September 11th, 2001

[that dude]

brings a tear to my eye every time

+1 ....really pisses me off as well.

[that dude]

Yeah, I was at work when the news broke. When a fellow New Yorker told me about it, I thought he was rattling my chain. Go figure. They dismissed us and on the way home the sky was totally void of planes. It suddenly hit me " we are at war"

yup yup yup

[that dude]

I forgot about the gas hikes too.

totally forgot..it was like that for a while.

[that dude]

doesnt seem like it was that long ago. i will say this, it united us citzens, and country more than before. i saw american flags flying everywhere along with stickers. its just a shame that had to happen for us to open eyes and realize what we have here. i think too many including myself back then took our freedoms and liberties for granted. i will give a few moments of silence to the victims and heroes that perished that day.

[RVTPilot]

+1, td.

I was in my office on the phone with a friend of mine in FL when I heard on the radio a 15 second news blurb that a plane had hit the first tower. The sports talk guys mentioned a cessna-type plane that had hit one of the towers a few years prior, and everyone kind of went on for the next few minutes as if it was nothing more than that. Wasn't 5 minutes later when I refreshed the Plain Dealer website that there was already a pic there. I pulled my Sony Watchman out of my desk and called my mom and stepdad into my office and from there the horror for us commenced. My Mrs then was working in downtown Cleveland in the Tower City complex, which was unmitigated chaos in short order. She ended up walking out of downtown Cleveland with some co-workers similar to those in NY. That was crazy to me, but then so was everything else that day. I couldn't drive down to where she was for hours, and she didn't make it home until almost 6 that night. That night her and I sat cuddled on the couch with our 9 month old son with tears in our eyes. The former Marine in me was, and still is, enraged and felt helpless.

My stepdad owned a small packaging products distribution outfit (small = him and I) and the next day we could work, we ordered packing slip envelopes with the American flag on them. From that day forward, if it came out of our warehouse, it had a flag on it. Shamefully, I guess we should have done that before hand. But you can't undo the past, merely learn from it.

I will continue to think about and pray for the mighy souls freed from their mortal confinements that day, and for the families who needlessly lost them. I was proud of my nation in the aftermath as the galvanizing unity displayed made me feel fortunate for the time I served defending such amazing people. Today, even as we banter and argue across party lines, we should still keep in mind that while we don't always agree, we are always Americans, and feel fortunate to be in a place where we even have the opportunity to openly debate one another without the potential for punishment.

Semper Fi, brothers and sisters.

[cg2112]

I was working at LexisNexis at the time. I had a daily routine of checking the nights email and reading up on CNN in the mornings, and saw an alert that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I saw the photo, and my buddy and I made jokes about how a pilot could possibly miss a building that big (they initially suspected that it was a commuter plane). When the second plane hit, we realized what was going on.

All work pretty much stopped, and we huddled, about 15 people, into one cubicle watching a 6 inch black and white television, which is where we saw the towers fall. We knew that we had coworkers in the building, but didn't know if they were there at the time (unfortunately, they were).

At that point, they sent us home to be with our families. I cried on the way home, when the heaviness of the situation really hit. I spent the rest of the day glued to the news with my wife, mother-in-law and brother-in-law.

[chevysoldier]

I still have the Columbus Dispatch from 12 September 2001. Every once in a while I'll look at the front page and I still feel the sadness, anger, hate and fear I felt that day.

I've said this before but when I was in Iraq Toby Keith came and played for us. When he sung "The Angry American", the crowd of soldiers erupted and I believe that most of us were proud to be there.

Now this nation that I love

Has fallen under attack

A mighty sucker punch came flying in

From somewhere in the back

Soon as we could see clearly

Through our big black eye

Man, we lit up your world

Like the 4th of July

Hey Uncle Sam

Put your name at the top of his list

And the Statue of Liberty

Started shaking her fist

And the eagle will fly

And there's gonna be hell

When you hear Mother Freedom

Start ringing her bell

And itll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you

Ahhh Brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue

Ohhh Justice will be served

And the battle will rage

This big dog will fight

When you rattle his cage

And you'll be sorry that you messed with

The U.S. of A.

'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass

It's the American way

God Bless My America.

[kitani2126]

Yeah it was such a beautiful day. Sunny, perfect temp, clear sky and clear air. Sad how the day ended after such a good start.

Where I am from in Pa, the sky is like a crossroad for all of the major airports, JFK, Dulles, Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Philadelphia. I remember looking at the sky and being so shocked by how clear it was with no planes.

[hollywood3586]

I was a sophomore in high school and time stood still that day. I don't think anyone said a word for most of the school day. Still brings tears to my eyes thinking about it.

[chevysoldier]

C-Span is showing the remembrance ceremony in Shanksville, Pa. They just finished reading off the name of those people who lost their lives. Each time a name was read, two bells sounded. At 11 is the pentagon ceremony. Yeah I'm a little teary eyed.

[Kosmo]

I am in New York City right now.....I will try to go to the memorial but may be later in the day.....it's crazy right there, I guess......

Two of my close high school friends perished that day leaving behind the devastated family behind......

May all rest in peace and may all find peace who's life changed forever on that day.

[20thGix]

I was at work when it happened. I remember at lunch everyone was sitting around their cars listening to the radio's, Nobody really said anything all just sat and listened. It was like there wasnt any road traffic either. Just seemed like time stopped with and erie silence.

Then when i got home there was about ten of us just glued to the TV still in disbelief.

[chevysoldier]

I'm on google earth. There is a view of the WTC in September of 2001. You can still see smoke in the air. Eerie.

[DGTL GRL]

I was at work. Filling out paperwork for a Apple Dispatch when my husband called me. He was unemployed at the time. He mentioned something about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. At the time we thought maybe someone couldnt fly a plane and that's what happened.

Then we turned on the radio and the details started to unfold.

When I first learned that it was intentional, hijacked, and there were innocent people on board I just kept on thinking about those poor people on the plane.

I wasn't really thinking about the innocent people in the towers.

My work had me run out a Printer Drum Kit to a small business. I was in my car listening to Howard Stern (back when he was on regular radio) giving the details on what was going on. You could tell the other people in cars on the road during that time were also driving erratically panicked and listening to their radios.

I was in my car trying desperately to find this small business to drop off their printer part when I learned of the first tower collapsing.

I finally found that small business. When I went in they were all huddled around a tv. They informed me that they were concerned as their boss was in NY at that time. She was safe. But unable to get back.

I left that business never once looking at the tv screen.

On my way back to my office I was informed over the radio that the 2nd tower has now fallen. I remember saying "OH MY GOD!" knowing we were under attack for certain now as if it wasn't clear enough before.

I got back to my work and went on CNN. I didnt watch any video. But the site was getting slammed pretty hard I could tell. Took a while to load the images. I saw the pictures of the inflamed towers before they fell.

We stayed the full work day.

I got home and THAT is the first time I saw the video of the planes hitting the towers. I busted into tears and my husband was shocked that this was the first time I saw it. He comforted me.

Then we like others were taking both our cars to the gas stations to fill up. A couple of hours waiting for overpriced fuel (CHEAPER THEN IT IS NOW!!!!!!) and we were back home for the evening.

NEVER will I forget. NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!!!!!!

[cmh_sprint]

I was sitting in my office getting ready for our yearly United Way kick-off presentation and turned the TV on to see what was going on. They were talking about a small plane hitting the first tower. When they showed the close-up I looked at my boss and said there was no way a private plane made a hole that big. Just as I finished saying that I caught a glimps of the second plane just before it hit. I was at a complete loss for words at what I had just witnessed. After A few minutes, of digesting what was going on, I called my wife and then my Mom to let them know what was going on.

The rest of that day I watched was what was happening and did absolutely nothing for work.

[max power]

I was wiring a hotel on Olentangy River Rd. for fire/security when I heard that a plane hit the tower on the radio. Me and the guy I was working with spent most of the day in my van watching the news on my tiny black and white TV that I used to check cameras.

The illegals just kept working and didnt care what was going on. They still dont.

[skrewloose]

sitting in my office at the first job I had taken after the Marine Corps, working while listening to Stern ... as soon as I heard I went to the front conference room and turned on the tv and notified the rest of the office.... most of the office worked from that conference room, glued to the tube that day.

[jhaag]

I was on my way to Hartford, CT for work. i was connecting in Detroit and had a couple of hours to wait so i had breakfast and went to the gate to relax.

the lady at the gate counter suddenly says that a plane hit the WTC. well, like others i thought it was a small one. five mins or so later she says it was a commercial plane and all inbound flights are being redirected. so, there goes my connecting flight. i then get my laptop out to get contact info for my customer and cant find a pen. the guy next to me offers one and says this friend works in the towers. i thank him and wish him and his friend good luck as he rushes off to a pay phone.

at this point all flights, inbound and outbound, have been canceled and the airport closed. it is clear that i am not leaving the airport by plane. not only is cell reception poor in the terminal, but the lines are all being jammed because at this point everyone is headed for the exits and calling loved ones and business associates, i assumed. i finally find an available phone and call work and they tell me to do whatever i need to do to get home safely, with regard to spending money in the process.

so, i head to the rental car shuttle bus because i have an emerald aisle card at national and can just get in a car and go........well, thats pretty much what everyone did. now, detroit has a pretty big airport with large rental car lots to support it. i arrive at the national lot and it is completely empty, save for one 15 passenger van!

there is a group of 15 or 20 people standing outside the building one of which is a national employee taking names. this group is emerald aisle card holders so they get firsts on any available cars. there was a second group of 20 - 30 waiting inside to make a reservation at the counter.

national was trucking cars in on semis and they would pull them off the truck, drive them in one end of the building to get washed and gassed up and give them to us EA card holders. so, after about an hour or so out pulls this new, red Cadillac SLS. the lady with the clip board butchers my last name, like most people, and some other dude in a suit speaks up that its him. i say, what is the spelling? she replies and i say oh thats me. so, with a smirk on my face that you couldnt remove with a baseball bat, i load up and am finally headed home.

i ended up having to stop at a truck stop to use the phone because i couldnt get a line on the cell. i felt bad to find that my mother was freaking out and calling my office. but, i talked to her finally and all was well. anyway, i listened to the radio the whole way home and just didnt believe what i was hearing when they said the towers fell. i figured it was just the top or something and that the media was exaggerating. but, when i got to the office they had it on in the conference room i was shocked to see what had happened.

very sad day, indeed.

[kawi kid]

I was leading a group of fifth graders around a farm safety awaeness thing we were pitting on. The folks from cosi told me about what was going on.

[psyco1]

I was at work and heard about it on the radio over the intercom and I remember this guy.

http://www.scripting.com/images/2001/10/04/schmuckWtc.jpg

[kawi kid]

Is that real? I have Never seen that before

[Sidewinder600]

I was a sophomore in college and woke up to one of the other guys yelling "Holy shit" at the TV. Rolled out of bed, saw the hole from the first plane and just thought somebody clearly overpaid for flight lessons. Got a shower and when I came out the second one hit. Then everybody knew what was happening.

I distinctly remember the AIM conversation with my girlfriend at that point:

me: you awake?

her: yeah, why?

me: turn on the tv

her: what channel?

me: it doesn't matter

Just as I was leaving for class the first tower collapsed. My school was about 1.5 hours from NYC so a good portion of students had parents/family that worked in the city, if not the towers. The entire class was people asking "Did anybody hear from XXX's dad? What about YYY's brother?" Halfway through a girl that was a complete mess came in and said classes were canceled for the day. Her dad worked in the towers.

The rest of the day was just keeping an eye on the tv to see what would happen next. I remember rumors at one point of the White House being hit, then somebody said another plane hit the Pentagon, etc... It took a good day or two for all the rumors to work their way out of the system and find out what the damage really was.

Ironically Sept 12 was supposed to be the day I drove down to the Pentagon for the final interview for a military scholarship I was in the running for. Needless to say it was postponed for a while... and it was a phone interview. Visitors weren't quite as welcome there in the following weeks.

[psyco1]

Is that real? I have Never seen that before

It was a 'shop and one of the first internet memes. They were putting that guy all over the place.

[kawi kid]

Ok got ya

[Jst2fst]

I remember I was in my third period class in middle school it was my science class and a teacher from adjacent room ran in and turned on our TV and we were watching what was happening in NY it was around 8:30 when classes halted and we were all focused on the events unfolding. I can still to this day remember this day vividly on my memories.