September 11th 2001 Where Were You When the Planes Went Down

[burblestein]

I was working in a call center selling airline tickets when 9/11 happened.

The first I knew of the attack was when I showed up at work. The TV in the break room was broadcasting footage of the attack to an appalled group of silent sales people. I was stunned; I left the break room to plug in on my phone and computer. That began three days of turmoil in the call center and on the phones. For three days, we gaped at the break room TV news of the attack or listened to an emotional cataclysm on the phones. At one point, I spent a gut-wrenching half hour with a woman who had been talking via cell phone with her friend aboard one of the crashed planes right up to the moment of impact. And for three days, our call center sold not a single air ticket. And by the third day, about half my coworkers were staying home to avoid the trauma.

To this day, this old soldier's heart longs for fatal retribution on every evil son of a who had anything to do with this mass murder.

 

[MsBetsy]

I can still remember how I felt that day, and the following days like it was yesterday. I had just been to the restaurant on the top floor, just a month before at an event for my husband's business, looking out at the beautiful city lights. I grew up in a town 50 miles northwest of Manhattan, the same town that the last two police officers lived that were pulled out of the rubble. The one who was played by Nicholas Cage in the movie was the one I knew, his wife went to school with my older brother and the family is well-known in my town. The kind that no-one can ever say a bad thing about. It was a miracle that he survived, and the prayers and support that people gave them during the days that followed, while waiting for some word of where they were, might just be the reason they lived. The bond the two families now share is an amazing thing. At least one good thing came of it. At the time I lived in another town 6 miles away, about 15 minutes from Stewart Airport. ( Now called NYISA) At any time, you could look up at the sky and see several different planes at a time. Small planes, large passenger planes, and the huge Military planes. I never really noticed the noise those planes made. Until there was none. On that day and the days that followed, all planes ceased. Silence in the sky. Not a plane in sight. I remember walking my dog around the neighborhood, feeling numb, sad, and very aware of that quiet, empty sky. It was a beautiful, clear sunny day that day, and it just didn't seem possible that it could be. The next day was more in line with my emotions, and the general mood of everyone around me. Overcast. Cool, and gloomy with the clouds threatening to rain down on us all. The sky still eerily quiet without a single plane in sight. The whole world seemed different. Then came the news. Little by little. The firefighter who had gotten drunk in a local bar and made a fool of himself just a few nights ago was gone. His brother, also a firefighter was gone, killed in the towers. A guy I went to school with, who I played with on the playground for so many years was safe because he was twenty minutes late for work. He still struggles with survivors guilt, as most of his colleagues were on the seventieth floor and perished. A good friend from the city was alive because she had just started her maternity leave. My Aunt, then 75 years old, was safe in her NYC apartment. She called authorities a few days later to ask if she could go down and help clean up with her shovel. She was told no, thank you. By that time they weren't allowing unauthorized people on site. At that time I noticed something else. Something I had never seen before in my lifetime, to that extent. People coming together. American flags waving from each and every car, on stores, on houses, everywhere you turned. In the home I grew up in, there was always an American flag waving in the breeze, as in many homes. I went to my parents house for dinner the following weekend, and I remember my mom saying that it shouldn't take a tragedy for us to show our patriotism. We should always be proud and especially of those that fight and die for this country.

 

[Bit of hope]

I was in my hometown in the Netherlands, just finished work...The news didn't reach me during the day, to busy with all kind of things (also time difference) After work, later in the afternoon, I went to my local pub, ordered a drink...everybody was kind of down...At first I didn't understand what was going on (I thought maybe a local had died) until I cached up with the conversations....Then I heard the horrible news....didn't even bother to finish my drink and rushed home on my bicycle. There I put on the TV and I watched the images of the impact of the first and later the second plain...I cried.... I was in shock....in disbelieve...called my best friend and my brother....that is what you do when you are in shock...and actually until this day...when I see the documentary's, the images...about everything that took place that day and after that....I still get cold and so sad inside, understanding now how much bigger the attack was, besides the twin towers. In recent movies I still see only the missing twin towers, which I once stood on as a tourist visiting the Big Apple. It sounds silly....but in that period I learned a new word: debris. In fact there are not enough words to describe this whole tragedy.

 

[Judgedbysix]

I was in Schenectady NY. The news told us to stay inside, because the fumes might be toxic or radioactive. Howard Stern was describing how the Lincoln monument had been destroyed (False), along with another monument. I was with my best friend Brandon. One of me n Brandons other best friends, was Liz, her brother Eric, and their parents, Louie and Rosemary (A Italian family). Eric missed his plane that day, which ended up being one of the planes that crashed. We were all so thankful, and sat around their paino, while Eric played "Superman" by "Five For Fighting"

 

[Judgedbysix]

I was in Schenectady NY. The news told us to stay inside, because the fumes might be toxic or radioactive. Howard Stern was describing how the Lincoln monument had been destroyed (False), along with another monument. I was with my best friend Brandon. One of me n Brandons other best friends, was Liz, her brother Eric, and their parents, Louie and Rosemary (A Italian family). Eric missed his plane that day, which ended up being one of the planes that crashed. We were all so thankful, and sat around their paino, while Eric played "Superman" by "Five For Fighting"

 

[Judgedbysix]

I was in Schenectady NY. The news told us to stay inside, because the fumes might be toxic or radioactive. Howard Stern was describing how the Lincoln monument had been destroyed (False), along with another monument. I was with my best friend Brandon. One of me n Brandons other best friends, was Liz, her brother Eric, and their parents, Louie and Rosemary (A Italian family). Eric missed his plane that day, which ended up being one of the planes that crashed. We were all so thankful, and sat around their paino, while Eric played "Superman" by "Five For Fighting", while we all had our hands around each other's shoulders, and sang along. I'll never forget. Nothing will ever be like NY. I miss those days.

A year or 2 later, the power went off for the whole East coast. The radios covered the event, and we all stood, and sat, outside, thinking it was the terrorists again.

 

[spangled]

I was 16 years old and at college in Southampton in England.

We were all sat in the common room when a guy called Paul ran in saying 'America's being bombed!' He was prone to exaggeration so we didn't really believe him until the television was put on. We watched it in total silence.

I went back to my mums and watched the news with her and saw the first tower collapse. It was incomprehensible, terrifying and confusing. I remember it was a beautiful day outside and the window cleaner was there, whistling away happily while we were watching something we knew then would change the world forever.

Rest in peace to all those involved, peace to their families, friends, to everyone effected, and here's to working towards a peaceful world.

 

[the seeker]

I already shared my memory of where I was when it all happened, earlier up-thread. I forgot to mention a few interesting things and it will be interesting to see if anyone else had similar experiences. Sept 10, the night before, as I was heading to bed and my hubby was heading to work (he was working night shift) he said to me: "Be careful tomorrow, on your way to work, and on your way home. I have a weird feeling that something terrible is going to happen tomorrow". Of course I was alarmed and I thought "oh maybe a car accident is what is worrying him?". Never, ever did I, and never, ever, did he, think our nation would be under attack. But boy, was he right. It is interesting to note that neither before that night or since has he ever been able to have such predictions. That was a one and only time thing for him.

The night of the attack, I was talking to one of my best friends who was living on the West Coast. She told me that the night of September 10th she had a dream that two bombs went off in NYC. It gave me the chills. Then there is me, who has had clairvoyant moments in my life, without a single clue or inkling about what was to come. Strange.

 

[EmmaRose]

I was working in a call center selling airline tickets when 9/11 happened.

The first I knew of the attack was when I showed up at work. The TV in the break room was broadcasting footage of the attack to an appalled group of silent sales people. I was stunned; I left the break room to plug in on my phone and computer. That began three days of turmoil in the call center and on the phones. For three days, we gaped at the break room TV news of the attack or listened to an emotional cataclysm on the phones. At one point, I spent a gut-wrenching half hour with a woman who had been talking via cell phone with her friend aboard one of the crashed planes right up to the moment of impact. And for three days, our call center sold not a single air ticket. And by the third day, about half my coworkers were staying home to avoid the trauma.

To this day, this old soldier's heart longs for fatal retribution on every evil son of a ***** who had anything to do with this mass murder.

Amen. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your service. My Dad served during WWII in the Battle of The Bulge. He was a combat engineer.

 

[Trident]

I already shared my memory of where I was when it all happened, earlier up-thread. I forgot to mention a few interesting things and it will be interesting to see if anyone else had similar experiences. Sept 10, the night before, as I was heading to bed and my hubby was heading to work (he was working night shift) he said to me: "Be careful tomorrow, on your way to work, and on your way home. I have a weird feeling that something terrible is going to happen tomorrow". Of course I was alarmed and I thought "oh maybe a car accident is what is worrying him?". Never, ever did I, and never, ever, did he, think our nation would be under attack. But boy, was he right. It is interesting to note that neither before that night or since has he ever been able to have such predictions. That was a one and only time thing for him.

The night of the attack, I was talking to one of my best friends who was living on the West Coast. She told me that the night of September 10th she had a dream that two bombs went off in NYC. It gave me the chills. Then there is me, who has had clairvoyant moments in my life, without a single clue or inkling about what was to come. Strange.

For days after the towers fell, people in the area said they could still see them standing there. A friend of mine who lived close, an attorney, said she could still see them. It seemed they left some sort of a psychic impression.

 

[Francoboy]

I remember going in and out of an empty classroom to watch the news.
I remember feeling hopeless, helpless and so scared.
I remember trying to plan how we could pick up our girls if needed. For the first time they were in different places.
I remember taking my class outside on that beautiful, perfect day and feeling it was all wrong.
I remember leaving work and every radio station was playing Lee Greenwood "God Bless the USA" on a loop.
I remember watching TV that night and seeing family and friends carrying pictures and signs looking for their loved ones.
I remember laying in bed that night hearing 1 plane over and over, and knowing it was a military fighter jet on patrol.
I remember not wanting to leave the house the next day.
I remember having my daughter's birthday party outside, 10 days later, and still feeling so vulnerable.
I don't know how anyone old enough to remember and understand that day will ever forget.

 

[smarties]

I was at home and standing outside on the porch, my (now)ex was at work. It was a really nice day and I was thinking of a bike ride after work. The phone rang and it was a friend who told me to turn on the tv, that a plane had crashed into the WTC. I thought it was an accident and he said no, it was a jumbo jet and an act of terrorism. I turned on the tv and both towers were on fire and I thought oh wow, I hope everyone got out! I had no idea....but i remember thinking of the Blind Sheikh and thought, it's probably those guys who came back to finish the job. I didn't actually think of Bin Laden right away. I remember noticing that it was a beautiful day there as well and the sky was so blue...funny the things you notice.
One thing I remember too is that I was following the Tour of Spain, a grand tour (cycling), that runs from end of August for about 3 weeks. The next day there was a photo of some of the riders looking at a spanish newspaper, with the photo on the front page of the WTC, and they did a moment of silence before the start of the race.

 

[Bravo]

I remember going in and out of an empty classroom to watch the news.
I remember feeling hopeless, helpless and so scared.
I remember trying to plan how we could pick up our girls if needed. For the first time they were in different places.
I remember taking my class outside on that beautiful, perfect day and feeling it was all wrong.
I remember leaving work and every radio station was playing Lee Greenwood "God Bless the USA" on a loop.
I remember watching TV that night and seeing family and friends carrying pictures and signs looking for their loved ones.
I remember laying in bed that night hearing 1 plane over and over, and knowing it was a military fighter jet on patrol.
I remember not wanting to leave the house the next day.
I remember having my daughter's birthday party outside, 10 days later, and still feeling so vulnerable.
I don't know how anyone old enough to remember and understand that day will ever forget.

Welcome to WS

 

[MaryG12]

I finished college as an adult student, and left my early morning calculus lab (I suck at math) when I heard the news that all classes were canceled for the rest of the day. Went to visit my Mom immediately afterwards and we both stared at the television news report in disbelief (my dear father died early in 1999).

So surreal, this nightmare that fell upon us.

I remember hearing the Blackhawk copters fly above Hartford (New York City is about an hour's drive away) and when I returned to class the next day, heard news of a vigil being held on the campus which pretty much everyone attended.

I experienced sheer terror firsthand - some of the students were crying inconsolably.

They lost family member in the tower attacks.

This was a time when no words can or should be spoken. I remember feeling the white candle that I held in my right hand drip onto its paper, the night air clear, and dark.

All we did was pray.

Several years ago I came across a 9-11 article on a gentleman whose family was profiled on the cover of New York Times magazine Sunday supplement, February 2, 2000. Stephen Scheibner was his name. I saved that Sunday supplement for many years because his story inspired me like no other.

Mr. Scheibner was supposed to have been one of the pilots that day, American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, MA, but was bumped from that flight - and a substitute pilot in his place. He is not just a pilot though, he is a minister, has eight children, his wife Megan wrote a book on 9-11 (which I have on my reading list).

It was one of those times when even if you do not share the same beliefs as another person, that other person can still inspire when it comes to faith.

 

[MaryG12]

I finished college as an adult student, and left my early morning calculus lab (I suck at math) when I heard the news that all classes were canceled for the rest of the day. Went to visit my Mom immediately afterwards and we both stared at the television news report in disbelief (my dear father died early in 1999).

So surreal, this nightmare that fell upon us.

I remember hearing the Blackhawk copters fly above Hartford (New York City is about an hour's drive away) and when I returned to class the next day, heard news of a vigil being held on the campus which pretty much everyone attended.

I experienced sheer terror firsthand - some of the students were crying inconsolably.

They lost family member in the tower attacks.

This was a time when no words can or should be spoken. I remember feeling the white candle that I held in my right hand drip onto its paper, the night air clear, and dark.

All we did was pray.

Several years ago I came across a 9-11 article on a gentleman whose family was profiled on the cover of New York Times magazine Sunday supplement, February 2, 2000. Stephen Scheibner was his name. I saved that Sunday supplement for many years because his story inspired me like no other.

Mr. Scheibner was supposed to have been one of the pilots that day, American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, MA, but was bumped from that flight - and a substitute pilot in his place. He is not just a pilot though, he is a minister, has eight children, his wife Megan wrote a book on 9-11 (which I have on my reading list).

It was one of those times when even if you do not share the same beliefs as another person, that other person can still inspire when it comes to faith.

 

[JudgeJoe]

I was feeding my 2 year old breakfast while watching the morning news when the story broke of the first impact. I was instantly confused why a plane would be flying anywhere over Manhattan. The flight paths just don’t go there. I thought it a bizarre catastophic accident until I saw the 2nd plane hit. I instantly wondered if we would be going to war & where in America it would be safe to live. I had previously lived in Manhattan & had friends who worked in the towers. My wedding dinner had been at Windows on the World restaurant & I had attended many events there- botanical flower & garden convention, dance concerts, lunches etc. I watched the 2nd-hit tower collapse in horror & disbelief wondering how many people I just watched die. Remember all the “united we stand” items in the weeks that followed? How quickly we forget...

 

[Judgedbysix]

I wrote this earlier, but I forgot to say a few things. First off, Eric was going to school for becoming a lawyer. Thats why he was supposed to be on the plane.

Also, I left NY in 2003, from my grandma, aunt's, and uncle, who got murdered on Christmas morning.

Third off, our house burnt down in August of of 2001, so we were already having a bad year. One of my dad's best friends died shortly afterwards, in his 30s. We stayed with them, after our 7 day hotel voucher ended. The girl scouts brought us food.

Anyways, heres the post again, within that context.

I was in Schenectady NY. The news told us to stay inside, because the fumes might be toxic or radioactive. Howard Stern was describing how the Lincoln monument had been destroyed (False), along with another monument. I was with my best friend Brandon. One of me n Brandons other best friends, was Liz, her brother Eric, and their parents, Louie and Rosemary (A Italian family). Eric missed his plane that day, which ended up being one of the planes that crashed. We were all so thankful, and sat around their paino, while Eric played "Superman" by "Five For Fighting", while we all had our hands around each other's shoulders, and sang along. I'll never forget. Nothing will ever be like NY. I miss those days.

A year or 2 later, the power went off for the whole East coast. The radios covered the event, and we all stood, and sat, outside, thinking it was the terrorists again.

 

[mickey2942]

Home, in Utah. It was surreal to watch the news that morning. The economy sure took a hit after that.

 

[esmerelda]

I live in the area of the world's busiest airport. I grew up there and moved back 3 yrs before it happened. The lack of planes for those days were unsettling to say the least. The morning it happened, I was unaware til my mother called to ask me to make a run to Kmart for my grandmothers prescriptions. She then asked me if I knew what was going on. She told me to turn on the news. What I will always wonder is how she made a casual phone call and still wanted me to go to the store after what was happening. I actually did go there, and it was bizarre, perhaps the most bizarre thing I've ever witnessed. People were just hanging onto their empty carts wandering around and it was silent. I couldn't figure out if they went there to "normalize" things, or it was a planned trip and they were unaware. After coming home of course the tv went back on and I remember bursting into tears when the reporter Carol Marin stumbled into her chair on air covered in ashes looking shell shocked. That made it real to me.

 

[bears10]

In NJ. I was in high school, and came to school late bc of a dentist appointment. On our way to school after the appointment, my mom and I heard that a plane crashed into the WTC. I got to school and went into my second period class and told them what I heard on the radio (Z100), not thinking much of it other than it being an accident. We turned on the TV and watched the second tower get hit.

One of my classmates from that second period class lost his dad that day. His dad was an FDNY hero and died trying to save lives. My town lost quite a few people. Not to mention the many people who ended up enlisting. Some unfortunately died, and others will never be the same due to what they saw and went through overseas.