Where Were You 20 Years Ago?

[Cypress Sun]

 

On September 11, 2001, I was working in Palm Harbor (Florida) at a condo electrical remodel with my helper Tony. We were glad to be working inside in the air conditioning as it was the typical hot and humid Florida weather outside.

 

As usual, we were listening to a morning radio show called the Ron and Ron Show. The show featured funny skits and the like between the songs being played. One of the duo, Ron Diaz said that a plane had hit the Trade Center and that from the picture on the tv, it looked like it had been a large plane. He said that the building was smoking and on fire. This announcement had peaked Tony's and my attention, so we turned up the radio and listened with more attention.

 

After the initial announcement, Ron and Ron continued talking about what they were seeing on the tv. I had never been to NYC but had seen a bunch of pictures and videos of the towers. I tried to picture how on earth a plane could run into one of the towers on accident but couldn't see how it could happen. Ron and Ron were still discussing it when Diaz yells "Holy S***, one just hit the other tower!" In that very second, I realized that it was no accident, it was a terrorist attack and that the USA was being assaulted from the air. My first reaction was disbelief which quickly turned to red hot anger.

 

By now, we had stopped working and were gathered around the radio along with the other workers on the jobsite listening to every word said. The Ron and Ron show stopped and they went to their "parent" network broadcast. Information and (although we didn't know it at the time) misinformation was flowing from the announcers in a blur. We listened, trying to make sense out of their words. We listened until the words came that one of the towers was collapsing....then the announcer said "It's gone". We all looked at each other in disbelief. How could this be happening? People falling and jumping to their deaths? 1/4 mile high buildings collapsing? At this point, I told Tony to pack it up, we're going home.

 

Tony had driven his own car to the jobsite as he lived nearby. I drove the work van home, about 20 miles away. As I drove, all along the side of the highway, people were coming out of their work places and headed home just as I was. While I was on the way home, the radio announced the collapse of the second tower. I just couldn't believe it and thought about the thousands of people who had just died while I listened....I felt helpless and burned with anger.

 

I arrived home and immediately turned on the tv and stuck a tape in the VCR to record the day. Usually, I had a routine with my dog when I got home. I'd let him out in the front yard and we'd play for a while...not today. I let him out and put up the American flag. I then went back in and watched the coverage of the disaster for the rest of the day.

 

On that day and for about a month, we all came together as Americans. There was no black or white, Republicans or Democrats, rich or poor....we were all unified as one.

 

The same flag that I flew 20 years ago, will fly tomorrow.

 

I'll never forget and I'll never forgive.

 

 

 

[Okiepan]

Right after the tragedy struck , We went on Full alert and were mobilized throughout the country.

[Pat Riot]

I was at work at the Metro Green Line in Los Angeles. I had just walked into the lunchroom to tell the guys to give me a minute as I was printing some things for a safety meeting and on the TV they were showing damage to the first tower. I was in the office printing up some stuff when one of my guys came in to tell me another plane just hit the second tower.

I remember the chill that went up my back.

I remember how our country came together and I remember two weeks later how certain political types in this country were already trying to erase the images from the media of what happened that day.

[Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795]

I was driving fork truck for a pace line at the Hoover Industrial Park plant. The assemblers were allowed to have personal listening devices, that's how I found out about the towers. We stayed at work that day, but on leaving at the end of the shift, were struck by the total silence from the airport across I-77 from us and the sight of many aircraft tails standing all over the airport grounds.

[G W Wade]

Strange morning.  Had a doctor's appointment at 9:00 a.m. so was home to watch everything happen    GW

[Buckshot Bob]

Was at work for the now dissolved Dow Corning. They piped in the news on the plant TV system . 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Living in Kansas City area. My future wife called that morning to tell me a plane crashed into one of the towers. At first I thought it was an accident similar to a crash into the Empire State Bldg. in 1945. (Link) Turned on the news in time to see the second tower strike and eventually the collapse of both. I used to live in NYC and had been to the WTC many times. Made me sick. I admit I cried a bit.

 

I've not been back since 1996, so I've never seen the devastation nor rebuilding. I took this pic from the WTC observation deck looking north. My office was just to the right of the Chrysler Bldg (seen just below the horizon to the right of the Empire State Bldg.)

 

[Waxahachie Kid #17017 L]

Working in Irving, Texas, about 3 miles east of DFW Intercontinental airport. Heard initially that a plane had hit one of the world trade centers. Someone stuck their head into my cubicle, and said there is no air traffic over DFW, which is unheard of, since planes come and go all hours of the day. Sure enough we went outside to take a look, and there were no planes, taking off or landing. Then someone turned on the t.v., in the conference room, and we found out it was not a small private plane, that hit the tower, but a commercial jet. Then low, and behold, another commercial jet hit the other tower. We were all stunned, and I still am. Then we heard about the pentagon, and the aircraft that crashed into the field. We knew it was islamic terrorist's. That type of cancer can't be anyone else. The only "success" they ever have, is against the unarmed, and women and children. 

I started back then to read their books and philosophy, and it was easy to see, from their own writings, that terrorism is sanctioned by their books, and teachings. We should all be aware of that, and never forget September 11th 2001. A day even worse than December 7, 1941, since at least the Japanese attacked, primarily, a military target, even if it was undeclared.  

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

I was setting up the day's BODs, listening to WTAM 1100 AM Cleveland, as I always did: I had it on to listen to Paul Harvey, and just let it run while  worked.

I recall I glanced at the radio on top of the refrigerator sized incubator when the first report was that a light plane hit one of the Twin Towers.

I imagined a Piper Cub.

I remembered in July 1945, a B-25 hit the Empire State Building, caused fire but did not damage its structural integrity.

Then the corrected reports came out, and the second plane hit and I stared at the boom box as my stomach went into a three mile free-fall.

I recall you couldn't buy a flag if your eternal soul depended on it.

Everyone was sold out.

Everyone.

[Sixgun Sheridan]

I was working late that day. My mother called and woke me up to tell me a plane hit the trade center in New York City, and they thought it was terrorists. I grumbled something and buried my head back in the pillow. Like many of you I assumed they meant a Cessna or something. Then she called me back in a panic and told me one of the buildings had collapsed. In my mind I was still thinking the WTC was just some large office building and didn't fall in she was talking about the huge twin towers. And so I finally dragged myself out of bed, turned on the TV and was just in time to see the second building collapse. Talk about a shock.

 

When I got to work everyone was silent, and they had a TV on replaying the whole thing over and over. Hardly anybody spoke about it... we just watched.

 

I also remember that for a short time we were all Americans, regardless of political affiliation. Even the daily gang shootings seemed to stop. Then a few weeks later we remembered that we all hate each other and it resumed again.

.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

I was sitting in my recliner drinking a cup of coffee watching Good Morning America and saw it all. My buddy and I were leaving the next day for a Wyoming hunting trip for Antelope. We were really concerned as we would be where there was little cell service and no tv and little radio. We went any way......never forget that time.

[Badlands Bob #61228]

I was at home napping on the couch.  I worked evening watch at a large metro Atlanta police department.   The wife and kids were all at work and school.  About 9:30, my wife called and told me to turn on the T.V.  I saw the 2nd plane hit the WTT.  

 

About an hour later, I got a phone call from work that said we were going to 12 hour shifts.  Seems like the whole world went crazy the next couple of days.  The administration was running around trying to prevent terrorist attacks that would never come.  We had officers assigned to water systems, county airport, public buildings and anything else they could think of.  

 

One of the biggest fears was Buford Dam.  It's a large earth dam that held back Lake Lanier with 38,000 acres of water.  It's was about 30 miles north of Atlanta and would make quite the mess if it was breached.  Engineers finally determined that flying a plane into the dam wouldn't breach the earth dam.  

 

After about 6 weeks, things finally settled back down to the usual robbing and pillaging.    As I recall, it was not a good time to be an Arab convenience store employee.  

 

 

[twelve mile REB]

I was returning from Alaska going to Utah and in the Seattle airport when all flights were cancelled.  I retrieved my luggage and rented one of the last vehicles available.  Cost a arm and a leg to rent besides being my birthday I had all that frozen meat so I had to do it.  

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

The part of the town I lived in, Atlantic Highlands NJ, is located across NY harbor and has a lower and upper part to the town.  The upper part runs along the coast and NYC is plainly visible from it.  I was at home that day and I went to the overlook in time to see the second tower collapse.  My buddies on the town police department and the other towns along the coast went into high alert.  There is a ferry service between the shore towns and lower Manhattan and the local LEOS were on the first ferry into the city and brought back folks, not necessarily locals, back to NJ.  Within an hour there were cops from NYC and FBI in town at the dock interviewing passengers as they got off the boat.   Apart from the national solidarity following the events of that day, I was impressed by the coordination of local, state and federal officials in activating an emergency response to events of the day.  The following days were, of course, confusing and scary to a lot of people.  The town is on an alternate glide path to JFK airport and there are daily overflights of planes going into the airport.  It was deathly quiet, as all flights were grounded.  

[Rye Miles #13621]

I was doing sone paperwork when my friend called and told me what was happening, I put the tv on and saw the second plane hit. Horrible day, my heart sank! 

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

teaching my 5th grade class.

spent the rest of the day with the kids in small groups letting them ask questions and such

 

for rest of day parents were pulling their kids out as fast as they could get to the school.

 

wife was a middle school teacher and was doing pretty much the same with her classes

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

 

[Ranger Dan]

Stationed at Ft Campbell KY in my 21st year of active duty planning my retirement and training the next generation of warriors. I was on my way home for a shower and change after PT, when I heard of the first plane hitting the WTC on the radio. When I got home I turned on the TV for more information. The second plane hit while I was in the shower. I told the wife I would probably be late getting home that night as I think we will be at war soon. Back at work I went straight to the S3 operations where they had a TV. We watched the towers fall there. Unknown to me at that time Col Mulholland was already on his way to the Pentagon to brief our capabilities and response (cuz we knew who did it) We deployed a couple weeks later for 7 months. When I returned home Afghanistan was in US control.

[Doc X]

I was working 3rd shift at the time. I had gotten home from work the morning of the 11th and as usual was watching some History Channel before bed. The wife called and told me to turn on the news. I did, just in time to see the second plane hit. I didn't get much sleep that day.

[Doc Shapiro]

Home.  Waiting for the impending birth of our son.  He turns 20 at 1:59am on the 12th.

[Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795]

When our shift came in on the 12th, there was an  EXTREMELY large American flag hanging from the rafters close to our department's office.

[DocWard]

Like many others, I believe I actually suffer from post traumatic stress from that day. I can still close my eyes and vividly recall the events of the day.

I was in my office when one of the clerical workers leaned her head in the door to say an airplane had crashed into one of the towers. Like others, I thought to myself such things had happened before, and thought someone in a Cessna or something of the kind. A short time later Arlene stuck her head in my door again, a look of shock on her face, and told me the other tower had been hit. I will admit, I was numb with disbelief, but I called my boss and told him I was leaving for the day and I was going to contact my unit.

By the time I got home and got the TV on, I saw the first images of the Pentagon being hit filter out as I called my wife to tell her I was going to call my National Guard unit, and that if they needed me, I was going, and I loved her. I spent the next forty five minutes getting a busy signal as I watched the first tower fall. When I finally got through, to say I wanted to volunteer, SFC Ware said simply. "You're on the list," and hung up. It turned out that around 95% of my unit made the same call that day, and all of the medics.

As I pulled out my gear, I sat going through it and watching the TV, hearing about the plane crashing in Pennsylvania. The news turned to outside the Pentagon and the chaos there, and there was a roar overhead that the cameras tried to follow, and then it went to men and women looking up, and I heard a Colonel say "My God, we're flying a CAP over the Pentagon." As I sat watching in shock and rage, I know tears ran down my cheeks on more than one occasion. That was a startling revelation to me though. Then the second tower came down

Many know my house sits about 9 miles or so as the crow flies from the end of the main runway to Wright-Patterson AFB. It isn't uncommon for all sorts of heavy traffic to fly over my house, for me to watch as it goes in for landing, or as they work the pattern just far enough out to see. On this day, though, I saw a sight I had never seen before. I watched as a massive aircraft banked hard, harder than a plane its size had a right to and stay in the air, doing a fast short approach to land at Wright-Patt. As it leveled out... It isn't being melodramatic to say my blood ran cold as I realized it was an E4-B Nightwatch, or what then I only knew of as a "Doomsday Plane." That is when I knew, with all certainty, that everything had changed.

 

Like most everyone, I remember watching the doctors and nurses waiting, watching for patients that would never come, hoping against hope they would. I remember sitting and waiting for a phone call telling me to come and be of help, realizing there wasn't going to be a call. I remember calling one of my fraternity brothers who lived in New Jersey and worked in New York to check on him. He told me he was fine, but his wife was sitting on a runway at JFK, and unable to get off the flight. I remember the sonic booms of F-16s clearing airspace ahead of Air Force One that afternoon, and the panicked calls to the media from those who heard them. I remember going outside and looking up for the next couple days, used to seeing contrails and the dots of airplanes moving overhead, sometimes as many as 8-10 at a time, and seeing nothing but painfully blue sky.

For me, the important thing is, even though I am blinking back tears as I write this, and reliving it, I remember.

[Subdeacon Joe]

I was in bed, reading the paper and waiting for the coffee to perk.  Had on the morning news/talk on KSRO. Heard that a plane had hit one of the towers, this was at maybe 0550 Pacific Time.  No other deatails given at that time.  I figured that some light aircraft had FUBARed and screwed the pooch.

 

Went out, turned on the morning news and got a cup of coffee.

 

Looked at the TV and yelled back to my wife to come out and see.  Stunned.  Gobsmacked.  Knew it wasn't an accident. 

 

Saw the 2nd one hit.

 

Sick to my stomach.  Left for work.  Just before I got there heard that the tower had collapsed. 

 

When I heard that Bush was flying out of FL my first thought was, "OH CHRIST!  They've flushed him like a pheasant!" and I KNEW that someone was waiting with a SAM or some aircraft or something to shoot down Air Force One. 

 

That whole day at work was a daze.  We were all expecting to hear of attacks in Chicago, or Los Angeles, or San Francisco, or Seattle.

The next few days were surreal, NO aircraft sounds at all, well, the 2nd day heard and saw a couple of F-15s going somewhere. Fast.

On that subject:
 

Pacific Coast Air Museum

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The morning of September 11th, 2001, was one no American should ever forget. Our country was attacked by foreign terrorists who penetrated our defenses and killed almost 5,000 men, women, and children in an unprovoked attack. This attack was carried out using American commercial aircraft. It is the Pacific Coast Air Museum’s honor and privilege to have the F-15A Eagle First Responder. This aircraft was the first fighter to arrive over Manhattan following the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York City. We ask you to take a moment to remember, to consider the loss of lives, and to offer thoughts for the nation and its citizens on this most momentous day.

This F-15 started the day on a routine training mission for the 101 Fighter Squadron at Otis Air Nation Guard Base in Massachusetts and was diverted by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to New York City. It arrived only minutes after the hijacked commercial aircraft hit both towers, and although it could not stop the attack, the sight of American’s premier fighters, fully armed and ready to defend against further attack was a huge relief to the terribly shaken New Yorkers and the rest of the country who were watching the unfolding horror on live television.

Come stand beside this impressive jet. Put your hand on the aircraft’s smooth metal skin and feel its powerful lines. Look down the cavernous engine intakes with their unique shape and look at the impressive size of this magnificent plane. Its size, its speed, and its history make this F-15A a unique national treasure. Its role in defense of the country makes it a hero and its position in Pacific Coast Air Museum makes it a beloved piece of local and national history.

 

 

 

 

[DocWard]

@Subdeacon JoeThat reminds me of this:

 

https://www.militarytimes.com/2016/09/11/this-is-the-story-of-heather-lucky-penney-who-was-asked-to-do-the-unthinkable-on-9-11/

 

Quote

Their mission was simple but sobering: Find the airliner and take it down by any means necessary. Since there had been no time to arm their F-16s, that essentially meant they would be flying a kamikaze mission, ramming their jets into the airliner. "I'm going to go for the cockpit," Sass told her. "I'll take the tail," Lucky replied. 

 

[Cypress Sun]

Some of the posts here reminded me of this. At the time of the attacks, I lived in Clearwater. I didn't live close to the St. Pete/Clearwater Airport but for some reason the commercial aircraft would pass over my house in a sweeping left turn to land at the airport. I knew there wasn't any airplanes flying but it really didn't strike home until the day after...no airplanes flying at all over the house, just seemed weird. The next plane that flew over my house was a 737 going the opposite way they normally do and it was low, scary low. 

[Amigo]

I was assigned to the System Engineering Directorate of the National Missile Defense Joint Program Office in Crystal City, Virginia. I had told my wife the night before I was going to get a haircut that day: I regularly had my hair cut at the Pentagon. When I arrived at work that morning, I remembered there was a System Engineering Review board I needed to attend (I wasn't presenting, but I was expected to attend), so I scrapped my plans for my morning haircut and went to the meeting. This was a classified meeting and there should not have been any phones or Blackberry devices in that meeting, but two or three of these things had made a sound at one point. The System Engineer then said we were going to stop for a break at that point and that there appeared to have been a plane that collided with the World Trade Center. I went out of the meeting room, picked up my Blackberry from the box and walked up to the north window of that room as I turned it on as I was going to call my Wife and wanted to get a good signal. Just as I approached the window, a loud explosion shook the building. I could see a large plume of black smoke in the direction of the Pentagon and my first thoughts were of a car/truck bomb. Several of us found a break room with a television and saw the news reports about a plane that had apparently crashed into the World Trade Center. As we watched the reporting, that second plane hit the World Trade Center and my immediate thoughts were War. The news of an explosion at the Pentagon came on the television shortly after that. We watched the news for the better part of an hour before leaving that building. I had tried to call my Wife, but the phone lines were all busy. At one point, I did see a voicemail message pop up and I eventually was able to get access to the voicemail message...it was my Wife, saying that my Aunt had contacted her to tell her to turn on the news. My Wife knew I had planned to go to the Pentagon that morning for a haircut and she was in tears. Caught up in the moment, she forgot to hang up the phone and I wanted to get through that voicemail in case there was another one...well, that voicemail went for the better part of 20 minutes as I had to listen to my Wife cry and fret in the background. It was another 90 minutes before I was able to get a call through to my Wife. Everything was shutting down and we were sent home. The Metro line was shut down, so I started walking north to the Pentagon. Was going to donate blood, but found out I was on the Army's Mad Cow list and my blood is no good anymore. I eventually walked far enough north along the Metro line to get a train back to Vienna, Virginia and got home about 4:30 PM that afternoon. 

[watab kid]

sitting in my office , going through the days schedule and enjoying the beautiful morning developing out the window - i always had the TV on national news and the radio on local news , the first report almost sounded like a hoax or a joke , saying it was a small plane i thought it might have been a small incident but then the cameras were focusing in on what had occurred , it was obvious it was no small plane and we started discussing the likelihood of it coming down before the 2nd plane hit , 

 

it was interesting how fast the lines at the gas stations formed and how quickly the grocery stores got busy - mast were saying terrorism long before the news media did ,   

 

i suspect much was like in my parents days of dec 7 , 42 but we actually knew about it in real time , 

[DeaconKC]

I was a Field Parole Agent at the time of the attack. My wife called and told me to turn on the news as I was getting ready for the Evening shift at work. I watched the second plane hit the tower and packed a bag for three days and put an unauthorized rifle in the trunk of my cruiser. While working that day the gas line panic had hit, so I gassed up at the nearest State Police facility. Even my parolees were in shock on that day. On the way home I called the local radio station and requested a song to be played, dedicated to the terrorists. The announcer was dumbfounded until I told him to play Charlie Daniel's "In America". He yelled out "Hell Yeah!" and put it right on.

[Blackwater 53393]

I was on stage the night of the attack!  We had a regular Tuesday night gig at the time. There were some tears and a lot of flag waving during the show.  The turnout was light, but those in attendance were resolved to go forward, aiming to get through it and make those responsible wish they’d never heard of the USA!!

 

The next night, people filled the parking lot at a “Bike Night" gig that we did weekly!!  By this time, there were many more people pissed off and the military guys were either already gone, or were “set on go” for some payback!!

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I was living in Ontario, CA. with my wife.  I was getting ready for work when my son called to tell me the news.

[JP McLintock]

Gwatney chevrolet in jacksonville arkansas, we watched the news coverage on the tv in the customer lounge, my wife was stationed at little rock afb, 314th airlift wing, we lived on the base, going home that night made the events of the day even more real, it took 2 hours to get through the gate, full alert meant complete vehicle searches, and armed guards. 

[Subdeacon Joe]

9 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

was on stage the night of the attack!  We had a regular Tuesday night gig at the time.

 

Our parish was just about prepared for our Fall International Food Fair the upcoming weekend.  Lots of phone calls and discussion about whether we should go on or cancel.   My comment was," If we cancel they have won.". We ended up putting it on.  Every member of the clergy was available to talk with people if they needed to talk.  Heck, every member was available.  Both churches were open for people to just go in and stand or sit and pray/meditate/grieve.  The smell of years of incense and beeswax is very conducive to that.

 

We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of gratitude, people thanking us for giving them an island of calm.

 

 

[Clay Mosby]

I was just getting up to get ready for work. When I got there we had a TV on in the break room and watched the towers fall. Shortly after that our director of engineering, a South African, told us, "it's bad, but you all must get back to work."

 

No one accomplished much that day.

[Dead Eye Jake]

At home eating breakfast getting ready to attend the funeral of an older friend.  Had the TV on and saw the second plane hit.  Unbelievable day to say the least. 

[Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L]

We were two days into a ten day Baltic cruise. Left Dover England late Saturday,  faced the worst seas ever going up the North Sea to the Kiel Canal. Lots of injuries,  sea sickness, and damage. Docked Tuesday morning in Warnermunde, Germany. We had booked an all day Shore Excursion to Berlin. Train from port to Berlin . Bus tour around the city with a ship's escort. Got back on the bus after visiting the Allied Museum. The bus driver was listening intently to the radio and some passengers seemed stressed. Of course all in German. After all passengers had boarded the ships hostess made the announcement that America had been attacked and the World Trade Center was gone. Gone, what does she mean? We all looked at each other, puzzled. 

When we arrived at the train station to return to the ship, it was wall to wall with police and military . Returned safely to the ship, all media was tuned to the attack. Finally saw what we were told. Horrific. Lots of passengers from New York/Manhatten.  Given free calls to check on family. 

The rest of the trip was somber to say the least. Each new port had bands to greet the ship playing American patriotic music. Nice. Flew home from Amsterdam as airports had begun reopening by then. Diverted to Edmonton Canada as a suspicious item was found on the plane. Unloaded on the tarmac. Plane cleared, made it home to LAX. 

Back to work at John Wayne Airport (Orange County Sheriff's Sergeant), life was never again the same.