I don’t think any of use will ever forget where we were and what we were doing on that fateful day when that dastardly attack came to our home land.
I was out on some job interviews and had just got hired by Target in Harrisburg, Pa. We were watching the attacks happen on their display T.V.'s. I hurried home to see if I could find out any news about an Army buddy that works for the N.Y. Port Authority. I will never forget seeing the signs along I-81 that read “All Access New York City Closed”. Then the attack on our Pentagon and the courage of the people on Flight 93.
My buddy was able to get out of the World Trade Center before the buildings fell. My heart still breaks for those who perished in New York, D.C. and Shanksville, Pa.
I was at work on 9/11/01. My boss was a Lt. Col. in the Marine Reserves, and was immediately called into the Reserve Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
I also remember being in the 8th grade at St. Felicitas School when President Kennedy was shot. The Principal made the announcement over the public address system, and the entire school went to the church and prayed for JFK until his death was announced. Two events which I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
I will be flying from Oregon to Ohio on 9/11 with my wife, two brother and their wives, and I feel extremely safe in doing so.
I was “somewhere” in SE Asia during the Cuban Missile Crisis and was at work the night (for me) president Kennedy was shot and I had to notify the base commander.
I was at work on 9/11 taking a coffee break and saw it on the big screen tv in the break room. I remember going back to my office, and not much after that! The whole plant was in a daze and very little got done that day, lots of tears and hugs as I remember.
I have more to say about this but not now .
Getting ready for work. The first plane had just hit and I watched the second hit on the news as they were talking about the first one. I still get sick to my stomach every time I see it or think about it.
I was at home that day with my then toddler twin boys. I remember when the facts started to come together thinking that these two were growing up into a very different world.
First, thanks for helping us all remember and not letting this day just go by like another day.
I had just dropped my mom off at the park and ride and was heading home. Heard something on the radio and turned on the TV once I got home. Woke up my dad and told him we were under attack and we both just sat there watching as the second plane hit.
At the time, I was working construction. Let me tell you it was quite something to see a bunch of hard a$$ construction workers who usually have extremely loud, foul mouths not saying a single thing most of the day. Where radios usually played Metallica, AC/DC and Disturbed…they all played talk-radio for the next couple weeks listening and morning in their own way.
Eric, thanks for starting this thread. It is good to remember those who fell, those who rose to be heroes and the feelings of love, loss and unity we all had that day.
I woke up to the radio, the DJ’s were talking about a plane flying into the WTC. I pictured in my mind a Cesna, they kept talking about it then about 10 min later they said a second plane had hit, I remember thinking O Crap, they got us.
My most vivid memory of that day was driving into Wallmart that morning , the roads were empty and wallmart had about 10 people that wern’t working there.
I was living outside L.A. when 9-11 occurred. Being on the left coast, alot of us were just getting up when this went down. A friend of mine was getting on a plane from LA to NY when they sent them back to the gate. We got a call to wake up and turn the TV on, just in time to see plane 2 hit.
I remember the oddest of thoughts, at least now they seem odd, I remember getting ready for work that morning and wondering if I should pack my pistol. We were under attack, and I was in LA. Who knew what was next? A full army of terrorists on the streets? I was ready to fight if needed. Ive never been so angry in my life. I honestly wondered if there was going to be fighting in the streets. Within a few hours we all figured out that wasnt the case, but for a time…I dont remember fear ever hitting me. Just anger
Here are some things you can do to help honor those innocents who were slain and those who gave up their lives on that awful day:
At 12:00 noon stop what you are doing, if possible, place your hand over your heart and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Wear red, white and blue.
Drive with your headlights on.
I want to thank the citizens of Canada for opening your hearts and homes to the people on all those airplanes that were grounded during the attack. Lets remember that Canada had some of her citizens killed in that awful attack too. The United Kingdom too. The Queen really made me cry with her order to play “The Stars and Stripes Forever” at Buckingham Palace.
Here is a site that lists the numbers of citizens from all the different nations that died that day:
It gave me shivers just thinking about that day this morning. As I read the title to the thread, goosebumps once again. I was at a WIC appt (Women, Infants, Children) for those of you who are not familiar basically I was a single mom at the time, and they provide checks for me to buy milk, formula, eggs, cheese, juice, cereal…things of the most nutritional to an infant and the nursing mother. I was there, then had headed over to the neighboring office. After leaving there and in the car, it was on the radio, that was the first plane. I was staying w/ my sister at the time, and when I walked in the door they were all hovered around the tv, listening…and just as I passed through the door, I seen the second plane. I did not lose anyone that day, and I am thankful of that, but to this day my heartfelt prayers and sympathies go to those that were lost, and there families…and my gratitude and thanks to the men and women that are still serving today.
I was off that day, and being in the central time zone, was watching the Today show on an hour delay. Then they broke in live and started talking about the first plane…when the 2nd one hit I told my wife “we are under attack”.
As I was watching the events this morning I thought to myself…“this is the day that we all started singing God Bless America instead of “take me out to the ballpark” during the 7th inning stretch.”
There are about a dozen dates and situations that I’ll never forget. Some are bleak like the remembrances of today. September 11, 2001 I was driving home from an early morning check-up at my doctors office and listening to ‘Imus In The Morning’ on the car radio. He interupted his normal routine and said that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers. Since my drive was about 20 minutes there were updates. Although the initial speculation was that it must have been a small plane, he soon announced it was a jet. I got home and started watching the tv. I can’t say this about anyone, but my initial reaction was, accident - he** no! Then I watched in amazement as a second jet plowed, figureatively and literally, into the second Tower. This was captured on a few video cameras and shown over and over and in slow motion. It was horrific. For the remainder of the day I sat glued to the tv.
I was in St. Louis in pharmacy school. I remember getting up and my wife telling me that some nut had run their plane into the WTC. Like others from what she said I thought it was a small plane, no big deal. I was watching when the second plane hit the tower. I had a physiology test, and I went to study with a friend of mine, but all we did was watch the news, it was such a somber day and an extremely sad one. My oldest daughter was a little over a year old, and my wife and I both wrote an extra long message in her journal that we made for her. The one thing I remember was once the planes started flying again, it seems like either they were flying lower, or mabye it was just that attention was paid to them. For awhile it seemed like something was going to happen, I felt that the Gateway Memorial Arch was in danger, I worked at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and worried about a plane running into it, things that had never crossed my mind at any time. It really changed our world, and most of America as well.
Drew