September 11 Anniversary. Where were you? Share here:

[CourtasanSatine]

I had just finished a math test at college and had gone to the computer lab to check email and kill some time till my next class.I spent all afternoon checking every news site known to man and trying not to cry

 

[Missy1961]

I had taken the day off to baby sit my then 2 yr old niece. Her mom dropped her off at my house at 7 AM, she was still in her pjs. We watched a video--the Brandy version of Cinderella--and the whole time we were watching I promised to take her to Toys R Us and she could help me pick out a baby doll for her cousin's 1st birthday. So as the movie was ending, I dressed her and I sent her out of the room to get her shoes. The video clicked off, I must have been watching a news station because I saw the Towers on fire, a reporter standing there, with a caption "Terrorist Attack?" under the picture. Just then, the first Tower fell. I was shocked, but I didn't want Samantha to see anything so I quickly turned off the TV. She came back in the room and wanted to leave. My first instinct was to stay in the house. I live on LI, far from the Towers, but who knew what would happen next? But I went out, we picked out the doll, and we came straight home. I didn't learn about the hijacked planes until many hours later, when Samantha took a nap. I still remember how beautiful the weather was. I didn't know anyone who worked at the Towers, but a few co-workers had family that worked there, but were OK. A woman in my company's HR dept. lost her husband. A co-worker's uncle was a firefighter who lost his life. So I will never forget that day. Never.

 

[Nancy]

I wasn't working that day and had just got home from taking my youngest to school (she missed the bus). Usually at that time I put on Lifetime and watch fluff all morning but for some reason started flipping channels to see what was on the news. as I turned FOX on they were showing footage of the first tower burning and speculating on what kind of plane it was...and then I saw the second plane go into the other tower...I was stunned, shocked and surprised that experienced pilots could fly into a big building. It didn't dawn on me right away that it was terrorists.
About 15 minutes later my DH calls from work and is screaming at me "where is Robs office? Where is Marilyn's office (his brother and his wife) Where does Johnny work now? (his cousin). This is because Rob and Marilyn worked in one of the towers on the 102 and 107th floors. I have to admit that at that point I didn't even think that my family members might be there. I reasssured him that Rob's office was now in Brooklyn, but didn't know about the others. I spent hours calling Rob's office, home cell...Marilyn's office and cell...of course could not get through. Marilyn's office was in one of the other buildings Johnny's was in #7.

I spent the day clued to my TV set...trying to decide if I should get the kids or leave them in school. (left them in school) My MIL called all 3 schools to have them tell the kids that their Aunt and Uncle were ok..another thing I didn't think of. I picked the girls up instead of having them bus home...all 3 schools were in lock down and had police in the lots. I had to say why I was there before they let me in. The 2 older girls knew what was going on, they were told about it...and the schools relayed the message about Rob and marilyn being ok. My little one didn't know a thing...just that they were in lock down and police were around.

We got very lucky...Marilyn did not go into work that day...they had just flown in from Buffalo the night before so she took a vacation day...Johnny was helping an elderly gentleman leave the building and was already our when #2 hit...so everyone was safe. Of course we didn't know any of that until around 1:00pm when my MIL finally got through to Marilyn. Rob and Marilyn lost friends who were still working in the towers. Rob walked home from Brooklyn...to the lower east side. Marilyn was scarred and needed him home so he walked the very long walk home.

 

[pammypooh]

Rick,

Thank you for reminding everyone by sharing your personal story. I can not imagine how time must have seemed eternal as you waited to find out if Joe and your friends were ok. I also belief the "right" non-profit will present itself to you and you will just know its the right one.

9/11/2001 was my oldest daughter's first day of kindergarten. She took the bus to school and since my youngest dd had a 1/2 of pre-school, I decided to go shopping as a treat. I remember thinking what a beautiful day it was. The sky was so blue. When I entered Bed, Bath and Beyond I heard the other customers talking about the 1st plane. I went back out to my car and took out the cd and put on the radio. As I drove, the second plane hit. I just knew i had to go to church and I prayed.

Then I picked up my youngest and we got a call that my older dd was getting dismissed early. Later I got a call from the teacher that in the confusion she didn't get my dd on the bus. Teacher assured me DD was ok and that she was staying the full day and I didn't have to hurry.....but I said I would be right there to pick her up. DD was fine, just playing in the classroom. I think I made record time getting to school because I was afraid she might be upset.

Pam

 

[disney4us2002]

Sept 11 is a hard day to remember and talk about. I have a small daycare in my home so I watched nearly all of it as it was happening live. As soon as the first tower was hit and filming started I watched as the 2nd tower was hit. It seemed like everything happened both quickly and in slow motion as the commentators and everyone watching realized the first plane was not a terrible accident.

I called my dh who worked as a DoD civillian for the AF at the Pentagon and of course he knew. I begged and pleaded for him to go home. I will never, ever forget his words. "This is the capital of defense; I'm in the safest building in the entire world. Noone would be crazy enough to attack the Pentagon." My memory of time is hazy but it seemed only about 20 minutes later when news came on that the Pentagon was attacked. By this point, my daycare parents had returned to p/u their kids as it was obvious that the country was under attack. To say I was a mess is an understatement. The phone lines were all not working because of overwhelming use and there was no way to reach my dh and no way to know if he had been in harm's way. It seemed like forever before he finally got thru to me. He was safe. His first words were to apologize for his earlier statements as if that mattered any longer. It seems that it was about 3 hrs from the time the plane hit til he got thru. The phone was ringing off the hook with all the people calling to find out if I knew anything, to offer prayers, to ask what to do, etc. It was truly neighbors reaching out to neighbors.

Someone earlier mentioned schools. I'm not sure what exactly the schools could have or possibly should have done differently, but I got a frantic call from my middle school's principal that my son was very upset and wanted to speak to his father immediately. I explained that his father worked at the Pentagon and that would explain his apprehension. The kids were watching the whole thing over the school's cable system. My wonderful neighbor went to the school to pick him up for me.

My anxiety didn't diminish after hearing from hubby. The week is a blur as dh went back to the Pentagon even though the building was still on fire, had evacuations several times (all reported on the news so I knew immediately), and we waited for news of those missing.

It was a life-changing experience. I think about 9/11 nearly daily.

 

[DemonLlama]

I was on my way to work (I'm an English prof) listening to NPR when the story broke that a plane had hit the WTC. Like everyone else, I thought it must have been a small plane. By the time I walked into the building, faculty were huddled around the radio. Minutes before having to go to my first class, the second plane hit. I had to go into class and tell my students what little I knew. Almost none of them had heard anything. By the time I got out of class, the towers were gone. I walked over to the Student Center where there is a TV and watched the news footage in horror with so many of my students. It didn't hit me until then that about 24 people would forever remember me tearing up in class as I told them what I knew.

All I wanted to do was drive home and get my kids. When I picked them up, I just started crying. They didn't know much, but my DD, in her first month of kindergarten had seen the TV in the teacher's lounge. DH and I talked with them long into the night about why bad people would do such things. I don't think we came up with any answers that could help the pain.

 

[nealymouse]

What shall I carry today, Fear or Faith ?

Sept. 11 2001 I was sitting with flight 11 ( or was it 88 ? The 1st plane that flew into the tower)

My family and I were coming home from Washington DC. If a storm over Hartford CT had not happend I would have been home already. Instead I was sitting at Boston's Logan Airport waiting for our flight to Portland Maine. Sitting with the 1st plan full of people to die that terrible day. We boarded one gate over they were B25 we were B24. Funny the things you remember.

When we arrived in Portland is when we heard what had happend. I called home to let my family know we were ok only to find out that my beautiful 7 yr old neice died that morning in her Daddy's arms. It was unexpected.

9:30 that night. My 12 yr old DD told me who was responsible for the attack but of course I did not believe her. She had been trying to tell us all day but with the passing of my neice and the towers falling I just could not listen to what she had to say. She had a complete meltdown and wanted to know why her Mother and Father would not listen to her. We listened and we cried. Then called the FBI

She did know. She could ID him, she knew the airport attendent who let this guy go threw the x-ray machine after beeping it several times. My DD has nightmares to this day of this woman saying "OH just go"after using the wand and have it beep over and over again. "Oh just go"

Those 3 little words sent my DD into 2 years of councling because she knew it was her fault that the towers were hit. Of course it was not. but in her very young mind she felt she had the power to stop him from doing waht he did.

I will never in my life time forget Sept 11 2001.

God Bless America and my little neice Prudence

 

[jennyanydots]

I think I have a guardian angel sitting on my shoulder.

when I graduated from law school in 1984 my first job was at a firm in lower Manhattan, at 61 Broadway -- just a few blocks south of the trade center. my next job was with an insurance company on Maiden Lane, just east of the trade center. the insurance company moved our department to Jersey city for two years, and I spent every day of those two years commuting through the trade center -- except for a few weeks in 1993, when the PATH station was inaccessible because of the first attack on the trade center (we watched from our offices in jersey city, we had a spectacular view of lower Manhattan.) when I left that company I went to wrok for a law firm at 120 Broadway, just across Liberty Park from the trade center.

in february 2001 I took a job with a different law firm. the firm had offices on william street (just a few blocks from the trade center) and on Long Island; I was in the Long Island office, but had to do meetings in the william street office and court appearances on Centre Street, so I would have been in the city 2-3 times per week.

it was just a matter of luck that I didn't have an appoointment in the city on 9/11.

I'd dropped my younger daughter off at school (she was in 4th grade at the time) and was driving to work when I heard about the first plane. I was listening to Scott and Todd on WPLJ -- they do a humor morning show on an adult contemporary station -- and they were interviewing people who'd seen the first plane hit. in the middle of the interview, the man being interviewed announced that a second plane had hit. don't ask me about the ride to the office, I have no memory of it except that I had to get somewhere where I could SEE what was going on.

we gathered around the television in the exercise room, not believing what we were seeing. everyone in the office knew someone in the city, we all knew someone who worked in the neighborhood of the trade center. it was scary watching the chaos in the streets of a neighborhood where I'd spent most of my professional life.

my immediate concern was not my children, I felt they would be safe at their respective schools. I was more concerned about people I knew from my various jobs who were working in the city. as it turned out, I lost "only" two acquantances, an attorney whose office was in the trade center, and a firefighter who was married to one of the secretaries in my office (I'll never forget her comment at the wake -- that at least she had a body to bury).

my children's schools handled the crisis well. in the elementary school, teachers rode home on the school busses to make sure there was someone home when each student arrived -- so many of my enighbors work in the city -- a few of my neighbors were killed that day, but many more were stranded.

in the middle school, the principal held an assembly for all those students whose parents work in the city, again, making sure that everyone had a place to go.

I'll never forget the days and weeks after 9/11. the radio stations wouldn't play music, instead they played interviews with families who were looking for loved ones lost in the towers. how Shea became a staging area for rescue and recovery efforts. how the whole city shut down, and how my colleagues from our city office had to work out of our office for a few weeks because their premises were inaccessible.

the first time I had to go into the city after 9/11 I was in tears. I had to take a railroad train to Brooklyn for a court appearance. before 9/11 you could see the towers from the train, and when I saw the gaping hole where they used to be...


for weeks afterwards there was a burning stench hanging in the air.

in July 2002 I took a job with an insurance company in lower Manhattan, and I began to revisit all the places I used to know...the city had changed so much.

two months ago my company relocated to Jersey City, and once again I take the PATH from the trade center to exchange place.

I think about 9/11 every morning and every evening as I travel through the Pit.

 

[LJC1861]

I work at a facility for the Developmentally Disabled in lower Brooklyn, directly across the East River from the WTC. We were bringing in our people from the busses when we heard this enormous boom. One of our staff ran to the corner and just let out this horrible scream...then we all went running. All that could be seen beyond the Brooklyn Bridge and the American flag that flies on top of it was a huge ball of smoke and flame coming out of the top of the building. We stood and watched in horror as another plane hit the second building.

We quickly got everyone inside and went into high gear. Some of us attempted to carry on programming and keep the day as normal as possible. This was only semi successful as our people knew something horrible had happened. Others started gathering things together in case we had to stay. The administration attempted to get as many of our busses back as soon as possible to get everyone home safely.

My partner was living in Myrtly Beach SC at the time and she called to see if I was okay. I asked her to keep us posted as we were not allowed to have radios or TV on so as not to further disturb our already nervous clients. The phone lines went down shortly after that and we were cut off from almost everyone. I have never felt so alone or apart from my family and Lisa as I did that day. News filtered to us from the administration when the buildings came down and needless to say that put everyone on edge even more. What was nerve wracking was not conveying that to our clients.

By early afternoon we were able to get our clients back on their busses for the long long ride home. Most of the roads in Brooklyn were totally jammed, but we had to get them home. Many of our staff rode with them to ease fears and get closer to home themselves. None of the subways were running at this time. I live in Manhattan, about a mile north of the WTC. A co-worker and I decided to walk home, as it was our only option and we weren't staying at work. We grabbed masks that we had at work, filled water bottles and off we went. There are several subway lines near our facility, most of which went directly underneath the WTC. We knew none of them would be an otpion. Before we started walking across the Brooklyn Bridge Alan suggested that we try another line a few minutes away that doesn't go as close. We got REALLY lucky...that line had just re-opened. It went really slowly and took much longer than usual but we got into our neighborhood.

We both live in what was then the "frozen zone", meaning closed to vehicular traffic except for emergency vehicles. There were tanks parked on corners and National Guard standing in readiness. There were barricades across streets and men with guns guarding them. I needed ID just to get to my apartment. All throughout the day and night sirens could be heard going up and down the main streets back and forth to ground zero. There is a major hospital nearby and people were flocking to it to give blood, and even donate food for workers who might need it. Hardest of all to see was the posters being put up on every available surface by family members looking for loved ones.

What was hardest to experience was the dust and odor. It is completely indescribable except to say it was everywhere. To this day I can't even think about that. I know it is a small thing, but it was the most real part of the experience for me.

I was lucky-my friends and family were all okay. My heart breaks for all those who lost their loved ones in this horrible tragedy. Several months later I was able to make myf irst visit to Ground Zero. It still makes me cry.

Linda

 

[mickeymousefan]

I had my first unemployment seminar after being laid off from my job. I was 2 months pregnant and had my 10 month old baby with me. The people from unemployment told us the world trade center was hit by a plane and that we were under attack. We asked to go home early and they said no- we had to finish our session. Driving home all the radio stations were reporting on the attacks. It was eerie. The streets were becoming deserted and there were rumors another plane was hyjacked and unaccounted for. My DB and his family, who live on Long Island, were at WDW and didnt know when they would be able to fly back home.
I grew up in upstate NY and still consider myself a New Yorker at heart. I remember being in the WTC with my friends when I was 18. I am always amazed when I see the opening credits to shows like Law and Order or Mad About You because they show the NY skyline pre 9/11. It is so hard to believe a small group of people took that away from us.

 

[goin2disneyagain]

I was stuck in terrible traffic on my way to work...for an airline. None of our planes were involved but I didn't know that at the time.

 

[Nancy]

It's so strange how the memories from that day are still so vivid in my mind. I was on the phone with Dh when the first tower fell. I was telling him I still couldn't reach anyone...I was so upset I couldn't even tell him what happened...as I'm talking to him, he is relaying the message to his co-workers.

I was on the phone with him when the other tower fell..still crying.

My in-laws flew into Buffalo about a month after and my girls asked Marilyn if she was afraid to get on an airplane....her response was she is more afraid walking out her front door and seeing the destruction all around.

 

[LIDisneyFan]

In the World Trade Center.

On my way back to my desk.

3 years later, the rest seems somewhat unreal. Like it happened to someone else.

 

[LoraJ]

I work across the river from the WTC. When the first plane hit, i must have been pulling in the parking garage because i didn't see it. When I walked in the building, all these people were looking out the window. I stopped and looked and gasped. I just thought it was on fire from the angle i was looking at.

I went upstairs looking for co-workers to see if they had any info but couldn't find anyone (they were all looking out a window somewhere). I ran back outside, on my way down was when the second plane hit. I found some co-workers outside and we walked down to the water and watched in horror as the towers burned. We were all very confused at that point.

We went back inside and watched the news. Then the plane hit the pentagon. That's when full-on panic set in. Most of us left work at that point to go home. On my way out, a co-worker was calling in saying that he was going to be late because the PATH trains were delayed (I don't think he knew why).

About 7 minutes later, I was driving down the street crying and scared looking at the two towers. I turned the corner and suddenly they were yelling on the radio that the tower had collapsed. I didn't believe them, I had just seen it, what were they talking about? A minute later when they were in site again and there was this huge cloud, I really lost it. A cop who was directing traffic wanted me to pull over and go into the firehouse and calm down. I told him i just wanted to go home. So he let me go.

It was an odd trip home. I remember looking back at the north tower standing there alone at the last point I was able to see it and wishing for it to stay standing. I was also very panicked about my co-worker who was down in the PATH station. they detoured us away from the river 9my usual route home). It took forever. I just remember seeing people waiting at bus stops looking very impatient and wondering why there was so much traffic. They had no clue what was going on. When the other tower collapsed I was hysterical again. I saw the woman behind me also lose it.

When I got home I was trying to call work to see if there was any status on my co-worker. They called me later to tell me that he had been evacuated and was running down the street when the first tower collapsed. But he was okay.

While no one close to me was killed, I have several friends who lost loved ones. So heartbreaking.

The aftermath was rough. We had counseling at work to try and deal with everything. Most of us were suffering from fear and anxiety.

I had a trip planned to WDW for the 17th and wasn't sure if I should go or not. My friend bailed on me. I just couldn't deal with everything here. The constant site of relief trucks, the army guys with their guns everywhere. The difficulty being around my roommate because of our differring views about war. The constant reminder of the horrors seeing the empty holes in the skyline on the way to work.

I decided to go to Disney. I rented a car instead of flying and drove down. It was very theraputic. I pretty much had the parks to myself for a few days. But that would get kind of scary. Being on the maelstorm ride all by myseslf and looking around and seeing no one.

But it was part of my healing process. While back at home it felt as though the world was coming to an end. Being at WDW showed me that life was still going on.

In the weeks that followed, I heard from so many people who I hadn't heard from in years. Either by phone or email. It was nice to know that so many people cared.

Since then, every Sept 11th, I, along with many others, go to that spot where I stood down by the river and have a moment of silence. I plan on doing the same this year.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

I was at the Disney MGM Studios working Rock n Roller Coaster- I had picked up a Coaster shift (Id been at Monorails about 3 weeks and completed Drive training on the 9th) and was waiting for a mgr to put me in the Computer system for the day. Usually the TV was on the Disney channel (pathetic huh?) but that day it was on the Morning show with Katie Couric (who knows what station) so we were watching from the point that it started. We opened on time and I was bumped to Unload. Whoever was on break would watch the TV and then come tell everyone what happened. I was working Back Grouper (ie How many in your party) when the Towers fell. It was about then we were told we couldnt say anything on stage in front of the guests. Most knew something was up as we were still stunned. Rumors began to circulate that we were going to close. And it was when I got bumped to break that the TV told us we were closing. One of the Fast Pass mgrs confimed it and we started the process of shutting down. After the last group we started walking towards Hollywood to make sure the park was empty. Coaster joined Tower who joined the Beast and shop kids as we banded towards Hollywood. We still couldnt say what had happened except that due to events happening around the nation we feel its in our best interest to close all parks. A re-ad ticket will be issued as you exit. Please return to your hotels.

When the park was clear we returned to the breakroom where the talk our mgrs gave is something I will never forget. They asked for volunteers to head to the resorts as I didnt have family I voluntered and headed to the Beach club where they put us in dresses and we handed out cookies and advised about dinner options for the rest of the evening. I returned home about 8ish to a locked down apartment complex. I knew then life wouldnt be the same. The next morning after zero sleep I called in to confirm that we would be open and so for the first time on Sept 12 at 7am I drove my first monorail solo. It was one of the hardest things I had to do- as uncertinany was still so thick-

-em

 

[jennyanydots]

I almost forgot -- my cousin got married on the saturday after 9/11.

Jewish tradition says you cannot cancel a wedding even in the face of tragedy.

it was a strange affair -- but we needed something to reaffirm that life goes on.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Such sadness here, such memories here. Burned forever into our individual and communal consciousness. Sad.

I awaken as I always do, with talk radio WGN on (it is never off here). I was looking forward to a nice day, our 30th wedding anniversary, 9/11/71. I was thinking of the nice day ahead, a special dinner planned for that night.

I heard AM drive time host, Spike O'Dell, talking to others in the studio about a plane that 'apparently' had hit the WTC. At that point, they were not sure it was a plane, maybe an internal explosion. He and the others were describing the smoke and the scene the ywere watching on CNN TV. I turned on the TV. Vince, our new, at that time, firefighter, was in the shower, getting ready to head to his shift. I called to him to hury out and watch this, as it dealt with fire and might be of interest, unual as it was. He came out, wrapped in a towel. I got Marie up, left Natalie sleeping. The three of us were watching, discussing how the great safety features of the building would have it under control in no time and hoping the loss of life and injuries would be minimal, just looked like a really bad fire. The news people were doing some speculating, plane, small, large, internal, what.

Then, then, then......from off the right of the screen, the next plane, (UGH, I feel the chill right now as I type, the tears here, again, 3 years later ) that second plane, ram the second tower. I, we, all of us, stunned. I let loose with several f'ing, sob remarks, in frustration, in anger, knowing immediately, at that point, it was an attack.

From that point on, our anniversary was among the least important things on our mind, for that day, for many after. We cried, we still do, fairy often too. I am again right now, listening to Michael Smith, singing, 'There She Stands', at the RNC. And She does stand, she will, forever. We are bigger than the yare, we are America.

LID, nice to see you.

Rick, thanks. For those who were so immediately touched by the very nearness of it, NYC, DC, PA, God bless you all.

Dan

 

[AStarOnMars]

Mined you that I was 19 years old at the time and my priorities were revolved around myself. Therefore this is honestly what I did that day:

My Mom woke me up for my 7am statistics class at 5 30am (pacific time) . As I was waking up aka sleeping in for another 10 minutes ... she came back in and told me a plane crashed into one of the twin towers ... I did not really comprehend what she was saying ... I was thinking a mini plane that accidentally crashed ... as I was getting ready for school she told me to turn on the TV b/c another crashed ... I was still in the state of sleep ... I turned on my TV and only saw a clip of the first plane attacking on the Today Show ... By then I was like "the pilot must have gone crazy" and walked out the door to get to class ... at this point I still thought it was one plane. (yes, even though my Mom said two)

I got to campus and was about 30 mins early for class and turn on my car radio to listen to Howard Stern (yes, I think he can be a pig but I also think he is smart and I really enjoy Robin's news stories. I felt this way then and in the present still) ... and he said another plane hit the pentagon ... now since I am on the west coast I had no idea if this was a live fed or not (when it comes to radio and tv the east pretty much sees everything first) This lead me to believe that the Today show was still prerecorded and everything had passed ... meaning they solved the problem and were moving onto the next worthy news story. ... I turned to a local radio station talking about it "that our nation was under attack and all planes had to go to Canada that were in the air" or something to that fact ... I was pretty much freaking out by this time and did not know if I was still supposed to go to class ... I did not want to go but I have never once missed a day of class in my life ... Classes on campus were not canceled until about 8:30am ... which meant I had to sit in a math class from 7-8:15 am focusing on numbers when planes are crashing into things ...

After class I went home ... my Mom stayed home from work ... b/c she work in Coronado which has a navy base and thought it might be attacked ... anyway my day went on as normal ... I worked out at 10am and at 1 pm I started driving to the Tanning Salon ... as I was walking up to the salon something in me clicked and I turned around and went home and started watching the news to take in what was happening ... I honestly think 9-11 made me grow up and stop thinking about myself

 

[Jenn Lynn]

nealymouse-Your story about your DD made me cry. Bless her heart. She is so courageous. I hope she is doing better.

 

[carole88]

Rick, you brought tears to my eyes nd have givn me goosebumps. On 9/11 I was working in midtown Manhatten. I will never forget that horrific day. When I finally got home I only remember hugging my kids so tightly. My DH was a resident at a Long Island hospital. They waited all day for patients but as we now know, they never came. A little side note. Before my DH went to medical school he worked in the financial district in Manhatten. His last job was in the World Trade Center. When he was laid off, we were extremely upset. Little did we know that the lay off was a blessing in disguise. I thank God everyday for him losing that job. Now he is a pediatrician and we have just moved to Nevada and are looking forward to a bright future.