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I woke and was exceptionally tired and drug out that day. I showered got in the car and headed to the job site. I drive along to work and normally I have talk radio on.
That morning I decided to be in silence, I never ever do that, I was driving along, heading into downtown LA.
I swtich on the radio, not really paying attention. After a few minutes, I notice that I hear slight mummoring, I don't really notice that there isn't any music or talking.
I start to pay closer attention..... The voices are full of conern.... saying things like this was out of the ordinary, things along that nature. I really start to listen at this point. I hear that a plan went down, the skies are unknown, the president is in Air Force one, there are fighter jets being dispatched.
I'm like WTF is going on???
I get to the jobsite and for some reason someone had a tv, the tv was on the news and there was about 15 people huddled around it.
The USA is being attacked!!!!
No one seems to know what is going on, there is a buzz and people are scared, people are concerened. It was was absolutely horrible. We watching the news and they are repeatedly showing the first plane crashing into the north tower.
Man, this is just a nightmare that can't seem to get worse.
Then it does, a newscaster announces that a plan went down in DC
While we are all watching and seeing the replay of the first plane crashing into the tower, we notice that a second plane veers into the south tower, we all at first think it might be a replay of the first tower crash.
It wasn't there was hugely loud scream as we all realized it was the second plane hitting the tower.
It was like a hell had it way on earth... I'll never forget the size and urgency of the screams around the people in that room...... a nightmare... I still can hear the people in that rooms voices and fear...
I'll never forget that day as long as I live.
Ever.
I'll also never ever forget the courage of the first responders of that day.
Heros, no, really men and women who actually ran towards the nightmare, these people are what gives me hope.
Hope.
Hope that humanity is alive and well and there was a lot of proof of that that day....
I have so much pride and thankfulness for our men and women in uniform.
I slept in that day. I heard the phone rang. I stayed in bed. The phone rang a second time. That wasn't good. I got up and it was Chowhound telling me what happened, and to turn on the TV.
It was surreal. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. They already had the footage of the first tower, and they kept playing it over and over. I couldn't assimilate all the emotions I was feeling into any kind of coherent thought.
When they showed the plane heading toward the second tower, I somehow thought it was a replay of the first one. When I realized what was happening, I audibly gasped. I was just standing in front of the TV and crying, helpless. I remember thinking that all I wanted was revenge, which was kind of scary. I thought we should move heaven and earth to find out who had done this. Good thing I didn't have access to the red button.
It's true what Chow said, the bravery and kindness, camaraderie, of the people that day was astounding, uplifting. I remember how stand-up comedians were talking about how the lessening of racism here came out of it, in the face of this new enemy (not their race, but that certain group with their beliefs). We all knew that would fade away, though.
An aside, I've heard of health problems with some of the workers who helped during that time, and that they're having trouble being compensated. I admit I don't know all the facts on this, but I sure hope they're not being kicked aside now that they sacrificed for the rest of us and are not needed in this situation anymore. That would be unthinkable.
I agree, I wish I had not seen that second plane go in, I remember thinking I had just seen many people die live on TV.
I heard the other day that the plane that went into the Pentagon actually circled and might have been destined for the capitol.
Prayers for all who perished and I could only hope to have a sliver of their courage.
I watched the events of that awful day here on TV. It was just one terrible thing after
the other, I felt numb. As the first tower collapsed, I was shouting at my TV "get out"
meaning the people in the second building. I just had this awful feeling of helplessness
watching this. The day after, my newspaper had a photo someone had taken on a stair
case as they were going down to leave one of the towers. It was of a fireman coming up
the stairs, as everyone else was fleeing downwards. That said it all for me, we saw the worst
of people that day, but at the same time the best.
I was thinking about this today and I thought the people who did the deed must be happy to know we can't let our pain go... while we mourn our loss they rejoice... I don't know if we are better our worse as a country... I just take comfort in we all feel something and that knits us together in our humanity and makes the nation stronger. It is ironic the attack and the aftermath unites us, but our politics divided us.
I was in NYC a year after 9/11. My wife and I had gone for a weeks holiday. My wife had never visited America before. We did all the usual tourist things, Empire State building etc.
Near our hotel was a fire house. We walked past it a few times, it had an open front so we
could see inside. I noticed on a wall some photos and a American flag, I knew what it must
be. The day before we went home, I excused myself, leaving my wife in the hotel. I
could'nt go home without paying my respects. This is not the sort of thing I do, we English
don't wear our hearts on our sleeves. I walked in the front of the firehouse, there was just
one young firefighter there. I went over to him and said "I had to come here to pay my
repects to those people in those photos on the wall, and to you, you and them are the
bravest of the brave". He gave me a big smile, and said "thank you." We shook hands and I
left.
I took it very very personally. We had a lot of anxious moments as we did know where our youngest son was. We finally got a call from him that he was OK. He had left the Pentagon only a few hours before the plane struck. Afterwards he was called to active duty the third time and served long shifts in the basement of the Pentagon. Doing what I'll never know and don't need to. One thing I know is that I will never ever forget who and why.....
I work with 1st responders so this hit home especially hard.
I was in my office which is normally very quiet. Somewhere a radio got turned on. No one really listens to it but it's nice to have some quiet tunes going. All of a sudden the music stops and we hear the report that a plane has it one of the towers. We, being a bit more hardened than others, responded as thus....
"Ya know...those towers are pretty big, you'd think they could miss it"...I swear that's what was said.
Out of morbid curiosity we found a TV (normally stored in a closet as we have no use for one on a daily basis) and turned to the news.
It was awful but there was still the thought in our minds that it was just a horrible accident. Then the 2nd plane hit...right in front of our eyes! The room went deathly quiet.
This was real. Someone hated us so badly that they would do something this horrific to innocent people. Then the news of the Pentagon and the PA field.
It truly was mind numbing.
Never in my lifetime had something of this magnatude happened in my country. Cowardice attacks were for other counties...not mine.
About an hour after the last plane crashed my phone rang. It had been strangely quiet all day. It was my husband, my BIL had been in a horrible accident at work. A forklift driver had driven over his feet crushing them.
God forgive me for this thought but it did go thru my head....."I have a tragedy here at home that I can take care of...now I don't have to dwell on what happened with those planes."
My BIL recovered...it was a hard road, but he did it and is fine today. I have no doubt that the country will recover also...but the rest of my opinion on that matter doesn't belong in Other Topics.
I still thank the good lord that I was born in the USA
Status:
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Having lost a family member of mine in a tragic way my heart goes out to the 911 families. The impact of a sudden and tragic death cuts deep and it's a wound that never completely heals. I personally feel that all the media coverage will bring back far too many bad memories for the family members who lost loved ones that day. For some, a rebirth of the site may offer some sense of closure for the death of their loved one. Whichever it may be my thoughts and prayers go out to the 911 victims families and to those who have lost their health because they were willing to run in when everyone else was running out. God Bless America!!
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