September 11 Anniversary. Where were you? Share here:

[wvrevy]

I read this thread with great difficulty, both physically (it's hard to read with tears in your eyes) and spiritually. I cannot express how touched I have been reading all of your stories.

For me, I was at work that morning when DW called to ask if I'd heard about the tower being hit. I hadn't, so I left my area to go to one of the break areas on a different floor of the Verizon building in Charleston. By the time I got there, the second plane had already hit, and there was no question that this was a deliberate attack.

I still had some things I had to get done, so I watched for a few minutes before heading back to my desk. I wasn't there long when DW called again, and with tears in her voice telling me that the pentagon had just been hit. We had been back "home" in West Virginia for about a year, but before that I'd been both enlisted Air Force and, after seperation, a contractor in the pentagon. One of the offices we did computer support was on the ground level on the outer ring...with a view of the heliport that the plane skipped off of before careening into the building.

Like everyone else, I was stunned by both attacks, but the Pentagon obviously hit me a little closer to home. For weeks after I watched the casualty lists to make sure I didn't see any names of people I knew during my days there but had since lost touch with. I was lucky and never found any names I recognized.

Anyway, after that call from DW I went back to the lounge area to watch what was happening and stared in horror as the towers fell, one after the other. Shortly after that, amid all the false reports that were coming in rapid-fire fashion, there was a rumor about a car bomb at the State Department.

Now, car bombs are my own personal security nightmare. They're almost impossible to predict, can hit anywhere, and with devastating effect. Well, between where I worked and where DD (who was just past her 1st birthday) there exist about 5 major chemical plants. I'm talking the kind of stuff here that killed thousands in Bopal, India a few years ago. So when I heard about the "car bomb", I left work. No way was there going to be a chance I'd be seperated from my girls (DW worked about an equal distance in the other direction from DD's daycare).

I will NEVER forget the first WVU football game I attended after 9/11. The Pride came out and played all the patriotic songs, there was a moment of silence to remember all who died, and a special mention was made of former WVU quarterback Chris Gray, who worked on the 103 floor of Tower 1 and never made it out. I still can't really think about that without getting teary eyed again.

 

[spearenb]

Originally posted by wvrevy
of former WVU quarterback Jimmy Gray, who worked on the 103 floor of Tower 1 and never made it out.

Chris Gray....

 

[wvrevy]

Originally posted by spearenb
Chris Gray....

Good grief....You're right. My sincere apologies. It's been changed.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I was at work. I don't remember ever feeling that scared as we all sat in our offices with our ears plastered to the radios. Every once in awhile, I'd go into the cafeteria to watch the footage on the TV. My dd3 was 8 months old at the time. I clearly remember apologizing to her for bringing her into such a horrible and cruel world.

 

[RickinNYC]

Thanks to you all for sharing your stories. As the date draws closer, let's remember where we were, how we felt and what we did.

For the sake of all those who died, don't ever forget.

Be well,
Rick

 

[ennazus]

I was at work, and a fellow employee called to tell us that the first plane had crashed. We couldn't get the TV to come in and all the internet news websites were jammed.... so I came to the DIS to get news.

I was worried about my son (he was at school). I wondered if they would close school early? If they had locked the doors to the school? I called the school & called the school & called the school unable to get through. Finally I just drove over. The school was in lock down. And the younger children were not being told about the tragedy. They felt it was better for the parents to explain it to them. How can a child comprehend something that an adult can hardly grasp? I was glad that they were shielding the children for the time being so that they could be with their parents.

The whole day was just slow motion... unable to concentrate... eerie.... sad... horrible!

 

[Microcell]

I was not nearly as close as the OP, but it hit just as hard. I had just said goodbye to my Dh as he went to work and was playing with DD who was three at the time, when DH called and said "Have you been watching the TV? They said on the radio that a plane hit the World Trade center. Turn it on and tell me what is going on." In my innocent frame of mind that was shattered that day, I thought someone fell asleep at the controls of a small plane, by the looks of the hole in the bldg. It did not even come out the other side. I thought, I feel bad for the people on the floors it hit. I had no idea that people were jumping out from the floors above the hole becasue they had nowhere to go. I listened to Katie Couric speculating about what may have happened, when I saw, live on TV the second plane hit. I was 4 months pregnant at the time with my wonderful DS and instantly wishing I was not. I knew what the second plane meant, and I feared for my DD who was already here, and what kind of world she could live in as a result. My DS was planned but I did not at all want to bring him into this world that day. He was inside me and it would be the only time I could assure his safety, but he would come in five months, then I could not protect him.

We didn't get the smoke from NY until days later- but we did here in the middle of the country, and it was a beautiful clear day. There was one difference on that beautiful 9/11 in our skies that I never want to see again- there were circles of contrails everywhere! From all the planes that went to the nearest airport to land, and be grounded for days.

My DD only just found out about 911, first grade apparently fills you with alot of information. I did'nt want her to know at three how awful 9/11 was, so she blissfully played that day as I ran with her to wait in line for gas and got supplies for fear we would not be able to get them for a while. I cried to my best friend on the phone about what it would mean to my unborn son to be brought into the world with all this, and she said, what if he is sent here by God to make the world safer? In case he is, we love him today and he is a joy to all who meet him. He is happy and funny, kind and loving.


To all of the moms who were carrying their sons and daughters during the much more innocent early 80's and dreaming about what they would do when they were 18-25, that face the harsh reality that they would serve their country in the armed forces, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am sure that like my friend told me that horrible day, God did ensure that your children would be brave and strong, and they are making the world safer for mine.

 

[Microcell]

Originally posted by TheOtherVillainess
God..I remember it like it was yesterday.

I asked to go home so I could watch the news. I was told forget it. The news wasn't important. Business was important and my only job was to stand there and act like nothing had happened. My sup was so cold there were icicles hanging from her butt!



TOV

TOV you really have had some interesting bosses! My DH's boss was the same about it. They were having a meeting, and I called to tell them that the second plane hit and that it was obviously terrorism, and I could hear her in the background saying "That is not important right now" and I screamed through the phone a few profane words that I think she heard!

 

[DisneyJules]

I had the day off and normally in the mornings I go downstairs and I turn on the tv while I eat my breakfast. It's part of my morning routine. Strangley enough, I found my dog and my bird both sleeping in the living room , so I figured I wouldn't wake them. My mom called me a couple hours later and told me to turn on the tv. I was in complete shock. It took a while to fathom what was really going on.

 

[talicskai]

keep the stories coming ~ I think it is important to remember!

 

[jenfur]

I was in the Dentist's office getting my teeth cleaned. The radio was on and we had already heard about the first plane and then the second happened. they broadcaster called it an apparent terrorist attack, the Dentist said "no way, not here, not like that". I was anxious to get out of there and turn on the news. When I got to the van, I turned on the radio and heard about the pentagon halfway home. I could barely see to drive, I was crying, it was all so surreal. I got home and DH wasn't up yet, I just told him to get up and come to the TV. We just sat and watched - we saw the towers fall as it happened- I don't think we spoke or even moved for a very LONG time.

 

[palmtreegirl]

Home sleeping, DH drove home from work and woke me up, said people were attacking us, hit one of the towers. We were just there 2 weeks earlier to celebrate our anniversary. Weird thing is while eating dinner outside by the seaport, I sat and gazed at the Towers, I remember telling DH I'd always hated them growing up but that they really were actually very pretty at night, I just couldn't stop looking at them.

I ran downstairs turned on the news and called my mom, while on the phone with my mom the second plane hit, we both screamed in fear. I hung up with my mom and called my sister, she was asleep still, I screamed in the answering machine, wake up! Someone's attacking us they hit the Towers! She answered still 1/2 asleep, I told her just turn on the TV.

I kept going back and forth on the phone between my mom and sister. I was on the phone with my mom when the first Tower collapsed, I remember not knowing what happened, I yelled Oh my God it's gone, those people, all the people, my mom was shocked in disbelief, she said no it can't be.

I called my sister we were both crying, I stayed on the phone with her, we were still talking when the other Tower collapsed, we both screamed Oh my God, crying hysterical at this point.

Somewhere in the time frame we heard about the Pentagon, at that point I thought it was never going to stop, thought that it could be the next World war or the end, hysterical thoughts ran through my head. My sister came over, she lived down the street at the time, we sat just crying staring at the TV.

We found out later that my cousin was in NYC that day, took the train in for a job interview. Turns out she was in the WTC, stopped for some coffee before her interview walked out about 5 minutes before the first plane hit. She heard the roar of the engines as it passed over, watched in disbelief from the streets as the events unfolded. As the first Tower collapsed she ran for her life ducked into a store as the cloud hit, then they ran in and out of building trying to get away terrified, 2nd collapsed kept running. She finally was able to call her husband at 10pm, made it home by 3am that night.

Like another poster said...I remember it just like it was yesterday.

 

[Viking]

I was at work preparing to leave the office. Being in Germany this meant that it was already afternoon when the attack happened. I heard on the radio that an aircraft had hit WTC. As I work for the largest provider of aeronautical charts worldwide, I told my colleagues to switch on their radios and watch out for more details. I walked back to my desk to pack my things when coworker came running and shouted that there was another hit. All of us being air traffic controllers, pilots, or at least people with profound knowledge of aviation, we couldn't believe what we heard. Everybody thought that perhaps a Cessna or a Piper had hit one of the towers and that the second hit was just a mistake by eyewitnesses, who took flying debris for a second aircraft. Then I left the office and took the train to Downtown Frankfurt.
I arrived near the stock exchange 30 minutes later, went to our auto-club (Similar to AAA) to pick up some maps for our upcoming USA-trip and then headed to our dentist's to pick up my DW. On the way I passed a bakershop/cafe to buy some pretzels. Due to their proximity to the stock exchange they always have a TV set to watch CNN, but with muted sound. Suddenly everybody in the shop turned his head to the screen as the salesperson pumped up the volume and we watched in horror and disbelief the first tower tumbling. I ran over to our dentist's, where my wife was still getting her teeth cleaned and told the officemanager what was going on. She couldn't belive me as they didn't have a radio running, but just a tape with that soothing music heard everywhere in doctors' offices. When she heard that live-report she called the doc and all the other personnel and we all listened to the horrible news. My DW was meanwhile finshed and instead of going to the gym as planned we immediately headed for our TA as we were planning to fly to Florida on 9/15. When we arrived there everybody was glued to their radios as well. They told us that the complete American airspace was shut for all incoming traffic and that there was news of another 10 or so aircraft being hijacked. We then went home instead of going to the gym and spent the rest of the day and a good part of the night in front of our TV watching the horrible news coming in.
The next days we and our TA were in constant touch with USAirways trying to get information about our flight which was scheduled to leave on 9/15 at 1120am. On 9/15 at 0200am we got word from USAirways in the USA that our plane was already on its way from the USA and was planned to depart on time from Frankfurt to Philly and then on to Orlando.
I checked it again through internal channels with air traffic control in Frankfurt and they confirmed it.
The next morning we arrived at the airport at 0615am, went straight to the USAir check-in, but found only counters labelled with 'Pittsburgh' and 'Charlotte' - No sign for Philadelphia, so I approached one of the clerks, who stated that she didn't know anything. She referred me to her supervisor who was just coming in for work. The spervisor then told me that there wasn't a plane for Philadelphia and that we should get home and come back on wednesday. I went back to my DW, made a thumbs down-sign while approaching her and then the two of us headed for the nearest exit to catch a taxi for the ride home. Shortly before we reached the doors, the supervisor came running and apologized for misinforming us, and told us to get in line - Check-in would start ASAP.
Upon check-in they told us that we should hurry to the gate as they had intensified the security screening. With our departure still nearly five hours away, we didn't really believe her, but complied. We went through the screening in the departure-terminal, which was not much more thorough and time comsuming than usual. With still about four hours to go, we went into a diner and had some breakfast. Then we continued to our gate. About 200 yards before the gate we had to queue up in a line which was more than 100 yards long. We spent about two and a half hours in that line, and in the end were screened a second time - But this time with a microscope!!!
So eventually we reached our gate 30 minutes before boarding time. We finally boarded the aircraft exactly on time at 1100am - and it was empty!!! There were about 10 people in an Airbus 330 with about 300 seats. The flight attendants then informed us that boarding could take another 2 hours as most of the passengers didn't believe the check-in personnel and were still stuck in the queue before the second screening. She then switched on the Video-on-demand and we could watch a full movie until boarding was finished (We watched 'The Parent Trap', a Disney-movie from the 60ies).
After having departed with more than two hours delay we never expected to catch our connecting flight to MCO in time, but surprise: Upon arrival we were told to hurry up as it was still waiting for us. So we picked up our luggage, dashed through Customs & Immigration, checked our luggage again and literally ran over to the domestic terminal to catch our plane. As the security sreening at that terminal was a joke, we made it - even with 5 minutes to spare. We couldn't believe that there still was such a insufficient screeing process after those horrible events in NYC.
Upon arrival in MCO or driver from Tiffany was already waiting for us. They had followed the progress of our flight and adjusted to it. He told us that he wasn't allowed to have the TownCar waiting iin front of the terminal and so he couldn't help us with our luggage. We should just claim it and then meet him outside, he would fetch the car from the car park. We then waited for our luggage, but unfortunately it wasn't as quick in switching planes as we were. A USAir clerk told us not to worry, it would be delivered to our hotel. So we headed for the ASMovies with our carry-on, made a grocery-stop at a Publix and then checked in at WDW. The CM at the ASMovies looked a bit curious as we checked in with our carry-ons and some plasticbags only At about 11pm we finally were in or room and already found a message on our voicemail. It was one of our new friends from the DIS, whom we were to meet in a week for a cruise on the Magic. Our fellow DISers followed the progress of our flight and made our day by welcoming us. Our luggage was delivered by midnight and taken to our room first thing in the morning.
The next evening we met with another 10 DISers to do the Illuminations Cruise. We had chartered one of the boats (Thanks to Dreams Unlimited!!) and found fellow DISers to share it with us. They all showed up on time - even though one couple had to drive all the way from Colorado, because there weren't any flights!!
A week later we met with about 80-90 DISers aboard the Disney Magic. Many of them told us that they thought about cancelling, but upon learning that 'the Germans' didn't let some terrorists change their plans, they felt the obligation to show up as well. This created such strong bonds of friendship, that about 30 of us cruised together again in 2003 with another 70-80 DISers joining us.
And next week we will leave again for the States to do the third cruise with a group from the DIS - And this time we're 134 people, including many from the first and the second cruise.
BTW, coincidentally we will leave for the USA on 9/11 - we still don't let terrorists change our lives!!!!!

 

[shortbun]

I am humbled by your story Rick.
I was in my office. My news junkie boss had on 2 tv's and
was surfing computer news stations so when the first
plane hit, he ran around the office and told us all. We were
in a travel agency so a plane hitting anything was big news.
We all immediately went into his conference room to get the
news and we were pretty sure it was not an accident although
the size of the plane was then unknown. I called my son's
school and talked to my friend who works in the office, reminding
her that she was his emergency transportation. She thought I
was crazy and then the other plane hit. What we had feard was
confirmed, it was an attack. We spent the rest of the morning
huddled in the boss's media area watching. I did not go to get
my son but called DH and decided that he was closer and would
keep vigilant as the Cleveland issue had yet to be resolved. I did
call the school again to make sure the very young students were
not being told anything. I wanted to be with my son when I told
him about the "bad guys". That day was a turning point in my
life in a way. It brought home to me that my son was the important thing in my life and that I needed to find a way to
stay closer and more connected to him. I have done that and
it's a positive thing that came from September 11th for me; does
that sound crazy? I hope not because it's true. Peace.

 

[Mamu]

DH and I were in Italy schedule to return home on the 12th. Didn't learn about the attacks until 9 that evening.

We had to wait until the airports opened here to return. Which was 5 days later.

 

[chernabog]

As someone said earlier, my story also pales in comparisson to the others.
It was about 8:30 am and I was sitting at my kitchen table, eating breakfast. It was my scheduled day off from work, my oldest DD was at school, my wife was at work and my youngest DD, 3 months old at the time, was snoozing in her nip-a-nap. I finished eating at about 8:30 and was waiting for my mom to come and babysit. I was going to my parents house, to help my dad fix their patio roof. I turned the TV off and went and finished getting ready to leave. When I left the house at about 8:55, I turned on a sports talk radio show that I always listened too. I didn't recognize the voices on the radio and they kept talking about explosions, a plane and towers. I had no idea where this was and thought that it was happening in downtown Buffalo. My parents house is about 5 minutes away from me and as I pulled in to the driveway, I heard them talking about the WTC's. I ran inside of my parents house and remember seeing my Dad talking on the phone. I yelled to him, as I ran by him, that a plane had struck one of the towers and went to the living room to turn on the TV. As I did, the second plane was just striking the second tower. We watched the TV for a bit and I recall both of us muttering several incomplete sentences that were laced with profanities. We eventually went outside and on to the roof and made sure that a radio was close by, to listen to the updates.
Now, several people talked about remembering little things about that day. We live less than 20 minutes from Buffalo-Niagara Int'l Airport and about the same from Niagara Falls AFB, so we are accustomed to planes flying over our area. As I stood on my parent's roof, I recall looking up at the crystal clear blue sky and realizing that there was not one plane flying, anywhere. The neighborhood was quiet, almost eerily quiet, and my parents are directly across from an elementary school. We finished up on the roof and I went in to work, to see if I could get any updated information from our teletypes. I recall when the Edward Murrah building was attacked and initial teletypes came out suspecting middle eastern terrorists, so I wanted to see what was coming out from the state-wide agencies. There wasn't much being sent out, aside from the advice to all law enforcement agencies to raise their level of preparedness. If there are any other Police, Fire or EMT Diser's out there, you all know that there is nothing worse than that helpless or hopeless feeling, when disaster strikes and you're unable to do anything. At this point, I had so many emotions racing through my body - anger and rage, sadness and sorrow, confusion and despair. But I had to do something. My chief denied a request to go to NYC, citing shortages within our own department. I went to our Red Cross shelter, as the call for blood donors went out, and found a line that stretched around the block. Figuring that I could come back later, I decided to pay a visit to our High School and Middle School, just to see how our students were reacting. Most of the conversation was of the days events and myself, my captian and one of my lieutenants, tried to answer as many questions as we could.
Later that evening, my wife and I had planned on dinner, to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary, which was actually on the 10th but our schedules dictacted dinner on the 11th. We had reservations at a restaurant in downtown Buffalo and we had concerns of driving down there. The place was two blocks away from our Federal Building and a short distance from our local FBI office. So we were a little leery of going there. But we did and we took a marked police vehicle that I was allowed to take home at the time. There was very little traffic and even less guests in the restaurant. In fact, the staff out numbered the guests. That night and the next several days were spent in front of the TV set. As harrowing and upsetting as this was, I could not pull myself away from the TV. I needed to get as much information as possible. When information started coming out about losses within the police and fire ranks, I broke down and cried. It may be tough for some people to understand, but the thin blue line is strong, when there is a loss, no matter where the officer is from, it affects us all the same!
Several days later, I beagn collecting donations at our department and our elementary school students began to gather money, clothing, water and cards of encouragement for the workers in NYC. On November 10th, me and a friend of mine, loaded up our department's brand new D.A.R.E. PT Cruiser and headed to NYC with the donations. We were able park a block away from Ground Zero and unload our vehicle. I had an opportunity to speak with a couple of officers and shake their hands, which meant the world to them. They were appreciative of our donations and I was proud to shake their hands. We then had an opportunity to walk to the North Cove area, behind the Winter Garden and see the memorials that had popped up. It was breathtaking and heart-wrenching. I lost it at the police officers memorial, when I read a letter from a young boy, asking his father to come home! Having kids of my own, I could not fathom leaving for work in the morning, never to return home. It was too much.
I will never forget the smell, still lingering in the air, some two months after the attacks and the anguish on the workers faces. When I returned, later that night, I walked in my house and immediately got into the shower, trying to wash away what I saw and smelled earlier in the day. I then went up to my girls rooms and spent some time, just watching them sleep.
Since that day, each night before I go to bed, I go to my daughters and kiss them each three times. One for each angel I have in my house (2 DD's and my DW). I have subtle reminders in my office and when the DVC sent us our American Flag Mickey pins, I went and had an exact replica tatooed on my left ankle with 9-11-01 inscribed beneath. I will never forget!!! My heart, prayers and thoughts will always go out to those victims and their families!

 

[100%Disney]

I was at home with my 17 month old daughter. I watched the horror unfold for weeks, I was so depressed and scared, just waiting for the next awful thing to happen. The last couple of days has been rough, watching the Russian school situation. All those feelings flooding over me again.

 

[MikeB63]

My wife and I had left WDW on 9/10 on our return drive back to CT. We stopped in Richmond, VA overnight. The morning of 9/11 we awoke early to get an early start. It's about a 6 hr drive. I was just getting out of the shower when my wife told me a plane hit the WTC. We were watching Good Morning America. Then the second plane hit. It was tough to leave, but all I could think of was getting home. As I pulled the car around to the front of the hotel, my wife came out and told me the first tower fell. I couldn't believe it. We got on I-95 heading towards Washington DC when we heard that DC was shut down and that there was a possible car bomb at the State Dept. We were in a bit of a panic, but knew we had to get home. Most of the highways were shutdown in spots along the way home. We made our way across to I-81 and proceeded North taking the inland route home through PA as we listened to the news on the radio. It was then that we heard of the plane that crashed in PA. We decided to stop at Hershey for lunch at the Hotel Hershey. It was a beautiful September day which had a surreal feel to it given what had happened. I remember the highways being almost empty. As we finally got to the CT border in Danbury, state police were guarding the border. It took us about 11 hours to make it home. It felt very good to get there, but the days ahead were tough to take. My wife worked for NASDAQ at the time and talked with a lot of people in NYC. Luckily we didn't know anyone personally who lost their lives that day, but friends of ours did. This thread has definitely brought this event back in full detail. Thank you Rick for refreshing our memories.

 

[chrissie123]

Rick... What can i say....I had just finished work, it was around 2.30pm here & i sat down with a magazine & put the tv on which is something i never ever do (normally its get the washing machine loaded, get the vac out etc before going to pick up kids from school)that day i was feeling particulaly lazy...I must say i have never felt that upset in all my life.... My thoughts & prayers are with you your family and your friends

 

[ksjayhawks]

I was substitute teaching for 6th graders on a week-long assignment. I had just taken them to one of their specials and was talking to their teacher on the phone to finalize some lesson plans when she quit talking. I kept repeating her name and she finally whispered in the phone--turn on the tv, the world trade tower has been hit! I hung up the phone, went to the library and we turned on the tv. It was so hard to believe. I went to tell the principal, but she had already gotten the message from central office. Now, she had to get to the teachers and put into place a plan for dealing with the situation.

No kids outside for recess, what to tell the kids, how to deal with parents who were panicing and coming for kids. I'm glad I was with the older ones, as I was able to tell them what had happened and then we discussed the situation. We listened to news reports some, but not continuously. They needed to have their lives go on as normally as was possible considering the cirucmstances.

I was also teaching school when the Challenger exploded back in 1986. I was teaching high school then, so we basically stopped classes, moved the kids into rooms that had tvs and watched the newscasts.

Now, the situation in Russia at the school. Saddens me to think what human beings are doing to each other.