19 replies to this topic

[folsom500]

I was planning on putting this up later but Camay's post on the flag flying on 9/11 prompted me to do it today...

I will post my own situation tomorrow as my day is coming to an end...

... But what would be interesting to know on this 10 year after 9/11/2001 is what do you remember of that day - how did you hear and when and if it has- how has it affected your life ( other then the airport ) What images are still embedded in your mind...

I was for some reason profoundly affected and it actually changed the course of my life... More later

Tell us your thoughts...

Never Forget

F500

[john]

I was at work, oblivious something was going on until 9am. I think it changed the world for sure, but didn't have a profound impact on me, other than securing my patriotism. There's the obvious grief we all went through, but all in all I don't know if it changed the course of my life personally.

[doj_gal]

Such a good topic. This day was such a huge life experience for me.
I was 19 and in basic training for the US Army in South Carolina.

On or about August 13th, we had a battalion wide meeting with our commander
and nco staff. They were very upset with the level of proffesionalism our group was showing. One NCO in particular stated..."We could be at war a month from now and the way your group is acting will cause many casulties."

This of course wasn't addressed to me...I was the perfect soldier.(<--ha) But I did take the training seriously. It was a very important speech and re-afirmed my decision to join the military.

Fast forward to September 11th. It was the week of our graduation from basic training. which was scheduled on September 13th. We just finished our 3 day Victory combat training trip. I was in sick call because I had a medical issue that had been persistant for the entire time I was at basic.

The nurses and medical staff were running around frantically. When we were allowed to see the t.v. briefly I thought that they were playing a trick or that this was a part of the training. It was not until the following day when it began to sink in. From that point forward all military bases were on high alert and a sense of unrest was in the air.

To this day I can remember the fog that was around our graduation and the sense that my military career was going to be much more difficult than I could ever have imagined.

[Harold]

My wife woke me up, to show me what was on the news. I watched a little, saw the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower, Then I knew this wasn't a tragic accident. A few minutes later, I proceeded with my normal shower & etc AM routine to get ready for work. I went to work and me and most of my co-workers spent the majority of the day watching the news at work. Not a very productive day. I was saddened by the unjustifiable loss of life. But all in all, other than airport security, it hasn't really had a direct impact upon my life. It's hard to quantify the indirect impacts caused by the prolonged war in Afghanistan & Iraq. I don't know of anyone personally that has had a death in the family as a result of 9-11 or as a result of our soldiers dying in these wars, but I feel for all who are directly impacted.

[Folsom Guy]

I returned home from my morning walk and saw the message light blinking on the phone....I played it and was a message for my wife frome her friend in North East - asking my wife to turn on the TV. Must have been around 6.30 am. I turned it on...I came late to the office...rumors about the 4th plane flew thick and fast...complete disbelief, shock, anger and sadness among the colleagues. Called a few friends who I knew worked in the area. Lines were all jammed. Later on, was able to talk to an old friend who actually worked in one of the buildings that collapsed...he overslept that day and was running late. His bus got stopped at the bridge...he saw the building collapse from the bus....some of my collegaues on biz travel got stuck wherever they were...it was one heckuva week or so, to say the least.

[folsom500]

Ok here is my story - I got up early ( 3 am ) as I normally did as I had started my own business a few months earlier and had a lot of international customers. I did not have my TV on next to my desk at home as usual as I was on the phone from 3:30 to 5am to the UK and France... My kids got up for school and turned on the TV for cartoons. The kids across the street came over( my ex took them to school with ours) and said to turn on the news... it was just after the first strike on the towers and then I watched in an altered state at the live video of the second strike and then the rest of the day... I do not know why it affected me so - but I was in a stupor that day with the non stop coverage and then for many days after.. images , photos, video and first hand accounts--- I just needed to see more and more and I was obsessed and very emotionally connected to what happened.. I eventually found out that a couple of my friends had been at ground Zero - one died and the other made it out..
I cried for the losses and for America that day and many others after that.. and then each year for many years... Photos and Video were burned in my Mental Hard Drive.. and they last to this day...it is hard to look at the videos and photos even now that I have gotten pretty much over the annual 9/11 in that last couple of years.

We put up a 25 ft flag pole with a 4ftx 6ft US flag on it a day after 9/11 and my 9 year old son had a lemonade stand out in front for many weekends for donations for red Cross ( his idea)

I know that it was this day that changed my life forever -- I was separated from my wife within 3 months ( and very sorry for the kids) as I had to get my own life back and 9/11 was the signal that after 18 years in a bad marriage I needed to change for the good of ME ... a year later I came out as a gay man - never even considered that before... as again I was not allowed my own being within the marriage... I became very outspoken in many areas and found my voice with relation my social being - often in politics but almost every other venue that one can imagine... I heard the music again ...

I could talk to neighbors and people I did not know - as before I would hide in the garage... and I opened my arms and my heart again...

I would close my Business each year on 9/11 and would send out memorial emails to friends and business associates...

And there is so much more --- Yes 9/11 really affected me and the results after 10 years are still going on .. .

As we Approach the 10 years after- NEVER FORGET ....

With regards and memory for all that died and were affected..
F500

[tsukiji]

I was scheduled to travel on 9/12 as I watched in disbelief the events that unfolded over television. It seemed like a movie. My mind didn't accept it was really happening. It was just an odd feeling. Flights started to open back up a couple of days later and off I went through eerily quite airports.

Since then, I don't feel like my life has directly changed other than through the effects 9/11 has had on our (global) economy. I feel the change most directly whenever I fly -- it's the most @#%$@# frustrating experience. I feel like it's a show to the world how inept we can really be, and how rude we can be to fellow humans. And I hope it doesn't turn out that we're all still watching the 'last shiny object' that hit us in the head when a 'new shiny object' smacks us in the face.

Although my life hasn't change, I have newly refreshed respect of our brothers and sisters in the military. God bless their sacrifices.

[rpo]

Ok here is my story - I got up early ( 3 am ) as I normally did as I had started my own business a few months earlier and had a lot of international customers. I did not have my TV on next to my desk at home as usual as I was on the phone from 3:30 to 5am to the UK and France... My kids got up for school and turned on the TV for cartoons. The kids across the street came over( my ex took them to school with ours) and said to turn on the news... it was just after the first strike on the towers and then I watched in an altered state at the live video of the second strike and then the rest of the day... I do not know why it affected me so - but I was in a stupor that day with the non stop coverage and then for many days after.. images , photos, video and first hand accounts--- I just needed to see more and more and I was obsessed and very emotionally connected to what happened.. I eventually found out that a couple of my friends had been at ground Zero - one died and the other made it out..
I cried for the losses and for America that day and many others after that.. and then each year for many years... Photos and Video were burned in my Mental Hard Drive.. and they last to this day...it is hard to look at the videos and photos even now that I have gotten pretty much over the annual 9/11 in that last couple of years.

We put up a 25 ft flag pole with a 4ftx 6ft US flag on it a day after 9/11 and my 9 year old son had a lemonade stand out in front for many weekends for donations for red Cross ( his idea)

I know that it was this day that changed my life forever -- I was separated from my wife within 3 months ( and very sorry for the kids) as I had to get my own life back and 9/11 was the signal that after 18 years in a bad marriage I needed to change for the good of ME ... a year later I came out as a gay man - never even considered that before... as again I was not allowed my own being within the marriage... I became very outspoken in many areas and found my voice with relation my social being - often in politics but almost every other venue that one can imagine... I heard the music again ...

I could talk to neighbors and people I did not know - as before I would hide in the garage... and I opened my arms and my heart again...

I would close my Business each year on 9/11 and would send out memorial emails to friends and business associates...

And there is so much more --- Yes 9/11 really affected me and the results after 10 years are still going on .. .

As we Approach the 10 years after- NEVER FORGET ....

With regards and memory for all that died and were affected..
F500

Wow....amazing story. Thanks for sharing.

[SunshineServices]

I can't wait for 9/12.

[U2FORME]

When the first plane hit the World Trade Center tower, I was in a Super Shuttle van on my way to Sacramento Intl Airport. My final destination was to be Saudi Arabia (the home country of most of the hijackers – how's that for irony?) where I was to spend the next two months. I was working for Lockheed Martin as a contractor in the U-2 program at Beale AFB and we had planes flying out of Prince Sultan Airbase, keeping an eye on Iraq. Since the radio had been turned off in the van, I had no idea of what had happened. When I arrived at the United terminal, something out of the ordinary seemed to be going on but I didn't know what.

After several minutes in the check-in line, one of the ticket agents started waving her hands over her head and said in a loud voice that until further notice, all flights were cancelled and anyone who had already checked in baggage would have it returned, and that soon the CHP would block the entrance to the airport to all civilian traffic. With a stunned look on my face I turned around and asked the woman behind me if she knew what was going on. She told me about the two planes crashing into the WTC and I was in disbelief. After a moment, I walked out of the terminal and to the Super Shuttle kiosk. The agent there said that the CHP had already closed off the main airport entry from the freeway and would soon close any others but vans were still “sneaking in” through a back way and I should be able to get a ride home. As it turned out, I did and the other entrance was closed to traffic soon after we left the airport.

The next day, I reported to work at Beale, and what was usually a 30 second process to get past the security gate on the base turned into a 90 minute wait as everyone entering the base was getting his or her car searched and ID's were being closely scrutinized. Since there was to be no flying for a while, we spent the day watching events unfold on the tv and seeing those people being killed brought tears to my eyes. The guy that I was to replace had already boarded a Lufthansa connecting flight out of Frankfurt on 9/11, heading to San Francisco. He got half way across the Atlantic when his plane was turned around and not having sufficient parking space in Frankfurt, his plane landed in Leipzig, which less than 2 years before had been in East Germany. He was stuck there for around a week and was very unhappy. That's certainly one day I'll never forget.

[Soonerborn]

I woke up every morning and turned on the news as I always did, only to stare in disbelief as I watched a plane crash into the twin towers. I looked outside my window and I asked myself if this was really happening. I went to work and spent the entire day reassuring my 1st/2nd grade students that we would keep them safe. This followed the senseless murders of a few of our students, just days before, by their uncle right down the street from our school. I called my fiance and told her to turn on the news immediately and told her something major was happening.

As the day continued on, my dad and I drove down Sunrise, which was completely empty, to pick up my wife's soon to be wedding ring (September 15th) and KNCI played Lee Greenwoods' God Bless the USA. My dad, a proud Air Force vet of 24 years, looked over to me and we both lost it. We've always loved this song, but never had the song meant so much to my father and I. We later found out that day that my aunt, who worked in the Pentagon, was fortunate to be just to the side of where the plane went into the Pentagon. To this day I fly our flag daily to honor those who have lost lives for our freedom and this will not change.

My life changed in a weird, positive way after this. As my wife and I got married a few days after this, I looked around at our guests sobbing as we prayed for those who had lost their lives and for those who were affected by this senseless tragedy. Looking around I realized that every single person was there, not because of a free meal and a party, but because they truely cared for us. Several guests went through extraordinary measures to make it to our wedding and I am blessed because of it.

Each year I talk with my students about how many people have made sacrifices to ensure the freedom of our country and I hope that they will in turn spread this message to others as well.

God Bless America and REMEMBER TO NEVER FORGET!!!!!!

[camay2327]

A great story about a true Hero.

From Yahoo news.


A family remembers: Hero of 9/11 gave life to save thousands

He's been called a "prophet" for being so ready for the attacks, "the Man Who Predicted 9/11" in a History Channel special, and a true American hero by countless others.

As tragic as the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, was, the sky-blue day still held unexpected miracles, and Richard "Rick" Rescorla was at the center of one of the greatest -- the evacuation of financial-services behemoth Morgan Stanley.


// go to the below website for the story //

http://news.yahoo.co...-thousands.html

[ducky]

Awesome photo on the home page, John.

[s0479]

As with many others I was at home getting ready for work. My ex-husband (we were married when 9/11 happened) was in the reserves and said that morning that we were under attack and he would get called to active duty. He was right, 2 months later he was activated and a month after that he had left. He was gone on and off for a year. Definitely a year of change for us and our 5 year old daughter.