Where were you on September 11, 2001?

[Ephoe28]

Sitting in Chorus class at school. The only reason I knew was because a teacher came in and told our teacher. Right afterwards the principal told all of the teachers they wern't allowed to use the TVs because they didn't want the students to see what was happening...So we went on a normal day until we got home.

 

[EdWoody]

We were living in New York at the time. I was at home, getting ready to go to work. My boyf had already left and gotten to his office, and he called me and said "Turn on the news." So I did. I very clearly remember the news presenter actually breaking into tears as he watched it happen with us.

I thought, "Great. We'll be at war within the week."

My boyf, as it happens, works in the airline industry. Thankfully, he's based in the office, not crew, and the office is in Queens, not Manhattan, so he was safe.

My office, on the other hand, was in Chelsea, on 17th st. I finally managed to get through to them and they not surprisingly told me to stay home.

Boyf's office shut down for the day, there was simply too much chaos for them to handle, and of course all airline travel was cancelled throughout the country anyway. He finally managed to get back to our house, with a work friend, and we watched the news all day.

We lived right near LaGuardia too, so we were used to airplanes going overhead all the time. He said it had been really eerie, coming home and the skies being utterly silent.

.

 

[whatireallywant]

I walked in to work and was wondering why I heard radios at work (People didn't do that where I worked.) I couldn't hear what they were saying at the time, just that radios were on.

Then I went to my cubicle and someone at a desk nearby had their radio on, and I heard the news just before I sat down at my desk. I got cold chills all over me.

Nothing got done at work that day. We did "work" a full day, though.

 

[silvertriumph2]

Earlier, I had worked in the WTC, in building 5, 6th floor, but my boss didn't think the buildings were safe. From what I understand, Government buildings (the WTC was owned by the NY & NJ Port Authority) do not always follow, or are required to follow building and saftey codes. There were many we learned of during the time the company leased WTC space.
In the mornings, your desk and chairs would be covered with asbestos dust. Personally, I am very, very happy that our office moved to another location in mid city.

While working in the WTC, I banked in the underground concourse with Marine Midland Bank, and had not changed my account to another location or bank as yet. I had an appointment with Marine Midland that morning at 8:30 to make some changes.

It was also Primary Election Day in NY and many had the day off to vote. I called and asked if I could change my appointment to 9:00am so I could vote first. I left the voting area and took the subway to the WTC but before I arrived the train stopped short of the WTC due to "Police Action at the WTC." I hate being stranded in a subway, so I decided to go home and change the appointment to another day. When I got home I discovered the first plane had hit. I went to the room and saw the 2nd plane hit.

I left the house and ran down the Westside Highway towards the WTC. As I ran, I passed people covered with white dust like they had been hit with a sack of flour. Most were silent and the atmosphere was eerie and almost like I was in a twilight zone! There were some soft sobs and some yelling into cell phones pleading "please answer, please answer and tell me you are okay", etc. But otherwise you heard only sirens.

I could see lots of smoke, but the buildings were still standing. Just as I got about half way there, the first building fell. That was little after 9m., I think...time had just stopped, it seemed! I decided not to go further since there were so many running, yelling, and crying people headed towards me and police and emeregency equipment going the oppposit way. Then the 2nd bulding fell (a friend of mine was on that flight)! I couldn't believe it, it was like the world was coming to an end!

The triage center was at Chelsea Piers a couple of blocks from my house. Unfortunately, from what I understand, there was very little need or no need at all for a triage center. There just was no one to bring there. The few that need medical aid went directly to the hospitals.

I knew 34 people who died that day here in NYC. They included friends, neighbors, colleagues with whom I had worked, and a boss tht I had worked for. It was an awful, awful day as were the months and years to follow. I am afraid that I will never really get the images out of my mind. I still have bad dreams occasionally.

May those that perished, all Rest in Peace, and those left behind find their own peace. Let us never let this happed again!

 

[B_Think_Kink]

In class probably.

 

[naughty]

I was in my office when I got a phone call to turn on the television. My first impulse was to ask why were they showing "Towering Inferno" in the middle of the day. Then a few minutes later I looked out the window and there was smoke everywhere . We received a message over the inter com to stay in our offices but of course people were not trying to listen to that. They were running down the escalators, out of the building and into the streets which were immobilized by all of the cars, buses and foot traffic desperately trying to get out of DC. I and a few of my collegues sat in my office watching Titus Andronicus by Julie Taymor that afternoon. We couldnt go anywhere to we just sat there until we could think about leaving. Fighter jets were flying over head all day. I had family members calling me screaming for me to get out but there was no where for me t o go. I and my friend got home about 8:00 or 9:00. Here parents were likewise calling from Orlando screaming for her to go God knows where. It was to say the least an interesting day.

 

[D_smack ash]

Just got home from fighting a house fire.I saw live on tv the 2nd plane hit.Then when the towers fell and all my fellow brothers (firefighters) died i was lost for the rest of the day.Wondering wow this could happen to me someday.it still hits me every 9/11.

 

[Drifterwood]

UK live - watched my nephew's godfather die.

and yes it REALLY pisses me off that most of you think that it is/was a solely American thing.

 

[D_smack ash]

Mr drifterwood i dont think it was an american thing.so many different people from all over the world died there,it was a loss for the world i think

 

[naughty]

UK live - watched my nephew's godfather die.

and yes it REALLY pisses me off that most of you think that it is/was a solely American thing.

Drifterwood. there is no need to be pissed. It was and is a global tragedy just as the bombings in the UK and Spain are also mourned by those of us here in the US. It is seen as an American tragedy because it did happen on US soil even though the WORLD trade center was just that. Also it did hit the US Pentagon that day as well. So Americans do feel it very deeply.

 

[Not_Punny]

I was in bed. My bf called me and told me that Washington DC had been bombed. I ran downstairs and spent the next several hours glued to the news on my computer.

 

[MH07]

UK live - watched my nephew's godfather die.

and yes it REALLY pisses me off that most of you think that it is/was a solely American thing.

I'm an American and I think it was a WORLD tragedy, just as the London Tube Bombings (and I am just as outraged about those).

I was in West Virginia 9/10. There was weather in the area and my flight home was cancelled. I was standing at the ticket counter begging to go "anywhere". The nice lady messed around a bit on the computer, then finally booked me into La Guardia, from whence I could catch a flight home. I spent several hours at LGA, then flew out. We took the route around the city, and -totally inexplicably and without warning - as I looked at the skyline I burst into uncontrollable tears (I'm a 50 year old businessman). I mean I couldn't stop. I lived in NYC for 3 years and will always love it (I go back whenever possible), but I've never burst into tears looking at southern Manhattan!

So, I got back home at like 3:00 am. Slept late the next day, got up, padded into the den, turned on the Today Show--and they had some disaster movie on---the WTC seemed to be on fire. As I watched the TV (still sleepy and wondering, "Why are they showing a movie at this hour?", the first tower came down. I looked at it for a second, then realized it was a live feed.

Didn't do anything else the rest of the day except watch TV.

I was in New Orleans the Friday before Katrina, too.

Going to San Francisco this weekend---I guess the earthquake is next.

 

[Drifterwood]

Going to San Francisco this weekend---I guess the earthquake is next.

Got that tee shirt too :smile:

 

[camper joe]

I was getting my driving licenses renewed.

 

[bychance]

I really don't like to think about it.

But to be brief, I was in 7th grade at the time. I live in NYC (Queens) so how I learned about it probably fit at home far more than any American.

Sitting in Chorus class at school. The only reason I knew was because a teacher came in and told our teacher. Right afterwards the principal told all of the teachers they wern't allowed to use the TVs because they didn't want the students to see what was happening...So we went on a normal day until we got home.

Thats almost exactly what happened during my experience. I just remember that school starts around 8:00 AM, and we all know about 40 minutes later it all started. I remember hearing something about our principle being very upset about something terrible, but we [students] never knew what it was. By the time they were going really mention ANYTHING it was lunch time (we eat lunch in our homeroom classroom, not in a cafeteria) [and our moderator] refused to tell us what exactly happened. All she said was something extremely bad happened in Manhattan. Both my sister and mother work no more than a block away from the towers, so to say I was extremely worried is an understatement. All the staff would just say when you go home, you'll know when you turn on the TV. I remember clearly that they said once you turn the TV on, you'll see whats happening. No need to channel to find out, basically. My imagination went quite wild, but I was not prepared to know what had happened.

I couldn't have been more anxious to get home that day. I can't remember if we were released early, but we probably were. I saw the twin tours still standing, just burning. I couldn't comprehend a damn thing. The newscasters' voice spoke about "terrorists" and up to that point, I didn't even know what that was. In fact, I thought I was hearing tourists. I thought to myself, tourists were attacking the city? (I later learned what the exact definition was by continuing watching TV and my family explanation).

Its hard for me to relive and imagine how my state of mind was thinking. Its only somewhat fresh in my head.

My mother and sister came home early, and they had masks and covered with smoke all over their bodies. I was relieved, to say the least, but it was a horror seeing them like that.

 

[avg_joe]

I was sleeping in the garage, not knowing what's happening in New York and Washington D.C. My cousin from Singapore called me to turn on T.V news, and I just realised that the country was attacked by terrorists. Then me and my friends went to school which was closed, but it re-opened the next day.

 

[silvertriumph2]

Just got home from fighting a house fire.I saw live on tv the 2nd plane hit.Then when the towers fell and all my fellow brothers (firefighters) died i was lost for the rest of the day.Wondering wow this could happen to me someday.it still hits me every 9/11.

Until I moved to NYC, and a few blocks from a firestation, I never really thought about what firefighters did for us. Not until 9/11. They were just there, just another of the thousands of jobs around us. A job, that unless you are unfortunate enough to have a fire and need to call the fire dept.,
you never come in contact with a real, alive, breathing fireman.

And even though I lived near a firehouse, they were only a "Hi, how are you", or "Good morning, nice day isn't it." Small talk, but a bit of a contact.

When 9/11 hit, and we lost 4 of our "neighbor" firemen. It cut deep into almost everyone in the neighborhood. We learned how much we enjoyed seeing them in a group buying groceries at the local supermarket, or how much we enjoyed having them at our block parties. Many whom we would never see or be able to say "Good Morning" to ever again.

Not only are our firemen just plain, good people, but now in our minds and hearts, they are now and will forever by our HEROES! HEROES, ALL!

Thickhead, let me thank you, and all of your brother firemen, for your service to all of us. You ALL are indeed HEROES!
I hope you know that!

 

[simcha]

I was in Moline, IL at work. My boyfriend at the time was at my place in Davenport, IA sitting with my cat on his lap when he called me to tell me a plane hit one of the towers. I was asking him what kind of plane when he yelled, "Woa! I just saw another plane hit the other tower! It was a passenger jet!" Other people were talking in other cubicles. Once off the phone I went downstairs to the cafeteria where CNN was on. We were all stunned just watching the TV. My Mom called and asked if I was OK. I told her, "Mom, I'm on the Mississippi River, spitting distance from Iowa. I'll be just fine." We were all in shock. At the office we went back to work and checked cnn.com all day and the website wasn't functioning because there was too much traffic. We worked a full day. When it was quitting time and I got home, it was eerie to walk through the parking lot to the apartment and notice that it was too quiet and no planes were in the air. No, I don't think I'll ever forget it.

 

[Not_Punny]

I was in New Orleans the Friday before Katrina, too.

Going to San Francisco this weekend---I guess the earthquake is next.

LOL -- pretty please stay out of LA!!

 

[Mem]

I was in Moline, IL at work. My boyfriend at the time was at my place in Davenport, IA sitting with my cat on his lap when he called me to tell me a plane hit one of the towers. I was asking him what kind of plane when he yelled, "Woa! I just saw another plane hit the other tower! It was a passenger jet!" Other people were talking in other cubicles. Once off the phone I went downstairs to the cafeteria where CNN was on. We were all stunned just watching the TV. My Mom called and asked if I was OK. I told her, "Mom, I'm on the Mississippi River, spitting distance from Iowa. I'll be just fine." We were all in shock. At the office we went back to work and checked cnn.com all day and the website wasn't functioning because there was too much traffic. We worked a full day. When it was quitting time and I got home, it was eerie to walk through the parking lot to the apartment and notice that it was too quiet and no planes were in the air. No, I don't think I'll ever forget it.

Eerie is being 15 miles from Manhattan. (or those that were closer) I remember waking up the next morning and remembering what happend but thinking that it couldn't have been real. We could smell the smoke for a few days afterwards. It was like everyone was a zombie, and everyone was nice to each other and almost everyone had the American flag on their car.