Remembering 911

thomas7g · September 11th, 2003, 06:36 AM

Where were you that day? And what do you remember?

That day I was dealing with a family tragedy. My grandmother had slipped into a coma. My sister and all of our family had gathered in LA. But on that day my sister was leaving to go home.

We were just about to drive to the airport when my friend called me and made me turn on the tv....

We couldn't stop watching the slow motion horror all day. It was unbelievable.

Dawg · September 11th, 2003, 06:58 AM

My wife and I were in bed, the alarm had just gone off - 6:00 a.m. PDT. Of course, the radio station was live national news, talking about the first tower. I remember thinking that some idiot in a small plane had screwed up bad.

Then the announcer yells about another plane.

We made it into the living room and had the TV on in time to see the fireball.

At that point, I was just numb. My mind could not comprehend, I think, what I had just seen. We kept the TV on until we had to leave for work, so I watched the towers fall.

I don't remember much about the rest of the day - just the looks my co-workers and I exchanged during the course of the day, the tears barely restrained, the slow comprehension that we had finally joined the rest of the world.

Last year on this day, fire stations around the country marked the anniversary. There is a station on my wife's drive to work; they had a single engine parked in front of the building, with an American flag flying and it's lights flashing silently. She had to pull over.

Our flag is flying today.

In Remembrance

I am
Dawg

CommanderTaggart · September 11th, 2003, 07:38 AM

I had just gotten dug in at work, when a co-worker rushed into to tell me that she had heard on the radio that a plane had crashed into one of the two towers... and while they had been reporting on the first plane, another plane crashed into the second tower.

Then we heard about the Pentagon.

We don't have any televisions in our office, so we turned on the handful of portable radios scattered about.

I remember I really didn't want to deal with it. I had been a radio news journalist for nearly a decade, and it was man's propensity for inhumanity to man that more or less drove me out of the business. So, I tried to tune out the broadasts, and just keep working.

But it didn't last.

Many of our former actors...my friends... have since gone on to make their homes in New York and Washington, DC.

The rest of my day was spent tracking down every single former actor in both NYC and DC. It was maddening... especially in NYC, where whole telephone networks were down.

Of course, I had former actors from other parts of the country calling me to see whether I had heard from such and such, and were they okay. As soon as I had confirmation that one was okay, I'd send out mass emails to all of the others. This became my sole focus.

It was emotional. I remember calling the mother of one actor, because I just couldn't get the actor, herself. The mother, in New Jersey, told me that the actor was fine. When the actor finally called me, she was in tears and shock.

By early evening, I had accounted for every former actor known to be working or living in NYC and DC, except for one. It took me several more days to finally discover that he, too, was fine.

Then, like millions of others, I made my way home, and viewed my first images of the nightmare on TV.

jewels · September 11th, 2003, 08:58 AM

When the 1st plane hit I was dressing my then 5 1/2 mo. old for the day. I normally didn't let the TV run in the living room but I did that day. I had "house chores" to do and was collecting the laundry basket and my baby to go down to the laundry room when I heard the words "incident at the world trade center" I stopped, turned to the TV and saw the enormous gaping, smoldering hole in the 1st tower. The laundry got dropped and the baby got sat down on the floor in the living room with me kneeling beside her. I tried to count the number of floors to try to register what had happened--at least 10, gone. All I could think of was to pray for the survivors: for ways out and ways down--for there to still be intact stairways, free of smoke--for them to get out.

When plane 2 came into view I begged it to just pass the building. For a second it looked like it would--that second was too long--then the fireball as the S. tower was hit. I did a lot of screaming "No, God, no!" Then I went to the phone and called my husband and told him to get on CNN's website or turn a TV on--his office needed to know this, especially (as it happened) since the employees that worked on base would soon be coming into the main office as dazed as everyone else.

I am most thankful that when the Pentagon was hit, my husband chose to take a very early lunch (not like any work was happening anyway) and came home just in time for the 2nd tower to fall. It helped to have someone share the shock.

I remember most the intense sadness when everyone thought many more lives had been lost. And the sadness and stoicness of the rescue/recovery workers, firefighters and police. The grey ash and paper everywhere. The firefighters raising the flag.

And I remember a country that wasn't thrown into chaos when we were scared. some of us prayed. Some of us gave blood. Some donated money or goods or time. We knew our world had instantly changed, and not for the good. But our government and military functioned. Martial law was only temporarily applied to an area in Manhattan and one around the Pentagon. And the planes that were grounded for a few days. Our government stood up and said we will bring those that planned this to justice. The buildings may have collapsed, but our country was much stronger than steel, concrete and glass can ever be.

The best memory: the ordinary heroes made in those days: from the obvious firefighters and police, business people that led or carried each other out, to the air national guardsmen that flew at least one organ donation to the recipient to the people that drove all night to get skin grafts to the burn victims. Many heroes were made--may their stories survive.

Jewels

kingfish · September 11th, 2003, 09:07 AM

I saw the event on live Television.

Dawg · September 11th, 2003, 09:21 AM

We all did, Paul. And the images haunt us to this day.

I am
Dawg

LadyImmortal · September 11th, 2003, 12:40 PM

I was at work (I go in at 7 am cdt...).

I heard one of my co-workers talking to another. Something about 'one plane hit, then another plane hit'.

I had to be nosy at that point and ask what happened. She told me 'the World Trade center and the Pentagon have been hit with planes'.

I'm like 'what kind of planes?'

"Passenger planes."

That's when I went dry-mouthed. I rushed back to my radio and tuned it to AM to listen to a news-station... and listened...

I was listening to the radio when they announced that one of the towers had collapsed. That just... my mind didn't want to even process that.

Then shortly after that they reported that the other tower fell. I remember they weren't positive about the reports at first. It was rather conflicting but in the end, they found out they were right. Both towers had collapsed.

I went home for lunch, which I rarely did back then and turned on the tv. Saw the images for myself of what happened.

Images, as Dawg said, I'll remember forever...

--Rhonda

BST · September 11th, 2003, 02:09 PM

It's been 2 years since the attacks and it's only a bit easier to talk about the subject. The images of the twin towers and the Pentagon on fire, as well as the Flight 93 crash site , are still fresh in my mind.

I was at work, on the phone, talking to my customers, in New York City. Since my day starts at 7:00 am, it began like any normal day then, around the time of the plane hitting the North tower, the nature of the calls began to change. People weren't calling in with questions about their bills, they were calling in to tell what had occurred. At first, I treated it like most people, a small plane had crashed into one of the towers. Then, the truth came out. I didn't want to believe it. But, I had to, it had happened. Luckily, I had a break soon after the attacks began and was able to go to the break room and see it live on TV. With the exception of the broadcaster, there was absolute silence and blank stares of disbelief by those in the room.

When I resumed working, the phones went nearly silent. We would get an occasional call and all that the person wanted was someone to talk to. We listened and sympathized, offering whatever reassurance we could but, knowing that we couldn't do a damn thing to change what had happened.

It was a horrible feeling, just sitting there, knowing that you can't do a thing except watch the events unfold. The knowledge that so many innocent people lost their lives that day just compounded the feeling of helplessness.

It was a day that I, like you, will never forget. That day a part of me, that of child-like innocence, died and I miss it terribly.

I can only hope and pray that those who perished are truly at peace.

BST

Micheleh · September 11th, 2003, 02:24 PM

I was a moderator at Renderosity at the time. I was online for almost 24 hours straignt when it happened, trying to make sense of things, and trying to keep the posts from turning into a wave of anti-Arabic hatred. I remmeber that everyone was frightened and angry. We had members from all over the world, so it was an unique perspective on things.

BST · September 11th, 2003, 02:40 PM

Seeing this thread also jogged some memories from the days that followed the attacks. A friend had sent me this link and I wanted to share this with all of you.

You may have seen this before but, if not, it shows that OUR pain was definitely shared, across the world.

https://home.pressroom.com/epicovers/wtc/

BST

thomas7g · September 11th, 2003, 03:33 PM

How many people were actually watching live when the towers went down?

I remember that almost immediately the WTC was enveloped in its own debri field so you couldn't actually see it really collapsing. You just saw massive debri clouds suddenly generate. And you could hope that it was some part of the fire blowing out smoke. Or some other reason besides a collapse.

But it was a very sinking feeling to see the radio antenna on the top of the tower go straight down. At that point you know it wasn't just a cloud somehow forming. A huge structure like that don't suddenly travel downwards.

Stevew · September 11th, 2003, 03:35 PM

I was and I saw the 2nd one hit the other tower, all I felt was rage
S:evil:

thomas7g · September 11th, 2003, 03:37 PM

yup. Besides shock and horror, I think my exact thoughts was "DAMN THEM"

JSC1 · September 11th, 2003, 04:06 PM

When I started that day I was making my way into town to finalize my substitute teacher application. I sat in offices waiting for my paperwork to finalize. When finished I went to my then job of servicing office copiers on the college campus.

When I parked my car I got out and overheard on the radio of a nearby car that the Trade Towers had been destroyed. I couldn't believe what I had heard. Immediately I went into the college commissary to watch images. I saw the Trade Towers smoking, and I thought of some stupid remark about King Kong having to climb the Empire State Building again instead of the Trade Towers(the '77 remake of King Kong had Kong climbing the Trade Towers). At the time I couldn't believe it, especially since they hadn't shown footage of the Towers falling, just smoking.

I walked across the campus and most of it was being closed down. Libraries were closeing, classes were being let out. I knew I still had business on campus so I continued that, all the while seeing the 9/11 images on T.V. screens wherever I saw one.

Finally they replayed the fall of the Towers. That's when it sunk in for me. I called my family and made sure I was all right. They were grateful for the call.

BST · September 11th, 2003, 04:30 PM

When looking through that collage of pictures for the first time, the one below overwhelmed me the most:

(The Kremlin)

To me, it showed how far we, as a people, had come.

Then,....looking at the wreckage of the twin towers showed how far we have left to go.

BST

jewels · September 11th, 2003, 05:13 PM

BST--those were potent pictures. The tears came again.

I remember too, that I pretty much cried for 2 days: the tears just ran every time I saw the images--and being home, I had both the luxury and the misfortune of listening to the newscasters those 1st 2 days, seeing the images over and over. I'd have to look back in my journal at the time: I don't remember if it was the 1st or 2nd tower (I saw both go down) for one of them I will never forget seeing the 1st floor that collapsed pancake onto the next one. It was a barely visible thing but right at the building's corner, the corner pillar and the steel pillars between windows popped out as the floor collapsed. Then the next went, then the next--and then it just kept going faster. I remember wanting to scream at the newscaster that the bulding was gone--from his pov he couldn't see that all there was was dust. It had been going too fast--too much weight. It was gone.

Thomas, in answer to your question: I saw everything live that was broadcast live that day from about 8:55 a.m. on. The 2nd plane, collapses, the fire at the Pentagon. Each time the president spoke. Prime Minister Blair spoke too that day I think. (We have no finer friend than the UK) And I saw the doomsday plane take off the next morning from Wright-Patt thanks to one of our local stations (the reporter was too young to even understand why that plane existed I think).

BST · September 11th, 2003, 05:56 PM

Jewels, sorry about that. I know the feeling all too well. Just recalling "what I was doing when it happened", in the earlier post, got me too. This year, though, I've been able to get a bit of personal closure on the events. My wife, daughter, and I stopped by the crash site in Shanksville this past June and saw the field where Flight 93 went down, as well as the temporary memorial. It was so calm and peaceful that it belied the horror that occurred there that terrible day. The site is located about 10 miles north of the PA turnpike (I-76 -- Somerset exit).

Although I didn't personally know anyone that persihed that day, the attacks are still like an open wound for me. As I did with regards to the Oklahoma City bombing, the only way for me to move on is to actually visit the site and make peace with it. Hopefully, I'll get to DC and NYC (before they start rebuilding).

btw, We've been to Wright-Patterson, in 1998, right after they took possession of Kennedy's Air Force One. Absolutely fabulous museum. I will go on record definitely recommending the museum as a MUST-SEE for anyone even remotely interested in planes.

BST

Flamingo Girl · September 11th, 2003, 06:38 PM

My morning routeen was to turn on VH-1 and watch some program that ran at that time, but when I did, there was no VH-1, only the image of the first tower being hit. At that point I was thinking it was an accident, somehow the airplane had gone off-course, and I was shocked, but then minutes later, the second plane hit, and I realized it was deliberate, and shocked doesn't begin to describe it.
I went to work, at the time I worked in the snack bar of Walmart, and the place was empty, the radio was playing news reports instead of the usual music, and that was how I learned about the Pentagon. It was so slow, I spent most of the day sitting in a front booth under one of the speakers. When the store closed, it took me probably a half an hour to clean up and leave.

As for my thoughts now...well, y'all ned to read the end of the synopsis I wrote for "The Day The Cylons Landed" in the G-80 forum.

jewels · September 11th, 2003, 06:40 PM

They just added an entire new wing on the AF museum. So the planes aren't as stacked on top of one another. we have to go visit it again. My daughter would love the planes everywhere. (she liked the naval air museum in Pensacola too.)

amberstar · September 11th, 2003, 07:14 PM

Thank you BST for the photos. I had never seen them before. It gave me cold chills and brought tears again. That is a day we will never forget!
This reminds me of Alan Jackson's song "Where were you when the world stoped turning."
I was in my class room giving a spelling test to my first grade class. The school nurse came to my door and I went to the hallway to see what she wanted and she told me the news. America was under attack in New York City, one of the twin towers was falling!
Details were vague and people were starting to panic. Parents were coming to pick up their children, no one knew what the next target was going to be. (I teach near A LOT of huge chemical plants).
I tried to keep the rest of the day as normal as I could, and not expose thoes innocent children to what was going on. Six year old children would only be scared and not understand.
I was numb, but when I got home that evening and watched CNN I could do nothing but cry.
When I found out that they used our own planes against us, and what the people on the flights must have went through, I was angry!
I still think of thoes brave men on the flight that crashed in Penn. they gave their lives to spare others. They knew they were going to die, but they went down fighting. The police and firemen who without regard to their own lives went to the towers, thoes are true heros! People gave of themselves that day and in thoes that followed, in the mist of tragic events America shined! We live in a great nation where we have our differences, but when united together there is no limit to the good we can do.

Senmut · September 11th, 2003, 07:59 PM

I had awakened to the report on the radio of a plane hitting one of the Towers. My first bleary thought was that some accident had occured. Then I got up and checked the TV, and saw the second plane hit. I was strangely non-plussed at first, and called the fellow I was going upriver with that day (I was installing satellite dish receivers at the time). His comment struck me; "Looks like we're at war with somebody." Then, the Pentagon got it. All day, I felt the anger building, and I felt like conundrum did. I felt "Damn them to Hell!!!" and part of that initial rage is still with me. I won't forget, and I know that those now in the crosshairs of Lady Liberty won't either!

CaptainTux · September 11th, 2003, 10:20 PM

That day was hard. I will try to say what I can. My wife and a co-worker of hers were there that day. They were on business in Manhatten. I was self employed and working from home. On planned slow days so I could play Mr Mom to my then 14 month old daughter.

My daughter was still sleeping so I took a shower. When I got out of the shower, she was awake before my hair was dry. I went though the morning routine of changing her outfit and feeding her. Then I popped in a video tape for her so I could check e mails.

When I went into our home office my messagfe light was blinking on my biz line and the home line. Both had messages from my wife telling me not to worry about the news, the plane struck the other tower.

I turned off the VCR just in time to see a replay of the second tower getting hit and then a few moments later the first tower to fall...collapsed. I felt dizzy and sick. I had two phones in my hand redialing her cell again and again to only get her voice mail...no ring...just voice mail.

I grabbed our daughter and held her close terrified out of my mind. Nothing made sense, but my wife HAD to be alive. She had to be out of there. By late afternoon and fielding phone calls from well meaning friends and relatives who I eventually stopped picking up on my certainty turned to fear and doubt and prayer.

I really cannot give you a blow by blow until 11 that evening when her co-worker called me from a cell to tell me they were both alive. I wanted to speak to my wife, but Kim told me that she was not in a position to talk...she was physically fine, but in shock.

Joy mixed with concern. Confusion on how to get her and who should go. My daughter needed me by her side, my wife needed me by her side...I could not bring her with for fear of the unknown. If I left and something happened...our daughter becomes an orphan.

Make a long story short, Kim's hubby and I borrowed a van and got them and a few others. I had to go and leave our daughter with my in-laws. Before she left, we had discussed legal seperation. Suddenly our problems did not matter. Every bit of love and need and not wanting this woman away from my sight was stronger than it had ever been when we were silly in love in college.

Her and Kim saw some horrific things. Different people react differently. Kim was almost herself and my wife had harldy eaten or talked for five days. When we got home I took her to the hospital and they had to give her an IV for the dehydration.

She could not function and her parents helped me as much as they could. She ended up on disability while being treated for severe depression and anxiety form the post traumatic shock.

During that time she lived with her parents and could not see our daughter because it hurt her and she felt guilty and a bad mother. Her dad and I would meet in secret and discuss how she was doing.

She came home, divorce is no longer an option, we put the pieces back together again and we are stronger now than we ever were. She is fine now and healthy, but she is forever changed.

She has told me some of what she saw, but I know I have not heard the full story and I dount I ever will. I feel bad about the demons that haunt her memories. I am grateful...EVER SO GRATEFUL...that she is alive and we are happy and we have a house of love and a wonderful ans happy three year old daughter.

We stood at the edge and got a glimpse of hell. We saw a nation mourn and we saw a nation bond. We mouned and bonded on a personal level as well.

I am also thankful that I have a few friends that are reporters and were bale to help me prevent this from becoming a human interest local story. She had been through hell.

I feel so for those that lost loved ones and the thought is painful beyond my ability to express it.

Well, I have to go to bed now. I need to be next to someone right now. Thanks for the thread conundrum

CaptainTux · September 11th, 2003, 10:24 PM

apology for the poor grammer and spelling. Too emotional to care.

jewels · September 11th, 2003, 10:37 PM

Tux: Hugs to you and yours. I'm glad your wife and you have pulled through and your relationship strengthened and that your daughter has both of you. Wow.

CaptainTux · September 12th, 2003, 09:11 AM

Thank you. I appreciated your detailed observations on this thread of your day two years ago.

BST · September 12th, 2003, 01:38 PM

Tux,

I'm glad that your family's ordeal had a happy ending.

BST

repcisg · September 12th, 2003, 02:19 PM

Me too!!

CaptainTux · September 12th, 2003, 02:52 PM

Family is important and precious. If I learned anything from the experience, it is not to let go of what is precious without a fight. Now, please, Y'all are making me blush and touching me. I am more used to insult than accolade

Seriously, though, most everyone on this board and CA are a class above the standard board people. Thank you.

shiningstar · September 12th, 2003, 03:22 PM

That day I had just gotten my kids on the bus around 8:00 AM ...
I didn't know that anything had happened. When the bus driver
mentioned something about "NOT SCARING" the kids and about a
possible hijacking ...........I had no idea of what I was about to
find out.

I found out that a plane had just flown into the twin towers in
New york. As I had family who worked and lived in NY (some in
and around the WW twrs) I was frantic. I tried to call them to
no avial and instead called my rabbi. I was talking to my rabbi
as the second tower collapsed.

I didn't find out until 11:30 PM that night that my relatives were
alive and well. WHile I was relieved to no end that my relatives
were alive I still grieved for those who didn't make it and said
(and to this day still do) extra prayers for the families of the
victims.

CaptainTux · September 12th, 2003, 03:25 PM

I understand the helplessness. I am grateful they were safe and you did not suffer loss. Good and though provoking post. While alive, we do need to remember the families who were not as fortunate as we were.