September 11 2001. 18 year anniversary

Tomorrow is the 18th anniversary of a day that will forever be ingrained into my mind.
To me, it felt as if the entire world froze and stood in disbelief as the attacks unfolded.
We never thought an assault of this magnitude could happen on USA soil.
That day, the world as we knew it changed.

I remember clearly what I was doing, in fact what I was wearing when the first report interrupted the CNN news cast I was watching.
Standing in my bedroom with one sock on my foot, the other in my hand for probably 30 minutes before I snapped out of it and realized what I was doing.

I ask you all, what we’re you doing the moment you found out we were under attack?

a reply to: Macenroe82

My wife was throwing up due to a migraine and I was trying to get to work, never made it to work.

a reply to: Macenroe82

I was in elementary school and they wheeled in a tube TV as we all sat around. 9/11 was the first major/world event that I was old enough to understand and viscerally feel scared/aware of the true power of certain events. That tragic day opened my eyes to a lot and years later I would become more interested and skeptical about the official narrative and events that have happened in the past and have happened since (Mujahidin and Soviet-Afghan War, Taliban, PATRIOT Act, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, ISIS, "Moderate Rebels", Neocons, the Surveillance State, Haliburton, the list goes on)

I still have a lot of questions

I was on the west coast. At about 6:25 am, my roommate shouted at me to wake up and turn on the tv. I went downstairs to his room and we watched it all unfold. Within a couple hours, there were fighter jets combing the sky’s overhead in Portland. It was all so surreal. Goose bumps reliving it and typing it out... so much anger running through me that day.

a reply to: DBCowboy

I made it to work that evening. I was working the late shift.
However when I got there I was told to go home and be with my family.

I was 19, still living with my mom.
We had a computer with internet, but I never once used it.

That night was probably the first time I actually used the net.

I was stationed at Shaw AFB, S. Carolina. We watched it unfold live, in our ready room. (CNN, of course... we we quite horrified, watching the 2nd jet hit the WTC live... quite the Oh $&@! moment.)

I was a weapons load crew chief... SSgt, at the time. I had been in combat zones. 9/11 was different, because it happened here.

My load crew and I, started by removing training munitions from our F-16s. We reloaded with live missiles and ammo, and had them launched out in about 4 hours. I never thought I would be loading live missiles, for use over our own airspace... it was surreal.

I went on alert duty, for several months after that.

The strangest thing I remember, was my first night on alert. I remember looking up, and only seeing one aircraft in the sky. It was a circling refueling tanker. No other air traffic at all... eerie.

I had been in the Marine Corps about 6 months and was at Ft. Lee in VA at the time.

The whole base went into lock down.

I was getting up for school, stayed a fifth year in high school for second year of Wilson tech because of absences they wouldn't let me take it in 11th grade. I woke up was planning on leaving around twelve. I was watching the TV I don't know if they filmed first plane hit or building smoking when the second plane hit I didn't get it then the reporter said the country is under attack. I was watching dumbfounded then one of the towers collapsed. I was 18 that November so watched next few years on TV about Iraq. This kid in my grade went over there for awhile.

I was building a motorcoach for a Saudi Arabian prince....
We contemplated painting a target on top...ha

a reply to: Macenroe82

I remember that day well. :/

I also remember the few days after.

I went to work, and due to the nature of what I was doing didn't know what had happened until I went to the bank around 11, whereupon the teller asked "Do you know where where Camp David is? Something is happening." So I told her where it is.

Then I went home for lunch, turned on the TV, and saw the footage and collapses. Truly shocking.

The few days after I remember ZERO planes in the sky due to the grounding. Unreal.

Damn 18 years... that makes me feel really old.

I actually remember that day perfectly. I was 18 years old myself and woke up to it, since I had my alarm clock set to play the radio.

Don't really think I comprehended the full significance of it at time, but I was fascinated all the same... I remember waking up thinking "wtf! two skyscrapers have just come down in New York"... it didn't even make any sense to me.

I went straight into my mums lounge room to turn on the news and was just glued to the screen, trying to work out what was going on... It was probably actually the first time in my entire life that I had any real interest in the news or global events in general.

a reply to: Macenroe82

I was almost in high school. We were still innocent, more worried about silly crushes and passing notes in class. The outside world didn't exist... Just the bubble we lived in, the friends we had.... What was for lunch.

The teacher told us we weren't moving classrooms when the bell rang, they turned on the TV, there was a horrible accident. We watched as the tower burned. We were told an accident like this had never occurred. And then the second plane hit. The teacher was beside themselves. Our innocence lost in a split second. Our feeble young minds instantly knew this was no accident. We didn't need her to tell us. The future was as unsure as the moment.

I was in preschool. A recent immigrant (arrived early July 2001) and had been to the WTC in the week or two before the attacks. I remember looking up at them, so gigantic compared to my little self. In the aftermath of the attacks I drew the twin towers burning/airplane flying at the same level as them. I remember asking about whether the American soldiers would go to heaven.

I had just left my house for work and was listening to Drew and Mike, 101 WRIF here in Detroit.
They were obviously watching it in the studio and talking about it, I was thinking that this must be some kind of comic skit they were doing or something because that’s what they were known for.
But I realized fast they were not joking around.
I pulled over and called my brother at my work from a pay phone (didn’t have a cell phone back then) and told him to turn the TV on and he thought I was bullsh!tting him.
After watching everything unfold at work about 11AM I went home for lunch and to let my 3 month old puppy outside.
My route home took me past Selfridge ANG base and at the end of the runway there were 4 F-16s sitting there engines running just waiting to go, I could see the missile caskets sitting nearby.
I will never forget it.

Edit - Was just thinking about my puppy that I went home to let out that day.
His name was Zeke and just the other day...9-5 was the 5th year anniversary of his passing...he was 13 when he died.
The best dog I ever had.....I remember him playing outside that day without a care in the world.

I was only 10 but remember how weird my school's teachers were acting. They didn't tell us what had happened. At the end of the day, my teacher cancelled a big homework assignment that was due the next day and said "your new assignment is to go home and tell your parents you love them."

I don't think I'll ever forget those words.

I was at my desk at the MSPCA, Boston when a coworker came in from the lobby where the television was on. She said it appeared that a small airplane had hit one of the twin towers in NY. Then when a second plane hit, it was obvious this was a terrorist attack.

Outside was a spectacular, gorgeous day. VP of finance came by and told us to go home if we want.

I went home. I was profoundly sad.

Glued to Fox news channel I watched the towers fall live. With the windows open and such beautiful day outside with a warm breeze coming in through the open windows....It was all so surreal, as others have said.

Just thinking about it brings back the horrible feeling in my gut.

That was the day I grew up and learned the world really is a #ty place. I started paying attention to the what goes on in the world ever since.

I was at work and on break when one of the guys from shipping came in to tell us the news. I was shocked and couldn't believe such a thing could happen here in the U.S. My heart broke for all the people who lost their lives and their families that were left behind to deal with the devastation.

And now, all the poor people who are dying of cancer having been exposed to the toxic dust are on the minds of many.

a reply to: Macenroe82

I was sleeping. Woke up at 1 PM in Los Angeles with a dozen messages on my answering machine.
I got out the tv that I had packed away on the top shelf of my closet and plugged it in.
Amazing.
Got on the internet and pretty much discovered the world of conspiracy theories...

I knew right away (at 1 pm) after watching it the first time - False Flag!

a reply to: toolgal462

That was the day I grew up and learned the world really is a #ty place. I started paying attention to the what goes on in the world ever since.

The world can indeed be a crappy place. It was also a time of people gathering from all over the world with their thoughts, prayers and compassion that shared in our grief.

originally posted by: Night Star
a reply to: toolgal462

That was the day I grew up and learned the world really is a #ty place. I started paying attention to the what goes on in the world ever since.

The world can indeed be a crappy place. It was also a time of people gathering from all over the world with their thoughts, prayers and compassion that shared in our grief.

I've never seen such unity in my life (though, to be fair, not a long one so far). Everyone were neighbors after that, displaying their flags with such solidarity.

Maybe tomorrow 18 years ago marks the moment in which I became aware. But many act as if their greatest enemies are on the same block now rather than a part on earth where it is dark while it's light here. In a way I've never seen.