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Remembering 9/11: Your Stories!
page: 3share:
It's interesting to read the reflections of those who were young and at school when they learned of the 2001 attack on America.
I was 14 and in the ninth grade when I learned of the assassination of JFK. In those days TVs were not ubiquitous in classrooms as they are today.
When Kennedy was assassinated, the course of history was changed in an instant, just as it was on 9/11.
I would hope that young people would make an effort to remember what America was like before 9/11, just as I remember what life was like before November 22, 1963 and as my father remembers what life was like before December 7, 1941.
[edit on 2006/9/6 by GradyPhilpott]
I was 14 and in the ninth grade when I learned of the assassination of JFK. In those days TVs were not ubiquitous in classrooms as they are today.
When Kennedy was assassinated, the course of history was changed in an instant, just as it was on 9/11.
I would hope that young people would make an effort to remember what America was like before 9/11, just as I remember what life was like before November 22, 1963 and as my father remembers what life was like before December 7, 1941.
[edit on 2006/9/6 by GradyPhilpott]
On the Morning of Sept, 11 2001, My Police unit was training cops to go to Washington DC to help out for the WTO Demonstrations, When someone came in
and told us a Plane just hit the WTC, We stopped and started to pack up all the equipment to send down to the WTC. When The news over our radios told
us a second Plane had hit the other tower. We all knew then that it was a Terrorist Attack; we commandeered some city buses and sent about 40 cops
there and a bus full of equipment. The rest of us started down to the site with all the equipment we had loaded in our vehicles. I got there just as
the North Tower went down. It was like a Nuke went off. The cloud was advancing on my truck. I was on the West Side Highway approximately 4 blocks
from the North Tower. My truck was stuck behind the Parked Emergency Vehicles. When I saw my Sgt. Riding on the back of a dust covered Police Car He
told me to fall back and regroup at Pier 40. (Our location for our barrier Storage.) We set up a command post and started to distribute supplies such
as barricade nets, Dust Masks (Didn’t Work to well) and Folding Stretchers. The Chief of Patrol and Others then wound up there. I then Heard the Gas
main Blow, Holy Sh*T. I said. I tried to see if I could get closer to bring more equipment down there. But I could not. I tried to raise my partner on
the radio (You can hear it on the History Channel Web Site.) To bring more of the Full Face respirators to Pier 40. But his van was near Church and
Vessey st. That ESU Command post was destroyed. I did not hear from him until the next day. I thought he was dead. I remember the Low flying jets
from the Air National Guard. We thought it was another Hijack plane, We all tried to crawl under my truck. (I don’t know how much it would have
helped) Our Police radio was alive with rumors of Attacks and the military was shooting the planes down. I thought the world had gone mad, We did not
really care we knew the Military would protect us. (I am Still Deciding on that Fact). Our Dispatcher told us that the Pentagon had been Hit and we
were at War. I being former US Army, Pictured the Silos opening and I figured that some body in the ME was glowing after being NUKED. I was there for
3 full days, before my CO ordered me home to rest. I worked there for 24 days at 12 hours a day, I lost a lot of good friends. Including a former
Member of my Unit who was an ESU Cop, PO Steven Driscoll, Truck 4, Rest in piece Buddy I miss you. I am now Sick from the Dust. I am home on sick
leave from Hurricane Katrina and the WTC, Got a pacemaker now, ( 40 Y/O) I have the infamous cough. I was proud to serve, I would do it again. The
funny thing is I was supposed to be in Manhattan Traffic Court that day. If I was I would be among the Dead. I cant get the smell out of my head. I
saw a lot of horror; remember the Victims and the Rescuers! Including the ones sick now.
Anybody tell me about retiring to Tennessee? U2U me alrighty!
Anybody tell me about retiring to Tennessee? U2U me alrighty!
At the time I still lived in Alaska, so we're 4 hours behind the actual event (happened around 4:30am our time), so by the time I woke up at 8am
it'd happened over 3 hours ago. It was all the same repeated image over, and over again. Well, I wake up to my mom saying "We've been attacked",
she doesn't say who, so I figure somebody killed my dog or torched our car or something like that. I get up and walk to the Den where I always watch
some TV before school. I'm sitting there watching Buzz Lightyear (I was in 6th grade...) and my mom (who i haven't seen yet besides the wake up)
comes in and asks me why I'm watching cartoons when we've been attacked. So I switch to one of the numerous news stations and see it all unfold,
probably more than 30 times before I had to get to school. Somehow, in my memories, alot seem to be in 3rd person (I see myself doing the stuff, and
not as if it's through my eyes), well I remember seeing myself sitting in the chair wondering "what the *expletive*!?", looking kind of shocked,
not really sure what else to say.
My bus was usually pretty empty anyways, but if I recall it was more quiet than usual. At school most people seemed freaked out, people were talking about it, not loudly or disrespectfully, just quietly amongst themselves. We didn't have any classes that day really, we just watched TV all day (which got old...fast). The news said a few times that the Alaskan Pipeline could be at risk (that suckers huge, goes across the entire state), and that got some people pretty freaked out.
That's pretty much all I remember from that day. I do recall my best friend coming up to me at my locker and I can still picture him (1st person this time) saying it, "the government did it, I just know it". I'm not sure if that was on September 11th, or the day after, but it was incredibly close.
I think the attacks influenced me a great deal in my distrust of the Government. I'd always been a little bit distrustful before the attacks (mostly focused towards Area51), but the attacks themselves weren't really a focus until about a year after I moved away from Alaska (in 2002) in 2003 when my best friend (the guy above) logs into AIM for the first time since I've moved and we start talking. He got into the attacks a bit, and then sent me a link to the trailer for "9/11: The Road to Tyranny", and that had me amazed. So I started out on a quest to download the whole movie (which Alex Jones allows) on Gnutella on DIALUP! Took a longass time, but I got it. Watched it. More amazed. Then I remembered about AboveTopSecret.com! Him and I used to visit ATS every couple of days on the library at school's computer. This was about the time I registered, over 3 years ago (hey, i'm 3! whoopdee for me!). And well, i've been hooked ever since on conspiracies of all sorts. Just today in my first day of AP US History my teacher asked "who filmed the famous video of JFK's assasination", nobody else had any idea, I was the only one that knew it was Zapruder.
So, that's it.
My bus was usually pretty empty anyways, but if I recall it was more quiet than usual. At school most people seemed freaked out, people were talking about it, not loudly or disrespectfully, just quietly amongst themselves. We didn't have any classes that day really, we just watched TV all day (which got old...fast). The news said a few times that the Alaskan Pipeline could be at risk (that suckers huge, goes across the entire state), and that got some people pretty freaked out.
That's pretty much all I remember from that day. I do recall my best friend coming up to me at my locker and I can still picture him (1st person this time) saying it, "the government did it, I just know it". I'm not sure if that was on September 11th, or the day after, but it was incredibly close.
I think the attacks influenced me a great deal in my distrust of the Government. I'd always been a little bit distrustful before the attacks (mostly focused towards Area51), but the attacks themselves weren't really a focus until about a year after I moved away from Alaska (in 2002) in 2003 when my best friend (the guy above) logs into AIM for the first time since I've moved and we start talking. He got into the attacks a bit, and then sent me a link to the trailer for "9/11: The Road to Tyranny", and that had me amazed. So I started out on a quest to download the whole movie (which Alex Jones allows) on Gnutella on DIALUP! Took a longass time, but I got it. Watched it. More amazed. Then I remembered about AboveTopSecret.com! Him and I used to visit ATS every couple of days on the library at school's computer. This was about the time I registered, over 3 years ago (hey, i'm 3! whoopdee for me!). And well, i've been hooked ever since on conspiracies of all sorts. Just today in my first day of AP US History my teacher asked "who filmed the famous video of JFK's assasination", nobody else had any idea, I was the only one that knew it was Zapruder.
So, that's it.
This is the first time I've tried to put my experiences from the day into words. I'm sorry if it's too long, or it doesn't seem to flow, I had a
lot of trouble writing it.
September 11, 2001 was a beautiful day in New York. Because of my college's weird schedule, I was home, on a short break between sophomore and junior year. That particular Tuesday, there was a primary election, and, to earn some money, I wanted to work the polls. This was my first opportunity, you know, since the first time I voted was the 2000 election. So, I was excited. We had to wake up at, like, 4:30am (which is the hour I usually go to bed).
We were placed at a voting site in Harlem and, to be honest, I was having a lot of fun. The old ladies who always seem to work elections loved me, they thought I was the cutest thing, so they didn't really let me do any work. That's where I was when an old, Vietnam-vet type guy came in and told us what had happened. By the time we found out, the Pentagon had already been hit.
I realized that 1) my best friend, 2) my boyfriend, and 3) both of my future parents-in-law were ALL in that area of Manhattan, if not actually in the WTC. It was my bestfriend's first day of her first 'real' job. The little old ladies crowded around me, trying to give me comfort. I have never felt so panicked, so helpless, so impotent... I don't have a cellphone (they're evil), so I had to use my mom's. I couldn't reach anyone, since there was something wrong with the celltowers or something.
I absolutely needed a cigarette, so I stepped outside, where I saw firetrucks, police, army tanks, the whole nine, all speeding past us. At that point, the officers who normally keep watch over the electoral process informed us that we had to certify the election, seal the envelopes, and shut everything down. Election over.
My mom and I walked home like zombies, and we hadn't even seen a tv yet. The streets were full of people, but it was sooo quiet... it was like the end of a scary movie. We could see the plumes of smoke coming from the fire. I was so scared. On that walk home, I prepared myself for a new reality: I wanted to fight, and kill, whoever did this. To do that, I would have to quit school, and totally postpone any future plans. Fine by me, I decided.
When we got home, I turned on the tv and tried my friends again. Still no answer from my bestfriend, but the boyfriend and his mom were okay. Two down, to to go... Looking for something I could do, I noticed that the local hospoitals needed blood. As a universal donor and someone who donates blood every three months, I thought, Well, here's a way I can help. Since there was no public transportation, or cabs, I was going to walk. My mother dissuaded me, of course.
She had long since discarded the 'by mistake' hypothesis. She knew something was fishy. She wasn't immediately sure who had done it, but she knew the official story was BS. I wasn't "into" conspiracies at the time, and I really wanted to see what other people had to say about it, so I watched the news... all day, watching the destruction over and over... I would have watched it as long as it was playing. I was being hypnotized into a desending spiral of depression (or PTSD), so my mother turned it off.
She wondered aloud if all those burning bodies would contaminate the air. Turns out she was right. Too bad the EPA wouldn't admit it at the time.
As to lasting effects, I did end up losing someone (incidentally, I think he visited us later, in ghost-form, long story). I also am very wary of venturing into the downtown area. I think 9/11 had a huge part in shaping my opinion on what it takes to be a 'good citizen.' Think about it, I had two big moments of civic responsibility: registering to vote in the contested 2000 election and working the polls on 9/11. Both of those times, I really had to apply my own critical thinking skills to the task of civic responsibility.
[edit on 6-9-2006 by HarlemHottie]
September 11, 2001 was a beautiful day in New York. Because of my college's weird schedule, I was home, on a short break between sophomore and junior year. That particular Tuesday, there was a primary election, and, to earn some money, I wanted to work the polls. This was my first opportunity, you know, since the first time I voted was the 2000 election. So, I was excited. We had to wake up at, like, 4:30am (which is the hour I usually go to bed).
We were placed at a voting site in Harlem and, to be honest, I was having a lot of fun. The old ladies who always seem to work elections loved me, they thought I was the cutest thing, so they didn't really let me do any work. That's where I was when an old, Vietnam-vet type guy came in and told us what had happened. By the time we found out, the Pentagon had already been hit.
I realized that 1) my best friend, 2) my boyfriend, and 3) both of my future parents-in-law were ALL in that area of Manhattan, if not actually in the WTC. It was my bestfriend's first day of her first 'real' job. The little old ladies crowded around me, trying to give me comfort. I have never felt so panicked, so helpless, so impotent... I don't have a cellphone (they're evil), so I had to use my mom's. I couldn't reach anyone, since there was something wrong with the celltowers or something.
I absolutely needed a cigarette, so I stepped outside, where I saw firetrucks, police, army tanks, the whole nine, all speeding past us. At that point, the officers who normally keep watch over the electoral process informed us that we had to certify the election, seal the envelopes, and shut everything down. Election over.
My mom and I walked home like zombies, and we hadn't even seen a tv yet. The streets were full of people, but it was sooo quiet... it was like the end of a scary movie. We could see the plumes of smoke coming from the fire. I was so scared. On that walk home, I prepared myself for a new reality: I wanted to fight, and kill, whoever did this. To do that, I would have to quit school, and totally postpone any future plans. Fine by me, I decided.
When we got home, I turned on the tv and tried my friends again. Still no answer from my bestfriend, but the boyfriend and his mom were okay. Two down, to to go... Looking for something I could do, I noticed that the local hospoitals needed blood. As a universal donor and someone who donates blood every three months, I thought, Well, here's a way I can help. Since there was no public transportation, or cabs, I was going to walk. My mother dissuaded me, of course.
She had long since discarded the 'by mistake' hypothesis. She knew something was fishy. She wasn't immediately sure who had done it, but she knew the official story was BS. I wasn't "into" conspiracies at the time, and I really wanted to see what other people had to say about it, so I watched the news... all day, watching the destruction over and over... I would have watched it as long as it was playing. I was being hypnotized into a desending spiral of depression (or PTSD), so my mother turned it off.
She wondered aloud if all those burning bodies would contaminate the air. Turns out she was right. Too bad the EPA wouldn't admit it at the time.
As to lasting effects, I did end up losing someone (incidentally, I think he visited us later, in ghost-form, long story). I also am very wary of venturing into the downtown area. I think 9/11 had a huge part in shaping my opinion on what it takes to be a 'good citizen.' Think about it, I had two big moments of civic responsibility: registering to vote in the contested 2000 election and working the polls on 9/11. Both of those times, I really had to apply my own critical thinking skills to the task of civic responsibility.
[edit on 6-9-2006 by HarlemHottie]
Originally posted by bufordny
I was there for 3 full days, before my CO ordered me home to rest. I worked there for 24 days at 12 hours a day, I lost a lot of good friends. Including a former Member of my Unit who was an ESU Cop, PO Steven Driscoll, Truck 4, Rest in piece Buddy I miss you. I am now Sick from the Dust. I am home on sick leave from Hurricane Katrina and the WTC, Got a pacemaker now, ( 40 Y/O) I have the infamous cough. I was proud to serve, I would do it again.
I have tears in my eyes. My father retired from the FDNY long before 9/11, but I've heard the stories.
Please know that we all thank you for your immense sacrifice. I wish you the best.
yes definitely, buford;
i hope tennessee finds you
[edit on 6-9-2006 by blatantblue]
i hope tennessee finds you
[edit on 6-9-2006 by blatantblue]
For the record I live in Christchurch New Zealand.
I remember on the morning of what would have been September 12 due to the differnt time zones I decided against turning the TV on before I headed for the bus stop. This ment that I first heard the news of 9-11 via a radio station when I was riding the Bus to school. The DJs were was discussing how at first they werent sure if the planes crashing into the towers was some kind of prank that had come out of New York. Not a word was spoken by the passengers on the bus usually some of the passengers talk amongst themselvs.
As I was getting off the bus I asked the driver if it was a prank and he said that it wasnt and that he had seen some of the TV coverage before he left for work. The combination of the shock and walking thou the Cashel mall which was empty created a very errie feeling. Once I got to school I encounted someone I knew and we went to the school library and surfed the Net looking for info.
I will also remember the reactions of a couple of the people I encounted in the next couple of days.
I remember on the morning of what would have been September 12 due to the differnt time zones I decided against turning the TV on before I headed for the bus stop. This ment that I first heard the news of 9-11 via a radio station when I was riding the Bus to school. The DJs were was discussing how at first they werent sure if the planes crashing into the towers was some kind of prank that had come out of New York. Not a word was spoken by the passengers on the bus usually some of the passengers talk amongst themselvs.
As I was getting off the bus I asked the driver if it was a prank and he said that it wasnt and that he had seen some of the TV coverage before he left for work. The combination of the shock and walking thou the Cashel mall which was empty created a very errie feeling. Once I got to school I encounted someone I knew and we went to the school library and surfed the Net looking for info.
I will also remember the reactions of a couple of the people I encounted in the next couple of days.
There are few days I can recall with such vivid clarity...These events will haunt my memories forever...
On Campus
On 9/11/01, just prior to the attacks, I was parking my car at Tallahassee Community College (or making my best effort to find a space), and then proceeded to walk to my first morning class....It was Western Civilizations II with Dr Barry, one of my most admired and animated professors - Loathed by many and loved by few for his very raw and candid opinions...
I remember he was late - Which never happened....
While we waited in class, a buzz broke out in the hallways - Cell phones were going off (mostly on vibrate or silent) and kids were walking out to take calls, coming back in and talking to students they seldom ever even whispered a word to about what they just heard...
It become a classroom discussion immediately, and people began trading ideas and suggesting what could have possibly happened - Without access to a television in the room, none of us had seen the news as it was being reported live and we were going off of descriptions alone...
My initial assumption from what I was hearing that it was some small jet or prop plane that just got too close....It never crossed my mind that an actual airline passenger jet could slam into a building.
Talk fizzled away little by little as our instructor entered the room about 15-20 minutes late.... And he was a tall older gentleman that always walked with this goofy and fast-paced gait - When he had walked in, most of that animated flare was gone and I distinctly remember his look of complete bewilderment...
He was in his car, listening to the live reports on the radio....Lost track of time and made his way to the class - He had made a remark or two that this wasn't a current events class, and plane or no plane, we were moving on with our lesson...And so we did, with few objections...
Most of us had decided it was merely a hoax, or one more heavily embellished story from the stir crazy media.
About midway through the class - A rather heavyset woman began sobbing uncontrollably...She attempted to move through the tight seating arrangements and eventually made her way out the door, where it suddenly became clear from her anguishing sounds that something quite traumatic had occurred...
The instructor stepped outside the classroom to attempt to console her - She came back into the class, but then exited several more occasions in bursts of painful tears...
She dropped back in momentarily to tell the professor she had to leave - As she left, he informed us that she had received a text message from a friend during class stating that the first World Trade Center Building had collapsed - Both her father and cousin worked in the building...
It was a stunned silence, and many others in the room began to weep silently...I remember several saying prayers...Some students ran out of the class with cell phones in hand...
We actually finished that session though - Those of us that were left....And we went on to our next class - It was devastating news, but so long as they were keeping campus open, I planned to continue on, if for nothing else than to hear the insights of today's events from my next professor...
Next was Small Business Management with Mrs. Strickland....She briefly mentioned the events, but also wanted to get "down to business"
About 20 minutes into her class....This guy slams open the door - Out of breath and nearly yelling, he says something to the effect:
"The campus is being closed down and put on emergency status! Everyone needs to get to their cars and off the premises ASAP! They're saying that because Jeb Bush is governor, they may hit the Tallahassee capitol, or one of our schools next!"
This fellow was wearing a shirt with the TCC logo on it, a name badge, and was holding onto a walkie-talkie - So it wasn't some random joe....
The fact that they approved a campus-wide evacuation under those orders was such a foolish mistake....I can't blame the guy b/c he was following orders....But the campus turned into a bee's hive and there was mass hysteria as students made haste to get off campus...
At Home
I made my way home - When I turned on the news, which was left to the news channel from the morning wake-up routine, there it was....
I must have just stood motionless for 10-15 minutes dead in front of the TV as I soaked it all in...
I really don't remember much between this time and when I had to head off to work - I knew I still would have to show up for work, regardless...
At Work
I must have drove there in a complete daze....
I worked at that time at a place called The Florida Prepaid College Program...I was a customer service representative that answered phone calls related to detailed account questions...
The phones were dead!
Occasionally I would receive a phone call from another spaced-out person....
"Yeah - I'd like to check and see if my account is delinquent"
"No sir, you have 2 weeks to make your next payment."
"Okay.....yeah....say - I suppose you've heard about what's been going on?"
This was no idle chat - It was a coping mechanism....We were all in a state of shock - So much so, that the average joe could take comfort in sharing his opinions and feelings with a CSR over the phone he had never met, and who probably could not even remember my name....
I received several more calls that day just like that...And we spoke to each other honestly, openly, and with complete trust that in the morning we'd all have the answers we were looking for...
At home again
I cried....
I stayed up all night for the next several weeks following every detail and development
My opinion on the media - You know....They showed things they shouldn't have shown, and they didn't show things they should have shown - Each network claimed to have better unbiased coverage over the other - BS - Whatever.....
It's news coming from a box that talks, man....
You take it and you interpret it on your own - You never take they crap they feed to you at face value...
You don't just watch one channel and one channel only - You watch every channel - You read every article you can - Then YOU"RE the one making the judgments, and who cares what that guy in the goofy tie said, b/c his opinion is just that - an opinion...And likely a biased one off someone else's payroll at that! Or cheeky commentary for ratings...
How has this effected me?!
It made me - over time - Step back and say...wait....we're still grieving over what?! 3,000 people?!
The loss truly is devastating, and it has more personal strings attached considering it happened on my country's soil....
But I'm insulted every day that I watch the news and see that 15,000 people died in village X in country Y, but they maybe get 5 minutes.....We've dedicated 5 years of almost constant coverage to 3,000 people....
It's not about numbers dead....I know - Like I said - I understand where people are coming from who think I'm being naive by making a comment like this - But what did I say about opinions? So ignore me then...This one is mine!
World news doesn't revolve around the US - We live in such pride and greed that we choke everything around us....And it comes through in our news bold and clear...I knew that before 9/11, but it was certainly reinforced afterwards...
Others will want to get into their take on conspiracies, etc...I think there are some amazing and plausible ideas out there...I don't subscribe to any one in particular, but I have little reason to say they're completely full of holes, as I certainly haven't done the amount of research these people have done to even begin to make a claim...
I know for a fact that Bush has molested his presidency and this country, and that he used 9/11 in his favor - Grinning the whole way though this....His agenda speaks for itself for those with open eyes, and I must admit that in post 9/11 media coverage, they've made it clear to those who listen...
So that's my story....My candid input...And I'm sticking to it....
BTW - The lady's father...the one who ran out of class....It turned out her father and cousin had gone for breakfast across the street and just barely escaped death from the falling debris...
On Campus
On 9/11/01, just prior to the attacks, I was parking my car at Tallahassee Community College (or making my best effort to find a space), and then proceeded to walk to my first morning class....It was Western Civilizations II with Dr Barry, one of my most admired and animated professors - Loathed by many and loved by few for his very raw and candid opinions...
I remember he was late - Which never happened....
While we waited in class, a buzz broke out in the hallways - Cell phones were going off (mostly on vibrate or silent) and kids were walking out to take calls, coming back in and talking to students they seldom ever even whispered a word to about what they just heard...
It become a classroom discussion immediately, and people began trading ideas and suggesting what could have possibly happened - Without access to a television in the room, none of us had seen the news as it was being reported live and we were going off of descriptions alone...
My initial assumption from what I was hearing that it was some small jet or prop plane that just got too close....It never crossed my mind that an actual airline passenger jet could slam into a building.
Talk fizzled away little by little as our instructor entered the room about 15-20 minutes late.... And he was a tall older gentleman that always walked with this goofy and fast-paced gait - When he had walked in, most of that animated flare was gone and I distinctly remember his look of complete bewilderment...
He was in his car, listening to the live reports on the radio....Lost track of time and made his way to the class - He had made a remark or two that this wasn't a current events class, and plane or no plane, we were moving on with our lesson...And so we did, with few objections...
Most of us had decided it was merely a hoax, or one more heavily embellished story from the stir crazy media.
About midway through the class - A rather heavyset woman began sobbing uncontrollably...She attempted to move through the tight seating arrangements and eventually made her way out the door, where it suddenly became clear from her anguishing sounds that something quite traumatic had occurred...
The instructor stepped outside the classroom to attempt to console her - She came back into the class, but then exited several more occasions in bursts of painful tears...
She dropped back in momentarily to tell the professor she had to leave - As she left, he informed us that she had received a text message from a friend during class stating that the first World Trade Center Building had collapsed - Both her father and cousin worked in the building...
It was a stunned silence, and many others in the room began to weep silently...I remember several saying prayers...Some students ran out of the class with cell phones in hand...
We actually finished that session though - Those of us that were left....And we went on to our next class - It was devastating news, but so long as they were keeping campus open, I planned to continue on, if for nothing else than to hear the insights of today's events from my next professor...
Next was Small Business Management with Mrs. Strickland....She briefly mentioned the events, but also wanted to get "down to business"
About 20 minutes into her class....This guy slams open the door - Out of breath and nearly yelling, he says something to the effect:
"The campus is being closed down and put on emergency status! Everyone needs to get to their cars and off the premises ASAP! They're saying that because Jeb Bush is governor, they may hit the Tallahassee capitol, or one of our schools next!"
This fellow was wearing a shirt with the TCC logo on it, a name badge, and was holding onto a walkie-talkie - So it wasn't some random joe....
The fact that they approved a campus-wide evacuation under those orders was such a foolish mistake....I can't blame the guy b/c he was following orders....But the campus turned into a bee's hive and there was mass hysteria as students made haste to get off campus...
At Home
I made my way home - When I turned on the news, which was left to the news channel from the morning wake-up routine, there it was....
I must have just stood motionless for 10-15 minutes dead in front of the TV as I soaked it all in...
I really don't remember much between this time and when I had to head off to work - I knew I still would have to show up for work, regardless...
At Work
I must have drove there in a complete daze....
I worked at that time at a place called The Florida Prepaid College Program...I was a customer service representative that answered phone calls related to detailed account questions...
The phones were dead!
Occasionally I would receive a phone call from another spaced-out person....
"Yeah - I'd like to check and see if my account is delinquent"
"No sir, you have 2 weeks to make your next payment."
"Okay.....yeah....say - I suppose you've heard about what's been going on?"
This was no idle chat - It was a coping mechanism....We were all in a state of shock - So much so, that the average joe could take comfort in sharing his opinions and feelings with a CSR over the phone he had never met, and who probably could not even remember my name....
I received several more calls that day just like that...And we spoke to each other honestly, openly, and with complete trust that in the morning we'd all have the answers we were looking for...
At home again
I cried....
I stayed up all night for the next several weeks following every detail and development
My opinion on the media - You know....They showed things they shouldn't have shown, and they didn't show things they should have shown - Each network claimed to have better unbiased coverage over the other - BS - Whatever.....
It's news coming from a box that talks, man....
You take it and you interpret it on your own - You never take they crap they feed to you at face value...
You don't just watch one channel and one channel only - You watch every channel - You read every article you can - Then YOU"RE the one making the judgments, and who cares what that guy in the goofy tie said, b/c his opinion is just that - an opinion...And likely a biased one off someone else's payroll at that! Or cheeky commentary for ratings...
How has this effected me?!
It made me - over time - Step back and say...wait....we're still grieving over what?! 3,000 people?!
The loss truly is devastating, and it has more personal strings attached considering it happened on my country's soil....
But I'm insulted every day that I watch the news and see that 15,000 people died in village X in country Y, but they maybe get 5 minutes.....We've dedicated 5 years of almost constant coverage to 3,000 people....
It's not about numbers dead....I know - Like I said - I understand where people are coming from who think I'm being naive by making a comment like this - But what did I say about opinions? So ignore me then...This one is mine!
World news doesn't revolve around the US - We live in such pride and greed that we choke everything around us....And it comes through in our news bold and clear...I knew that before 9/11, but it was certainly reinforced afterwards...
Others will want to get into their take on conspiracies, etc...I think there are some amazing and plausible ideas out there...I don't subscribe to any one in particular, but I have little reason to say they're completely full of holes, as I certainly haven't done the amount of research these people have done to even begin to make a claim...
I know for a fact that Bush has molested his presidency and this country, and that he used 9/11 in his favor - Grinning the whole way though this....His agenda speaks for itself for those with open eyes, and I must admit that in post 9/11 media coverage, they've made it clear to those who listen...
So that's my story....My candid input...And I'm sticking to it....
BTW - The lady's father...the one who ran out of class....It turned out her father and cousin had gone for breakfast across the street and just barely escaped death from the falling debris...
I was living in Kansas City, Missouri on September, 11, 2001. I was on my way out the door for work when the phone rang; it was my ex-wife telling me
to turn on the TV. I turned on Good Morning America and they were talking about a report that a plane had crashed into the WTC. At the time it was
believed that a small aircraft had lost control and hit the tower. Suddenly, we were seeing live footag of the burning tower and listening to
reporters trying to find a cause for the crash and the beginning of rescue operations.
As I watched the burning skyscraper, something on the screen caught my attention; a large airliner was just coming into view on the tv screen and was turning in the direction of the WTC. I was certain that it was just momentarily off course and would turn away again but, of course, it didn't. The sight of that huge 757 plowing into the 2nd tower and the resulting explosion so startled and amazed me that I actually dropped the telephone I had been talking to my ex on and didn't realize it for 2-3 minutes. All I could do was stare at the tv in wonder.
I knew immediately that we had finally been hit with a terrorist attack and it wasn't very much later in the day before that was confirmed. How I finally made it to work I don't know, I was that shaken and disturbed. The rest of the day was filled with report after report on the radio and frequent checks of the CNN website on the internet; no work got done and it seemed that there were alot of people in that building who knew someone who worked in the WTC ( I worked for a financial services company at the time) so emotions were high, to say the least.
When the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of flight 93 in PA happened we were finally told to go home early; I spent the rest of that day at home watching news specials and trying to put the whole thing into some kind of perospective which ultimately was impossible, there was just too much that still was unknown and too much grief. All in all, I believe it was the worst day of my life; my country had been attacked and americans had been murdered and news reports showed arabs dancing in the streets and celebrating. I was angry and am still angry.
I know that a Boeing 757 hit the WTC because I watched it live on televison, so I don't really accept the whole CIA/NWO conspiracy scenario. I don't need to blame anyone else for the attacks than those who planned them and ultimately carried them out. May their misarable souls burn in hell for all eternity. Like I said before I'm still angry.
As I watched the burning skyscraper, something on the screen caught my attention; a large airliner was just coming into view on the tv screen and was turning in the direction of the WTC. I was certain that it was just momentarily off course and would turn away again but, of course, it didn't. The sight of that huge 757 plowing into the 2nd tower and the resulting explosion so startled and amazed me that I actually dropped the telephone I had been talking to my ex on and didn't realize it for 2-3 minutes. All I could do was stare at the tv in wonder.
I knew immediately that we had finally been hit with a terrorist attack and it wasn't very much later in the day before that was confirmed. How I finally made it to work I don't know, I was that shaken and disturbed. The rest of the day was filled with report after report on the radio and frequent checks of the CNN website on the internet; no work got done and it seemed that there were alot of people in that building who knew someone who worked in the WTC ( I worked for a financial services company at the time) so emotions were high, to say the least.
When the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of flight 93 in PA happened we were finally told to go home early; I spent the rest of that day at home watching news specials and trying to put the whole thing into some kind of perospective which ultimately was impossible, there was just too much that still was unknown and too much grief. All in all, I believe it was the worst day of my life; my country had been attacked and americans had been murdered and news reports showed arabs dancing in the streets and celebrating. I was angry and am still angry.
I know that a Boeing 757 hit the WTC because I watched it live on televison, so I don't really accept the whole CIA/NWO conspiracy scenario. I don't need to blame anyone else for the attacks than those who planned them and ultimately carried them out. May their misarable souls burn in hell for all eternity. Like I said before I'm still angry.
I live in Dallas, Texas. That particular morning I was at my local health club and running on a treadmill. They had televisions all over the place and
there just happened to be one in front of mine. I remember being confused when the news first came on the screen about a small plane hitting one of
the towers in New York. I got off the treadmill, and like the folks around me, remained fixated on the TV. The next thing I know, we are all saying
"Oh My God" almost in unison, as we witness LIVE the 2nd plane striking the other tower. At that point, as I looked around me, I saw FEAR and I saw
TEARS in folks eyes.
I grabbed my Cell Phone, called my wife and she informed me that she too had just seen the tragedy unfold before her eyes. I raced home then planted myself on the couch where I witness people jumping to their deaths to escape from being burned alive.... and the collapse of the two towers. On that day mine and everyone else's lives were permanently changed forever..... we were VULNERABLE.
I could write forever on this topic..... but just want to close with this note. The next day as I drove to my office downtown, there was this old veteran (older than me... thank you very much ) who had one of those harnesses that flag bearers wear..... he had the American Flag and was waving it back and forth while standing in the traffic median....... at that one point..... I don't know when I was prouder to see that flag. That old guy did this EVERY DAY..... ALL DAY.... DUSK TO DAWN..... for THREE MONTHS.
Peace!
Dave
[edit on 9/6/2006 by Dave Rabbit]
I grabbed my Cell Phone, called my wife and she informed me that she too had just seen the tragedy unfold before her eyes. I raced home then planted myself on the couch where I witness people jumping to their deaths to escape from being burned alive.... and the collapse of the two towers. On that day mine and everyone else's lives were permanently changed forever..... we were VULNERABLE.
I could write forever on this topic..... but just want to close with this note. The next day as I drove to my office downtown, there was this old veteran (older than me... thank you very much ) who had one of those harnesses that flag bearers wear..... he had the American Flag and was waving it back and forth while standing in the traffic median....... at that one point..... I don't know when I was prouder to see that flag. That old guy did this EVERY DAY..... ALL DAY.... DUSK TO DAWN..... for THREE MONTHS.
Peace!
Dave
[edit on 9/6/2006 by Dave Rabbit]
I remember how we were informed of the attacks at school. I was sitting in my 10th grade English class when our teacher got a phone call about a plane
striking the towers. All of us were like this cannot be real, then we turned on the tv. That is when all of our jaws dropped. This was maybe a minute
or so after the second plane hit Tower 2. Then our principal asked for all teachers to turn on their tvs in the classroom to any news channel. We
didn't even begin to think this was going to be good. We did not think that there would be other attacks. Boy, were we proven to be very wrong.
So I'm sitting there thinking, "I hope those buildings don't come down." We had on CNN because Aaron Brown was live from Brooklyn giving the reports. You could literally hear the sirens from various agencies in NYC responding. We had no idea that at the time that people were actually jumping from the buildings. That was until they started showing the feed from WABC and WCBS. I was literally in shock that they were even showing people jumping to their own demise to get out of the towers.
At around nine thirty or so, they had broke into the coverage at the Trade Center stating that something was going on at the Pentagon. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, we were under a big aerial attack using U.S. carriers. What frightend me about it was that the one that had hit the side of the Pentagon had flew over my head not forty minutes earlier. The thing that worried me the most about that was, "What if they decided to strike one of the chemical plants around here?" Then what would I have done?
Then ten o'clock rolls around, and we started to think that maybe they'll somehow save the buildings. That was until they showed the South Tower coming down to the ground. We thought that it would stop when it got to one of the sky lobbys, but we were again proven wrong. At the time I just said to myself, "The whole damn building just came down." Being a kid who's dad was in the fire service, albeit a volunteer fireman, I had gotten that sickening feeling that alot of cops, firemen, and medics were dead.
I just put my head in my hands and started praying for them. Which is the right thing to do for them. Little did I or even the rest of us know the other tower would come down. At first I was thinking, "My God. What if there are more planes up there yet to be hijacked?" Keep in mind that this was after the first planes had hit. Little did we know that there was still another plane to come down. We didn't even realize that it would have been less than five minutes after the collapse of the South Tower.
Then it came to be around five to ten minutes after ten when word was put out about a plane going down somewhere southeast of Pittsburgh. There was a report that a United 757 had just "fell out of the sky" in a nose dive. This was according to an eyewitness who saw it go down. They said that Flight 93 crashed at an abandoned strip mine. I remember saying, "Those son of a b1tches are trying to kill us!" I didn't even think that it couldn't get any worse than what it already had.
Then came ten thirty, almost a half hour after the collapse of the South Tower. I was sitting there and all of a sudden there was a ball of fire and smoke and the tv antenna had started to fall. I knew right then that if any heads of the fire department and police where in that, they were dead. It really didn't start to sink in until they said that four heads of the fire department were killed in the collapse. It wasn't until then when I realized that the fire department's portable command post was in the North Tower.
It wasn't until I got home that I started crying my eyes out.
The events of that very tragic day should absolutely not be forgotten by anyone.
Those guys died doing what they did best, and that's saving the innocent.
\/ ------- hence the signature.
So I'm sitting there thinking, "I hope those buildings don't come down." We had on CNN because Aaron Brown was live from Brooklyn giving the reports. You could literally hear the sirens from various agencies in NYC responding. We had no idea that at the time that people were actually jumping from the buildings. That was until they started showing the feed from WABC and WCBS. I was literally in shock that they were even showing people jumping to their own demise to get out of the towers.
At around nine thirty or so, they had broke into the coverage at the Trade Center stating that something was going on at the Pentagon. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, we were under a big aerial attack using U.S. carriers. What frightend me about it was that the one that had hit the side of the Pentagon had flew over my head not forty minutes earlier. The thing that worried me the most about that was, "What if they decided to strike one of the chemical plants around here?" Then what would I have done?
Then ten o'clock rolls around, and we started to think that maybe they'll somehow save the buildings. That was until they showed the South Tower coming down to the ground. We thought that it would stop when it got to one of the sky lobbys, but we were again proven wrong. At the time I just said to myself, "The whole damn building just came down." Being a kid who's dad was in the fire service, albeit a volunteer fireman, I had gotten that sickening feeling that alot of cops, firemen, and medics were dead.
I just put my head in my hands and started praying for them. Which is the right thing to do for them. Little did I or even the rest of us know the other tower would come down. At first I was thinking, "My God. What if there are more planes up there yet to be hijacked?" Keep in mind that this was after the first planes had hit. Little did we know that there was still another plane to come down. We didn't even realize that it would have been less than five minutes after the collapse of the South Tower.
Then it came to be around five to ten minutes after ten when word was put out about a plane going down somewhere southeast of Pittsburgh. There was a report that a United 757 had just "fell out of the sky" in a nose dive. This was according to an eyewitness who saw it go down. They said that Flight 93 crashed at an abandoned strip mine. I remember saying, "Those son of a b1tches are trying to kill us!" I didn't even think that it couldn't get any worse than what it already had.
Then came ten thirty, almost a half hour after the collapse of the South Tower. I was sitting there and all of a sudden there was a ball of fire and smoke and the tv antenna had started to fall. I knew right then that if any heads of the fire department and police where in that, they were dead. It really didn't start to sink in until they said that four heads of the fire department were killed in the collapse. It wasn't until then when I realized that the fire department's portable command post was in the North Tower.
It wasn't until I got home that I started crying my eyes out.
The events of that very tragic day should absolutely not be forgotten by anyone.
Those guys died doing what they did best, and that's saving the innocent.
\/ ------- hence the signature.
bufordny:
damn. i don't cry easy, but you've got me bawling my eyes out. i hope you boys have an inkling that something is rotten in denwark.
i woke up at noon (in toronto), turned on the TV, and watched the plane hit the tower, over and over, and then the towers collapse, over and over.
i INSTANTLY thought, "this is the CIA doing a psyop to start world war III".
no kidding.
and, i wasn't even a conspiracy theorist, then.
it was because of the way the towers fell. ie. way too fast, and way too smooth. steel towers just don't fall instantly. bend, shift, warp, fold, yeah, but not instantly collapse at near the rate of gravity.
damn. now my half brother is in a hospital with his neck blown out by afghani bullets. two neck vertabrae and esophagus shattered...probably be paraplegic, if not quadra.
elitist industrialists' lies kill and maim, ...anyone.
damn. i don't cry easy, but you've got me bawling my eyes out. i hope you boys have an inkling that something is rotten in denwark.
i woke up at noon (in toronto), turned on the TV, and watched the plane hit the tower, over and over, and then the towers collapse, over and over.
i INSTANTLY thought, "this is the CIA doing a psyop to start world war III".
no kidding.
and, i wasn't even a conspiracy theorist, then.
it was because of the way the towers fell. ie. way too fast, and way too smooth. steel towers just don't fall instantly. bend, shift, warp, fold, yeah, but not instantly collapse at near the rate of gravity.
damn. now my half brother is in a hospital with his neck blown out by afghani bullets. two neck vertabrae and esophagus shattered...probably be paraplegic, if not quadra.
elitist industrialists' lies kill and maim, ...anyone.
I was still in public school as well, but things were carried out totally differently in my case.
When it was clear that what was happening was a terrorist attack, e-mails were sent to all teachers, telling them not to turn on their TVs, and not to discuss what was going on with any of the students.
So the vast majority of the school was oblivious to what was going on for the longest part of the day. But when I went into our band room, our director (being the good guy that he was), had ignored what he was told and was sitting down watching CNN. Everybody came in and got settled for class, glancing at the TV but not knowing exactly what the fuss on it was about.
"You guys hear what happened?"
A bunch of mumbling; no's and huh?'s and what?'s.
"They flew jumbo jets into the World Trade Center buildings, and one of them fell down."
So we all sat around and watched the TV together. I don't remember many details. I was confused. I didn't feel scared, or threatened, but just confused. I couldn't grasp why this was happening, or even what exactly was happening. It seemed so random and brutal, that just out of the blue all of these things are blowing up and so many people are dying, and it wasn't even over yet. I remember OBL's name being mentioned a few times, as a prime suspect, even as it was all still being played out.
Even after it was over, later in the day, it still didn't feel like it was over. There were those lingering, anxious feelings, and I wondered what we were going to do as a nation, and if any more attacks were going to come within the next few days, and how much more security our government would actually be able to offer us on such short notice. I was concerned that the people running our country would lose their ability to maintain order, especially if Washington was hit again. Where was that one plane trying to go, that crashed in Pennsylvania??
Our director mentioned how someone was going to get their ass torn up for it.
For the rest of the day, I kept telling people in my other classes what was going on. As far as I knew, it was still going on. Everyone I told -- they either couldn't grasp the significance of what I was saying (which I was having enough trouble with myself), or else didn't care, or didn't believe me. One of my best friends at the time thought I was pulling his leg, or that I saw something on the news and just didn't know what the hell I was talking about, that I was really exaggerating. No one else I told seemed to really get it, and so they didn't really care.
By the end of the day, a fair amount of teachers must have abandoned their instructions to let us figure things out when we got home, because we were told there would be an assembly to make things clear. So the whole school was called into the gym, where faculty explained what was going on. We were told that all early dismissals would be excused, and were encouraged to go home and seek comfort with our families.
I had practice after school though, and it wasn't cancelled, so I went ahead and went to that. I remember one of our instructors being glued to the TV when I got back to the band room, with his head resting in his hands and totally motionless, looking uneasy. This was a laid back guy. Always laid back, reassuring. Everyone else was either tense or confused, sullen or jittery. Practice got started and we pushed it all to the back of our minds for a couple hours, and then went home.
I kept up with the news for a few days afterwards, half expecting the country to be hit again before it had time to recover.
In retrospect, I never even gave it a second thought. I saw them fall so many times, just like everyone else, all over the news for weeks.
If someone were to ask me why they fell, I would have probably said the planes, or the planes and the fires, but no one ever asked, and I never thought about it. I don't remember ever seeing anyone try to explain the collapses on TV, either.
It was something that didn't need to be thought about or explained. It just happened.
I remember being surprised at how few people actually died in the collapses. I was thinking, "God -- tens of thousands must have been there. It'll take months to figure out how many lost their lives."
The news media was my events of the day. When I think of 9/11, all of that media coverage is what I know it by.
But I felt like I was being shown something huge through a little window. I didn't want to hear all the commentary, all the hacks running their mouths, and showing it all from so far away. I wanted to see what was going on as if I were there, to better wrap my mind around it all.
After everything settled, I let it go for a few years.
Later, I came across CatHerder's thread about a 757 hitting the Pentagon, and things like that scattered across the Internet. I think that's what initially drew me in to all of this. At some point I saw In Plane Site, which turned everything I thought about 9/11 upside down. Now, I think that documentary is about as piss poor as it could have been in discussing anything significant or even factual. But it did eventually lead me here, and from 9/11 I've looked branched out into other controversial subjects that I've formed less precise opinions on.
So thus far, 9/11 has ultimately impacted me by turning me on to more information on military politics and international banking and things like that, than I would've likely come across otherwise. Through discussion, it's also recently turned me on to civil and structural engineering (a genuine interest of mine now), but unfortunately I don't really feel like changing majors (currently CET engineering).
When it was clear that what was happening was a terrorist attack, e-mails were sent to all teachers, telling them not to turn on their TVs, and not to discuss what was going on with any of the students.
So the vast majority of the school was oblivious to what was going on for the longest part of the day. But when I went into our band room, our director (being the good guy that he was), had ignored what he was told and was sitting down watching CNN. Everybody came in and got settled for class, glancing at the TV but not knowing exactly what the fuss on it was about.
"You guys hear what happened?"
A bunch of mumbling; no's and huh?'s and what?'s.
"They flew jumbo jets into the World Trade Center buildings, and one of them fell down."
So we all sat around and watched the TV together. I don't remember many details. I was confused. I didn't feel scared, or threatened, but just confused. I couldn't grasp why this was happening, or even what exactly was happening. It seemed so random and brutal, that just out of the blue all of these things are blowing up and so many people are dying, and it wasn't even over yet. I remember OBL's name being mentioned a few times, as a prime suspect, even as it was all still being played out.
Even after it was over, later in the day, it still didn't feel like it was over. There were those lingering, anxious feelings, and I wondered what we were going to do as a nation, and if any more attacks were going to come within the next few days, and how much more security our government would actually be able to offer us on such short notice. I was concerned that the people running our country would lose their ability to maintain order, especially if Washington was hit again. Where was that one plane trying to go, that crashed in Pennsylvania??
Our director mentioned how someone was going to get their ass torn up for it.
For the rest of the day, I kept telling people in my other classes what was going on. As far as I knew, it was still going on. Everyone I told -- they either couldn't grasp the significance of what I was saying (which I was having enough trouble with myself), or else didn't care, or didn't believe me. One of my best friends at the time thought I was pulling his leg, or that I saw something on the news and just didn't know what the hell I was talking about, that I was really exaggerating. No one else I told seemed to really get it, and so they didn't really care.
By the end of the day, a fair amount of teachers must have abandoned their instructions to let us figure things out when we got home, because we were told there would be an assembly to make things clear. So the whole school was called into the gym, where faculty explained what was going on. We were told that all early dismissals would be excused, and were encouraged to go home and seek comfort with our families.
I had practice after school though, and it wasn't cancelled, so I went ahead and went to that. I remember one of our instructors being glued to the TV when I got back to the band room, with his head resting in his hands and totally motionless, looking uneasy. This was a laid back guy. Always laid back, reassuring. Everyone else was either tense or confused, sullen or jittery. Practice got started and we pushed it all to the back of our minds for a couple hours, and then went home.
I kept up with the news for a few days afterwards, half expecting the country to be hit again before it had time to recover.
First thoughts, reaction to, and how or why the World Trade Center first tower collapsed.
In retrospect, I never even gave it a second thought. I saw them fall so many times, just like everyone else, all over the news for weeks.
If someone were to ask me why they fell, I would have probably said the planes, or the planes and the fires, but no one ever asked, and I never thought about it. I don't remember ever seeing anyone try to explain the collapses on TV, either.
It was something that didn't need to be thought about or explained. It just happened.
I remember being surprised at how few people actually died in the collapses. I was thinking, "God -- tens of thousands must have been there. It'll take months to figure out how many lost their lives."
Your interpretation of how the news media covered the events of that day.
The news media was my events of the day. When I think of 9/11, all of that media coverage is what I know it by.
But I felt like I was being shown something huge through a little window. I didn't want to hear all the commentary, all the hacks running their mouths, and showing it all from so far away. I wanted to see what was going on as if I were there, to better wrap my mind around it all.
Finally, your thoughts of how the events of that day impacted you on a personal level, those around you, and your thoughts, or theories, as they exist today. and anything you'd like to add in closing.
After everything settled, I let it go for a few years.
Later, I came across CatHerder's thread about a 757 hitting the Pentagon, and things like that scattered across the Internet. I think that's what initially drew me in to all of this. At some point I saw In Plane Site, which turned everything I thought about 9/11 upside down. Now, I think that documentary is about as piss poor as it could have been in discussing anything significant or even factual. But it did eventually lead me here, and from 9/11 I've looked branched out into other controversial subjects that I've formed less precise opinions on.
So thus far, 9/11 has ultimately impacted me by turning me on to more information on military politics and international banking and things like that, than I would've likely come across otherwise. Through discussion, it's also recently turned me on to civil and structural engineering (a genuine interest of mine now), but unfortunately I don't really feel like changing majors (currently CET engineering).
On September 11, 2001, I was just a Freshman in high school. I was actually sitting in first period - which was English (gawd, how do I remember
THAT?) - when the school principal entered, whispered to the instructor the situation, and announced that the student body would be congregating in
the library.
It was just before the second plane struck when I entered the library; the television in the library was tuned to CNN.
My immediate reaction was shock - and horror - you all remember the Oklahoma City bombing, I'm sure. I was eight blocks away from Oklahoma City's "Ground Zero" when the bomb went off, so the whole thing unfolding before me was terrifying, or would have been, had I not convinced myself that it was some grand hoax. The second plane hit, and I realized: "thousands of innocent people are going to die."
I heard that the Pentagon had been "hit" in the same way I heard of the World Trade Center attacks: on CNN, in the library.
When Tower Two collapsed, I remember gasps and "Oh My God" from my fellow shoolmates. My jaw simply hit the floor. "Thousands of innocent people just died."
I remember on the ride home, seeing the gas stations backed up, literally for miles - and for a few hours, prices were $9.00 per gallon in my area. I continually asked myself, "What is going on?" I remember me and my mother engraving little angels on some silver coins, and sending hundreds of them to the various F.D.N.Y. companies.
On a personal level, after the media's extensive coverage on the death toll - with emphasis placed on the fire-rescue, EMS, and law enforcement personnel that perished, I found the motivation to become a firefighter. I did just that - in memory of those who didn't make it to the next call.
What am I going to do on the five year anniversary of the day Hell froze over? My department is actually showing 9/11, reading LODD (Line Of Duty Death) names of New York fire-rescue personnel, and conducting a "walk of a thousand lives," in which we suit up and walk next to our primary engine (which, coincidentally, was bought from F.D.N.Y. in 2002) in silence, with the American flag draped over a closed casket in back.
I also plan to call Ladder 1 in New York. I - along with a dozen other guys from my department - have spoken to Chief Pfiefer in the past, so we're all gonna call, give our love and support, that kind of thing.
It was just before the second plane struck when I entered the library; the television in the library was tuned to CNN.
My immediate reaction was shock - and horror - you all remember the Oklahoma City bombing, I'm sure. I was eight blocks away from Oklahoma City's "Ground Zero" when the bomb went off, so the whole thing unfolding before me was terrifying, or would have been, had I not convinced myself that it was some grand hoax. The second plane hit, and I realized: "thousands of innocent people are going to die."
I heard that the Pentagon had been "hit" in the same way I heard of the World Trade Center attacks: on CNN, in the library.
When Tower Two collapsed, I remember gasps and "Oh My God" from my fellow shoolmates. My jaw simply hit the floor. "Thousands of innocent people just died."
I remember on the ride home, seeing the gas stations backed up, literally for miles - and for a few hours, prices were $9.00 per gallon in my area. I continually asked myself, "What is going on?" I remember me and my mother engraving little angels on some silver coins, and sending hundreds of them to the various F.D.N.Y. companies.
On a personal level, after the media's extensive coverage on the death toll - with emphasis placed on the fire-rescue, EMS, and law enforcement personnel that perished, I found the motivation to become a firefighter. I did just that - in memory of those who didn't make it to the next call.
What am I going to do on the five year anniversary of the day Hell froze over? My department is actually showing 9/11, reading LODD (Line Of Duty Death) names of New York fire-rescue personnel, and conducting a "walk of a thousand lives," in which we suit up and walk next to our primary engine (which, coincidentally, was bought from F.D.N.Y. in 2002) in silence, with the American flag draped over a closed casket in back.
I also plan to call Ladder 1 in New York. I - along with a dozen other guys from my department - have spoken to Chief Pfiefer in the past, so we're all gonna call, give our love and support, that kind of thing.
Where was I on September 11, 2001? I had just been asked to work a few extra hours that morning as we were short staffed on the morning shift at the
store I work at. As people were trickleing in they kept mentioning something about a plane flying into one of WTC towers in New York.
My first thoughts were, of course, what a horrible accident...then a few minutes later someone said both towers had been hit. My thought process' changed dramatically...that we've been attacked by person or persons unknown. Probably terrorists...but I didn't really know anything as I had no access to radio or tv at that particular moment...needless to say the topic of conversation was rather limited that morning...centering mostly around who, why, and what next. It was an act of war...that much, and that much only, was certain. But who? Al Queda? the PLO? Oompa Loompa's? Some one inside? Horrible coincidence?
My emotions? Jesus...it ran a gamet...disbelief, confusion, at first...after I got home later that morning around 11am Pacific and turned on CNN and FOX, and heard for the first time about the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania crash...confusion began to turn to anger...undirected, because while conjecture was certainly rampant, no one knew who as yet...sorrow as the causulty figures began to come in. The passengers on the 4 planes, all those people in the buildings.
I remember being surprised that birds were still playing outside the window of my apartment...it was so surreal. I mean...our world was seemingly crashing down around our ears...another world war...how dare birds sing anything but dirges. I was on the phone with my sister that afternoon...it had become obvious, of course by then, that we'd, as Americans, had been attacked...still didn't know by whom. The list of suspects was naturally, rather a short one...Al Queda or one of its offshoots...some faction of the PLO...maybe some homegrown outfit...that one actually seemed more likely to me at the time, and I still wonder to this day if the highjackers didn't have some help...it seems all too plausible.
I sat in front of that damned TV for hours...flicking between CNN, FOX, NBC, all the channels I could think of...flicking so fast sometimes its a wonder I learned anything at all about what was happening...
I don't really remember what I was thinking that evening...shock of sorts I think. Being my weekend, I didn't have to go to work for the two days following. I was camped out infront of the TV most of that time...
I think the memory I took away from the horrific events of that day and night were the rescue workers and police...so many died doing what they do...stepping into danger so that others might not have to. They didn't die running away, they died running to it. That's my most profound memory...
I didn't cry or really experiance any emotions that day...shock I suppose, or simply trying to wrap my mind and heart around a world altering event...I know just how my parents must have felt after Pearl Harbor was attacked. Disbelief, Shock, Denial, Anger...a couple of days later the anger turned to absolute rage...its probably just as well I didn't have access to nukes that day...when reports of celebrations in various venues around the globe, most particularly in places in the Middle East...gods above, I was angry.
Later during the memorial services and rememberances...that's when the sorrow hit hardest...all those children who died, and who were going to die...because only an idiot wouldn't believe we weren't going to war. The movements had already begun...northern alliance fighters in Afghanistan, etc...
Of all the events I've been witness to in my life, from Neil Armstrong on the Moon, the challenger disaster, the california quakes during the world series, less cosmic events like the births of various nieces, nephews, and godchildren, deaths in the family and friends who died in various ways through the years...this one stands as a singular event, it will forever alter how I view the world and the people in it.
Only the Vietnam War, I think, has had a more profound effect on the American psyche, then September 11th, 2001. 9/11's effects will continue to reverberate for years, possibly decades, to come. We anger so easily as a nation now, and that's not a good thing. We are scarred, and scared...a dangerous combination. Not only to our percieved enemies, but to ourselves as well.
We mourn the ones who died, mourn with the ones who lost loved ones...feel anger toward those who did this. Our main question now is "why?", what did this gain the people who did this? Why anger the most powerful nation on Earth to the point where we, rightly or wrongly, I won't judge here; plunge the world into war that has no end in sight, a region that was none too stable to begin with, is less so seemingly with every passing day...what did they have to gain?
I guess I really do know how my parents felt...in this day and age of instant information I'm still as confused as they must have been...
[edit on 7-9-2006 by seagull]
My first thoughts were, of course, what a horrible accident...then a few minutes later someone said both towers had been hit. My thought process' changed dramatically...that we've been attacked by person or persons unknown. Probably terrorists...but I didn't really know anything as I had no access to radio or tv at that particular moment...needless to say the topic of conversation was rather limited that morning...centering mostly around who, why, and what next. It was an act of war...that much, and that much only, was certain. But who? Al Queda? the PLO? Oompa Loompa's? Some one inside? Horrible coincidence?
My emotions? Jesus...it ran a gamet...disbelief, confusion, at first...after I got home later that morning around 11am Pacific and turned on CNN and FOX, and heard for the first time about the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania crash...confusion began to turn to anger...undirected, because while conjecture was certainly rampant, no one knew who as yet...sorrow as the causulty figures began to come in. The passengers on the 4 planes, all those people in the buildings.
I remember being surprised that birds were still playing outside the window of my apartment...it was so surreal. I mean...our world was seemingly crashing down around our ears...another world war...how dare birds sing anything but dirges. I was on the phone with my sister that afternoon...it had become obvious, of course by then, that we'd, as Americans, had been attacked...still didn't know by whom. The list of suspects was naturally, rather a short one...Al Queda or one of its offshoots...some faction of the PLO...maybe some homegrown outfit...that one actually seemed more likely to me at the time, and I still wonder to this day if the highjackers didn't have some help...it seems all too plausible.
I sat in front of that damned TV for hours...flicking between CNN, FOX, NBC, all the channels I could think of...flicking so fast sometimes its a wonder I learned anything at all about what was happening...
I don't really remember what I was thinking that evening...shock of sorts I think. Being my weekend, I didn't have to go to work for the two days following. I was camped out infront of the TV most of that time...
I think the memory I took away from the horrific events of that day and night were the rescue workers and police...so many died doing what they do...stepping into danger so that others might not have to. They didn't die running away, they died running to it. That's my most profound memory...
I didn't cry or really experiance any emotions that day...shock I suppose, or simply trying to wrap my mind and heart around a world altering event...I know just how my parents must have felt after Pearl Harbor was attacked. Disbelief, Shock, Denial, Anger...a couple of days later the anger turned to absolute rage...its probably just as well I didn't have access to nukes that day...when reports of celebrations in various venues around the globe, most particularly in places in the Middle East...gods above, I was angry.
Later during the memorial services and rememberances...that's when the sorrow hit hardest...all those children who died, and who were going to die...because only an idiot wouldn't believe we weren't going to war. The movements had already begun...northern alliance fighters in Afghanistan, etc...
Of all the events I've been witness to in my life, from Neil Armstrong on the Moon, the challenger disaster, the california quakes during the world series, less cosmic events like the births of various nieces, nephews, and godchildren, deaths in the family and friends who died in various ways through the years...this one stands as a singular event, it will forever alter how I view the world and the people in it.
Only the Vietnam War, I think, has had a more profound effect on the American psyche, then September 11th, 2001. 9/11's effects will continue to reverberate for years, possibly decades, to come. We anger so easily as a nation now, and that's not a good thing. We are scarred, and scared...a dangerous combination. Not only to our percieved enemies, but to ourselves as well.
We mourn the ones who died, mourn with the ones who lost loved ones...feel anger toward those who did this. Our main question now is "why?", what did this gain the people who did this? Why anger the most powerful nation on Earth to the point where we, rightly or wrongly, I won't judge here; plunge the world into war that has no end in sight, a region that was none too stable to begin with, is less so seemingly with every passing day...what did they have to gain?
I guess I really do know how my parents felt...in this day and age of instant information I'm still as confused as they must have been...
[edit on 7-9-2006 by seagull]
It was hard to write down what had happened that day. So much is a blur. I remember the people coming to help. I ran into a group of People, you know
John Q Citizens. They all had shovels, hand digging tools and more. The Sgt. was trying to tell them they couldn't dig here, and they were mad. I
remember telling the Sgt. that volunteers could go to the Pier to sign in and go help. I did not understand fully the meaning of this until I talked
about it later, What I saw was the Spirit of NY and America. I remember that when I was going to escort trucks in with supplies, how all the people
were sticking together. On the other side of the 59th st Bridge, I saw people sharing rides to get home. Cabs not charging for the 6 or more people in
them. Empty Trucks full of people standing up. City and School buses packed full. BUT IT WAS SILENT. A Silence that was so loud. I felt proud and
ashamed that this had happened to us. I am crying now remebering the days.
I will post some pictures later.
Thank-you!
I will post some pictures later.
Thank-you!
I was ( still am ) living in NW Ohio, working for Schindler Elevator Company.
My manager and I was preparing for a conference call with our Boston office.
A co-worker walked through our area and said that a plane had just hit the world trade center.
My immediate reaction was, wow, was it foggy in NY? What a terrible accident. I then thought of the people in the building, the planes and on the ground in NY. I said a quick short prayer.
My boss, said lets go ahead with the conference call, until more news comes in. Being in the Elevator industry, she had a feeling that we'd somehow be impacted by the event. So, we're on the phone with our Boston office, the Manager there asked if we heard the news, we spoke about it for a moment and as we were getting ready to get into business, someone else announced that the second plane had hit.
I didn't know what to think, my first thought was not terrorism, I do remember that. I didn't even think about that until someone else in the office said it was an attack.
I didn't know what to think or feel, I was sad for all the loss of life, I was angry about the apparent attack. We still wasn't sure.
We were still on the phone with Boston, when someone there announced that the Pentagon had been hit. At this point, I became more sad, more angry and upset. I couldn't imagine that our country was being attacked.
This is also when reports were coming in of car bombs at the Capital Building, and other places etc. I remember that I wasn't scared though, I was sad and angry.
We had finished the call with Boston, someone had brought a radio out and we were listening to local news. They announced that the first tower had collapsed.
I couldn't beleive it. I didn't want to beleive it.
Everyone was in shock and the ladies were crying, my boss was on the phone with our NY office trying to find out if we had people downtown at the time of the attack. After trying a few times, she was able to reach someone in our Buffalo office who had talked with our NY city office and found out that all of our personel had been accounted for and were okay.
It was getting close to lunch time, so I decided to head out and go home for lunch, I got home, turned on the TV and that was the first time I saw what had happened.
I sat on my couch, with a tear in my eye as I saw the pictures of those planes hitting the buildings and the collapse of the buildings.
I spent an hour at home watching the news, I thought they did a pretty good job of covering the events of the day. There was a lot going on, so I wouldn't expect any media outlet to get everything perfect on a day like this.
When I got back to work, someone had brought in a small TV and everyone was watching the news. A lady asked me, can you beleive that those towers fell? I remember the first thought that entered my mind and I said to her "well, maybe God decided enough is enough and he brougth those towers down, to extinguish the fire and end the suffering." I realize now that there was of course suffering even after they fell, but it was a first reaction.
It was hard to get any work done that day, we all just sat at our desks trying to get through the day. I got home and watched more news coverage, prayed a lot and called my daughter, I wanted to tell her how much I loved her and missed her. ( she lives 5 hours away from me with her mom). I wanted to hold my girlfriend and just be. Just be.
Over the next few days, my sadness turned to anger, as it was determined that it was terrorist attacks on that day.
My manager and I was preparing for a conference call with our Boston office.
A co-worker walked through our area and said that a plane had just hit the world trade center.
My immediate reaction was, wow, was it foggy in NY? What a terrible accident. I then thought of the people in the building, the planes and on the ground in NY. I said a quick short prayer.
My boss, said lets go ahead with the conference call, until more news comes in. Being in the Elevator industry, she had a feeling that we'd somehow be impacted by the event. So, we're on the phone with our Boston office, the Manager there asked if we heard the news, we spoke about it for a moment and as we were getting ready to get into business, someone else announced that the second plane had hit.
I didn't know what to think, my first thought was not terrorism, I do remember that. I didn't even think about that until someone else in the office said it was an attack.
I didn't know what to think or feel, I was sad for all the loss of life, I was angry about the apparent attack. We still wasn't sure.
We were still on the phone with Boston, when someone there announced that the Pentagon had been hit. At this point, I became more sad, more angry and upset. I couldn't imagine that our country was being attacked.
This is also when reports were coming in of car bombs at the Capital Building, and other places etc. I remember that I wasn't scared though, I was sad and angry.
We had finished the call with Boston, someone had brought a radio out and we were listening to local news. They announced that the first tower had collapsed.
I couldn't beleive it. I didn't want to beleive it.
Everyone was in shock and the ladies were crying, my boss was on the phone with our NY office trying to find out if we had people downtown at the time of the attack. After trying a few times, she was able to reach someone in our Buffalo office who had talked with our NY city office and found out that all of our personel had been accounted for and were okay.
It was getting close to lunch time, so I decided to head out and go home for lunch, I got home, turned on the TV and that was the first time I saw what had happened.
I sat on my couch, with a tear in my eye as I saw the pictures of those planes hitting the buildings and the collapse of the buildings.
I spent an hour at home watching the news, I thought they did a pretty good job of covering the events of the day. There was a lot going on, so I wouldn't expect any media outlet to get everything perfect on a day like this.
When I got back to work, someone had brought in a small TV and everyone was watching the news. A lady asked me, can you beleive that those towers fell? I remember the first thought that entered my mind and I said to her "well, maybe God decided enough is enough and he brougth those towers down, to extinguish the fire and end the suffering." I realize now that there was of course suffering even after they fell, but it was a first reaction.
It was hard to get any work done that day, we all just sat at our desks trying to get through the day. I got home and watched more news coverage, prayed a lot and called my daughter, I wanted to tell her how much I loved her and missed her. ( she lives 5 hours away from me with her mom). I wanted to hold my girlfriend and just be. Just be.
Over the next few days, my sadness turned to anger, as it was determined that it was terrorist attacks on that day.
I was at my office when the first plane hit. My mother had called for some reason and we were talking and she said something to the effect of "look
out your window. can you see the towers?" I did and I could. I was stunned. I hung up on her to call my wife and tell her what was going on. She
was just getting out of the shower and we were talking when plane 2 hit the other tower. I told her to stay home as she works a few blocks from where
the towers stood. I watched the day unfold from my office, which was on the 38th floor of a building on 34th and 7th. We had an unobstructed view of
the towers and we everyone on our floor, all the employees of three different companies, were jammed into my office watching. Extra people provided
some comfort that morning. When the first tower collapsed I remember the crying. I remember making the list of friends and family in the vicinity of
the towers, trying to figure out who I might have lost (3 friends never got checked off that list). I remember wandering home at the end of the day
(I stayed in the office to avoid being on the street in the chaos). I remember the soot covered people wandering uptown, making their way home. The
blank stares. The tears. The moaning and the crying. The long lines for the pay phones. The lines at the ATM machines. I remember hearing that
the blood donation drive wasn't necessary as there weren't going to be too many people needing the blood. I remember seeing the stories of the
missing. The signs everywhere. The people holding onto that last shred of hope that their loved ones would be found somewhere. I remember praying
that I didn't see anyone I knew on those signs or in those stories. I remember reading about my friend's fiance who was to be married in a couple
of weeks. I remember reading about another friend, who I had spent two days with the weekend prior to the 11th. He went back up to his office to
make sure everyone left and didn't return. He was one of a handfull of people from his company that died. He managed to get the majority of the
people to leave but he stayed to ensure that nobody else came back.
Most of all, I remember walking home from my office a couple of days after the 11th. It was evening, the streets were deserted. I noticed stores had candles burning in the windows, messages of hope and prayers for the lost accompanied these lights. Flags hung in the windows. I walked up and down the 23 blocks north and 7 avenues that seperated my office and my apartment. I remember being alone at first, reading the messages. Suddenly I noticed I was a group of 3, then 7 then ten, maybe 15. We walked as a group, we read the messages, we looked at the flags and the flickering candles. We didn't speak to eachother. People were crying and hugging and still nobody spoke. People joined and others left as they got to where they were headed. It took me several hours to make the 40 minute walk. When I entered my apartment my wife looked at me and didn't say a word. I'm sure she was worried about where I was that night but the look on my face must have been enough of an answer. The next morning I told her to go check out the streets. Walk around, see the windows and soak in the emotions on the street because this was NYC and the love and comfort and emotion wasn't going to last very long.
Every year the stores do various things with their windows to honor the fallen. Nothing will ever compare to the sight of every store on two of the most famous shopping streets in the world being devoid of merchandise and containing nothing more than some light and a flag.
This city isn't the same anymore. The people, who once walked with a chip on their shoulder, have lost a bit of their edge. We look up at the planes flying overhead and we wonder "is it happening again?" We hear about the threats to the subways and airports and what not and we know we are the target. We know it will happen again. It is only a matter of time and yet we stay. We stay and we learn to shrug off the constant threats and the sight of the various anti-terror drills that seem to be spotted all around the city. Sure we're still scared. How could we not be? We are, however, New Yorkers and Americans and backing down and kowtowing are not in our nature.
Most of all, I remember walking home from my office a couple of days after the 11th. It was evening, the streets were deserted. I noticed stores had candles burning in the windows, messages of hope and prayers for the lost accompanied these lights. Flags hung in the windows. I walked up and down the 23 blocks north and 7 avenues that seperated my office and my apartment. I remember being alone at first, reading the messages. Suddenly I noticed I was a group of 3, then 7 then ten, maybe 15. We walked as a group, we read the messages, we looked at the flags and the flickering candles. We didn't speak to eachother. People were crying and hugging and still nobody spoke. People joined and others left as they got to where they were headed. It took me several hours to make the 40 minute walk. When I entered my apartment my wife looked at me and didn't say a word. I'm sure she was worried about where I was that night but the look on my face must have been enough of an answer. The next morning I told her to go check out the streets. Walk around, see the windows and soak in the emotions on the street because this was NYC and the love and comfort and emotion wasn't going to last very long.
Every year the stores do various things with their windows to honor the fallen. Nothing will ever compare to the sight of every store on two of the most famous shopping streets in the world being devoid of merchandise and containing nothing more than some light and a flag.
This city isn't the same anymore. The people, who once walked with a chip on their shoulder, have lost a bit of their edge. We look up at the planes flying overhead and we wonder "is it happening again?" We hear about the threats to the subways and airports and what not and we know we are the target. We know it will happen again. It is only a matter of time and yet we stay. We stay and we learn to shrug off the constant threats and the sight of the various anti-terror drills that seem to be spotted all around the city. Sure we're still scared. How could we not be? We are, however, New Yorkers and Americans and backing down and kowtowing are not in our nature.
I remember that day with vivid clarity. I had just moved to Washington D.C. and had only been at my current job for about two months. I was still in
the process of making a good impression and had arrived early for work. I was sitting at my desk, when I overheard two coworkers talking about a
‘big explosion’ in New York as they walked by my desk. I went to one of the news websites, such as CNN or MSNBC, I can't remember which one and I
guess it's not important now, and read about a plane crashing into one of the World Trade Center towers.
After digesting this information, I overheard a several coworkers ‘gasp’ and start talking softly but quickly and made my way over to them to see what had happened. They were crowded around a coworker’s desk that had a tiny black and white television and had just heard about the second plane crashing into the other Trade Center Tower. I watched without saying a word as the news reported over and over about the second plane crash. At this point, I knew it wasn't an accident.
For what seemed like an eternity, I stood and watched the events unfolding with shock and disbelief. I simply could not believe what I was seeing and hearing. I went back to my desk and tried to do some work, but the images I had just seen on a tiny, fuzzy black and white T.V. were running through my mind. My time was spent on-line reading about what was happening.
Later, a manager came walking through the office telling everyone that a plane had just crashed into the Pentagon, and that it was recommended that everyone stay at work, but no one listened. This time it was too close to home. Within minutes, everyone, including myself, had left the building.
Outside everything was in chaos. Cars clogged the roads and the sidewalks were packed with people trying to get home. I usually took the bus to and from work, but on this day, with the streets jammed with cars that were barely moving, I knew it would be quicker for me to walk home. I will never forget the scene of that day with the roads clogged with cars and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people streaming along on the sidewalks. Even today I can play the walk home in my mind like a movie.
Once I got home, I tried and tried to call my father to let him know I was OK. I finally got through to him and we spent some time talking about what had happened. I spent the rest of the day glued to the TV, along with my roommates, trying to understand what had just happened.
I am still not sure which direction I am leaning with regards to how and why the Trade Center Towers collapsed. On that day, and the days following, I was absolutely certain it was terrorists, but now, I am not so sure. Five years ago, I was consumed with the swirling news coverage stating it was terrorists, and believed it. But now, the distinction between what I heard then and what I am hearing now is blurred.
It was a terrible day, and one that I will not forget, especially since I was in the middle of Washington D.C. when these terrible events unfolded.
After digesting this information, I overheard a several coworkers ‘gasp’ and start talking softly but quickly and made my way over to them to see what had happened. They were crowded around a coworker’s desk that had a tiny black and white television and had just heard about the second plane crashing into the other Trade Center Tower. I watched without saying a word as the news reported over and over about the second plane crash. At this point, I knew it wasn't an accident.
For what seemed like an eternity, I stood and watched the events unfolding with shock and disbelief. I simply could not believe what I was seeing and hearing. I went back to my desk and tried to do some work, but the images I had just seen on a tiny, fuzzy black and white T.V. were running through my mind. My time was spent on-line reading about what was happening.
Later, a manager came walking through the office telling everyone that a plane had just crashed into the Pentagon, and that it was recommended that everyone stay at work, but no one listened. This time it was too close to home. Within minutes, everyone, including myself, had left the building.
Outside everything was in chaos. Cars clogged the roads and the sidewalks were packed with people trying to get home. I usually took the bus to and from work, but on this day, with the streets jammed with cars that were barely moving, I knew it would be quicker for me to walk home. I will never forget the scene of that day with the roads clogged with cars and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people streaming along on the sidewalks. Even today I can play the walk home in my mind like a movie.
Once I got home, I tried and tried to call my father to let him know I was OK. I finally got through to him and we spent some time talking about what had happened. I spent the rest of the day glued to the TV, along with my roommates, trying to understand what had just happened.
I am still not sure which direction I am leaning with regards to how and why the Trade Center Towers collapsed. On that day, and the days following, I was absolutely certain it was terrorists, but now, I am not so sure. Five years ago, I was consumed with the swirling news coverage stating it was terrorists, and believed it. But now, the distinction between what I heard then and what I am hearing now is blurred.
It was a terrible day, and one that I will not forget, especially since I was in the middle of Washington D.C. when these terrible events unfolded.
I was at work. Oddly enough, I would have originally been in upstate New York at the time, but my business trip got postponed as the client wasn’t
ready (I actually went a few months later). So, I was here in FL. A co-worker of mine (former job) often had the news radio on in the background, and
told me that there were some initial reports of a plane hitting the World Trade Center! This seemed really odd; I mean how does a plane just hit a
building like that?
So, I got the old training tv out of mothballs, rigged up an antenna, and eventually got a news stations. I then saw the second plane hit. At first, I thought it was a replay, but then I realized that smoke was already coming out of the building as the plane hit. OMG! ANOTHER plane hit?
That’s when I knew this was no accident. I turned to my co-worker and said, “I think we just witnessed the trigger event for WWIII….” He nodded in agreement.
Then, we began to hear other reports of the Pentagon, and a possible flight crashing somewhere. The news seemed completely scattered, and a mix of confusion and fact. A missile? A plane? A bomb? Nobody seemed to know what happened at the Pentagon, or the other flight. Obviously, nobody got any work done…all were waiting for the latest update.
We had a client that had an office in the WTC…we wondered how they were doing. We had a rep on the way home too, when the flights were grounded, when would he get back?
At the time, I had little doubt who was behind this. The same guys who tried to bomb it before, obviously…extremists, who were looking to make a big statement. Even though I had lived in the middle east, I felt extreme anger. I knew the majority of muslims to be just like you and me…but I also wanted payback, and punishment for the deeds. I kind of figured we’d embark on a campaign of specific pinpoint attacks on terrorist hotspots. I had no idea Afghanistan would be up on the list. I figured Syria, Iran, etc. and even then isolated attacks, not a full blown ousting of a government.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the image of people jumping to their deaths rather than being burned alive. The event actually marked a big turning point for me. Before, I had somewhat felt sorry for the Palestinians in their plight. After seeing this though, I began to regard their reliance on terrorism as officially unworthy of any support. While this attack galvanized many Islamic militants, it also had a backlash effect on many like me who understood the Palestinian cause, but then saw them (Palestinian militants, not the people) as no different than those who perpetrated 9/11. The majority of Palestinians seem to support a Palestinian state, only if it includes the destruction of Israel. They were offered statehood, they turned it down. If it’s a fight to the death they want, I have a feeling Israel will eventually give them exactly what they want, and this time….I really won’t care. So congrats Bin Laden…you screwed up more than you’ll ever know.
The attacks were meant to shake us and scare us. Obviously, those behind it haven’t learned from history. I remember the words of a Japanese official after bombing Pearl Harbor…”I think we have awakened a sleeping giant”… Indeed, the attacks galvanized America. For at least a short time, there was no black, no white, no asian, no jews, no nothing…..just AMERICANS.
[edit on 7-9-2006 by Gazrok]
So, I got the old training tv out of mothballs, rigged up an antenna, and eventually got a news stations. I then saw the second plane hit. At first, I thought it was a replay, but then I realized that smoke was already coming out of the building as the plane hit. OMG! ANOTHER plane hit?
That’s when I knew this was no accident. I turned to my co-worker and said, “I think we just witnessed the trigger event for WWIII….” He nodded in agreement.
Then, we began to hear other reports of the Pentagon, and a possible flight crashing somewhere. The news seemed completely scattered, and a mix of confusion and fact. A missile? A plane? A bomb? Nobody seemed to know what happened at the Pentagon, or the other flight. Obviously, nobody got any work done…all were waiting for the latest update.
We had a client that had an office in the WTC…we wondered how they were doing. We had a rep on the way home too, when the flights were grounded, when would he get back?
At the time, I had little doubt who was behind this. The same guys who tried to bomb it before, obviously…extremists, who were looking to make a big statement. Even though I had lived in the middle east, I felt extreme anger. I knew the majority of muslims to be just like you and me…but I also wanted payback, and punishment for the deeds. I kind of figured we’d embark on a campaign of specific pinpoint attacks on terrorist hotspots. I had no idea Afghanistan would be up on the list. I figured Syria, Iran, etc. and even then isolated attacks, not a full blown ousting of a government.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the image of people jumping to their deaths rather than being burned alive. The event actually marked a big turning point for me. Before, I had somewhat felt sorry for the Palestinians in their plight. After seeing this though, I began to regard their reliance on terrorism as officially unworthy of any support. While this attack galvanized many Islamic militants, it also had a backlash effect on many like me who understood the Palestinian cause, but then saw them (Palestinian militants, not the people) as no different than those who perpetrated 9/11. The majority of Palestinians seem to support a Palestinian state, only if it includes the destruction of Israel. They were offered statehood, they turned it down. If it’s a fight to the death they want, I have a feeling Israel will eventually give them exactly what they want, and this time….I really won’t care. So congrats Bin Laden…you screwed up more than you’ll ever know.
The attacks were meant to shake us and scare us. Obviously, those behind it haven’t learned from history. I remember the words of a Japanese official after bombing Pearl Harbor…”I think we have awakened a sleeping giant”… Indeed, the attacks galvanized America. For at least a short time, there was no black, no white, no asian, no jews, no nothing…..just AMERICANS.
[edit on 7-9-2006 by Gazrok]
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