SEPTEMBER 11TH 2001/ PLEASE POST MEMORIES HERE/ NOTHING POLITICAL

[Anance]

I was working in Boca Raton, we enjoyed flex schedules so I arrived around 9:45. Went to the cafeteria to pick up a bagel and coffee and saw a bunch of people around the TV set. I thought - "Oh, the Tower must have caught on fire" and took my breakfast up to my desk.

I turned on computer, the headline blared the FBI thought it was a terrorist attack. I knew nothing but managed to get on a forum where posters were recording the news as it happened. It was terrifying to read, all those rumors. Many military guys were online, almost immediately they knew it was Osama-bin-Laden.

I walked down to the lunch room where almost the entire office was, sitting down, silently watching, the look of silent rage on their faces. Just from staring at their expressions, I knew we were going to war.

Little did I know it would take 10 years to get OBL and that so many wars, terrible events would come from that attack.

 

[Kristikay52]

I was 19 and living in the dorms in junior college in East Texas. I had been in my 8am physical science class when the news broke but then rumors in the hallway were it was just an accident. By my 10am lab it was apparent it was not.
I rushed back to my dorm as a scared kid away from my family. Rumors were flying like crazy in the dorms and people were saying every major city was being attacked. I hysterically called my mom (who worked in downtown Dallas at the time) begging her to leave work.
My roommate and I sat in my bed the rest of the day just glued to the TV, in shock.

 

[momrids6]

There were many people who jumped out of the towers. One of them is someone I knew. The original footage from that morning has not been reshown (Thank goodness.) since as it was traumatic to watch people jumping/falling as well as respectful to the people who jumped/fell.

This. In real time. Will never forget the poor souls who jumped and fell. Horrifying as a stranger watching, a million times worse for family

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

Still so painful, to read your memories, to remember, to reflect...

Never Forget

 

[ColyH]

I was working at a resort hotel in New Hampshire and we had a big convention going on at the hotel. I first heard that a plane had crashed into one of the towers and I pictured a Cessna or one of those smaller planes crashing into the building. The bellman started putting televisions out in the public areas for people to see what was going and that's when I saw that it was a big jet that had crashed into one of the towers. After that the second jet crashed into the other tower and that's when everybody knew this was a planned out terrorist attack. The Pentagon was the next to get hit and then a jet went down in Pennsylvania. The convention was suppose to last all week but people began leaving that night and by the next night the hotel was almost empty.

God bless the first responders, medical personal, the police, firemen, and ordinary citizens who was there that day and saved many lives. I would also like to mention the passengers on Flight 93. We don't know what happened in that jet before it crashed and don't know where it was headed but we can be sure the people on that flight did something to stop another attack from happening. God bless the passengers on Flight 93.

I was at the World Trade Center a few years before to interview or a assignment in the Peace Corps. While there I went to the top of one of the towers and it is very high up. As I look back I often wonder if the people I meet who worked there survived the attacks and can't help but feel how terrified tourists on top of the tower felt as a jet crashed into the building.

 

[PrairieWind]

This. In real time. Will never forget the poor souls who jumped and fell. Horrifying as a stranger watching, a million times worse for family

This. I remember the reporter talking about reports of people jumping, and then we could see them on TV falling. They showed it for a while before they panned the cameras away. I will never forget those images. I simply cannot imagine the desperation and despair of those people, knowing they are going to die. It still brings tears to my eyes.

I should add that I too visited WTC back in the 90s (can't remember exactly what year). Me and some friends went to the observation floor which I believe was in the south tower. I just remember how nervous I was just standing near the windows. I love hearing other people's memories.

 

[Kubirai]

My wife and I flew back from Sydney via LA to Newark on Sept 9, 2001. I had a breakfast meeting scheduled on Sept 11 at the Windows restaurant in North Tower, but delayed it due to an urgency in Ottawa on our Huawei project.

I knew three victims. Garnet "Ace" Bailey was a famous Boston Bruin, who later became a talent scout for Edmonton Oilers in their 1980s glory days. He was flying from Boston to LA on United 175.

Shakila Yasmin and Nurul Haq Miah were a Bangladeshi immigrant couple at MMC. Nurul joined in the 1980s, and got married to Shakila on April 2, 2000 after dating a few years. She joined Marsh in Sept 2000. She went to Arlington High and CVU.

Nurul and Shakila were on floors which took a direct hit from United 175. So all three of them probably died instantly.

 

[Murphy1950]

I was living in Alexandria, a few miles from the Pentagon. After the second plane hit I was in shock and decided to sit on my porch and offer some prayers.

As for the Pentagon, I'll never really be able to describe the noise but it wasn't a crashing sound or an explosion sound at all. The sound was more like two of the largest concert blocks in the world being clapped together just once and then total silence. I said to my husband..."they just bombed DC." All our inside doors slammed shut, some furniture shifted and the house shook.

Seemed like an eternity before we heard that a plane had hit the Pentagon, the smoke was rising but we couldn't tell from where.

 

[Anance]

The event was so horrific - and while my college held a vigil for those who died, one of the students standing in the row to my left broke down - she lost a relative to that horrific incident. I went white.

A lot of us went white under our tans here in SFL. You have to see it, very spooky!

You are so right about the horrific nature of 9/11 - it was incomprehensible. It completely shattered the belief "it can't happen here."

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I personally want to sincerely thank every one of you who have shared your heartfelt stories with us.

I will always remember vividly how both my hubby, and I put our hand over our mouths at the same time in utter disbelief when realizing it really was a terrorists attack of such unbelievable magnitude it was hard to even process.

Then knowing more attacks would be coming made it even more horrifying. We sat in stunned total silence for so long.

Even where we live I realized we both were listening for airplanes overhead.

I don't think anyone felt safe no matter where they lived in our country at the time. The not knowing if more attacks were coming or where they would strike next left the entire population paralyzed with fear of the unknown, and knowing that is exactly what the terrorists wanted to inflict on our people angers me even now.

I remember us trying to get in touch with my hubby's nephew who had worked in civil service at the Pentagon for over 10 years back then, and still works there today. We were unable to reach him nor could we reach his wife for a long time. Thankfully even though there he was in one section over from the targeted area.

He lost many dear friends that day, and stayed to help others, and helping to remove the bodies of many who he knew personally.

Since he works in intelligence they had amassed teams quickly once they heard of the attacks in NYC to gather all chatter intelligence far, and wide. That is what he was in the middle of doing when the Pentagon was attacked. Many didnt return to their families for days.

Many also died while doing their jobs while hiding under tables while gathering intelligence. I think they had already realized the Pentagon may become a target if more planes were in the air with more terrorists onboard.

I've always believed Flight 93 was headed to the Capitol or White House, and our brave citizens onboard 93 knew it so they laid down their own lives in order to save others, with one saying 'let's roll.'

There is no more greater selfless act than to have the courage to laydown one's own life in order to save others.

So there were so many heroes that day, both on the ground, and in the sky.

That is why none of us must never forget what happened on 9/11, and for all of those who were willing to give their all for the love of country, and it's people.

 

[Murphy1950]

There is no more greater selfless act than to have the courage to laydown one's own life in order to save others.

So there were so many heroes that day, both on the ground, and in the sky.

Couldn't agree more. The one film clip I'll never forget is people running out of the front entrance side of the Pentagon, turning around mid parking lot, and then running toward the crash site to help.

 

[Pi Thoughts]

Watching from Australia it was so surreal. I firstly thought a massive movie production was happening but it soon became apparent this was very real and very raw. Seeing the footage unfold on t.v. and feeling so helpless for all those impacted is something I’ll never forget.

10 Australians were amongst the victims.

“Yvonne Kennedy was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon. In 2011, on the 10th anniversary of her death, Yvonne’s sons wrote: ’In spite of our loss we are proud that Mum is honoured at the Pentagon Memorial, the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York and she is only one of two Australians with remains buried in Arlington Cemetery in DC.”
Yvonne E Kennedy collection | National Museum of Australia

 

[tabitha111]

Won't ever forget 9-11. My sister, was a flight attendent with United Airlines based in
Boston at Logan Airport. She was sitting on the tarmac that morning getting ready to board her passengers for a flight to DC when the captain came aboard and told her to hold up, something was going on and she wasn't sure what. I thank God that my sister's flight did not take off that morning, it was more than 10 hours before anyone heard from her as they bussed everyone out of the airport and no one could get a phone call in to her. Very nervewracking!
She ended up leaving United after going through the mandatory training they all had to go through after 9/11...she never felt safe.

 

[tabitha111]

Apart from the births of my children there are two other days I’ll never forget 9/11 and the day Princess Diana passed.

So many people affected that day and still. My thoughts to each and all.

Never forget. X

Funny you say this...I remember the day Princess Diana died also. I was mopping the deck in my berthing on the USS Nimitz when the news came across our closed-circuit tv...we were out to sea at the time and we had cleaning stations in the morning and all of us had to clean...Its as clear as day to me that day!

 

[Luckyzmom]

Thanks to all of you for sharing memories of that terrible day. We will never forget ! God Bless all those lost that day and the heros that went into harm's way to help . We pray for you and remember the sacrifices made on that day. And the leadership displayed by our president at the time, it meant a lot to so many. Never Forget !!

 

[Spy Versus Spy]

Impossible to comment on WITHOUT being Political?

RIP those who lost their lives. Sending Love and Peace to all affected.

SvS. X

 

[NYatheart]

I can’t believe it’s been 18 years. I can still remember the terror as if it happened yesterday. I was born and raised in NYC & had family and friends that worked in the towers. For various reasons, EVERY SINGLE ONE of them had called out of work that day. I had just gotten to my campus when everything started. They immediately canceled classes, but by that point they were also closing bridges and highways so we were all just kind of in a state of shock not knowing what to do, where to go or how to get home. Cell service was spotty at best, but my mom got through to me and said “go somewhere safe & stay there!” I spent the night with a friend whose father was an NYFD first responder. We didn’t hear that he was still alive until almost the next morning.

Never forget

 

[MaryG12]

I can’t believe it’s been 18 years. I can still remember the terror as if it happened yesterday. I was born and raised in NYC & had family and friends that worked in the towers. For various reasons, EVERY SINGLE ONE of them had called out of work that day. I had just gotten to my campus when everything started. They immediately canceled classes, but by that point they were also closing bridges and highways so we were all just kind of in a state of shock not knowing what to do, where to go or how to get home. Cell service was spotty at best, but my mom got through to me and said “go somewhere safe & stay there!” I spent the night with a friend whose father was an NYFD first responder. We didn’t hear that he was still alive until almost the next morning.

Never forget

BBM

I wonder if they operated out of instinct? Maybe somehow knowing they would be safer at home that day?

Been battling a strange headache all day, don't know if it's from dealing with a few challenges at work today, or remembering 9-11. It's like I can still see that footage on tv in my mind's eye.

 

[mickey2942]

18 years.

The economic "blip" of the 9/11 rippled and affected me at work, I was working in Unemployment at that time, claims went up more than 50%! I was inundated with work. Buried. We were offered overtime every single week. It was like working in a coal mine.

It took about 4 years for the economy to straighten out. The rough part was that there literally were no jobs. People were eligible for unemployment extensions, but it was very rough for a lot of folks.

 

[NYatheart]

BBM

I wonder if they operated out of instinct? Maybe somehow knowing they would be safer at home that day?

Been battling a strange headache all day, don't know if it's from dealing with a few challenges at work today, or remembering 9-11. It's like I can still see that footage on tv in my mind's eye.

It was certainly crazy. I know there were a couple of Drs appointments, but most of them just took a personal day. Including my uncle, whose office had just moved there the week prior. Looking back it’s nothing short of miraculous to me.

I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. I certainly understand though. I hope you feel better soon