What Were You Doing the Morning of 9-11-2001

    • 844 posts
    September 9, 2011 4:51 AM PDT
    As the newletter said, "We all remember exactly what we were doing on the morning of 9/11/2001", what were you doing???

    I was repairing a constrution elevator on a building on the 6th floor.  It was the top floor at the time no one else was up there working yet.  I looked down and saw the entire crew heading toward the trailer like it was lunch time, but it wasn't.  Everyone was gathered around the outside chattering about something.  The first thought that went through my head was the job was being shut down and we were all being let go.

    I called my buddy on his cell and he told me what was going on.  he didn't know much and all he said was "get down here, someone just attacked New York".  I ran down six flights of stairs to get close enough to the trailer door to see the horrible image on the TV just inside.

    Man, I can remember all types of feeling running through me - fear, anger, sorrow, disgust, more anger.  Everyone else was talking and scrambling around, all I could do was stand there and stare.  Then I though how much more was to come and the fear took over.  I jumped on the bike and got to my family as quick as I could.  I had no idea of what I could do to protect them if something like this hit home, but I knew I had to be there with them.
    • 638 posts
    September 9, 2011 4:56 AM PDT
    laying bed wondering what I was going to do with a day off. Recieved a call from a guy at work telling me to turn on the television. I asked him, "what channel?"...he said, "all of em'". That was a few minutes after the first tower got hit. The rest of the day was spent on the couch watching all of this happen. I couldn't help but think that nothing will ever be the same again...ever
    • 395 posts
    September 9, 2011 5:54 AM PDT
    i was just leaving math class headed to psychology class...had a big major test that day and had stayed up all night studying for it...we had tv's at the end of the hallways that always had the news on and i saw three teachers, all male staring up at the tv with tears in their eyes...i stood for a second,not understanding what was going on and asked what was going on...one of the teachers walked to the tv and pointed at the tower and said that a plane had just crashed into it...as i stood there we all watched the second plane crash and then saw the towers fall...there was nothing but silence in the hallways...you could have heard a pin drop...i remember crying all the way to class..and staring at probably the hardest test i would ever have to take, just couldn't focus on it...after the test i cut the rest of classes and went home to be with family...i still cry today thinking of it...that image, just like watching the challenger explode is burned into my mind forever..
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    • 1516 posts
    September 9, 2011 6:50 AM PDT
    I had just got up to get the kids out the door for school, I live in CA so the time difference made it early here. I turned on the TV and stood there in disbelief as it unfolded in front of me. Such a bad day
    • 9 posts
    September 9, 2011 7:03 AM PDT
    I was starting a new job that day, so I slept a little later than usual, to be fresh. My son, who was 8 at the time, and home sick from school, came running into my room screaming, "MOM, get up! There's something happening in New York City...a plane crashed into the twin towers"!!! I jumped up and ran into the living room, and as I was standing there in shock watching the tower burn, right at that moment, the second plane came onto the screen, and I watched as it made it's banking turn, and I knew it too was aiming for the towers, and I screamed..."He's going into the other one"! And boom, the plane hit the other tower. I looked down at my son, and wrongly said, "Oh my God, we are at war". I shouldn't have said that in front of my little boy, but it just came out of my mouth...
    He got very upset and asked me, "are we gonna die, Mom"??? That week was one of the longest of my life. As a single mother, I HAD to go to work that day. I HAD to leave my little boy. And I was scared to death.
    We ALL were. I get the chills, just re-living it here. And I could go on, but I won't.
    Everyone of us, ALL AMERICANS should NEVER FORGET!
    WE SHALL NEVER FORGET...
    Never Forget 9/11
    ‎"Remember and honor the thousands of innocent men, women, and children murdered by terrorists in the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001. Recognize the endurance of those who survived the courage of those who risked their lives to save others, and the compassion of all who supported us in our darkest hours. May the lives remembered, the deeds recognized, and the spirit reawakened be eternal beacons, which reaffirm respect for life, strengthen our resolve to preserve freedom, and inspire an end to hatred, ignorance and intolerance." REMEMBER | REFLECT | RENEW | MOURN | RESPECT | HONOR
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  • September 9, 2011 10:17 AM PDT
    I remember that day so well. I was working for Missouri DOT, heading out to look at an upcoming bridge replacement project about an hour or so west of St. Louis. It was an incredibly beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky, and I was enjoying the drive through central MO to the project area. Then, there was a break in the radio programming and an announcement that "a plane" had just hit the WTC. I figured somebody flying a Cessna or something had really screwed up. Back to the music. Then, a few minutes later, a second break saying that another plane had hit the other tower. Sinking feeling in the gut: this is *really* bad, but still no details other than "planes" hitting the Twin Towers. But of course, as the morning wore on, the details spilled out...

    Once I got to the project area, it was quiet, peaceful, and nothing but blue overhead. I recall thinking how incredible it was to be one hour west of Lambert International Airport and seeing absolutely zero air traffic heading west. I worked all morning, alone, since my work was done early in the project development process. It seemed so strange to be out alone in the countryside on such a gorgeous day, knowing what was happening in New York. The reality of it hit home later that afternoon, driving home through Steelville. Long lines of cars at all the gas stations. It was a pretty apocalyptic feeling, really.
  • September 9, 2011 10:52 AM PDT
    I was working and making flowers for a funeral.... thinking and running back and forth upstairs to the TV...I called my son just to tell him "I love you"... I had just got divorced a few days ago ... So, I felt really lonesome and sad.... about the incident ... I will never forget the sadness around me among the crowd of people....and the look on everyone's face of the news.
    • 2072 posts
    September 9, 2011 3:30 PM PDT
    Sitting at home in my recliner recuperating from shoulder surgery. Stayed glued to the TV and internet for a week.
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    • 19007 posts
    September 9, 2011 10:45 PM PDT
    Sleeping late that day awakened by a call from my daughter Amy, telling me not to worry that Jen (my other daughter living in Manhattan) is OK. Why are you telling me this?, I asked, Don't you know? was the reply. Know What?. You just woke me up. Turn on the news she said. Spent the rest of the day in front of it until time to go to work at the small local newspaper editing department. I still have the mylar positive and negative of the front page for that infamous tragic day.. Many emotions, Anger, Sorrow, fear, amazement at the courage of the first responders.
    • 1780 posts
    September 10, 2011 12:14 AM PDT
    I was already at work during my Government days. We all got sent home, and I spent the day in front of the TV.
    • 5419 posts
    September 10, 2011 2:48 AM PDT
    It was odd because we typically don't turn on the TV in the morning. However that morning I was a little lazy and was laying in bed a few extra minutes and decided to flip on the TV. The first image I saw was the towers smoking and I really wasn't paying much attention to the words at first. I yelled to Laura that their was a fire in the twin towers. As I started listening to the words I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

    I went and woke up my oldest son and told him to turn on his TV. Then the phone started ringing and each time I answered it was a friend calling... no hello or anything like that just "can you believe this shit" or "are you watching".

    I just stayed there glued to the TV and the thing I remember most, the image I still can't get out of my head was when I saw live right there on TV a person jump out a window from over 100 floors up.

    I headed to the office and stayed just long enough to wait for everyone to arrive and told them to go home. Like pretty much everyone else in America, and the world for that matter, I spent the rest of the day in front of the TV just watching.
  • September 10, 2011 4:01 AM PDT
    . . ...I was still in the working world in the Real Estate business.....used to go to this laid back diner when I lived back in jersey..(jersey is known for its cool little diners)...every morning before heading on in to the office...Id been going there for coffee or breakfast for years and was friends with the owners....used to sit at the counter and read the Philadelphia Inquirrer and shoot the shit with "the regulars"....same bunch of friendly folks used to be there almost every morning...when I walked in it was usually humming with small talk and laughter....but 9/11 was different.....I got my paper next door at the little
    paper store...and when I walked in the diner the counter was dead silent...there was this small Tv up in the corner and everyone was watching it intently.
    I asked what was going on ?....and nobody was really sure.....I looked up at the screen to see one of the Towers smoldering thick black smoke, with a gaping hole in the side of it. Just then the second plane came flying in and slammed into the second tower....there was silence in the restaurant...we all just
    stood there....mouths a gape....a dreaded feeling slowly began to rush over me as the reporter said.....The second World Trade Center has been hit...
    America is under attack.....


    . ....I had my coffee and we all sat around that counter not knowing what to say or what was going on....I eventually said my goodbyes and left for the office..
    ...When I got there everyone was talking about the attacks....I was sitting at my desk and my cell phone rang...it was a friend of mine and he told me
    that he was getting in his car and heading up the Turnpike to the Bridge to get a closer look and did I want to come ?....New York was a mere 90 miles away.
    ..I dont know why....but I told him no...I didnt want to go. To this day I dont know why...I was sort of stunned and out of it. Later he told me that he went up and parked on the jersey side and could clearly see the smoke rising up from the Towers and that he took some pictures.


    ...God Bless the folks that perished that day and the loved ones they left behind.
    ...God Bless Barak Obama.....the man who killed the Devil.


    ...And God Bless ...Seal Team 6...They are the unsung heros that were on the mission that took out Osama...They were Heros that day, with all of America
    singing their praises. A month later.....most of them died in Afghanistan when the helicopter they were in was shot down by the Taliban. America was mostly silent about that....and to this day I still dont know why.
    • 21 posts
    September 10, 2011 5:38 AM PDT
    I was working about 4 blocks away from the trade center - I heard a loud noise which I thought was the construction outside - a co-worker told me a plane hit the WTC - we looked out the window on the north side of the building and could see the smoke and flames - we continued to watch and saw the second plane hit the building - it was very surreal - we just sat there dumbfounded watching - we saw the 1st tower fall then the 2second - as the city streets filled with that cloud of debris we went to the lobby of the building to help people in off the street - our building had a fountain in the lobby - people were soaking any cloth they could in the water so they could cover their faces and breath in the streets - the most insane scene I have ever witnessed - I'll never forget it - I hope the country wont either -
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    • 1364 posts
    September 11, 2011 3:11 AM PDT
    I was at work and heard about it on the radio. Got on the web and could not believe what was happening.
    • 601 posts
    September 11, 2011 8:49 AM PDT
    it was lunchtime here in Ireland, i listened most of the day to the radio news (I don't watch TV) everyone here was gutted as most Irish people have American relatives, especially New York, where a lot of the Police and Firemen are first and second generation Irish, we are used to terrorism in Ireland as we have had it all our lives, but that attack was just shocking, and I think it ripped the heart and soul from a lot of people.
    • 0 posts
    September 11, 2011 9:23 AM PDT
    I was working as a bouncer back then and had just knocked off work.I got home poured a whiskey and turned on the TV to chill out before bed.Sittin there and watched the plane hit the first tower and thought"Whats this bullshit movie".Then the penny dropped and I jerried this aint a bloody movie this shit is fair dinkum.I was still married at the time but had met a lovely lady from NY a few months earlier who I had spent a week with up in the tropics at a resort.We we're sorta having an affair over the web back then and I had no idea where in NY she was.I broke my own rules and rang her to make sure she was ok ..She was cool but she couldnt reach her brother who was in the city.Well I ended up moving to NY a few months later to be with her and stayed there a while.She lost her brother that day as did so many others..Such a bloody waste of so many innocent lives..I made a point of going to the WTC site and leaving a small Aussie flag for 10 of my countrymen who were also taken that day by this bloody minded act of insanity.This day changed us all in some way unfortunately not for the better..To those brave rescuers lost forever who gave it all ..We salute you..To the families who lost a piece of their world...We all feel your pain and loss..Cheer BOOF
  • September 11, 2011 3:00 PM PDT
    I was a motorcycle cop at a funeral home about to do an escort. I had just got off the phone with my wife we were deciding what we were going to do for our 9 year olds daughter birthday that night. A employee turned on the tv and said a plane had crashed into the WTC. We both watched the TV as the second plane crashed. I spent the next three daays directing traffic into FT Gordon Army base. My now 21 year old son said said that day marked the day he wanted to join the military. He is now in the US Airforce
  • September 11, 2011 3:00 PM PDT
    I was a motorcycle cop at a funeral home about to do an escort. I had just got off the phone with my wife we were deciding what we were going to do for our 9 year olds daughter birthday that night. A employee turned on the tv and said a plane had crashed into the WTC. We both watched the TV as the second plane crashed. I spent the next three daays directing traffic into FT Gordon Army base. My now 21 year old son said said that day marked the day he wanted to join the military. He is now in the US Airforce
    • 3006 posts
    September 11, 2011 6:48 PM PDT
    Woke up early that morning,earlier than normal,my daughter was fussing w/my grandaughter,she said come look Dad something terrible is happening,they had just flashed the first pics of the tower being hit,I told her dont worry its just a movie promo or something.I didnt want her getting too upset with the baby there too,I told her go get ready for work/school n I would keep an eye on the tube,yet in the back of my mind I already knew a second plane was on its way somewhere,my suspicions were confirmed mere minutes later when I heard the newscaster start screaming about another plane coming in.

    The attack touched me in a personal way,I was working for the Port Authority in Oakland at the time,one of my duties was acting as a laison between our office and the Port of New Jersey who had offices up there on those floors,my counterpart a very nice lady I spoke with numerous times on different issue's was rite in the path of it.

    We all showed up for work that day,in spite of the attack,we were asked to and none of us refused.It felt funny sitting in that building like a sitting duck knowing that we were a easy target rite on the waterfront,near 3 different major airports.After lunch they said we could go & I had a bad feeling about my co worker back east.Later I found out a lot of them never made it out, we held a very solemn memorial service for them not long after.For a long time after that incident I felt a terrible sense of loss n sadness,especially for that nice lady who always was so pleasant to talk with,n that jersey accent I loved to tease her about.

    I hope & wish for peace to all those involved in this tragedy,and that someday people can learn to sit down together as brothers & sisters n work it out w/out resorting to violence.

  • September 11, 2011 7:14 PM PDT
    I spent the morning playing softball with our unit team. When we got back to the shop we noticed that everyone was in the briefing room watching the base close circuit telivisions. After about 30 minutes of this we were ordered to high alert by the base commander and we spent the next three weeks guarding the buildings and the inactive runway at our end of the base. They closed all the base gates and we spent the week living in the barracks when we were not working our 18 hour shifts. We stayed on high alert for the next two years and as far as I know they are still on an elevated form of alert, checking everyones ID as they enter the base. Before 9-11 you could just drive up and tell the sentry that you were going to the club, golfcourse or just going to the base beach. Too bad the civilians who lived in the area an had enjoyed the bases facilities for years have lost all of these priveledges.
    • 2 posts
    September 12, 2011 6:13 AM PDT
    Working about like every other day & happened upon a visibly upset woman from Inside Sales who asked me if I knew what was happening, unusual for her, whe was usually busy noting the faults in the rest of us. - Never allowed radios or TV @ work but Inside Sales was in constant telephone contact w/ the world.
    Tried to keep my department working but somebody put a TV in the conference room & people kept circulating thru my department dropping tidbits.
    Had a volunteer Fire Chief working for me at the time, asked him to make lists/plans for various contingencies & let the rest of the department mill about, they weren't working anyway.

    Had a daughter in Manhattan - was pretty sure she was well away from the danger zone but there way no way to check - land & cell lines were jammed.
    Had a daughter-in-law @ the Pentagon - knew damn well she was in the danger zone. Later that day son called & said her department was in CA @ the time of impact. - Fortunate for my yet to be born grandchildren as her office was completely destroyed.

    Did not watch any of it on TV - Kept working on plans & assembling materials appropriate for contingencies that seemed plausible @ the time.
    • 580 posts
    September 14, 2011 1:03 PM PDT
    I'd just come home from the funeral of the 8 year old daughter of one of my friends who had been killed in a road accident some time just after luch time. I made a coffee when I got in and thought I'd put the TV on to distract myself from the huge emotions I was feeling about it not being right that a little one went so young. The first tower was on TV having been hit earlier and I simply watched in horror as the second tower got hit. I stayed with the TV for the rest of the day watching it all unfold and, like the rest experienced so many emotions - still do whenever I think avbout it. So many lives have been changed from that day - and not only those who were directly affected.
  • September 15, 2011 7:43 AM PDT
    I was living in Florida at the time and that morning I was on my treadmill givin' her hell before I had to go to work. I was watching the local news only to hear of a dog getting hit by lightening, this would be the 2nd or 3rd in just a day or two. Then I hear of a possible plane crash in NYC. I jumped off the treadmill to wake my sleeping (of course), now,ex-husband and tell him "I just heard a third dog was struck and killed by lightening....oh, and a plane hit some building in New York."
    Yes, I feel stupid about it now---how trivial. Before that day, I had never even heard of The World Trade Center. I never paid any attention to the sky line or anything really that had to do with the city. This tragic event has changed everyone, I think. It's truley something I'll never forget and I don't want to.
  • September 15, 2011 8:22 AM PDT
    I was two weeks into my A-school training at NAS Meridian Mississippi.
    We were in class at the time, alarms all across base started sounding. We thought it was drill. We mustered in formation and the SSgt told us what had happened, marched us to the armory and where we were issued our weapons. When they handed us live rounds it really sank in that they werent joking and this was no drill.