10 Years to the Day

[CDoherty95]

I don't think anyone needs reminding of what day today is. Its the day that shocked the world,killed thousands,and changed the way we look at flying.

My question is,where were you when you heard the news? I was only six at the time and found out in my local post office after school. The most vivid memory I have is seeing the plane crash into the south tower on the tiny tv in the post office.

So my question to you is,where were you on that day ten years ago?

[MaryAnne]

I was then, like now, home and on vacation from work. I used to sleep in later back then on a day off, my alarm set to go off at 8:45 (those were the days...)

My alarm clock is set to the radio, so when it went off that Tuesday I heard the radio announcer talking about a plane having hit the WTC. The announcer said something about how it apparently was a small aircraft and they were in the process of bringing the tv news feed on the air.

I got up, went out to the living room and told my mom what I had heard. I turned on the television and saw the tower and the smoke. I knew it wasn't a small aircraft that had hit.

Still tho', at that moment I figured a commercial jet had had a terrible malfunction and had hit the building. I never suspected it would be what we eventually found out it was.

The rest of my family was up with in a few minutes after this. We ate breakfast with the tv on. We saw the second plane hit the other tower.

We watched it for a while longer than broke away from it. We left the tv on, but didn't exactly sit and watch more. My father and I went outside and cut back the lilac bush which we had intended to do anyway. As I type this, it's a beautiful, clear sunny day. Just like it was 10 years ago. I live near a small municiple airport and the air was very very quiet when all flights were grounded.

My mother told us when the report came through that another plane had hit the Pentagon. And then there was Flight 93 that crashed in the field, apparently the intended target for that was the White House or the Capitol.

Later that afternoon, I was back watching the tv again and saw the towers fall. Dan Rather was in the middle of talking about something and he just stopped.

I have a hard time now looking at photos, seeing any of the footage, seeing a fireman. Seeing a NY police emblem/uniform. There's so many thoughts and emotions from that day that after 10 years haven't tempered or abated at all.

[Meadowmufn]

I woke up to the news on my clock radio that a plane had hit one of the towers. Having had a lifelong love of airplanes and having spent most of my career to that point related to aircraft, I didn't think it was an accident. When I turned on the tv and saw the second plane hit, I knew we were under attack. I called into work to see what the situation was. I worked in a Federal building at the time. They were on complete lockdown and told me not to come in. They only wanted essential personnel (in this case, security) there. I spent the day watching the horrific coverage and praying for those affected by the whole event. We lived near LAX and the city airport was just a few blocks from us, so it was very eery not hearing any aircraft overhead.

My parents were supposed to be flying home from visiting my sister in Seattle that day, so needless to say I was very anxious until I heard from them. Since all flights were grounded, they quickly rented a car (before everyone else decided to as well) and drove back home. A friend of mine's parents were supposed to be flying home from Logan Airport in Boston that day and he was extremely upset that he didn't hear from them because one of the planes that hit the towers was out of Logan. He finally heard from them the following day. They were ok and making alternate arrangements to get home.

My husband was living in upstate NY at the time and vividly remembers the only planes overhead being fighter jets flying over from the local air base. It was very nerve-wracking for him, as he wasn't fully aware of the extent of the attacks until he got home later that day.

I remember all this as if it was yesterday. It's something that is seared into my memory.

[HossC]

I was at work in London at the time - it was early to mid afternoon. Someone phoned to say that a plane had hit one of the towers of the WTC. Like MaryAnne, originally I thought it was a light aircraft. We turned the radio on and just listened in silence. After about half an hour I had to go around the corner to a small TV shop to see the pictures. Again we just stood in silence. A couple of hours later I got to go home, and we all just watched the news solidly until it was time for bed.

I didn't know anyone who may have been at risk in 9/11, but I'd moved to Ireland before the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005. I remember being worried about the people I knew there until I'd heard from them.

The 7/7 bombings took me back to the early '90s when the IRA was targeting London. I was commuting daily across London during that period, and missed the London Bridge bomb by half an hour. I was also due to be at Canary Wharf the night they bombed that. I guess someone was looking over me. It was amazing how little it affected everyday life - Londoner's are very stoic, and just complain about the inconvenience it causes.

[Meadowmufn]

Two people from the agency I worked for at the time, the Defense Logistics Agency, were on planes that hit the towers. I didn't know them personally, but some of my co-workers did. My dad was at the WTC weeks before the 1993 bombing. He knew people who worked at 6 World Trade Center, the US Customs House, when it was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks. I'm just glad my dad retired the year before 9/11.

Psalm 27.

[RogerDuke]

I was in the lobby of where I work when my boss told me. At first I thought it was just an accident and it was just a small plane. Then I went to the only place in the building where there was a television and watched the four tragedies play out. After the fourth plane crashed I thought there were going to be dozens more. Thank goodness they stopped falling from the sky. Even today, seeing the video of the second tower being hit is still hard to believe. I visited Ground Zero ten months later. It's the only time I've ever been to NYC. Words can't describe how emotional it was.

Thanks for starting this thread CDoherty.

[Brian Coltrane]

I was on my way to work, traveling on a major interstate towards Chicago. I had a CD playing in my car and didn't realize anything was wrong unitl there was sudden, massive gridlock on the interstate. I turned on the radio for the traffic report and then got the news about the plane hitting the WTC.

My employer at the time was an attorney who did medical collections. I'll never forget his reaction. "Get on the phone and make calls. Do your job." The world, as we knew it, was shaken but his concern was for collecting money. Business as usual. Everybody in the office was upset and kept running out to their cars to listen to the radio, or were calling somebody to get news updates. Nobody could concentrate.

I remember that the phones eventually stopped working. "All circuits are busy," said the recording.

My own perception of the world changed forever that day.

I will always remember the heroism of those who fell in the attempt to rescue others. I will always remember the uncommon courage of the men and women who faced that day at ground zero and on flight 93.

I will always remember as well, how the world wept with us, shared our shock and grief.

And as much as some things have changed since that day...much has been preserved. To all those who serve our nation in uniform, thank you. To those nations who have stood by our side, thank you.

[CARLOS-ARGENTINO]

I was working on my tractor and just listened to the radio, everything was very confusing to more than 12000km away. When I went to lunch I saw the first images and a movie just seemed more hoolywood unfortunately came after news of many people dead.

I regret all that but here it is understood that was a consequence of a bad action elsewhere in the world.

Peace to the departed and peace for those wounded physically and mentally.

Hopefully the new generations to achieve world peace.

I congratulate you on your CDoherty95 new general lee and for being the fan of the month.

a hug from Argentina.

[Val Strate]

I know I am two days late on this, but I remember 9/11 well. I got up late that morning and skipped my first class of the day at the local community college. I figured I'd go to my afternoon classes after lunch. I was hungry and it was almost nine when I woke up. I did my normal day to day routine and went outside to feed and water cows, even though I was late getting to the barn. After filling the trough with water from the hose and dumping a coffee can of sweet feed into the bunk, I rushed back into the house. My father was out for some reason. I can't remember why. My mom was at work. She was working for a government contractor on a government research station area. I knew since my mom wasn't home that I could surf online without having her look over my shoulder. Funny, at 21 years of age and in college full time, with a forty to thirty hour week job, I still fell completely under my mother's thumb down to the print. Yet I dared every once in a blue moon to buck the system. One of my guilty pleasures was following the yahoo group, Hazzard County Sheriff's department. I logged on and found our AOL home page having a picture of the twin towers on them with smoke billowing out the side and a plane lodged into the windows. I first thought it was a joke or a trailer or ad for a new sick twisted Hollywood horror flick. I read the front page and felt a sick lump in my throat. I emailed my mother's work email and I remember asking her, "What is going on? The world trade center was just hit by a plane and flights are grounded. Is the world ending? What's going on mom? Love you daughter..."

Funny thing irony is, the person you so want to rebel against and want to leave you alone any other day, is the one you run to for love, support, and protection in time of trial.

9-11, was the beginning of a changing era for me. Life was no longer carefree, innocent, and abundance. This tragedy marked the start of leaving my innocence and naive nature behind and becoming a woman. After I emailed my mother, I went to the television and ate a blow of chili while I watched the tower's collapse. I remember watching the news anchors talking about the buildings and not realizing the towers were collapsing. I remember shouting at the TV, "They're gonna fall! You idiot! They fell! THEY FELL!" As if my warnings could stop it...

Later that day, my father came home and we worked on cattle fence. I knew he was just as upset as I. We didn't talk much about it that night. The next day we went to a radio station and donated some money. It was an hour drive for us to get there just to give some money toward a Red Cross fund that was started to head to ground zero from my local area. Even though I was a college kid supported heavily by my folks, I still felt the need to give.

Today, I look at things much different than then. Ten years makes a person think, events shape the minds of people and leave scars on hearts. 9-11 shaped me, it shaped my husband even more and he's six years younger than I.

Yes, Terrorists did make an impression on the youth of our nation. It made us realize that the 90’s were a gift, a time of false security. 9-11 woke my generation up so we all don't go completely soft. After 9-11 many of my friends, enlisted and went into the service. Many went overseas to fight terror, friends, classmates, loved ones. I would later in my life run into military vets that are the same age as me. I would later meet a young woman my age, torn by divorce, losing friends in her unit, and getting wounded all by the time she was 23. 9-11 has made me count my blessings. It made me realize how cold the world can get. I some days wish I would have gone out to fight against terror on the front lines, but then I realize... I wouldn't have the life I have today.

Always remember... Remember 9-11 and remember those who died in freedoms name because they were free.