I will never forget where i was on 9/11/01

Gulfcoastguy

I was at work when everyone started moving to the conference room and turned on the television there.

kl8ton

I had a co-worker whose brother was on a fly-in hunting expedition in Canada.  They had no means of communication. They just had to return to the drop off point in one week to be flown back to civilization.  Well they were supposed to get picked up on 9/11.  No plane showed up. All planes grounded.  I believe it was 2 or 3 days before they got picked up.  

Battleborn

I was a HS junior that just got up to start my day. A few weeks later I signed up for the Navy's Delayed Entry Program. 

dmchicago

If you want to feel good about something 9-11 related, this will do the trick.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9205986/videoplayer/vi4033526809?ref_=tt_ov_vi

BugFreak72

I woke up to Howard Stern talking about and thought it was a joke until I turned on the TV. That was just before the second plane.

caliking

I was a 3rd year medical student. Rounds were interrupted when we heard news of the first plane strike. We were glued to a TV screen in the PICU conference room and saw the second plane strike.

My wife's cousin missed his train into NYC that morning. He worked in the WTC. He said "fark it. I'm working from home today."

Two months later, I was pulled out of line 3 times for "random" security checks while boarding a flight from Chicago to Columbus, OH. 

TN_Egger

Teaching in an American school in Lusaka, Zambia.  Was after school and watched it from our director's house on campus.  Guidance from the US Embassy suggested we close school the next day, "out of respect for the victims and families involved". Got on the phone and called all families (a very multi-ethnic school), 100% of whom offered condolences and words of support.

Hook_emHornsfan_74

Was a travel agent then and didn’t have to be at work until 9. Turned the tv on and saw the second plane hit.  Finally made into work. I didn’t corporate travel for a lot of oil companies then.  Did a search and couldn’t find 2 guys. They missed their flights.  Luckily not in the Boston or New York area.  We refunded like 30k worth of tickets that week. Pretty much didn’t work for a while. (Obviously). We actually had people calling and griping at us cause they were “stuck” on a beach in Mexico and couldn’t get home.  Taking calls like that as we are watching the coverage was infuriating. Will always remember that morning watching the today show. 

REB17

kl8ton said:

I had a co-worker whose brother was on a fly-in hunting expedition in Canada.  They had no means of communication. They just had to return to the drop off point in one week to be flown back to civilization.  Well they were supposed to get picked up on 9/11.  No plane showed up. All planes grounded.  I believe it was 2 or 3 days before they got picked up.  

A co-worker was in deep Africa on a safari hunt with 1 English speaking guide.
He remembers alot of radio chatter but no one told them anything until they got back to civilization. Shocked at all the armed military in airport. Took almost another week to get home

NJ_BBQ

dmchicago said:

If you want to feel good about something 9-11 related, this will do the trick.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9205986/videoplayer/vi4033526809?ref_=tt_ov_vi

It may seem odd to anyone not from this area to imagine how much a baseball game can mean to someone, but the Mets-Braves game on Sep-21 was a huge help in allowing people to be happy again for a moment after days and days of both good and bad news. Here's a great interview with Chipper Jones - https://www.si.com/mlb/2016/09/21/chipper-jones-braves-mets-mike-piazza-home-run-september-11-attack

Woadie

I was a freshman in college about to go to a math test.   I saw the second plane hit and stayed glued to the tv the rest of the day.  

JohnEggGio

A few weeks before 9/11 a young father and businessman took me and my boss to lunch at Tio Pepe, in Baltimore.  He was about to change jobs, and wanted to thank us for the years he had us as a client.  He was very excited about the new opportunity, not just because it meant more money, but maybe more important, it meant no more travel.  He lived in New Jersey, and would be commuting to Manhattan.  Finally, he could coach his young daughter’s soccer team - something he always hoped he could do...  He did not go home September 11, 2001.

An uncle’s (through marriage) nephew - a firefighter, did not go home that day.

My wife is from Long Island.  She’s from a big Irish family - lots of cousins.  Her generation were at the age when many were marrying - at every wedding for the next several years there were people who were memorialized.

In New York, the Sunday morning paper gave brief biographies of those who were lost, maybe 10 or 20 at a time.  It took a very long time to work through the list.

And on a brighter note, today is the wedding anniversary of my dear, no longer with us, parents.  Thanks, Mom and Dad.  Love you!

EGGjlmh

Was helping as a cadet teacher in a fifth grade class. The teacher pulled me out into the hallway and told me what was going on, she said to keep it quiet, the teacher next door her husband was in the pentagon and they hadn't told her yet. Thankfully he was OK. 

lkapigian

dmchicago said:

If you want to feel good about something 9-11 related, this will do the trick.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9205986/videoplayer/vi4033526809?ref_=tt_ov_vi

Thanks for sharing 

YukonRon

I have no words for the feelings I have maintained since the murderous attack in 2001, upon our citizens of the United States of America.

All I will share is that I remember that day, and have visited the same square of concrete on the sidewalk where I stood, as the attacks occured, each time I am in that city.

18 years since our lives have changed, forever. 18 years of losing our first responders here on our soil and our people overseas.

I will never forget nor will I ever forgive. They murdered innocent people and it continues today.

Those who attacked us, and anyone that supported their efforts, in anyway, will forever be my enemy.

Terrorism is not the war of the weak. Terrorism is war on the weak, the innocent.
those different than them. 

We must never allow those inhuman bastards celebrate any victory anywhere on earth, ever again.

There is so much more, I just can't say.

JohnInCarolina

I was teaching a graduate course at Duke when both planes hit.  I didn’t find out until getting out of the lecture when one of my good friends and colleagues told me.  I didn’t want to believe it.  

The day after 9/11 I received an uncountable number of messages from friends and colleagues overseas.   Almost all of them had gone to school in the US and understood the significance of the WTC being struck.  

Not long after that day my parents and I realized we were all on that exact same American Airlines flight 11 from Boston to LA only a month before in August.   That too was a clear day with nothing but blue skies.  

Aluta continua.

thetrim

“Some people did something.” 

For the rest of us, NEVER Forget.  

JohnEggGio

@JohnInCarolina, yes, it was a beautiful morning, crisp and clear.  I stopped and filled my car with gas on the way to work.  I recall as I pumped the gas, looking around and thinking what a glorious morning it was.  On such days, I typically say to myself. “It’s a great day to be alive”.

Sea2Ski

Was at work. We were all hitting refresh on yahoo, CNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC......  to get the latest news and updates and determined if what was being said on one was true or not.  Once the second plane hit, we were told to go home to our families because no one knew what was really happening.  
Then to see those poor people jumping from the towers was just inconceivable. 

What I did love, as mentioned earlier in this thread, were all the US flags flying for the month or so after the attack. They were everywhere.  It was great. I wish we, as a country, flew the flag like we did that month after the attacks all the time - not just during national holidays and parades. 

piney

I had just bought a new Kenworth and was on the way way from NC to Calif. My co-driver woke me in Ok City Ok and said "something bad is going on in NY". We stopped at the weight station about 3 miles ahead, I went in and asked what was happening and was informed of the tragedy. I remember the sky at night for several days/nights...no air traffic..everything was clear in the sky only stars and satellites, no air traffic. I will probably never (and I hope not) ever live to see that again.  NEVER FORGET! 

Botch

Today we got our annual joint remembrance letter from the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force.  It included the line (and I'm paraphrasing here):
"Today we welcome our newest members of the Air Force (of course this applies to our brothers and sisters in the Army, the Navy, the Marines, and the Coast Guard - Botch) who were born on this day, 18 years ago...."
 
That... really struck me.  Born on That Day, and already, adults and signing up to serve their Country.  

BigreenGreg

I was working on a bridge in Charleston when one of the Managers came in and turned on the TV after listening to the radio in his truck shortly before the 2nd plane hit. I couldn't believe it, once I did I was filled with rage.

frazzdaddy

My wife was on her way to the Pentagon for a meeting when the first plane hit. 

Gulfcoastguy

Here is something that I watch every year for the past 7 on this day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKZMS_xIV24

gonepostal

I was in the parking lot at work about to go inside when the local radio station casually mentioned that a small plane had just hit one of the WTC towers. I mentioned it to my supervisor after clocking on and will never forget when she came back to me and told me about the 2nd plane. It wasn't long before the TV was out on the workroom floor and we were hearing everything over the intercom. I had a small radio that i liked to listen to sports on in my shirt pocket the rest of the day. Every single station that i tuned to had nonstop coverage. I had plans that night to meet a buddy for "all you can eat" wing night at a long since closed restaurant. I called him after work and told him that I would be staying home...

Kent8621

Thanks all for sharing stories.  to close it out i saw something yesterday evening that in the upcoming class of NY City firefighters, 18 of the graduates are kids that lost a parent that was a firefighter on 9/11.  

smokingal

I wasn't going to post here because of the feelings this day condures, but felt like I could today.  I didn't lose any family (that I know of) that day.  But I lost any real sense of safety.  I had just entered the workforce and it started off as a normal workday.  Then the first plane hit.  My boss cut on the tv and started telling us what was happening.  We thought it was an accident.  Then the second plane hit.  To this day, I'm not able to accurately describe those emotions..when the buildings fell.
Unfortunately, that was a customer-facing position, and our customer base were people who were out in the sticks because they prefered to be away from people.  They were calling in as they caught wind of the situation that was unfolding and thought my colleagues and I were there to absorb their venting.  A woman screamed at me about how she had no internet access and was very, very upset that she wasn't able to actually 'see' what was happening live.  I cut her off to firmly state that there were people deciding whether or not to burn to death or jump to their death and that I couldn't understand why she would want to actually see that.  I got a look from my boss and then calmly stated, "You don't want to see what I'm seeing now."

caliking

caliprince came home yesterday somewhat sad and morose, clutching a rather disturbing drawing of the tragedy. The folks at his daycare thought it would be a good idea to show elementary school age kids and kindergartners news footage of the 9/11 attack,  and draw it. His  friend was in tears,  saying he didn't want to jump from a building and die.

I'm still trying to process how this was thought to be a useful exercise. 

Hoster05

it was my freshman year in high school, heard the news about the first plane on the radio on the way in.  Remember looking at the clock and seeing the digital clock saying 8:10am, as with previous posts, students, staff etc were glued to the TV all day.  Crazy to think that I experienced this in high school and high schoolers now are learning of this event via a history book.     

Legume

caliking said:

caliprince came home yesterday somewhat sad and morose, clutching a rather disturbing drawing of the tragedy. The folks at his daycare thought it would be a good idea to show elementary school age kids and kindergartners news footage of the 9/11 attack,  and draw it. His  friend was in tears,  saying he didn't want to jump from a building and die.

I'm still trying to process how this was thought to be a useful exercise. 

This is just insane.