Remembering 9/11

[packetjunkie]

Reflecting this morning on the sights I saw that morning on television and in the next few days at the sites themselves.

http://www.michaelpierce.com/pentagon
http://www.michaelpierce.com/nyc

 

[0098386]

I was at school at the time and some folk had got SMS messages about what happened, but everything was still so sketchy. Got home and my parents were glued to the TV screen. Didn't believe what was happening.

 

[redwarrior]

I was at the doctor's office for a pre-natal checkup. My inlaws were at the towers the day before, so there were some very tense moments until we spoke to them safe and sound at home later that day. Never forget.

 

[Melrose]

I still remember exactly where I was and who I was with. I was sitting with a friend in his pickup truck at the top of a hill outside town (we were on our way somewhere and had pulled off when we heard what was happening).

We just sat there listening to the radio as events unfolded. It was so drastic I couldn't believe it; Almost like it was some hoax of some kind.

There was a chill in the air, and it was clouding up to rain - which added to the feeling of the moment..

Edit: Just thought I'd post this, being the day and all. Even if you don't like U2, the song's lyrics are great for the tribute...
Streets ~ U2

 

[lofight]

I went to Belgium from Romania and we had to stop in Zurich and transfer. When I was waiting in Zurich I saw it on the TV. I just stood still..

 

[richard.mac]

i was asleep when it happend and was awoken at 4am. i had no idea what was going on. i thought the Trade Centre towers had been bombed until i heard a re-cap. i just stood there staring, half asleep, dry mouth, heart pounding…

everyone at school kept saying "did you hear about the bombings in New York?". i had to kept on correcting them because i got the full early briefing. its quite funny how information can be changed so quickly between people.

i watched a quite interesting documentary on 9/11 a few days ago. apparently the two original terrorists chosen had no experience in flying commercial airlines, so a pilot and two other terrorists where chosen. also intelligence had records of these terrorists and authorities where not notified so they got right thru customs.

RIP victims of 9/11.

 

[RainCityMacFan]

I was only in 4th grade but I still remember sitting on the sofa trying to see the weather and I see a headline saying something along the lines of an attack and a video of the two towers getting hit.

My dropped open, a bowl of cereal in my hands, and I just shouted "Mom!" At school, as 4th graders, we were all coming up with crazy stories. Some true, some just plain weird. Sure by 10 minutes we all forgot about it but now that I'm older, I can see and feel how it affected my life and the lives of millions of other Americans out there.

Rest in peace and remember the victims and heros of 9/11.

 

[nbs2]

It was a Tuesday morning, which meant I was getting into my Class As for ROTC. Got a call from my conpiracy theorist friend. Told her who cares if a Piper flys into a building. Ended up spending an hour hoping my dad hadn't gone to work that day. It turned out his doctor was getting annoyed that he hadn't come in to talk about his hypertension, so he ended up staying home to visit the Dr. He would have been right there when the plane hit. I didn't hear from him until he called my place and my friends relayed the message to me. The only thing that kept me going was going through my day.

We can't forget, but we can't live in fear.

 

[BoyBach]

I was working as a delivery driver at the time. I arrived at the complex to deliver a few bags of bits and pieces, walked into the little Security Guards office to 'sign in' and the news report was playing on the radio. We both just sat there without saying anything for about 30 minutes.

After I'd delivered the products I raced back to the factory - my van didn't have a radio so I couldn't listen to anymore reports - and told my boss my excuse for the deliveries taking so long, which he didn't believe! So I marched him into the office and loaded up the BBC website on the internet - a very strange moment as the full extent at what is happening sinks in.

I remember sending a text message to my brother who was in Barcelona at the time, explaining what had happened and he didn't believe me either. So I told him to go into the nearest bar and watch the television.

Later that night when I got home I just sat in front of the TV totally enthralled - not the correct word, I know - by the images and feeling totally numb inside.

 

[Beric]

We don't have a TV, so I didn't even know until my Dad called from work much later. I was only 12 at the time. We were going to go to the library, I distinctly remember, but we then stayed home instead. I was pretty scared, but it didn't mean the same to me back them as it would have today.

 

[Afini]

I was just getting up for school (was a junior then) and my Uncle was standing in the living room swearing up and down and watching the T.V. in his underwear. I remember looking at the breaking news that was on and I thought it was a bombing too until I heard the re-cap.

Throughout the day at school I kept hearing updates.

Screw all the politcal nonsense that has surrounded the two towers, today is a day to remember all those unfortunate people that lost their lives that day.

 

[iShater]

nbs2 glad your dad was ok!

My wife called in sick that morning and I drove to work by myself, listening to the radio, I thought it was the anniversary of the first bombing. I didn't get it until I got to work and read the news and everybody was talking about it.

At work they blocked news websites because of the hit on the network impacting production, but they setup a video feed of CNN in the cafe.

Of course, they never heard of BBC and Independent, so I still got all my news.

It is sad that many of the consequences of the event were done by our government in the name of "justice" for 9/11

RIP for the victims everywhere. May God have mercy on your souls.

 

[mrgreen4242]

I actually foudn myself thinking about the American reaction to 9/11 today, moreso than the actual event. I guess it's been long enough that the shock has worn off.

In any case, the thought I had was that we, as a society, had a chance to, and almost did, react to the event like Dr. Suess' Whos after the Grinch stole their Christmas. But, we didn't. I really wish we had. I can scarecly imagine what the world would be like if we had.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I was getting ready to teach, 8th grade science. Was watching the news as I was getting ready for my students. Needless to say, we didn't get anything done that day. Watched the news pretty much in stunned silence.

 

[iShater]

I was getting ready to teach, 8th grade science. Was watching the news as I was getting ready for my students. Needless to say, we didn't get anything done that day. Watched the news pretty much in stunned silence.

I think that reaction was world wide. I know no work got done at all that day.

 

[packetjunkie]

I think that reaction was world wide. I know no work got done at all that day.

Indeed, it was months before people recovered.

I was fortunate to be able to visit these sites and take these photos, it was an experience that I will never forget.

 

[wordmunger]

I think that reaction was world wide. I know no work got done at all that day.

Actually, I worked the entire day, then was in class until 9 p.m.

I never saw the events on live TV. My wife had to tell our kids what had happened (the elementary school decided not to tell the kids about it). They were in bed by the time I got home.

Was I affected by the attacks? Of course. But at some point you have to move on with your life.

 

[Abstract]

I saw the events on TV while I was walking through my uni bookshop. Lots of people were huddled around a TV, which was weird, as the bookshop doesn't normally just have the television turned on. Anyway, I kept watching for a few more minutes, thought "Wow, that looks pretty crazy", and then went to class. I think that was it.

I'll never forget "11/9".

 

[Ntombi]

I was living in NYC at the time. I got off the subway and went into the elevator to go to my office, and heard about the first plane on the way up. We were thinking it was some idiot who lost control of the plane. By the time I got to my floor (54th floor), the second plane had hit while my coworkers watched. My boss was waiting at the elevator to meet all of us and tell us as we got off. We watched the towers from our windows.

My cousin works at Lehman Brothers (attached to the Twin Towers), so I called my aunt to ask and make sure she wasn't working that day. Thankfully, she was there and fine.

After a few minutes, we decided to leave the building because we thought it might be another target. I worked at CitiGroup at the time, in a skyscraper that has CitiGroup and the logo on all sides of the building; if terrorists wanted to hit a multinational corporation for symbolism, we figured we'd be a nice target.

Anyway, got downstairs and called my mother on my cell. She was in CA, so of course I woke her, but I needed to tell her I was fine before she heard the news. Good thing I did, because I then lent the phone to my coworker to call her kids' school, and she couldn't get through. My call was the last time we were able to use cells all day. The entire network was overloaded, and we were standing in line for pay phones before it all ended.

My coworkers and I ended up walking for hours, trying to figure ways to get home. We walked out of the building before 9:30, and I wasn't on my way home until close to 5. And I was lucky.

Yeah, we have to move on, but some memories are starker than others. By the time I saw the images on TV, it looked like something else altogether. My memories of that day have nothing to do with the TV images, and everything to do with the terror and the people who were with me.

 

[DigiCatRedux]

I had just gotten up that morning - fixed a cup of coffee and walked into the Living room - *click* on goes the tv.
The first tower had already been struck - and although I was watching a news channel, it took my mind a moment or two to realize this wasn't a scene from some Michael Bay movie... this was real, and it was happening right now.

Horrible accident? Malfunction? Oh my God- those poor people.
Minutes later, tower two is hit. Then the Pentagon.

I'm on the phone calling everyone I know - "Are you WATCHING this? - where are you? Get the Hell away from stadiums, major population centers, Universities, Etc..." freaking out doesn't even begin to describe, and for the rest of the day I sit there and watch the news - with a coffee in my hand I haven't even touched & a growing knot in my stomach.

Very surreal, and terrible day.

But still, I enjoy my way of life, I've seen some beautiful things during these past seven years since... Welcomed friends new babies, Had my Godchild graduate both High School and College, Moved onto better jobs, and enjoyed little moments here & there.
So screw-you, Terrorists.

 

[iShater]

Actually, I worked the entire day, then was in class until 9 p.m.

I bet the stunned reaction while it was unfolding was world wide. I didn't mean the no work part

At least from the people I know.

 

[ZachsMacDaddy]

I was working just outside Baltimore, sitting in my closet like office when a co-worker came racing in to tell me. Some parts of that morning are still a blur.

My wife was working for the government in downtown Washington D.C., not far from the White House. With all the stories about explosions here & there downtown, she and the rest of the folks at her office were getting out of town as fast as they could. She stuck with a few of them who were headed home to Annapolis and I just waited to hear from her. As soon as she had made it out of town and they found a ride the rest of the way to Annapolis I ditched work and headed down there to get her. It was a major to relief when we finally got together. After we calmed down we drove home and just watched the news and talked to family who were all concerned because of her office location.

It was really odd for those next few days. From my office building I could normally look down the street and see planes flying from BWI. Our house at the time was in the flight path of BWI and we usually saw a lot of planes and heard lots of jet noise. But when all the planes were grounded, it was just so quiet. The quiet wasn't peaceful, but served as a constant reminder of what had happened.



I was thrilled just over 2 years later when she left that job and no longer had to work in D.C..

 

[freeny]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcYOF86c-Pw

Here is a video I shot that morning from Cooper Sq. in Manhattan. This was about 20 minutes after both planes hit. There is also some footage from two weeks later shot from Canal St.
This video has pretty much sat on my camcorder since and Ive shown it to no one up to this point.

It is interesting to listen to the conversations going on around me. Lots of shock and confusion. Many on the street still were oblivious as to what was going on right behind them. Brings it back like it was a week ago... I had been to a friend wedding just days before at the foot of the towers. All their wedding shots have the towers in the background.

The remainder of the day saw many wandering the streets covered in ash. People would just walk up to you and tell you what they had seen, total strangers, remember, this was NYC... There was NO cars or traffic as the days progressed. Manhattan had become a ghost town as far as cars were concerned. phone service was nonexistent and i struggled to call out to let my family know i was ok. it was email that finally got me connected.
Fighter jets buzzing the city all day was unsettling. We had my wifes boss stay with us because there was no traveling out of the city other than walking.

 

[foidulus]

I was at Penn State

Just got out of my 8 am Artificial Intelligence class and was cutting through the student union building when I saw a ton of people watching the TV there, hurried up to my dorm(pretty close) and woke my roommate, who rarely was awake before noon, and turned on the TV.

Then I called my friend who was in the Marines and told him, "Abner, you are going to war". He actually thought I was his CO

That Friday was my 21st birthday, and since it was also the National Day of Mourning, nobody felt like partying. I bought some booze and my friends and I drank and watched CNN all night. Good times.

However, for me personally this date has another meaning, it was 5 years ago today that I arrived in Japan for the first time, and I have been spending the rest of my time devising ever more intricate schemes to get back

 

[scotthayes]

It only seems like yesterday.

I was teaching an Windows NT 4 course and my delegates were doing some exercise, so I was browsing around the internet when the BBC reported the first plane hitting. The news was coming so fast it was impossible to get your head around what was going on. After about 30 minutes it was very clear this was a massive terrorist attack (we had no TV's so was relying on the internet getting updated) so I ended the class early and just went home and spent the next 10 hours or so sat in front of the TV watching the events unfold.