Remembering 9/11

For all intents and purposes I was on my way to the bank early in the morning to first union bank right off of Prince William Parkway in Dale City VA. While standing in the bank line I got the news...at first they said that a helicopter had crashd into the Pentagon.

I was at home on leave at Birchdale Ave. I was in between duty stations from Ft. Stewart GA. heading to Hanau Germany. At the time my father worked at the Pentagon. I wanted so bad to go back to my unit and deploy with them to Afghanistan,...but I could not. On Sept 18th I flew from BWI to Frankfurt Germany. On the way we passed over NYC. The pilot turned hard right and banked hard left so that we could see ground zero on the left. The smoke was still smoldering from the disaster. I wept...and I swore that from that day forward I would do everything I could to prevent from that happening again...

I'll never forget it. I was in 8th grade Language Arts class, Spaugh Middle School. My teacher was told to turn on the TV and bam there it was. Just too many innocent people taken away from their families for no reason. Makes me think of the opening line of Freebird. "If I leave here tomorrow, will you remember me?" And yes we will never forget.

I was in 10th grade, some sort of computer class. Most of what I remember that day was sitting in front of TV's all the while going about a normal class schedule. I still remember learning about Osama Bin Laden for the first time. Some people actually fell asleep. We had football practice that day, our coach assured us that while what happened was a horrible tragedy, we still had to go to work. Looking back it was probably the right decision, if for nothing more then to get our minds off what had happened that day.

Coincidently we had friends from the DC area that were stranded in Atlanta thanks to all flights being grounded. Horrible day.

Ironic that you would say that EQ. I was sent to the schools to pick up my brothers and sisters from schools that day. Up until that day I had never seen such a massive withdrawling of children from the schools. I took them all home so that we may be together and feel some sense of security.

I watched it unfold on a TV in the breakroom where I was working. I was to stunned to even respond.
The events must be happening in a some far off foreign land as they always do, to be dismissed as terrorist violence that would never invade our lives or breach America's shores. Much changed that day.
Forever changed is the skyline of NYC and the hearts of Americans.

I was in the 7th grade at a private school about 10 miles from the Pentagon, right off Edsall Road in Springfield. We were sitting in class doing our regular work when a teacher came in and told us that two planes had hit the WTC and another plane had hit the Pentagon. I didn't get to see images of it because we didn't have a tv in class but they sent us home early and I remember watching it on the tv when I got home. I was so pissed about it, being as young as I was (13 years old) I didn't truly understand the impact about it until I got home and saw on the tv.

I was living in Colorado at the time, and had just gotten up to get ready for work. Turned on the TV to start the day, and saw it. Stunned and shocked I just sat down. I was also in the midst of a huge personal tragedy and all of that week just blurs, If there was one week I could simply erase from time it would be that one. Eventually I made it to work, where the owner set up the main conference room as a prayer/meditation room. People were in there constantly through the day, with tv's and news reports heard in every office and cubicle.

The most positive thing I remember, was waiting in an hour and half line of people in colorado springs, all of us waiting at a red cross donation center, giving a few dollars, or whatever. The red cross had set up certain collection points and lines stretched out with US citizens waiting to help people they had never seen, never knew. Truly awesome emotional outpouring and support. I am tearing up even as I remember that time.

I remember waking up early just before 9 that morning because it was my 21st birthday and I was so psyched for going out that night and living it up. I turned on the tv and saw some news report on espn and knew something was up and then a few minutes later the second plane struck. I remember watching in horror as the events unfolded further with the attack on the Pentagon as I have an uncle who worked there with his office only about 100 or so feet from the area hit. I remember giving my family the biggest hugs possible the next time I saw them especially with a handfull of them being in the military and not knowing if they might be sent out in the near future to find the scum who orchastrated the attacks.

Our country bonded in a way I never imagined and it'll never be the same in our lifetime as far as being at peace and feeling safe because we've been shown that at any moment you never know what could happen. My thoughts and prayers are with anyone who lost someone that day and with those who have lost loved ones in the attempt to bring some semblance of peace and stability back to the world since that day.

I was working at CompUSA at the time. Someone came into the back office saying a plane flew into one of the towers. We went out on the floor to see what was going on. I think a bunch of us, customers included, stood there for hours watching everything unfold. We were watching live as the 2nd plane hit, I remember everyone's jaws dropping to the floor and some people started to cry. I just remember feeling like it was the end of the world or something. I mean you guys know how it was, it was just so unbelievable that it almost didn't feel real.

My Dad at the time worked in DC at the Dept of Agriculture so I was very concerned when I couldn't get through to him as all the phone lines were jammed up. (I found out later that day he was out of town on business and ok.)

I think when the towers fell, that's when reality really hit home. Wow, 2 skyscrapers have literally been reduced to rubble. WTF is going on?! Even to this day the footage amazes me. I remember the reports of the jumpers and literally getting sick to my stomach about it.

And I remember the confusion of the day, reports of multiple planes in the air unaccounted for, you were literally just waiting to hear the next report of another plane hitting something. What sticks with me is the bravery and courage of the first responders that day. Those that so unselfishly gave up their lives in order to try to save someone else. I don't think I'll ever look at a policeman or fireman the same. Especially whenever visiting NYC. Those are the true heroes.

I woke up at 10ish, went on the computer to check my daily internet sites and then go to class. There was some reference to the both towers being hit and I immediately turned on CNN. They were playing footage of the towers smoking and then heard them the first tower fell, then what seemed like an hour later the second tower fell. I cried that day. I will never forget it.


RIP to those who perished in the attacks.