way. I am at a loss. I could no longer concentrate on my work, so I gave it up for the day. Then I go to the TV and on my DVR is Shindler's List....it has been there for a long, long time. I had never had the courage to watch it. I decided since I was so distraught, this would be a good day. I will never understand the concept of one human hating another with such contempt to justify murder. Whether it was the mass destruction of the Jews or the loss of our citizens from 9/11, I realize all I can do is pray to my God that He will bless those that believe in His ultimate power and help me to forgive the un-belivers. My heart is with all those who have lost a loved one on this tragic day not so long ago.

 

[dralarms]

I was in pikeville, tn. At a chicken farm/processing plant installing a door access system. When the first plane hit they came out and turn on a radio in the lobby, when the second plane hit, I told everyone it was an attack and we needed to go. Got home and didn't move from in front of the tv for days. The more I watched the madder I got. And I still am mad today, I think we should have glassed over that desert and been done with them.

 

[Boatboy24]

But this afternoon I hear the door bell ring...it takes me a few more seconds than most...I work in my basement, I need to turn off my machine, turn off my timer and CD player. I go to the door and no one is there, but a pink sticky note. On it says, "Happy 9/11". I run out and wonder who could think so little of me they would pierce my heart in such a way. I am at a loss. I could no longer concentrate on my work, so I gave it up for the day.

Do you have neighbors who experienced the same thing? Do any of them have surveillance cameras on their property? I would not let this go.

 

[chris400]

was my first semester in college i was in a math class that morning....i remember before i left home the first plane had hit and they were saying it mave have been a private plane ...well anyway wile in math class we noticed alot of comotion in the halls and a cop knocked on the door and ask for the teacher then she came back in and told us all to leave the campus and go home....turned out that some ***** had thought it would be funny to call in a threat to the school during all that was going on .....i didnt learn what had really happend with the planes untill i got in my truck......at the time i was 18 and even then i dont think i fully had grasp how things had just changed forever.

 

[697713132]

I was working building a store in Tyson corner, new jersey, close enough to watch the smoke climbing into the sky, was a beautiful till then, was rather spooky for a boy from the south seeing choppers and fighter jets flying over head knowing that they were armed, I was inside the zone that meant no one in nore out till they knew what was going on, I've never thought of things the same since then, I remember the sunday following, out there they didn't work sundays, blue collar law or something, I showed up at the strip mall at which time a black hawk chopper came down put his chain gun on me and said don't move,,,, I was so happy when the ;police showed up and told them they knew me,,, just me but I feel we should leave them people alone over there, BUT IF THEY MESS WITH US I SAY KLL EVER MAN WOMAN AN CHILD,,, but like I said only if they bother us,,, may god bless you one and all,, GOD BLESS AMERICA,,,,

 

[Deezil]

I remember waking up for school like any other day.. I was in 7th or 8th grade.. Just about to walk out the door to catch the bus, and my mom called me into the living room to look at the TV - I remember complaining that I was going to be late; I later, felt foolish for worrying over a couple minutes when my mom wanted to spend a moment with me... She told me a plane had hit a building in New York..

I told her I loved her and out the door I went.

I got to school, to my advisory class, when over the intercom the principal told the teachers to check their email. My science teacher was also my advisory class teacher, he asked if anyone knew what had happened that morning and a couple of us said a plane hit a building. He told us a second hit a building, and asked if we wanted to watch the news. I remember saying I did. On came CNN, and as I sat there, my mind finally grabbing some gears and waking up - I realized it wasn't an accident. They started with the replays, the commentators started questioning.

I remember a group of girls sitting close to me, talking/crying and wondering what it was all about. I felt a chill, and took another look around the room. I was looking, wondering which of my classmates was going to end up dressed in fatigues, in some foreign land, touting some M16 and searching for a revenge they wouldnt ever really find. I ended up explaining to those girls that the first one could have been a grave mistake, but the second one makes them both intentional and that we'd know shortly who was behind it.

I was numb for days... See, I grew up in a family where the men have served, basically, in every major war that the US has ever been involved in.. But, as most of you know, my younger brother is autistic, and morally, my obligation to my family is stronger than my obligation to my nation.. But both my grandfathers urged me to join - one retired from the Navy, the other from the Army; my dad's Army, uncle is Coast Guard, cousin is a Marine - so the 'tear' is there; it ripped me in half.

All that life, smothered..
And my hands have been tied the whole time..

 

[fabrictodyefor]

Do you have neighbors who experienced the same thing? Do any of them have surveillance cameras on their property? I would not let this go.

Thanks, Boatboy, for the concern. I called a few of my neighbors and no one else so far had one, and my neighbor across the street is a cop. He said he was going to keep his eye out. There are no surveillance cameras, probably in our whole town! There were probably not many out roaming around either, as it snowed all day and was quite cold. This is a small town, pop 1800, nearest bigger town is 40 miles, my head tells me it was an ignorant juvenile, but it still pierced my heart. 9/11 changed this nation and the world forever, and not in a good way. I live in my little bubble here in small town America, someone poked a hole in it yesterday, but it did not burst.

 

[heatherd]

I was living in San Antonio at the time. What sticks with me the most is the image of people jumping from the building. That will haunt me for the rest of my life - that a free fall to the ground was a better option to the folks than going down with the building.

It seemed like the end of innocence.


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