14 years ago I remembered a guy

robnybbq

I just got into work - I work for a financial company and we watched it on TV.  None if it made sense.

Driving home that evening there was hardly any cars on the road and cops were at every exit and patrolling building ins full armor and machine guns.

While I did not know this young man he is from where I grew up.

Welles Remy Crowther

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11505494

fishlessman

it was hours after before i heard, lunch time when i went for a sandwich and the usually empty sub shop was packed full watching the screen

GuitarEC

I was working at BellSouth at the time - was at the Executive Park Learning Center (EPLC) on N. Druid Hills Rd. @ I-85 for my New Manager Initial Training Class (the tower was just recently imploded).  I usually listened to WSB on the way to work and was parking my car when they started reporting of a plane hitting WTC.  They didn't have a complete idea of what was going on at that point.

When we took our first break, there was one of the support staff holding open the conference room door for us - Roger Oaks.  I knew something was really wrong because this guy was always upbeat and smiling, but his face looked ashen.  He said something to the effect of "There's been an attack on the World Trace Center".  We all immediately crowded around the bar area in the building (The EPLC was originally a hotel, and BellSouth bought the property to bring folks for training - cheaper for the company to put people up overnight, than have them find a room on their own) and watched the TV there.

I remember calling my father, and he said something that to this day is still uncharacteristic for him: "We need to find the patch of desert where these f*ckers are and turn it to glass..."

At the end of the class (about 3 or 4 pm, I don't remember exactly) I remember how eerie it was looking into the usually busy Hartsfield Atlanta airspace, and seeing absolutely nothing.  That was when it all became real to me.  I drove home in Monroe and turned on the TV - just in time to hear the report that WTC 7 had collapsed.  That was when I broke down into tears.

Eric "GuitarEC"
Metro Atl., Ga.

Darby_Crenshaw

I was in Boston in a car delivering a model to an office for a city review for a hotel we were designing. Some guy called into howard stern reporting the (first) plane hit the tower. We thiught he was joking, stern didn't believe him either. 

Got back to the office and watched things unfold. Horrible. 

Our boss told us to get back to work, and we essentially told him to GFH

i went home on an early train, as we had no idea what else was going on

the client we were designing the hotel for had a flight to NYC that morning with his wife, but decided not to go. He'd have been on one of the planes. The boss of another friend, also an architect, had a morning meeting at the Trade Center. Got there early and was in the lobby when he decided to kill time by going back across the street and getting a coffee. 

He heard (and saw) it happen, and got the hell out as soon as possible. 

I remember it all like yesterday. Was eerie. No planes anywhere in the sky, no one knowing what was really happening. 

GrannyX4

My birthday is 9/10 and my son called me for my birthday and he was in DC doing what ever tech stuff he did at the time at the Pentagon.  When I first heard the news I thought it was a small plane until I got home and watched the news and the second one hit.  I lost it all when the pentagon was hit.  Just could not believe what was happening.  No cell phones were working.  Next day we found out that he was not at the Pentagon at the time of the crash and he was safe.  I pray for all the families who's lives were forever changed on 9/11.

MJG

I was working downtown Boston that day@ 99 High Street. Was on the phone with a local vendor who told me a plane just hit the WTC. Assuming it was local I walked over to the windows to look down towards the Boston WTC. Colleagues in a conference room out the news on. Very quiet riding the subway home later that afternoon. Eeriest thing was the fighter planes circling the city, and flying directly over my house, for the next few days. I am still angry about the whole thing. The world changed that day. Prayers still for those directly impacted. 

Darby_Crenshaw

where you at MJG?  ...also North Shore here.  Guessing Melrose, if you took the subway home.

KennyLee

Just pulled into my office parking lot when the wife called and told me about it.  It was really early and details were sketchy and no video yet, but she thought it was just a small plane that had gotten into trouble.  For some reason, I knew that wasn't the case and that it was much bigger and not an accident.  By the time I got into the office, it was apparent what was happening and it was all over the TV. 

Though I never met them in person, I had gotten to know a lot of the traders that worked in the Towers over the several previous years through work via telephone, many of whom passed away that day.  I'll never forget the drive home a couple hours later and having to stop and get gas and it seeming like everyone was just in a state of shock and things seemed so quiet and somber.

I've never felt anger like I did that day and the days after, just that seething sort of anger.  I still feel it every time I reflect on 9-11.  I'll probably never get rid of it and really don't want to.   

Sardonicus

We will all agree that This Day isn't about us.  Still, I'll join the chorus of recounting 'where we were when'.

I remember standing at the front of the conference room, enduring the annual awkward trial of having people sing "Happy Birthday" to a grown man.
Everyone in the room, including me, had one eye on the television throughout the excructiating awful singing.   ( Good people, mostly atonal.)

I'd already planned to make it a short day, so after the gift-opening and hand-shakes, I hopped on I-55 - expecting a relatively quick ride home.
I was stunned that, well before noon, the Stevenson expressway was damned near in rush hour mode.  
Because I'd only had the car's CD player working, I wasn't aware that most of white-collar Chicago had decided to call it a day . . . 'just in case'.  
The Loop was undergoing voluntary evacuation.

I have enjoyed birthdays since, but it hasn't been the same.  Never will.


I am grateful that Presidents Bush and Obama have worked as effectively as they could have regarding terrorism since That Day.

DaveRichardson

One of my physicians in the office was a Navy Aviator back many moons ago; flew F-4's, F-14's and F-18's.  One of his squad mates was the Captain of the flight was went into the Pentagon.  Needless to say, today is a special day around here.

YukonRon

nolaegghead said:

henapple said:

Man... Can we just reflect on 9/11 and save the finger pointing and arguing till tonight? 

No joke.  I learned the Iranians are now responsible.  Next it will be Canadians.  

I have had my suspicions all along......
The definition of a Canadian used to be an unarmed American with health insurance, and great beer.

jimithing

YukonRon said:

I have had my suspicions all along......
The definition of a Canadian used to be an unarmed American with health insurance, and great beer.

Man, I thought you were being serious until I saw the "great beer" bit. 

But seriously, I remember turning the news on after the first plane hit and there was confusion about whether it was a commercial plane or a private plane.  Nobody really knew.  Then I was watching as the 2nd plane hit the other tower.  It was a gut wrenching feeling knowing for sure it was being done intentionally.  I was nauseous and angry at the same time.  It was surreal when the buildings came down.

henapple

Ok... It's 5 o'clock. Let's get political and nasty. President Obama has said that we will never experience another 9/11 type attack and that climate change is a bigger threat. The floor is open. 

theyolksonyou

Man, I hate to pollute this thread further. Stand by. 

Do that here:
http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1186750/9-11-conspiracy-theory-and-political-discussion?new=1

henapple

Thanks @theyolksonyou

YukonRon

jimithing said:

YukonRon said:

I have had my suspicions all along......
The definition of a Canadian used to be an unarmed American with health insurance, and great beer.

Man, I thought you were being serious until I saw the "great beer" bit. 

But seriously, I remember turning the news on after the first plane hit and there was confusion about whether it was a commercial plane or a private plane.  Nobody really knew.  Then I was watching as the 2nd plane hit the other tower.  It was a gut wrenching feeling knowing for sure it was being done intentionally.  I was nauseous and angry at the same time.  It was surreal when the buildings came down.

I was standing outside my hotel in crystal city, not very far from the pentagon. I will never forget it.

lousubcap

theyolksonyou said:
Man, I hate to pollute this thread further. Stand by. 
Do that here:
http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1186750/9-11-conspiracy-theory-and-political-discussion?new=1

Thank you for the above.  Nothing further to say here.  

Sardonicus

theyolksonyou said:

Man, I hate to pollute this thread further. . . .

Says the purist.

Wolfe

I was in western Kansas working in the oil patch. 

stlcharcoal

I was in 0800 class in an aviation college when everyone's phone started ringing.  No one answered, but when they checked voicemail at a break the news hit.  We had a TV in one of the classrooms and watched the aftermath. 

We had about 8 Middle Eastern guys in program with us--next day the FBI showed up and pulled all of them out for questioning.  They were back the next day but things never the same.  Most of the guys were from UAE and were just here to party, but the few from SA were a lot more serious.  One of them, Tariq, was a pretty scary guy......he would try to convince us how they were justified to do all that.  He believed himself, and his buddy, Majed (who was my friend too), would try to get him to shut up and tell us not to listen to him.  Then the would argue in Arabic.  The FBI kept eyes on all of them and interviewed us and the teachers off campus about them.

As a pilot for the last 22 yrs, I can tell you the system changed big time from there on out.......I wouldn't say it's any safer though (unfortunately).  A lot of people took advantage of the situation in the name of safety.  The NFL, MLB, Disney World, etc had been trying to stop banner towers for years since they didn't get a cut of the advertising money--they used this an as opportunity to get a 3-mile flight restriction around their venues.  I can cover 3 miles in less than a minute in a light aircraft, that really going to stop anything?  Same goes for Mayor Daley bulldozing Meigs Airport in the middle of the night in downtown Chicago.....all in the name of "safety".  I could go on, but you get the picture.

DMW

We were married just 3 months when it happened. My pregnant wife was visiting her ailing mother in Arizona. On the way to the office I heard about the first plane hitting the tower. Howard Stern had the best coverage on the radio about what was going on. My boss brought in a TV from his house and we all sat in the lunch room and watched as things unfolded, not really wanting to believe what was happening. I wasn't sure how or when my wife and our first child would be able to get back, but just wanted to have her home so bad. She finally was able to get home on a different airline once flights started back again. Picking her up at the airport and hugging her was a huge relief. I feel for all the families impacted by it, and can't imagine the pain they are still enduring.

bill37

GOD Bless America and the first responders!!!!!!

Monty77

I was 24, moving into my first house that morning.  My father and I went into Home Depot to get some new supplies and the staff were all focused on the tv, no one was working and we thought that was strange.  We grabbed a few things and headed to cash only to have the cashier inform us that the World Trade Center had been struck by an airplane.  We headed home and were alarmed to hear of the second tower and Pentagon being struck as well.  It was a horrific moment, that day time just seemed to stand still.  

golfandgrill

@stlcharcoal that's a quick light airplane......

stlcharcoal

. I was spoiled after I flew my buddy's Lancair 4P.

golfandgrill

3 miles in less than a minute is 180 Kts per hour... Which is pretty quick for a "light" airplane. What's the Vne in a 4P? 210? 220?

nolaegghead

golfandgrill said:

3 miles in less than a minute is 180 Kts per hour... Which is pretty quick for a "light" airplane. What's the Vne in a 4P? 210? 220?

Are you sure about that?  Think "units" with your math.

aukerns08

golfandgrill said:

3 miles in less than a minute is 180 Kts per hour... Which is pretty quick for a "light" airplane. What's the Vne in a 4P? 210? 220?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancair_IV

Cruise speed listed at 220 Kts.

golfandgrill

aukerns08 said:

golfandgrill said:

3 miles in less than a minute is 180 Kts per hour... Which is pretty quick for a "light" airplane. What's the Vne in a 4P? 210? 220?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancair_IV

Cruise speed listed at 220 Kts.

Nice. Thanks

nolaegghead