Remembering 9/11

[rdowns]

I was in a looong meeting (on Long Island) where we could see smoke rising from the city skyline. A while later, someone mentioned there were 2 plumes of smoke. Of course, no one in the company came to interrupt the meeting to tell us what was going on. A little later, someone came in to tell us what happened and at the same time, we lost all phones and data connections.

We decided to close down for the day and the drive home to Queens was the most surrealistic thing ever. The highways were empty and all I could think about were all the people I knew who worked there and in the area. Amazingly, all were OK.

 

[Schtumple]

We'd only just got back to school, it was mid afternoon and one of the teachers was taken out mid class, he came back about 20 minutes later and told us we were having an emergency assembly, our head teacher then told us what had happened and we were sent home early for the day.

I remember watching the news with one of my friends and we were in disbelief about it all, the next day we had 5 minutes of silence to show respect, I remember one kid tried to be clever and made a fart noise, he was expelled a few days later.

I went to ground zero last year during a college trip, it's quite an eery place, such a big sunken open area in amongst all the tall buildings.

 

[Nicolecat]

I felt like such a bad American today...
I was going to the grocery store over my lunch break, and was wondering why there were flags in the median of the road at half-mast.
I got home and turned on the news while putting my groceries away...and had an epiphany. (I just couldn't believe that it's been 7 years.)

I also remember where I was when it happened...
I was a senior in high school, in Spanish class. One of the other seniors barged in as we were going over a test...and said that the world trade center had been hit. At the time, there really wasn't a whole lot of information...so one of the teachers down the hall turned on a tv in her classroom and like 5 different classes piled in to watch the footage unfold. If I remember correctly, nobody moved...even as the bell rang to change classes.
It was such a surreal moment in time...
Then later that day when the Pentagon fell victim to the attacks...there was a student who's mom was visiting the Pentagon at the time for business. Nobody could reach her...and her son was in shambles the rest of the afternoon. (I don' think he full on sobbed...but his face was damp with tears)...She was alright. She had been having meetings on the other side of the building. (Thank God).

Somewhere I have a binder...where i printed out tons of news articles and pictures to document the event to my children one day.

Random mental note:
The crazy part is that the price of gas dropped to 99¢ the following week...and the same people that took pity on America during that point in time are taking advantage of us now.

 

[M-theory]

Kudos

Thanks for starting this thread...

 

[hookem12387]

I remember i had just gotten done running a mile in first period PE freshman year of highschool when our coach mentioned it to us but no tthe extent. We assumed it was a small plane, then I got to my next class, we turned on the tv and saw the second one. No one said anything for awhile. RIP to all those

 

[mizelly41]

I was in 8th grade at the time and had been at school for about an hour when our principal came into our class and told us two planes had flown into the WTC (my school was K-8 and he only told our class). He told us that it was a terrorist attack and we would probably be going to war. At the time I didn't even know what the WTC was and didn't know much about terrorists, so I was a little shaken up about the idea of the US going to war. Our class spent the rest of the day watching the news on tv and seeing the towers fall live. I remember seeing dust coming from the building as the first tower started to fall and just couldn't believe what was happening. I remember when I got home that every single tv channel had the news on or didn't have anything on at all. I wish the nation still had as much American pride today as it did the months following the attack.

 

[CharlieKirk]

I just moved to Devon in the UK. I was about to play playstation... 1. I got the shock of my life. I just stood there still...crying...

Edit; I'm glad to here that most of your friends weren't in the attacks. I mourn for those who are. A kid in my class got suspended for 10 days today, for typing in our moment of respect.

 

[r.j.s]

I was in basic training, at Fort Benning. It was two days before graduation, and we were preparing for our final inspection. All of our gear was neatly laid out across the barracks, when one of the drill sergeants came in - not like they usually do, bursting into the room, beaming with authority - it was slow, he was almost in shock.

He didn't tell us right away, instead he told us something had happened, and we had to pack everything up as fast as we could, neatness didn't count, and get down to the classroom. Once we were there, they explained it all to us - but I didn't get to see what had happened until the next day. I don't remember if there was anyone that lost any friends or family, but everyone was pretty shaken up.

 

[CorvusCamenarum]

I was supposed to be flying Atlanta-London-Edinburgh that day. I've still got the tickets in a drawer somewhere. I remember pulling into Hartsfeld just as they announced they were closing all airports until further notice.

 

[toolbox]

I was in year 10 with this happened, it was a Sunday night at 11pm when our phone rang - Um you better turn on your tv .........

 

[apsterling]

I was in 4th grade and the school refused to tell any students what had happened. I recall many students disappearing during lunch and most classes, and I was one of very few who stayed until school ended.

Then I got home and learned about the news.

 

[smithlua]

Senior in high school and I believe we were just finishing the 2nd class of the day when the principal announced on the school intercom for the teachers to turn on the tv's as there had been an "incident" in NY. The 2nd plane had hit only about 10 minutes before so we watched both towers fall. I remember several people crying at their desks; I mostly felt anger. We watched at school all day except for one class when a teacher had the audacity to try and teach calculus. I'm completely sure no one paid her any attention.

At one point, the local news from Dayton Ohio cut in on the tv because many people had heard a "loud explosion" in the Dayton area. It turned out to be from fighter jets producing a sonic boom heading either to Pennsylvania or D.C. I guess.

 

[ismoker]

incredibly horrible terrible event..
can't even imagine how does children felt on the day to go back to empty home after school...

 

[tr0jan]

i was watching tv.. the simpsons.. and then the screen was blue with the sentence "Special Broadcast on ORF2. Switch the Channel" so i switched the channel and i saw this happening.. i was just thinking "what the.." and i was not really realize that.. i was the whole day in front of the tv and was watching this broadcast..

(austria)

 

[alFR]

I was studying for my PhD at the time, had decided to head home and do some data analysis that afternoon. Got in from biking home, put the TV on to catch the news - got more news than I bargained for. Not much data got analysed that day....

 

[andrewdale]

I was at school, in 4th period. My mom called in and asked for me and my brother to check out early and come home.

As we stood in the office, we saw the 2nd plane hit.

 

[sonia1234321]

2nd Grade.

All I recall was being in class, when all of a sudden some teachers came in and said something, and soon after, a lot of parents were picking up their children...

R.I.P Victims of 9/11

 

[Yaris]

Yeah I was in elementary school too. It was in the third grade and I remember that the teachers left us for a little meeting and people started getting picked up early. I asked one of the teachers what was happening and he said something like "The traffic is really bad.". We were so confused but I remember getting home and instantly switching on the tv and seeing the second tower fall. Back then I honestly didn't get how significant the event was.

Also, there are a bunch of other people's stories on this site:
http://www.wherewereyou.org/

 

[neiltc13]

While it was no doubt a terrible event I think there are some Americans who blow this thing out of all proportion. I believe that there are actually some people in the US who think that the person responsible for this tragedy actually 'invented' terrorism.

Are we really going to have this "omg 9/11" overload every September forever and whatever happened to the saying "Rest in Peace"?

Oh well, I guess we'll never get to the point where the lives of all the innocent Iraqis and the Afghanis who were brutally massacred by your country (and mine) will be remembered in such a poignant manner.

 

[pscoble]

Thanks for making this thread. I feel like at least here in California it really has been forgotten. Always remember the victims who died that day.

 

[todd2000]

I was sleeping at the time. My mother woke me up after the first plane hit. I watched TV for over an hour, but I just couldn't take anymore, and went out for a ride. Surprisingly the radio was still playing music. I just had to get away from it for a little while. I remember specifically I went to PetSmart, and Staples, and they had the news on the radio loud enough that mostly the whole store could hear.

 

[Schtumple]

While it was no doubt a terrible event I think there are some Americans who blow this thing out of all proportion. I believe that there are actually some people in the US who think that the person responsible for this tragedy actually 'invented' terrorism.

Are we really going to have this "omg 9/11" overload every September forever and whatever happened to the saying "Rest in Peace"?

Oh well, I guess we'll never get to the point where the lives of all the innocent Iraqis and the Afghanis who were brutally massacred by your country (and mine) will be remembered in such a poignant manner.

While I find they way you worded your post a little inappropriate, I do agree with you, hypocritical I know, but RIP would've just done along with maybe a few words of comfort for anyone reading who may have been affected.

 

[ErikCLDR]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcYOF86c-Pw

Here is a video I shot that morning from Cooper Sq. in Manhattan. This was about 20 minutes after both planes hit. There is also some footage from two weeks later shot from Canal St.
This video has pretty much sat on my camcorder since and Ive shown it to no one up to this point.

It is interesting to listen to the conversations going on around me. Lots of shock and confusion. Many on the street still were oblivious as to what was going on right behind them. Brings it back like it was a week ago... I had been to a friend wedding just days before at the foot of the towers. All their wedding shots have the towers in the background.

The remainder of the day saw many wandering the streets covered in ash. People would just walk up to you and tell you what they had seen, total strangers, remember, this was NYC... There was NO cars or traffic as the days progressed. Manhattan had become a ghost town as far as cars were concerned. phone service was nonexistent and i struggled to call out to let my family know i was ok. it was email that finally got me connected.
Fighter jets buzzing the city all day was unsettling. We had my wifes boss stay with us because there was no traveling out of the city other than walking.

Amazing video.

I live in Connecticut so I know a lot of people affected by the WTC attacks.

My uncle works in NY very close to the WTC but escaped safely. My neighbor worked in the south tower (2nd to be hit). When the first plane hit, no one knew what was happening so nothing really happened. He was lucky enough to evacuate knowing something was not right. While he was walking out the doors the 2nd plane hit his tower. Debris started falling. AP UPS driver opened the doors of his truck and screamed to him (and other random people off the street) to get in so they could evacuate. My friends dad worked in the north tower. Her mom was talking to her dad on the phone when the line cut off- that was the last they ever heard from him. I think the most remarkable story is my neighbors brother- he owned a company of ~30 people inside the WTC. He was very dedicated to his company and rarely took a day off. On 9/11 he was just stressed and called in sick. Not long after, the planes hit and every single one of his employees died. How does that hit you?

The worst part is that there are so many stories like this- of near death experiences and lives lost. I hate it when people say that we brought it on ourselves or that we deserve it. The fact is that people did this to other people. This wasn't a natural disaster or an epidemic. This was the work of pure evil. 3000 innocent lives were lost, not to mention the millions of lives affected.

I was a little disappointed to see how little 9/11 was remembered. On the news they seemed to hardly talk about it. This is a tragedy that should not be forgotten as much as we'd like to.

 

[cuestakid]

I was a freshman in high school in California and I was having breakfast. I was about to watch a little sportscenter before school when the phone rang arond 7AM Pacific. My Grandmother told me to turn on the news. I thought that maybe my uncle who worked at Stanford was being interviewed or something. I turned on CNN and saw the towers on fire;

 

[smwatson]

The worst part is that there are so many stories like this- of near death experiences and lives lost. I hate it when people say that we brought it on ourselves or that we deserve it. The fact is that people did this to other people. This wasn't a natural disaster or an epidemic. This was the work of pure evil. 3000 innocent lives were lost, not to mention the millions of lives affected.

Pure evil?
Is the killing of (est.)1.2million Iraqis by the Americans an act of pure evil?

The RAF killed somewhere between 24000 and 40000 innocent German civilians during the bombings on Dresden.

The fact is that innocent people are killed every single day.

I know people are going to hate me, and I urge you not to, I'm a nice guy; but I agree with this entirely:

While it was no doubt a terrible event I think there are some Americans who blow this thing out of all proportion. I believe that there are actually some people in the US who think that the person responsible for this tragedy actually 'invented' terrorism.

Are we really going to have this "omg 9/11" overload every September forever and whatever happened to the saying "Rest in Peace"?

Oh well, I guess we'll never get to the point where the lives of all the innocent Iraqis and the Afghanis who were brutally massacred by your country (and mine) will be remembered in such a poignant manner.