9/11/2001 Never Forget

[Alex175 784]

On this day we remember all those we lost 19 years ago.  We remember how the United States came together and stood tall, despite everything that we had gone through that day.

 

Despite not being able to remember many days of my childhood, I still remember everything about that day.  I was in my 7th grade science class, and we were working in the school library.  I remember getting a weird feeling, as the school went quite, but didn't know what was going on so I went about my day.  At the end of our class the teacher called us together and told us what had happened over an hour earlier, and told us that he would have mentioned something earlier but he wanted us to finish our work first.  I remember the fury I felt towards him, how he could keep something like that from us, and for what at the time, and still today I felt was such in inappropriate reason.  But like many of us maybe he was still trying to figure out himself what happened, nothing like this had happened since Pearl Harbor, and there was very few people in the school who had been alive during that, so for all of us this was a new experience.  I remember just sort of floating through the rest of the day, trying to get on a computer as often as I could to find out more details, to see what was going on.  in Western CT we are only 1.5 hours from NYC so there was all the other thoughts that went with that, how close it was to us, is it going to happen here as well.  I remember teachers, some trying to still teach, others realizing that no one would be able to focus on the lesson, and our history teacher using that days events and putting it in context for us using historical events.  I remember the bus ride home, normally there was about 4 families worth of kids that would get off at the same bus stop and all go our separate ways, but that day we couldn't.  We went to the nearest house and turned on the news, the kid who's house we were at both of his parents worked in NYC (thankfully both came home safe).  I remember one of the other kids in the group, a borderline bully and someone who I didn't see eye to eye with until years later, ask my brothers and I to lead them all in a prayer as they knew we went to church.  Most importantly, I remember how the day brought us all together as Americans.

 

A few years ago I was in New Jersey around this time for a conference across the river from NYC and saw this haunting, but beautiful sight and I want to share it all with you today.  If any of you have stories about where you were during this and would like to add them here, please do.  Sharing our stories is how we make sure that this day is always remembered.

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by Alex175

[formariz 11,987]

Never Forget. The Day that changed my life as I knew it for ever. Violated the Country, City, and People that I love. Changed my livelihood .I had worked in those buildings many times since my 20s. Just the day before I was in Tower One meeting in an Architect's office and was  supposed to be again there that morning. Lucky for me I had freedom of movement and schedule and since it was a beautiful day, decided to at the last minute instead take a drive to Pennsylvania to check on a shop subcontracting work for us. Neglected to inform my wife and my office that, so they were all in a panic for most of the day since all cell phone service stopped. I did not even knew what was happening since all radio stations stopped working so there was nothing in the car radio which I found weird as I drove. Sad day but once again in my life luck seems to be my friend.

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by formariz

[Mickwhitt 4,593]

I was working as a traffic cop in sheffield when it came on the news.

It was surreal, terrifying, like watching a horror movie.

As the towers burned we were all stunned, and when they came down I cried. I still cry if I watch those buildings fall.

Its a continent away from me, somewhere I have never been, people I've never met, but it felt so personal to me, so overwhelmingly sad. The ideology behind those and other attacks is warped and cruel. Done in the name of their god it is medieval cruelty on a modern scale.  

I taught counter terrorism and anti radicalisation in later years but can't see an answer to a problem that stems from centuries old divisions that even those who spout about them don't understand. 

I pray no one ever has to go through the nightmare of 911 again and I stand with my American cousins in support for their loss.

Mick xxx

[bottjernat1 2,190]

I will never forget 9/11/2001. I was still living at my dads place. I was getting ready for work at the local Arby's in Kendallville Indiana . I was watching the news and I saw the 1st building smoking and was putting on my shirt. I had my shirt half on and half off, and i watched in disbelief  when the 2nd plane hit the other tower. I ended up going into work. While i was there only 1 old lady came in and she had no clue till i told her what was going on. Over half way into my shift my late dad called and told me I don't care what your boss says go home and grab every gas can you can find in the barn and other buildings. Fill them. He dropped off cash in my car. I told my boss and she was perfectly fine with me leaving. I also remember a couple gas stations in town price gouging. They ended up getting fined. Such a sad day!

[WHNJ701 4,165]

It was a crazy day in nj that day.  I remember the weather that day, driving into work thinking how the weather finally broke no humidity super clear, perfect 70 temp.  I was out of college working for a large financial company in nj, they still got us out in hurry. Nobody grasped what really happened til much later.  Time flies 19 years ago

[oliver2-44 9,695]

I to remember being at  work that day and everyone watching the building fall on the conferance room TV.

While in NJ for my sons wedding October 2018 we visited the train station park across the bay from the towers. This memorial to the NJ people that lost their lives in the towers.   

[SylvanLakeWH 25,493]

[Tractorhead 9,064]

It was 3 month’s, before i go first time to USA.

 

i remember as it would happen yesterday

I was sitting in the Office and doing some measurements on electronics and tests
to prepare my Work for the USA Travel. 
Because it was a boring job, i let run in the background NTV as Stream.

When i see this the first time i thought firstly that‘s a really bad Joke.
I couldn‘t imagine that this was real happen.

Even the Newsreader thought it was a fake.

After 10 repeating’s we finally begin to realize first time, that was definitely the true.
We all was shocked about that drama.
We interrupted the Work, even my Boss at this time and we watch what‘s happen until the Towers collapse.
We discuss if and how and when, but we can’t finde any sense why peoples can do something like that.
How damaged must the Mind be to do something like that.

The next Day we had a several meeting if the USA Travel shall be delayed,
but our Customer on phone conference decides we have to fly.
When we in NY, we walk arround the Ground Zero with respectfully distance and keep a Memorial minute for all of them involved.

 

My thoughts are with all firefighters and all the un countable helper, 
they survived and them who lost their Life in this Horror Scenario.
 

[953 nut 55,091]

9/11/2001 I was an operator at a Florida Nuclear Power Plant and my crew was doing simulator training for an upcoming project. We weren't told what was going on but were told to report to the Unit 2 control room immediately. Once there we found out that the first tower had been hit and suddenly we watched as the second airplane hit. Oh my God was all you heard.

We were paired up with some of our security guards and proceeded to escort all contractors and non-essential personnel off site. While this was being done we got word about the Pentagon and the Shankesville crash, my heart sank with each notification. Once this had been accomplished we began verifying the position of every switch, valve and circuit breaker in the plant for fear of some type of sabotage. Fortunately there was nothing found but from that day forward we had a heightened awareness of security.

I had to ration my wife's news watching because she was going into depression. CNN was off limits and we only watched Peter Jennings on the evening news. He would say that he would only report verified facts while people on other networks were running around chasing rumors. Sure wish we had a few objective levelheaded news anchors like him today.

Two weeks later my wife and I had our vacation all planned out, it was quite strange to be traveling at that time. Our first stop was a few days at Disney World, there were so few people at the parks that  we had no lines for anything. Next stop was a mountain cabin in North Carolina, we were the only visitors in the complex the first evening, later a few others came in. From there we headed up to central NY to visit my Mom and other family members. While traveling we had a period of over an hour driving on Interstate 81 without seeing another vehicle traveling in either direction  

[Herder 2,354]

  God bless America, and those who were lost.  That morning I walked into the local deli to order something to eat like I had done so many time before, that's the first time I heard the news.  The owner of the deli, a friend of mine ushered me in to the back where they had a TV.  The tears running his wife's said it all without saying a thing.  The news played the clip of when the second building was hit.  Wow, even today it hard to explain the feeling that comes over you.  Never Forget.    

Edited September 12, 2020 by Herder

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,311]

  I only live a 2 hours drive to New York City. 
  But on Sept 10 I boarded a United Airlines flight to Hawaii for work. Landed, grabbed dinner then hit the sheets tired after 12 plus hours of flying. At 2:30am Hawaii time my cell rang, it was a co-worker/friend that traveled with me and he said “Turn on CNN! There’s something going on in NY!” Was glued to the TV, absolutely in shock watching all that happened. 
  The feeling of being so far from home while my family was 2 hours away from the NY attack was horrible. And with all planes grounded there was no way to get home. 
  Watching the live coverage and seeing people falling from the towers is a something Ill never forget. 

[c-series don 8,666]

I was working at the local farm that morning with plans to go boating in the afternoon with a co-worker because it was his birthday. I’ll never forget another friend/co-worker on the farm running up the hill yelling to us that the Trade Center had been hit. We ran back to the farmhouse and watched on a small television in disbelief, and then watched as the second plan hit. Anyone who saw that live or worse in person knows that horrible feeling we all got. I live about 1-1/2 to 2 hours from Manhattan and as a volunteer firefighter knew I must get to the firehouse to see what we could do to help. By the time I got to the firehouse they had a crew assembled and ready to go. We sent our rescue truck in that afternoon. Although I didn’t get to go in, I remember how everyone, everywhere wanted to help. As a firefighter I cannot imagine what those guys were feeling heading into the towers that day. Let us never forget those who lost their lives and those 343 firemen who gave their lives to try to help save fellow Americans. As a side note I used to snowplow Peter Jennings driveway for many years, he was a nice man. 

[tom2p 2,394]

 

pic of my kids standing in front of the 'Survivor Tree' at the 9/11 Memorial  - a tree that was pulled from the rubble and miraculously survived 

 

also a pic of my youngest in the WTC ;  great view obviously - but still nothing like being on the observation deck of the south tower of the original twin towers