Obligatory 9/11 thread

"A free American people will not be intimidated, nor will we be defeated"

http://www.crossingwallstreet.com/archives/9-11.jpg


Where were you? What did you think right away?

I was sitting in my office drawing and listening to the radio. A customer came in and mentioned that an airplane had hit a building in New York City.. It was interesting enough to turn up the radio and pay attention to the story the next time it came on. When the second plane hit, we were all sort of guessing what could have happened, from computer issues inside the plane to other nonsensical reasoning for the events. I don't think it was right away that anyone here thought terrorism.

By the end of the day "God Bless the USA" had been played over and over on the radio, and people already started showing that sense of pride we all had 8 years ago. The hardware store sold out of those little American flags, (undoubtedly for the first time ever) I had one taped to the antenna on my car, and it stayed there until it was frayed beyond what you'd let a normal flag fray to, but it looked battle worn, so I let her fly.

I remember leaving the office that night, and "God Bless the USA" was actually playing on the radio. I pulled into the intersection and stopped.. I opened my car doors, turned up the radio and stood there singing the song. By the end of it, I wasn't the only one doing it. The street sounded more like a concert hall. I wish people were like that every day, for every reason.

God Bless the USA, and those who befriend and protect us. :major

 

I had just came in the door from bear hunting.. Got up early and was out in the forest before daybreak, then came in for some lunch...

I turned on the TV like normal, to watch my soap, and I was horrified by what I was seeing... Just horrified.... :cry

 

I was at home, just 'piddling' around when the T.V. broke in saying that an airplane just crashed into one of the Twin Towers. At first I thought it was just something like a Piper Cub, or some other small plane, but then they showed pictures of it and, like TeeCee, I was horrified. Then the 2nd plane hit the other Tower and all I could think of was the people inside those 2 buildings, and what could have caused such a disaster. I realized that after the 2nd plane hit, I knew it had to be more than just a coincidence. Even today, when I watch some older t.v. shows and they show the Twin Towers, I get choked up because of all the needless deaths that happened that day.

 

I was in hospital recovering from surgery and the TV was on in my room when the program stopped and they went live to New York to show the carnage.
My problem was put in perspective when i think of all those innocent people who died.

@Stubby we watched a film on TV last night "A perfect murder" with Micheal Douglas and the twin towers were shown in that ( i think it would have been better re-scheduled for another time)

 

I was telemarketing into businesses in CT. I don't remember who the company was I was working for, as the marketing company represented many. I lived in NV and worked 5AM to 2:30 PM (8-5:30 Eastern). I was having problems with internet and phones and when I logged out for break, AIM brought the message of the bombing. I woke up my wife and we went next door to my Fathers house (he had a TV, I do not). This was at the same time one of the towers descended (about 7:15) on CNN. A phone call then could not be made and I sent email that I was offline for the day. we spent time around the TV in shock like the rest of the country over what happenned.

 

I was a freshman or sophomore in high school in my science class. The way i remember it now was the teacher got a phone call and had a look on his face that im sure everyone else had when they first heard. he turned the tv on and we spent a good portion of the day watching the news. pretty scary stuff to say the least.

 

I was in the 5th grade, I remember that day felt odd when I woke up, when I had came out into the living room I saw my dad and my brother just staring at the tv in shock and horror. I didn't quite understand what was going on but I was in shock, I got to school and my teacher had it on the news and she started to explain. That day was just crazy.

 

I had just got out of bed and was on the pc at Major Geeks predecessor "Tweak Files" and there was this thread going ,so I turned on the tv and watched as I got ready to go to work.My best friend called from Portland to see if I was watching and his wife was crying. Hmmm weird I can get to the thread but no matter how I post it it says broken link.This is the link maybe someone can get there.Sorry,MK http://***.sytes.net/Tweakfiles/wtc-1-01.html Sad day in our history.

 

I was driving 60 miles to work a show (had to be there at 9am, so I was in my car when Flight 11 hit and heard it on the radio, and had just arrived at work in time to watch United 175 on TV), which was then cancelled as 90% of the people on the tour were from NYC and the university campus we were on went into lockdown. First thing I thought was "wow...someone was WAY off course", and then everyone realized it was real and on purpose. We spent most of the day in front of a few TVs around the building while also trying to put up a show.

I spent the rest of the day (after they let us leave the building and drive home) searching online and making calls to make sure the several friends I have in NYC and DC were OK, and then checking itineraries of those friends I have on tour. Everyone should have been fine. It wasn't until almost two weeks later I found out my friend Danny, who should have still been in Boston for a second N'Sync show, had taken personal time and flown home to be with his wife as they induced labour for their second baby girl. He was on Flight 11.

 

I was watching NBC news eating my breakfast as usual. The first plane hit and I was in shock at the live video that followed. As I continued watching, then the second one hit and I just went cold, basically stunned! I just sat in front of the TV all day waiting for the sky to fall down.

 

My grandfather, who's past on since then had an interesting 9/11 story. He was fishing in Alaska, and supposed to fly home on 9/11. His flight never left the ground that day and he ended up stuck in Alaska for what was it, 10 days they had everything grounded? He was sooooooo irritated about it. He said "If I can't fly home tomorrow, I'm buying a van and driving it home, I'll sell it when I get there." LOL they started flights up again just in time. I remember that day, when news was breaking, the radio did something I never heard before, nor since. It would just go into this robot voice, and count back from like 60 in 10 second intervals. When it got to 10, it was every second, but I remember thinking, oh god, they got the radio stations somehow..

 

I was in bed sick dozing off and on while watching TV. I first thought it was a movie preview or a what if sort of scenario.
After a bit the horror of what had actually occured hit me. I never thought something of that magnatude could happen here.

My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones that day.

 

I was at work (a different job) doing what I do, when Crazy Dunn screeched in on his forklift, jumped out and informed everyone that the WTC had been hit by an aeroplane. Of course no one believed him, that kind of thing just didn't happen. I sat in front of the TV when I got in for hours, open mouthed and thinking, "What the f*** have men descended to?"
I can't watch that footage anymore, it scares me to think the human race is so twisted.

 

We dote on that one particular incident (which was bad) but think of people in other countries who live this way all the time.

 

Hmm, this is about my third time rewriting this post as it's in the lounge. Ya, there's kids growing up thinking that war is the normal course of life.

 

I was at work, looking at the black balloons sitting on my desk (my 40th birthday), when the news came over the radio. I thought a plane was off course. As I listened more, the second plane hit. I took off the rest of the day, and was glued to my television. I didn't believe it at first, like everyone else. I had a very hard time, taking it personally, because it happened on my birthday. Still now, when I have to give my birthdate for whatever reason, the person looks at me and says I'm sorry.
I, personally, don't know anyone who died that day, but I still think about those families whenever a plane flies over.

 

I was in HS and I just got out of school, got home did some homework, ate some food. I watch the news a lot.. and when it came on about the all the plains I just stared and watched it for along time. And for the next few days I watched it non stop. I just think it was pretty amazing that people helped a lot of others out in there and died tring..

 

True, and it is very sad and wrong that they have to. However, that should not, and does not, in any way trivialize what happened here on that day. On July 7 I felt for those in England because of their horrible terrorist attack as well.

 

I was at home all alone just watching the TV as the reports came in,I saw the smoke bellowing from the North Tower as the headline read plane crash,then I watched live the second plane fly in and hit,my friend was outside so in disbelief I shouted him in and both stood there mouths open.

The thing that sticks with me most is not knowing what was happening,from the distance live shot it could have been a plane or a missile you couldn't tell and anyway why would it be a plane I thought how could planes be flown into the towers?

Then the headlines at the bottom of screen started coming in, 'People jumping from burning buildings.' 'Both trade centre's hit' 'President rushed to safety." President Rushed to safety?What the hell is going on I thought the only time that would happen is Armageddon,then they got worse 'Pentagon hit.' and the one that sticks with me till this day.

'AMERICA UNDER ATTACK.'

That's it I thought its the end of the world the only people powerful enough to attack America are the Russians and the US will launch a nuclear counter attack,it may seem crazy looking back but that's the only scenario I had in my head,so I started phoning family asking had they seen the news I used the excuse that I wanted them to know what was going on but deep down I probably wanted to talk to them one last time.

 

Ya Rikky, that last there says it all.

 

My dad always told me stories of him being in a hostel on holiday during the peak of the Cuban missile crisis,girls were crying and every body thought it was the end of the world as they huddled around a Radio,growing up it sounded like fun to me I could never understand the fear they felt,I thought they were exaggerating.

Now I know being on your own in house thinking the world is gonna end isn't much fun.

 

I was in a customer's house cleaning the family room carpet and saw it on their tv and said, "what some people will do to make a point." Didn't have a clear clue about it all, just that "someone flew a plane into the tower". Then the second plane hit. Then I knew what was happening and the thing that pissed (yeah, I said pissed) me most that I was ultimately powerless to do anything about this. There is really no way to completely eradicate or come to a common ground with this type of mentality, and we, as a society, have let it grow and let it have a voice.

 

During my time in the military i spent some time in various hot zones and Sgt who had done it all seen it all said to me "the only way to fight terrorism is with terrorism"
The problem is that our own rules of engagement do not allow us to do that (except by special ops) so we have to fight with one hand tied behind our back.
Guantanamo is a perfect example, all the do gooders scream that it is inhuman but what the terrorists did and have done since is even more inhuman.

 

I can still remember the fear of being on the shankhill and not knowing if the guy walking towards you has a weapon or a grenade.

 

Yesterday on the History Channel they had hours of video, still photos, stories and one program dedicated entirely to The Hotel. I don't believe I knew of the hotel before. It was a 22 story building between the two towers. It in fact was the object of attack in 1993, so being badly damaged then was reinforced and stood longer while the rest did not.
Another program was about Rick Rescorla who was head of security for Morgan-Stanley/Dean-Witter and predicted the attack years ahead. Through his relentless drills through the years ALL the 3,00 employees were saved sadly not him. It's a fascinating story.
So many stories, so many loses.

 

Came across this web site about Rick, Scrolling down you'll see where the soldiers have reminded themselves why they're there (at long last)

http://www.rickrescorla.com/index.html

 

That's the curse of being the good buys... the obligation to act the part.

On that particular day I had just come home from work, when my friend called me and told me to come over to her place to watch TV. (My TV was dead and I didn't have enough money to buy a new one at the time.) I asked why, and she said "There's no World Trade Center anymore. Terrorists have blown it up." I didn't believe her so she said she would wait while I looked it up on CNN.com

I couldn't get to the site, it had crashed due to traffic over-load.

I rushed to my friend's place and she and I and several others gathered around and watched, way over in Sweden. We choked back tears for the ones who were in the buildings and their families, and we were terrified of what would happen next.... of where the retaliation would be aimed.

I used her computer to IM and email every friend I had in the US at the time (several), desperately trying to verify that they were all okay and hadn't lost anyone.

 

Of course, there are 'Truthers' out there. Conspiracy theories abound that the US government allowed, or even instigated this act. That's bollocks, I don't believe a word of it.
I can't imagine any civilised government willingly sacrificing thousands just to pick a fight with another country. Much as I dislike modern day governments, that's a bit of a bogus claim by any stretch of the imagination.