September 11th.... thoughts, memories and wishes

[Attalus]

I had gotten up early to play BGII before I went to work - pretty trivial it looks, now. When I quit and went to get some breakfast before work, the televisions and radios were on at the little cafe I went to. The owner informed me that "they" had flown two airliners into the WTC. Stupidly, I asked, "Was anyone killed?" She just looked at me incredulously and nodded, "yes." Between patients, Galadria and I watched a portable TV, and she had to go home to watch it there. I alternated between tears and anger for weeks afterwards.

[Jorath Calar]

Don't really want to Skywalker...

I was about to go to work that day when my sister came to my room and told me that a plane had crahsed into some towers in New York, the night before I had been watching the Simpsons when Homer goes to New York to get his car... from the plaza in front of WTC... I know immedetly that was it, went down and turned on the tv and sure enough... one of the towers was on fire... (and one thing I found very weird from the beginning: they were already talking about this was done by Osama Bin Laden) then I saw the second plane hit it and thought "Okey now its serious". Then even though I didn't want to I went to work and got a message on my cellphone from my friend "They just hit the Pentagon too". I didn't get much work done that day I had a small radio and there was almost constant feed from there... when the towers fell I thought, "oh no, what about all the firefighters!"... I was also very concerned because I had a friend from ICQ in New York, after 8 very hard hours I went home turned on my computer and was very reliefed to see her there... She was very upset and simply exhausted, she told me she hadn't heard from 2 of her friends who worked close to the towers. She didn't know what to do and was so worried... I tried my best to console her but somehow it sounded so insignificant... What can words do in times like that.

Well her friends were okey.

But ugh it was a sad horrible day...

[Iron_Ranger]

I cant believe its been almost two years. I had so many mixed emotions that day and the following days, its hard too say which was the strongest.

I will never forget some of the pictures and videos that we all saw on the news that day. One that is particularly rememberable was a video of a Fire man running back into the blaze after carrying a person out of it. I will never forget that.

Through all the misery that occured on that day, one thing you have to admit, the unity we experinced after that is something also to be remember.

[ 09-10-2003, 07:02 PM: Message edited by: Iron_Ranger ]

[Gangrell]

As of tomorrow, it will be September 11th, and two years ago from that day I remember how it happened.

I was in my class talking with my friends right after we finished our vocals. The bell just rang at 9:30 when we were hurrying out and I was heading to get to my Drafting class. Right when I picked up my book, I saw that my music teacher turned it on CNN, and it showed smoke plumming from a building. I thought, "Whoa, what's going on?" So I go to my locker, grabbed my book and when I was heading to my class, I saw my gym teacher running out with a very serious look on his face. At the time, I couldn't see what the buildings were, but then I sat with my friends and watched the tv for the next two blocks (I had the same teacher back to back). They said two planes had struck the World Trade Centers, and replaying the footage, I kept thinking this was impossible and I sat in disbelief when I saw the buildings collapse. It was horrifying to say the least watching people jump from the windows, and watching the reporters run as fast as they could because they were so close to the buildings.

Even when they show it on Discovery, it still makes me watch in awe as to what happened. So sad this day had to take place in the history books...

[Stormymystic]

Originally posted by Gangrell: As of tomorrow, it will be September 11th, and two years ago from that day I remember how it happened. I was in my class talking with my friends right after we finished our vocals. The bell just rang at 9:30 when we were hurrying out and I was heading to get to my Drafting class. Right when I picked up my book, I saw that my music teacher turned it on CNN, and it showed smoke plumming from a building. I thought, "Whoa, what's going on?" So I go to my locker, grabbed my book and when I was heading to my class, I saw my gym teacher running out with a very serious look on his face. At the time, I couldn't see what the buildings were, but then I sat with my friends and watched the tv for the next two blocks (I had the same teacher back to back). They said two planes had struck the World Trade Centers, and replaying the footage, I kept thinking this was impossible and I sat in disbelief when I saw the buildings collapse. It was horrifying to say the least watching people jump from the windows, and watching the reporters run as fast as they could because they were so close to the buildings. Even when they show it on Discovery, it still makes me watch in awe as to what happened. So sad this day had to take place in the history books...

now I am back to crying again, thinking of all those people who lost their lives for some one who thinks their way is the best way, I get so sad thinking about war and stuff, it just pisses me off that ayone would do such a thing to other human beings, and the little ones who lost their mom, dad ,uncle, aunts and or grandparents, kills me

I also remember the horrible feeling when my mother-in-law called panicked, because one of my husbands cousins was working at the pentagon, we did not hear anything for weeks, then we finnaly found out that she had gone on an assinment, and was not there, and I remember the feeling of sadness as the operator told her story of the guy calling her, and had no one else to talk to, so he asked her to stay on until the end man, now I am realy crying, in my mind, she is also a hero, for staying brave, and being able to listen to that

[ 09-10-2003, 08:10 PM: Message edited by: Stormymystic ]

[True_Moose]

I can remember hearing about it on the radio before school. The station DJ just blurted out, "two planes have crashed into the twin towers." I told my parents, and then prepared for school, just thinking they were like single-pilot Cessnas or something. As I came upstairs, I saw the footage on TV, and I realised this was a lot bigger than that.

At school, all kinds of rumors were swirling around, from the Pentagon being hit (established to be true later) and such things as Parliament and the CN tower, and upwards of 10 planes hijacked and nuclear explosions. Luckily, these were later proven not to be true.

Right before class started, a friend who got a ride came up to me and my friends and told us that the towers had collapsed. Ironically, a few days before I saw a program about how the twin towers were designed to withstand a hit from a 747. Unfortunately, it didn't account for the intense fires. I learned of the truth a few moments later.

When we normally had our morning school announcements over the loudspeaker system, the grim voice of our principal spelled out for us what had happened that morning. We spent an entire moment of silence shocked. Afterwards, the day was just touch-and-go. We didn't have any reliable information, except from the students, like me, who had access to the internet. The true nature of what had happened only started to be revealed that night, with accusations of terrorism and horrible body counts.

My brother was in school, in grade six, and his school was given a complete gag order. Carry on as usual. His teacher, however smuggled in a radio, and led to a complete discussion, and surprising comprehension of the gravity of the situation for a group of 12-year olds.

I have only the deepest respect for the heroes and survivors of the horrible events of 9/11. To the families of the dead: you have a permanent place in my heart. I am proud to say that my uncle was in D.C. helping at the Pentagon, and to everyone else who helped: you are truly heroes, in the deepest sense of the words.

[SecretMaster]

I remember I was in school, 3rd period, in the middle of spanish when someone came into class and told my spanish teacher. As soon as that happened, we did nothing until the period ended. They didn't tell us what had happened, rumors were buzzing about the whole day. I thought there was a massive prison break, because every teacher was saying to get home right away, lock your doors, if no one is home go to a neighboors.

When I came home, my mom was in tears, everyone was watching the T.V. THe first image I saw were the trade centers burning, and then I learned. Lots of people had gone up to Turkey mountain and watch the Trade Centers burned down, you could see them from their. My mom saw it with her own eyes. I was devastated.

Every time we pass by the city when going to vacation, I always miss the trade centers, I remember looking for them, it was the first landmark i'd look for, then the empire state building. Miss them

[Sir Taliesin]

I don't reckon, I'll ever forget it. Perhaps one of the blackest days in American History. I think about it almost everyday. I work on the 24th floor in a high rise tower in Knoxville (well maybe not high rise by New York Standards, but it's the tallest building in Knoxville, 27 stories). We hard it on the radio first, then we went and got the TV and spent the whole day watching the towers burn and then collapse. We were actually watching when the second plane hit.

To me, it's what my Grandparents experienced with Pearl Harbor... in fact I have a anit that remembers Pearl Harbor and she says the WTC was worse for her, because she was able to see it.

The thing I remember most after the actual attack, was how quite it was afterwards, because there were no planes in the sky. We live under a flight approach path for McGhee Tyson Airport.

edit for spelling.

[ 09-11-2003, 01:06 AM: Message edited by: Sir Taliesin ]

[Chewbacca]

I found out at work. My boss called from a meeting with a guy from the NY office. Rumors were flying about all these attacks and I didn't know what was what and the stupid radio wouldn't work. We closed the store and went down to radio shack.

I remember standing in radio shack as one of the towers fell, there must have been ten TVs on and a crowd of maybe 20 people. Not a dry eye in the place, a bunch of "strangers" crying and hugging each other, standing in shock and horror. I was numb...I vaguely recall saying I needed to get home...I vaguely recall the traffic on the Mass pike being terrible and state troopers were zipping around everywhere it seemed. I recall clearly getting home and calling everyone and finding everyone was safe and in shock as well. My mom was alone in a hotel in St. Louis so I talked to her off and on while surfing on the web for news and emails. I do recall visiting IW as well. I recall yelling at the TV later that night and turning it off, they just kept showing it over and over and over and over.

I remember praying for survivors to be found in the rubble and praying for those who lost loved ones. I also prayed for a peaceful world, a practice I still do everyday since then.

On a kinda funny note my girlfriend found out because the weather channel that morning showed a map of airport closures and they were all closed, but it didn't say why at the moment she turned on the TV. She said it was one of those strange moments that last forever..Standing there thinking "why are ALL the airports closed?" but then turned the channel and quickly found out.

[Felix The Assassin]

It took 11 soldiers to raise the garrison flag to full staff, then back to half staff this morning. Instead of the "Big Red One Song", Taps was played, even after 20+ years that tune still puts a lump in my throat.

Two years ago we were doing billets inspection, when AFN did a live broadcast from the states. Since that time, life in Germany has not been the same. Today FP level is at a + stage, and all QRF vehicles are on the road, manned and armed. Training continues, and the upcoming deployment is on our minds. Our hearts are with are brethern down in the sand, as there's will be with us next Spring. Today will be FP, a sunrise chapel service was held, and a moment of silence is set for 1500 Hrs.


Felix