Where were you on 9/11/2001?

[browneyes106]

I was a junior in high school. I was driving to school that morning and the radio DJ announced that two planes had crashed into the Towers. When I got to school some teachers were telling students to come into the classrooms to watch the news.

 

[tankernav1]

I was at home and got a phone call from a friend that asked if I had the news on. I turned it on right away and remember standing there stunned. I also remember being glad we lived out in the country in the middle of nowhere at the time.

 

[Mysteria]

I was at work. I worked incoming calls for a telecommincations company in Canada. Call volume was high and it dropped to nothing in minutes. I thought it was a phone issue until people who were on break came back and told me what was going on.

Outside of all the horrors of that day there was an odd, or maybe quirky, or even meant to be, thing about that day to me. I got my passport. So for 5 years I had a passport that said 09/11/2001. Like a reminder whenever I traveled.

 

[eduk8r26]

I was at school and then got a phone call from my daughter saying my brother-in-law was on the 1st plane that hit the WTC.

 

[Hidden_Mickey]

My car was in the shop that day. DH gave me a ride to work. We dropped the kids off at preschool and sitter, then talked while we drove to my office. I got there around 8:40. DH called me a few minutes later to say he turned on the news when I got out of the car and a plane hit the WTC. I figured it was a small plane and an accident. I checked the news online, there was a headline but nothing else. I worked in a hedge fund in CT (we live in Westchester County, a 45 minute train ride to NYC). We had TV's in the office that were tuned to Bloomberg News or MSNBC. People were crowded around the TV's when the second plane hit. I tried to continue to work but was distracted. I could hear the TV from my desk and monitored the news online. When the second plane hit, all the news websites crashed. I went to watch a TV in my supervisor's office and we all watched as the first tower fell, then the second, then the news of the Pentagon and Shanksville came in. At that point, it was obvious that the stock market would not open that day, and we were all sent home, partly because there was nothing to do and partly from shock. We all just wanted to get home to our families. I remember thinking of Pearl Harbor, and wondering what else would be bombed. Thinking who the heck would do this and why? And what else were they going to do? DH left work and picked up DS (1 at the time) at the sitter's. He was telling her one of the towers looked as if it was going to fall and she said no way, that building will never go down. Of course after he left her house, it did. DH picked me up, we picked up my DD and went home. The kids were too young to understand but DH and I sat on the couch and were glued to the TV all day. The NY stations had non stop coverage for about a week. My cousin had just moved to Jersey City and started a job in building 7. As soon as I heard the first plane hit, I e-mailed my aunt who lives in CT to ask her where he worked, as I knew it was NYC but wasn't sure where. She tried to call his cell but the phones were down. She didn't hear from him for several hours. He was on the PATH train when the first plane hit. The train usually stopped at WTC but they wouldn't let it stop there and it stopped several blocks north. He got out and started walking south, not knowing what was going on. He tried to take a taxi south but none would take him. One driver finally told him what was happening and that he should try to get out of the city but by that time all public transit was stopped and the bridges were closed. He ended up walking across the 59th street bridge and taking a ferry to Stamford, CT, where his parents picked him up. That was a long day until we heard he was OK. Amazingly nobody from my office lost anyone close to them, and nobody I know lost anyone. Whenever I hear fire trucks and sirens I think of that day. My company had box seats at Shea Stadium. Shea was a holding site for donations for several days after the attacks, as all games were postponed. Nobody wanted to go to the first game after games resumed on September 21st so DH and I took the tickets. It was the first sporting event in the metro area after the attacks and security was very high. I will never forget that the Emerald Society played bagpipes on the field before the game - any time I hear bagpipes I think of funerals - every day for months there were bagpipes and funerals on the local news - Giuliani was there and there was a tribute to all the police and firefighters that were lost. There was a skyline of NYC in lights in the stadium that had the towers on it; the towers were darkened and a ribbon of lights was placed over them. The skyline is at CitiField now. Mike Piazza hit a home run to win the game. They show that game all the time when there is a rain delay; it's a classic game. My heart goes out to all who lost family and friends that day.

 

[Terry36]

I was on a flight to Dallas (business trip). We landed just as the North Tower was struck - the first tower hit. God smiled upon me and my family that day. You see, I worked on the 97th floor of the North Tower. My office was directly opposite the strike. No one that was on one of our floors at the time of the attack made it out alive. Had it not been for that trip, I would have been in my office, as I am an early bird.

355 co-workers and friends died that day.

It still seems unreal...

OMG.... to you! May your memories of your friends and co-workers continue to comfort you.

I was driving to work and I could see so much smoke on the horizon wondering what was going on. On the radio our morning show was broadcasting what happened and all I could think about was my DH was in the North Tower for a meeting. I tried for much of the day to get him and finally about 4:00 he was able to call and tell me he got out. The absolute worst day of my life. My DD had 7 friends that lost parents that day, 1 friend lost a parent in each tower. I pray for everybody on the day.

I can imagine your fear....DH had to work during Hurricane Katrina and I was unable to make contact with him for 48 hours. It was the longest time of my life.

I was on a field trip w/ my 3rd grade class in NY. We heard a little info. on the bus radio. Got back to school to find crying parents wanting to pick up their kids.

We had to keep smiles on for the kids' sake. I was dying to leave and go hug my own kids, but I was the teacher, so I had to stay at school until everyone was picked up, which ended up being the normal end of day time.

For many weeks after that, kids would play with blocks during recess and reenact the twin towers falling.

This breaks my heart.

Thank you. The hardest part to get past was the guilt. I was a manager, and many of those who died were there because I had hired them, or to perform work for me while I was out of town.

I have so many stories about friends from that day.

One person that worked for me was saved by another because of a call to pick up a bagel at one of the street vendors. The 5 minute delay to buy the bagel saved his life. He later witnessed the jumpers, and hasn't been the same since.

Another friend was trapped in an elevator. He didn't know where he was or what was happening, but the lights were out and he was alone in the car. After over an hour, the doors opened and a fireman told him to run out of the building. He had no idea what was going on, but he ran. He did not know that planes had struck the buildings, or that the other tower had already come down. He made it out just minutes before the North Tower collapsed. His story was recounted in one of the TV specials.

Another friend was trapped in the building on the 95th floor while it burned. We used two way pagers, and he was "talking" with a co-worker as he tried to get out, but the stairwells were completely obstructed. After determining that they could not escape, they moved into an office furthest from the fire. The last message that he sent was, "The fire is here." I still remember the day that he told me that his wife was expecting their first child. They had been trying for so long.

I hope you were and still are seeking counseling for your grief.

I work in Downtown Manhattan, and I was on my way in. We were in the Battery Tunnel when the first plane hit, so we had no idea anything happened. When I got off the bus, I saw all of this burnt paper flying all over the place. I was thinking it had something to do with Election Day. Only when I got into work, I found out what happened. I saw the Towers fall from my office window. You could feel the rumbling. And the sky went completely black. Very very scary. We couldn't leave the building until about 12:00 pm, once they felt it was safe for us to leave. I didn't return to work for about a month, and even then, the burnt smell was still so strong. I will NEVER forget that day. Even scarier, that morning I was planning on going to a store directly across from the WTC to get a gift for someone, but I decided I would go in the afternoon instead. I'm so glad I made that decision.

My car was in the shop that day. DH gave me a ride to work. We dropped the kids off at preschool and sitter, then talked while we drove to my office. I got there around 8:40. DH called me a few minutes later to say he turned on the news when I got out of the car and a plane hit the WTC. I figured it was a small plane and an accident. I checked the news online, there was a headline but nothing else. I worked in a hedge fund in CT (we live in Westchester County, a 45 minute train ride to NYC). We had TV's in the office that were tuned to Bloomberg News or MSNBC. People were crowded around the TV's when the second plane hit. I tried to continue to work but was distracted. I could hear the TV from my desk and monitored the news online. When the second plane hit, all the news websites crashed. I went to watch a TV in my supervisor's office and we all watched as the first tower fell, then the second, then the news of the Pentagon and Shanksville came in. At that point, it was obvious that the stock market would not open that day, and we were all sent home, partly because there was nothing to do and partly from shock. We all just wanted to get home to our families. I remember thinking of Pearl Harbor, and wondering what else would be bombed. Thinking who the heck would do this and why? And what else were they going to do? DH left work and picked up DS (1 at the time) at the sitter's. He was telling her one of the towers looked as if it was going to fall and she said no way, that building will never go down. Of course after he left her house, it did. DH picked me up, we picked up my DD and went home. The kids were too young to understand but DH and I sat on the couch and were glued to the TV all day. The NY stations had non stop coverage for about a week. My cousin had just moved to Jersey City and started a job in building 7. As soon as I heard the first plane hit, I e-mailed my aunt who lives in CT to ask her where he worked, as I knew it was NYC but wasn't sure where. She tried to call his cell but the phones were down. She didn't hear from him for several hours. He was on the PATH train when the first plane hit. The train usually stopped at WTC but they wouldn't let it stop there and it stopped several blocks north. He got out and started walking south, not knowing what was going on. He tried to take a taxi south but none would take him. One driver finally told him what was happening and that he should try to get out of the city but by that time all public transit was stopped and the bridges were closed. He ended up walking across the 59th street bridge and taking a ferry to Stamford, CT, where his parents picked him up. That was a long day until we heard he was OK. Amazingly nobody from my office lost anyone close to them, and nobody I know lost anyone. Whenever I hear fire trucks and sirens I think of that day. My company had box seats at Shea Stadium. Shea was a holding site for donations for several days after the attacks, as all games were postponed. Nobody wanted to go to the first game after games resumed on September 21st so DH and I took the tickets. It was the first sporting event in the metro area after the attacks and security was very high. I will never forget that the Emerald Society played bagpipes on the field before the game - any time I hear bagpipes I think of funerals - every day for months there were bagpipes and funerals on the local news - Giuliani was there and there was a tribute to all the police and firefighters that were lost. There was a skyline of NYC in lights in the stadium that had the towers on it; the towers were darkened and a ribbon of lights was placed over them. The skyline is at CitiField now. Mike Piazza hit a home run to win the game. They show that game all the time when there is a rain delay; it's a classic game. My heart goes out to all who lost family and friends that day.

I wish I could hug each and every person who lost someone that day. I remember I was at work and we all gathered around the television in total shock. I worked in a fog all day to later return home and become a zombie in front of the television...I just could not stop watching.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I was at home with my 10-month old DS. I worked evening shift, and we hadn't been up very long. I turned the Today Show on while I was getting breakfast ready, and then I heard it. The first tower had been hit by that time, and I put DS' highchair in the family room so I could watch. I saw the second plane coming and started to get really scared, and saw it hit the tower also. I called DH at work, and he knew about it and they were deciding what to do. DS & I stayed on the couch the rest of the day, he played quietly, as if he knew something was wrong, and I didn't even get dressed.

About an hour later, he was sent home because the city he worked in had ordered all of the government buildings closed, and they decided to close his plant, also. I didn't go to work that night, either.

 

[MouseJunkie]

I was on my way to work (at a travel agency...talk about no traffic there for quite a while...just cancellations) and on the phone with my brother. I had just got home from Alaska after an overnight flight delay in Denver. I made it out of the air by one day.

I remember thinking it was a small plane at first and relating it to the small plane that hit the Ramada hotel several years back in Indianapolis. Little did I know what was really about to unfold. We were glued to the t.v. for hours at work that day.

I remember all I wanted to do was go home and be with family.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I was at work at the university. A student came in and told me what happened. Lots of details fill the rest of the hours, but what I remember most vividly is walking outside midday, looking up, and seeing the brilliant blue empty sky.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I was at school and then got a phone call from my daughter saying my brother-in-law was on the 1st plane that hit the WTC.

I'm so sorry.

 

[ma2jr]

I remember this clear as a bell.. I was at work and we were the only ones with a tv in our office (the whole building was crowded into that little space watching the tiniest tv) It's hard to believe it's that long ago... feels like yesterday.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I was on a flight to Dallas (business trip). We landed just as the North Tower was struck - the first tower hit. God smiled upon me and my family that day. You see, I worked on the 97th floor of the North Tower. My office was directly opposite the strike. No one that was on one of our floors at the time of the attack made it out alive. Had it not been for that trip, I would have been in my office, as I am an early bird.

355 co-workers and friends died that day.

It still seems unreal...

 

[Kitty 34]

I was subbing in a 5th grade class when the vice principal came in to tell me to turn on the TV. Toughest day I've ever taught in my 26 years of teaching. I remember just being at a lost for words as 5th graders started asking me WHY this all was happening.

Those 5th graders just graduated last spring.

I still cry.

 

[karly05]

I was at work (1000+ miles from NYC). I had walked over to another department for something and was chatting with some people there. One of the gals had her radio on, and they came on with the initial headline of a plane hitting the WTC. I don't remember if the report said it was a small plane, or if we just inferred that, but my first impression was that it was an accident involving a small private plane. I made a couple more stops in the building before going back up to my then-office. About the time I got back to my desk, my phone rang - it was my Dad, calling to ask if I was listening to the news. I remember sitting there with the radio on, as the reports kept coming in. When the news of the Pentagon strike came through, that was when I really thought, oh, my gosh, this is it... Even so far away, it was a long and scary day, and my heart goes out to those more immediately affected. I live near enough to an airport to hear planes going over regularly - it was weird to hear no planes for those days immediately afterward.

 

[MineMail]

Very sad - I heard both WTC hits and saw the second one happen before my eyes. I had worked for a company that relocated to the WTC a few months before the attacks. All but one of my former coworkers perished in the first strike. My brother was MIA for several hours. He escaped Downtown just as the first tower fell - as they evacuated him on a packed ferry, the dustcloud chased the boat across the harbor. There was a rush to get inside and close the doors, to escape whatever was pulverized in that ominous, grey mass.

Imagine the scene: It was a beautiful, blue sky that day. Not a single cloud to indicate the horror that had occurred. Crowded cities with all transportation halted, kids stranded at schools and parents who couldn't travel to pick them up and keep them safe. All highways, bridges, and tunnels were closed except for emergency vehicles, motorists and tourists were stranded in strange (to them) places.

People from Midtown had to walk miles and miles through the tunnels or over bridges -- they were hustled through/over in EMS-escorted groups to get to safety or home. All planes were grounded at the airports, but the helicopters and fighter planes flew overhead again and again, rattling windows. Sirens from fire trucks, police and ambulances were a constant sound.

The horrid smell (ran my A/C for days, even though it wasn't hot out) was everywhere and the air was hazy with crap. People stocked up on food and water because with the lockdown, there were no deliveries. The only stores and businesses open were those that had food and water for sale. Gas stations ran out of fuel. Everyone else closed and sent their employees home to be with their families.

Cell phones were inoperative, landlines were busy unless you were calling long distance (AT&T vs. Verizon, I think), and when the towers went down, so did our television signals. I had just switched to DirecTV but was using the antenna for local channels to save $10 a month. Had to change my subscription just to find out what was going on -- DTV gave us a discount as a courtesy.

I remember seeing a local firetruck that returned to its house about a month after from Ground Zero. The house is right on the side of a service road and those firefighters were forever cleaning and polishing those shiny trucks. Not this time - it was parked outside the house becuase it was contaminated with asbestos and other debris. One side looked perfectly normal, just dusty. The other side was completely ruined: dents, dings, paint sandblasted away.

September 11th was horrible, but the situation could have been much, much worse:

. The first hit came before 9am, so many people hadn't reached their offices yet.
. Many parents were scheduled to arrive late for work after taking their kids to their first day of school.
. Then-Mayor Guiliani had implemented an emergency plan that went a bit awry (the bunker was under one of the WTC buildings. Ooops) but overall kept panic to a minimum and prevented many deaths.
. The news reporters were careful to not run false information, so there wasn't much confusion. If two networks reported the same info, it was good.
. NYC residents are a brave people - instead of running away, most stopped and helped those who were struggling.
. Manhattan workers are tough (it's the commute!) - after the first tower was hit, the second tower was evacuated as a precaution, then the "all clear" was issued. Several people REFUSED to enter/reenter the second tower, which saved many lives when the other plane crashed into it.
. People in NY/NJ opened their doors for people who were stranded, taking in visitors who had nowhere to go, setting up shelters for those who couldn't get back home, and running car pools to/from the various crossing points for the walkers.

For those small favors, I count my blessings. No one in my family was killed in the attacks. Some friends and acquaintenances were lost and as President of the PTA, I went to many wakes, funerals and memorials (not everyone was recovered, even now) for months and months.

NYC didn't get through this alone:
. Firetrucks and their crews from all over the east coast were parked at NYC firehouses. They kept us safe while our firefighters put out the fires at Ground Zero and tried to find their coworkers.
. People from everywhere offered us help and assistance in ways large and small.
. Condolences and memorials, as well as financial assistance, helped those affected rebuild their lives.

Still very sad, but we can be thankful for luck, timing, and caring.
It was all very much appreciated.

 

[mousescrapper]

On a plane on our way to WDW....

we figure we were boarding as Tower 1 was hit and then our plane was re-routed for emergency landing in Indanapolis Indiana shortly after the Petagon was hit.

The pilot anounced we had to land due to reported terriost activity in the East coast and at first we could stay in the plane, then told we could leave the plane but leave belongings (for a nnew take-off), but once we rolled up the tarmak to a gate, FAA shut everything down and we had to leave the airport w/out our luggage.

My Aunt happend to live in Indy at the time and sent a friend to find us. We stayed 3 days in Indy untill our luggage was released and then my DBIL drove our van down there to get us and bring us home.

We never made it to WDW and were refunded our trip and airline expenses....

it is something we will never forget...

J-

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

I was sitting down with my breakfast to watch Martha Stewart Living. I used to have a little notebook that I would keep with me by the TV to write down recipes as she was cooking and I pulled it out to look for a recipe for okra a couple months later and the very last entry was just the date September 11. When I opened it, I just felt chills all over my body.

 

[Disneyland Princess]

I was in 5th grade and I was getting ready for school when the first plane hit. I remember just watching TV at school most of that day and at recess some of the kids in my class were telling the 1st and 2nd graders that world war 3 was going to happen. We had an announcement on the intercom about how we should not scare younger kids and that world war 3 was not going to happen.

 

[pigby]

On a plane on our way to WDW....

we figure we were boarding as Tower 1 was hit and then our plane was re-routed for emergency landing in Indanapolis Indiana shortly after the Petagon was hit.

The pilot anounced we had to land due to reported terriost activity in the East coast and at first we could stay in the plane, then told we could leave the plane but leave belongings (for a nnew take-off), but once we rolled up the tarmak to a gate, FAA shut everything down and we had to leave the airport w/out our luggage.

My Aunt happend to live in Indy at the time and sent a friend to find us. We stayed 3 days in Indy untill our luggage was released and then my DBIL drove our van down there to get us and bring us home.

We never made it to WDW and were refunded our trip and airline expenses....

it is something we will never forget...

J-

We were lucky - we managed to get our trip in - just. We had just flown home - I was sitting watching the news in England (had just got up - it was 2pm over here - well it was a long flight!) There was a live broadcast from the Towers - the first plane had hit which I didn't see but saw the 2nd plane hit on live TV. We had probably flown over the towers the day before.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

I will never forget where I was. At the time I lived in Arlington Virginia just a few blocks away from the Pentagon.

I had the news on mute because I was expecting a call from my Doctor. I remember watching the news as it report that the first plane hit and answering the phone call from my doctor. As I watched the footage of the plane crash I was being given the news that I had cancer - potentially fatal cancer in my lung.

I remember hanging up the phone and continuing to watch the news. I called my then husband to the room, I called my sister in NY to make sure she was safe, and finally I called my mom to let her know what was going on.

My mom came to my house immediately. Then I remember hearing a loud boom and crash. I truly thought my apartment building was falling apart because there was so much shaking. A few minutes later we learned about the attack on the Pentagon.

My mom told us to pack up and come to her house. Things were in such chaos as we drove there. It normally took us 10 minutes but because of traffic it took us close to an hour.

However I was the lucky one that day, even with cancer, I was alive and with my family when so many people that day lost loved ones.