Remembering 9/11...A Must Read!

[luvthemouse71]

Just wanted to give a big thank you to the men and women who serve this country. The sacrifices you make do not go unnoticed.

 

[dalstitch45]

I don't believe there is a person alive who doesn't remember what they were doing at the exact moment they found out what happened. I will never forget my brother who was living in Hawaii (military family) at the time, calling me immediately after the first plane hit. I remember asking him what he was doing up, since there was the time difference over there. We watched in utter confusion, until the second plane hit. Shock and disbelief were our first reactions. We each called and three-wayed other family members who did the same with some of our other family members. For the next few hours, we all sat on our phones glued to the television watching the events unfold.

We each were calling on our cell phones trying to reach relatives working at the Trade Center, and New York period. When the plane hit the Pentagon, we were all crying and screaming "Oh my God" on the phone. I remember frantically calling my cousin, who is like my brother. He was working in the Pentagon, and I couldn't reach him. When the announcer first said "our country is under attack," it was unbelievable.

I get so emotional when recalling these details. We lost two (2) of our relatives that day in lower Manhattan. My cousin ended up being stuck in traffic on his way to work at the Pentagon. The plane hit where he would have been working. I thank God for him not being there. Our family has many members in the military.

I would like to take this opportunity to salute all of our service men and women. The sacrifices you make for your country are enormous. Also, everyone who was part of the rescues, firefighters, policemen, etc. THANK YOU! So many of us lost loved ones that day, and all of us were affected.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!!!!!!!

 

[Gabkatt]

Re-Posting God Bless America!!

 

[jimmytammy]

My wife called me at work and made me aware of all the events taking place. My reaction was to pray to God for peace, and safety for all. Then to be with my family. In the days to follow, I felt rage, to bring to justice those responsible. Emotions ran amuck. We had planned for over a year our 3rd and longest to date trip to WDW. It was to come 2 weeks after the attacks. It was up in the air. Airports re-opened, so we flew. We determined to not allow terrorists to change our lives to the point of being scared to move on with our lives. i remember it was the 1st time taking our shoes off. The day we came back was day after we retaliated against Bin Laden and his cronies. That day in the airport freaked my kids as Nat. Guardsmen with rifles searched me as they did many adult males at MCO. Life was different from those days forward. But we Americans are a resilient bunch. We have endured, we have moved forward.

Agree or not...support our military as they continue to keep us safe around the world. Remember this, we arent brave because we are free...we are free because of those who are brave.

 

[LaurenT]

My Husband was already at work in the Metlife/Pam Am building on 23rd street and called me (in eastern Long Island at the time) to tell me that some idiot crashed into the world trade center.
I put on the news and watched as the news broke that a second plane had hit the other tower...it was immediately obvious that this was an attack - not just some idiot in a private plane.
My first call was to my sister - who worked in 4 world trade center. She was still home - watching everything from the water's edge in New Jersey. For once in my life I was very happy that my sister is never on time for anything! One of the towers eventually landed on her desk.
Our neighbor was good friends with dozens of NYC firefighters who lost their lives that day. I started donating blood after 9/11, and continued to do so as often as I could until I was told that I had spent too much time in Europe and they could no longer accept it....
How have my thoughts changed over the years? I think my anger is now shared not only with the terrorists, but with our own politicians who have done such a horrible job caring for our first responders.

 

[maj42169]

For all those that tragically lost their lives in the senseless act of violence and terrorism on that fateful day 10 years ago.......WE HONOR AND REMEMBER YOU......... To all of the heroes that risked their lives trying to help and protect others.........WE ARE THANKFUL, WE REMEMBER, AND WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

 

[Gabkatt]

It amazes me that there will not be any first responders, fire, police or clergy at the ceremony but thank God for ALL those brave men and women who were there that day and every day since!

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

I finally managed to get out of DC, but we had to drive by the Pentagon on I-95 going South. The smell! It was horrible!

Mischa,

I also work in DC, right across the Potomac from the Pentagon. You're absolutely right about the smell, and those fires burned for days. Driving through that smoke that smelled of things I hope never to smell again was awful. My then 16-year old son didn't want me to go to work the next day, but I went. I explained to him that it would probably be the safest day ever for me to work in DC.

I never have and never will let Sept. 11 pass without remembering, with deep gratitude, the crew and passengers of Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, PA. Had it not been for them the city where I work and that is a large part of my identity was targeted to be hit by a 2nd plane bomb. Every anniversary I remember their brave and selfless act of stopping the terrorists to prevent further harm, and I will always be grateful beyond words for their sacrifice.

 

[LovesTheMagic]

We were on our honeymoon at WDW. It was very strange. We were trying to get on a the Jungle cruise, but someone said it was closing. Then we heard that someone "crashed the Trade Center" so we thought it was a computer crash or else they would be doing something at disney. We went to try to get a bite to eat, but then an announcement came overhead. I am not sure if I remember it correctly, but it said something to the extent of, "due to unforeseen circumstances we are now closing the park. Everyone please head to the front gait. Plan A.." Then the happy music. It was pretty organized everyone heading out. We got some interesting pictures. At the bus stops is when we finally heard what was really going on. So, we sat a Carribean Beach watching the horrors of the day that we all know too well. How surreal to have the memory with the Carribean music in the background. GOing back the next day was hard. How are you supposed to go and play in the place where dreams come true when the day before was a nightmare? Everyone was very kind to each other. Then tropical storm Gabrielle reared her ugly head and we had copious amounts of rain. I was glad to be with my new husband. We didn't have a ride home due to the airports closed, so we took a bus back to Michigan - not something I would recommend. It doesn't help that we got the last 2 seats in the bus; the ones right in front of the bathroom that don't recline. Disney was wonderful as they could be with the whole thing. I am still waiting for my do over honeymoon, but am glad to say that we are heading to WDW in 5 sleeps. We went 4 years ago and I got teared up when we got to the MK since that is where we were on 9/11. I am expecting that again, but wouldn't miss the joy that comes with going to Disney. It is strange that one of my worst memories of my life runs right with one of the best memories of my life. God's peace and comfort to anyone who lost someone or knows someone who survived those terrible tragedies. THeir lives will be remembered.

 

[HeatherLassell]

I lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the penthouse of a building downtown. I was frozen on my couch the entire day from 8am till I finally turned it off and forced myself to sleep. I have family in New York (my father was born and raised in NYC, NY) and one of whom is a state trooper. It was definately a scarey and sad day. Especially scarey because alot planes that were in the air at the time were instructed to go to Canada. So all day long I was watching the news and at the same time watching planes flying by my window. My 2 youngest weren't born yet when this day happened and my oldest was only 3. But we watched some of the coverage this morning and I let them ask questions.

 

[cousinbb]

I was only 10 years old and didn't really understand what was going on. I remember school being let out early and my parents watching the whole thing on TV when I got home.

 

[nblake05]

I was a Flight Attendant for Continental at the time. I was based in L.A. and was supposed to work a red-eye to Newark that night. I got a call from a guy I'd been dating early that morning, saying he didn't think I'd be going to work that night. I was groggy and confused and convinced he didn't know what he was talking about. He kept insisting that I wake up and turn on the TV. I finally did. The shock was indescribable. It almost paralyzed me. I finally called Crew Scheduling and asked if they's heard anything about any of our crew members. They had not. I breathed a sigh of relief. Watching the coverage, I realized that everything we'd been taught about how to handle a hijacking no longer applied. Did anything from my world apply anymore? I sat watching the empty skies for the days that air travel was grounded. It was very strange. I worked the first morning that flights were resumed... a flight to Newark with a layover in NYC. In some ways, going to work that day was the most surreal yet. The airport was eerily quiet and noticeably empty. It almost seemed like the world was a shadow of itself. Getting on that plane was one of the hardest things I'd ever done. I was scared. Going into the city was also heartbreaking. Some crew members headed down toward Ground Zero, but I really didn't see how that would help myself or anybody else, so I stayed at the hotel. I almost felt like I was crashing a funeral, intruding on the grief of New York City. Going back to work got easier after a while. But 6 months later, I remember I was on the balcony of my apartment in Houston and I saw a plane coming in on an approach. It seemed SO low... SO close. I started to cry and panic, couldn't breathe... I felt so afraid. I realized then that while I thought I wasn't directly affected by 9/11, it still impacted me. It made me a little bit like Chicken Little... waiting for the sky to fall...waiting for that moment that changes everything. So, while I honor all those heroes from 9/11 and reflect about 10 years ago, my heart is with all my airline friends still flying (and my pilot husband), hoping they stay safe and remain vigilant.

 

[crostorfer]

To this day, 9/11 is very surreal to me. Everytime I see a piece of footage, it seems new.

On September 11th 2001, I was a 2nd class petty officer in the Navy, doing circles in the Indian Ocean off of a tiny little Brittish colony called Diego Garcia. When we were on the east side of the island, the ship had internet access. On the west side, none. I was on watch in the communications shack when one of my co-workers stopped by to tell me the WTC was on fire in NYC. I honestly didn't think much of it, fires happen all the time, right?

About 15 minutes later the secure messages started coming through the shack. I woke up the captain and my lieutenant and spent the next 12 hours running up and down the stairs trying to get them any info that we would get, which was spotty. It wasn't until we arrived back in Singapore 3 days and a lot of worry later that we found out what happened, and even that info was fairly sparce. I took a cab from the ship to the internet cafe downtown on Orchard to try to get a hold of my family and my fiance, (now my husband who is still enlisted), and listened to the cab driver tell me the whole way that what happened to America is our fault for not being more vigilant.

A few days later we were still sitting in Singapore wondering what we were going to do next when we were immediately ordered to get back to the ship, we were pulling out immediately. Turns out, Al Queda operatives had been caught and detained in Singapore with detailed plans of my ship and were planning to blow it up. They had photos, dock schematics, and our schedule all with them.

It was a scary time. It still just doesn't seem real to me. I mean, it was a clear and sunny day. Nothing bad happens on a clear and sunny day, right...

 

[nblake05]

A few days later we were still sitting in Singapore wondering what we were going to do next when we were immediately ordered to get back to the ship, we were pulling out immediately. Turns out, Al Queda operatives had been caught and detained in Singapore with detailed plans of my ship and were planning to blow it up. They had photos, dock schematics, and our schedule all with them.

It was a scary time. It still just doesn't seem real to me. I mean, it was a clear and sunny day. Nothing bad happens on a clear and sunny day, right...

I am very glad you remained safe and unharmed... also thanks to you and your husband for serving our country.

 

[Gabkatt]

Yes! Thank you for your service! God Bless!!

 

[Gabkatt]

W Will Never Forget!!

 

[Keepee]

W Will Never Forget!!

Will never forget and never think of what happened without tears.

 

[jennellemaslak81]

I was stationed at the National Naval Medical center in DC. I was a Navy corpsman in the ICU and we waited and waited for the wounded from the Pentagon to come...they never did. I was crazy in DC that day, reports of car bombs and sirens going off. The base went into lock down and I got orders to board to USNS Comfort, it's one of two Navy hospital ships. We made our way to ground zero in NYC and remained there for 1 month.

I'm from the Hudson valley NY and It was emotional time but I was able to see my family and that was a comfort. We were parked next to the family center and it was absolutely heartbreaking to have the families run up to you and beg you to find their loved ones.

On a more positive note, I fell in love with my husband on that deployment (he was also a corpsman)

 

[kylmac]

I still watch in horror every year they replay the footage. I was a stay at home mother pregnant with our 2nd child. I had a doctor's appointment later that morning and I remember a man getting on the elevator and saying a bomb had blown up at the Pentagon (we live outside of DC) so I was really freaking out by then as I had been watching the NY footage since earlier that morning. I got home and my husband came home shortly after that as his office was closing out of respect. We personally did not know anyone who was killed that day but have friends who had lost someone especially here at the Pentagon. My husband used to work as a civilian with the Navy and would have been there had he still had that particular job. Prayers and thoughts to the families affected by that awful day.

Elizabeth

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

My post is #77. I still think about what I could have lost that day and grieve for those who lost loved ones.