10 year anniversary of 9/11

[nkymuskie]

As every true American knows this Sunday is the 10 year anniversary of that terrible day in September that changed our great country forever and affected and continues to affect victims families and the service men and women's families.

Where were you that day? Did you know anyone affected? Any other comments/memories. Also please don't turn this into whether the war was just or not. This isn't the time for it.

[GoMuskies]

I was in law school. By the time I woke up, both planes had already hit. Spent the rest of the day watching TV like just about everyone else.

[nkymuskie]

I was in 5th grade in a little private school in Toledo. We were out at recess for lunch when I first heard about it from a friend whose mom was a playground lady. I thought it was a joke at first. Went home and watched as much coverage of it as my mom would let me. My dad had just flown into Boston a day or two before. We moved to New Hampshire a few weeks later. It was really interesting to move closer to the accident. I remember a few classmates had known people.

[drudy23]

Was at work in my office...remember trying all day to load CNN.com to my computer with no luck. Didn't see the videos until I got home that day.

[MD Muskie]

we were given the day off due to Father Graham's Inauguration Day. So most of the student body decided to party it up on that Monday night because well we knew of nothing better to do. Needless to say, I don't think any of the student body from that year will ever have a more sobering up experience.

[QueensbridgeMF]

under 7th ave going to work on 29th st when the first plane hit. I could see 1 tower smoking when I got off the subway and the 2nd plane hit after I got up to the office and realized what was happening.

[BBC 08]

Vivid memory of where I was when I heard. It was right before 2nd period, French class, my sophomore year of high school. Fellow student comes in, says a plan hit the towers. We didn't know what was going on but we turned on the tv and tried to find the news. We watched the news for a little bit then went back to learning.

The rest of the day is kind of a blur but I do remember a social studies teacher I had later in the day specifically didn't turn on the news during class because, and I quote, "That is what the terrorist want. They want to disrupt our daily lives. We won't give them that satisfaction." I get what he was saying but I really wish he let us watch the news, just because it was such a life changing moment.

[boozehound]

I was a Sophmore at Xavier. I woke up (hungover) around 11 to let the cable guy in. He wanted to know why we weren't watching the TV. I spent much of the rest of that day watching TV. I also remember people fist-fighting in line at the gas pumps that day.

[bobbiemcgee]

Had a small office in a office complex. Came in and made some coffee and flipped on the tube to check stock futures market with no sound yet. Thought I had the wrong channel and some horror movie was playing. Flipped around and same horror movie on every station. Finally turned up the sound and 20-30 people descended on my office from the complex (only tv there). We all stood there with our mouths open in silence. Will never forget that horrible, disgusting feeling when Tower 1 went down and everybody knew 2 was on the way.

[Muskie]

I was in law school. By the time I woke up, both planes had already hit. Spent the rest of the day watching TV like just about everyone else.

I was a 2L. I heard on the radio that a plane had hit the first tower (if you remember about a year before a small commuter plane has clipped the antenna of one of the towers) and didn't think much of it. I actually saw the coverage of the second plane hit (and heard a reporter who was calling in to a newsroom on air while it happened). I drove to class that morning... but the drive in and day were are a blur.

[Dblue]

I left XU that morning to attend a funeral for my great uncle. When I started my car I heard them talking about it on Howard Stern. I thought it was a joke so I flipped to another radio station to hear the line "and now there is a report of a full size jet liner hit the other tower."

I recieved news updates between each part of the funeral...driving from the funeral home to the church I heard about the pentagon...after mass on the way to the cemetary I heard about both towers collapsing...sometime after that I heard about the plane crash in a field in Pennsyvania.

Exactly seven years later I was blessed with the birth of my son which has made the day a day of memory and one of celebration.

[coasterville95]

I was also at work. I was in my office when a coworker came all excited asking me to put on the TV in the conference room (I had the key to the media rack). Got the TV on in perfect timing to see the second plane crash into the tower on a jumbo movie screen. Scarred for life!

I think we all sat there dumbstruck for about an hour or two watching it, then we tried to go back to work to use work as a distraction

Funny thing, the very next day our building had a regularly scheduled fire drill. In the heat of emotions, I have never seen the building empty so fast.

[mohr5150]

I had just taken my students to music or art class when I got the news of the first plane. I turned on the tv and saw the second plane crash into tower two. I had to make a decision as to whether I should have my fifth graders exposed to what was, undoubtedly, going to be a very bad day. My principal wasn't there, so I made the decision to let them watch for most of the rest of the day. I didn't feel like it was my right to take away a day of history from my students, no matter how awful it was going to be. We watched and discussed what was happening for the rest of the day. It was a very surreal day that I will never, ever forget. I also was able to look out my classroom window and see the UDF on the corner of Madison and Taylor change their gas prices by like $3 early in the afternoon. That was the last time gas was anywhere near $1 a gallon. It's hard to believe those students are now 21 years old. Good God, where does the time go?

[PM Thor]

I was putting on my suit, getting ready to go up to colerain townships council meeting in order to get sworn in and officially hired as a firefighter/EMT. When I heard a plane had hit one of the towers on the radio, I immediately thought of when a military plane had hit the empire state building 50 years ago. Then the second one hit as i stood in colerains main firehouse. Sufficed to say the meeting was cancelled.

Three days later I get a call from the CFD, offering me a position, they asked "Do you still want the job?" You know how I answered.

343.

[LadyMuskie]

I never listened to the radio in the morning on the way to work, but for some reason, that morning I turned it on just as I hit the Eden Park exit on I-71. My fiancee (who is now my hubby) was still at our apartment asleep because as someone else mentioned he had no classes that day for Father Graham's inauguration. So, I called and woke him up to turn on the t.v. to see what was happening. In the office we watched live as the second plane hit. It was terrifying and we all were shocked and started crying. Our office was across the street from the Federal Reserve Building downtown and that building emptied as if it had been the target of terrorism. I've never seen so many people exit a building so quickly. I really just wanted to go home because my bosses weren't there that day, but I decided to stay until after lunch and then left an hour early. It just felt like we should all be with our families.

I remember how eerie it was to not hear airplanes flying overhead, and I remember the first day the planes were allowed back in the air a plane flew over downtown Cincinnati and everyone on the street stopped and watched just in case. The world has never been the same before that's for sure. And the few times I have boarded a plane since 9/11, I've looked and studied (and noticed my fellow passengers looking and studying) every single person who boards the plane. In my opinion, a terrorist might kill me and everyone on board, but they're not going to take down another building and kill thousands of people if I can help it.

[DC Muskie]

At work at the Kennedy Center, just across the Potomac from the Pentagon.

Began the day by reading on the web that a plane flew in the World Trade Center. Went into another office where the TV was on and when the second plane hit I thought it was a replay of the first.

Went into another office where my old boss asked me what I thought was going to happen to the people who were in the offices above where the plane hit. I said they most likely would die, unless they were able to put out the fire in time.

Right at that moment another person walked in and said a bomb went off in the Pentagon. Minutes later one the VP's raced down the hall screaming for everyone to get out. You could hear jets flying over the building. As I gathered my things my phone rang, my friend from grade school called to ask me if I was alright. Told him I was fine, but could he call my mom to tell her I was okay.

Walked out and looked back and saw the smoke rising up from the Pentagon. Couldn't use cell phones and walked home.

I'll never forget how beautiful that day was.

It was months before I would go by the Pentagon. My brother lost his former boss at Pentagon who I had met a few years before. She was a cool lady.

[QueensbridgeMF]

At work at the Kennedy Center, just across the Potomac from the Pentagon.

Began the day by reading on the web that a plane flew in the World Trade Center. Went into another office where the TV was on and when the second plane hit I thought it was a replay of the first.

Went into another office where my old boss asked me what I thought was going to happen to the people who were in the offices above where the plane hit. I said they most likely would die, unless they were able to put out the fire in time.

Right at that moment another person walked in and said a bomb went off in the Pentagon. Minutes later one the VP's raced down the hall screaming for everyone to get out. You could hear jets flying over the building. As I gathered my things my phone rang, my friend from grade school called to ask me if I was alright. Told him I was fine, but could he call my mom to tell her I was okay.

Walked out and looked back and saw the smoke rising up from the Pentagon. Couldn't use cell phones and walked home.

I'll never forget how beautiful that day was.

It was months before I would go by the Pentagon. My brother lost his former boss at Pentagon who I had met a few years before. She was a cool lady.

it was a beautiful day, eerily.

Also another vivid memory, upon being sent home from work I decided to walk to a friends house on the upper east side since I lived in Brooklyn and I figured it was safer than walking over one of the east river bridges, in a bit of a daze on the way up there I unwittingly walked right past the empire state building after it was evacuated, I remember realizing as I walked past across the street and thinking what the hell am I doing? and kind of half laughing at myself.

[Jumpy]

I was driving to work and listening to Howard Stern. when I got in the car, the first plane had already hit and they were talking about it. the second plane hit when I was still in the car and they were going nuts talking about certain terrorism (which they were right).

I stayed at work that day, then went to my parent's house to talk to my dad. We decided to go up to St. James White Oak where they were having a special evening mass/prayer service. There have been very few days in my life that were as emotionally charged as that one.

On a side note, has anyone been watching the documentary of the rebuilding of the World Trade Center called Rising on Discovery/Science Channel? It's a really cool inside view on the rebuilding process and details the lives of several people working on the project that have dedicated themselves to the rebuilding project as they lost immediate family members in the tragedy.

I'm also very impressed with the amount of thought and detail that has gone into the design and building of the memorial. From the two largest man-made fountains that sit in the exact footprint of the original towers to the placement of names on the memorial plaques surrounding the fountains to show the relationships between the victims. Not to mention that the plaques have their own HVAC system so that no matter the time of year, they are always warm to the touch. Every detail has meaning and every detail honors those lost. Simply amazing.

[JEHARDI]

I was walking into the Philly airport as the 1st plane hit, by the time I got to my gate the 2nd plane had hit and people were quickly scattering.
I was flying to Chicago for business and at the same time we were in the process of moving from Philly to Cincy and the movers had just finished packing up that morning and my wife was making the drive to Cincy. Saddest and most bizarre day of my life, had no home to go to my family was enroute to Cincy; I went back to work for a few hours then got in the car and started driving to Cincy.
Tragically, Helen Crossin an '89 grad who was pregnant and working for Cantor Fitzgerald died @ the WTC that day.
I am in NYC as we speak staying at the World Center Hotel, my window looks out into a gaping hole where one of the new buildings will arise and the garden memorial just beyond that; progress is being made but there is a long way to go still in the rebuiling of the site.

[powerofX]

I was walking to work in NYC as the first plane hit. Was huddled around a TV in my office as numbr 2 came crashing in...looking out the window and seeing the smoke rising downtown My office was right by the UN and also contained Hillary Clinton's senatorial office, so the scene was pretty chaotic with police/secret service. I remember walking down the 39 flights of stairs as my building was being evacuated. As for what happened right after that, I posted my experience in another thread awhile back:



Seeing the second plane hit. Spending anxious hours with a co-worker waiting to hear if his brother was alive (he was a first responder with NYPD). Evacuating to the north part of the island. Having the national guard point a gun at me as I accidentally broke a perimeter around the empire state building on my way to the PATH train station to New Jersey.

Later, seeing all the "Missing" signs loved ones taped up at the PATH station - The Path train from Hoboken had two lines...one to midtown and one to WTC. Commuting on the train and noticing how the station in the morning was now half as populated...and wondering if those folks I used to see everyday were not there because the line to WTC was shut down or if they were actually gone. Being evacuated from NYC subways at least a few times a week for about a month because of bomb scares..never knowing if they were real or hoaxes.

[vee4xu]

I was in NYC chairing an industry conference at the Park Hotel at 61st Street and Park Avenue. The whole thing was surreal. Have told my 9/11 story before on this forum so won't repeat it. Way too long. However, the most surreal thing was sitting at a table with George Steinbrenner, his body guard and several folks from my conference for several hours that afternoon. Was lucky enough to rent a vehicle at Hertz at 48th Street and Third Avenue the next morning and drove back to Ohio. Another long story involved with that. One of my most memorable moments that day was returning to my hotel room at 11 p.m. on the night of 9/11 and bawling uncontrollably feeling heartsick about all who had died and for all of us would forever be affected by this tragic event.

[MD Muskie]

As I mentioned earlier it was a very sobering day for a lot of us on campus, for me it was damn near horror experience. My sister was employeed by a company that worked in one of the two towers, not sure which one though. Through out the day, like most of us would learn, we could not connect phone calls because so many people were making calls that day to see what was happening. Thankfully early on I was told by my mother that my sister was actually outside on the veranda of the American Express Building with another co-worker. So at the time of the planes hitting the buildings I knew she was okay. She actually wanted to go back to her office but security and NYPD and NYFD would not allow her (THANK YOU GOD). For the rest of the day I knew nothing else about her unitl that evening. When the towers fell she was safely a few blocks away but was still covered in ashes and debris from the towers. The emergency crews started telling people to head toward the East River and take the ferries off of Manhattan. As she got near the ferries, and the last one that was supposed to leave, another EMT saw her shocked and confused, and told the boat she would be the last person on. Fortunately, she was able to meet up with her BF, now husband, on the other side of the river. I learned most of this near the end of that day. My roommates could all tell you how horrified I looked not being able to reach anyone. I tried to keep myself distracted but how could you that day. To be honest, watching the news with my roommates was better than staying in my room all alone because i didn't want my mind to continually think of the worst case scenerios. Thankfully for me, my family was able to have a happy ending that day that so many could not.

As this 10 year anniversary approaches, my sister has decided she wants nothing to do with the ceremonies because she really doesn't want to relive that day, so my parents and her husband are taking her to the Cape for a relaxing weekend away from all the news.

[Porkopolis]

I was in downtown Cleveland working as a grad assistant. When I walked out of my office into the departmental lobby there was a television set up that was not normally there. I arrived just in time to see the second plane hit the World Trade Center. I remember everyone walking around in a daze. I called my father in who was in a board room meeting and he put me on speaker phone to tell a room full of people what had happened; I'll never forget that as long as I live. As an aside, I called from a pay phone!

I also remember showing up at work to continue my day because I didn't know what else to do; one of my professor friends said "go home. We won't be here tomorrow, either." I was so thankful I had driven that day as I usually rode the RTA train. For whatever reason I was late and drove, which turned out to be a blessing because the RTA shut down due to running under several government buildings. Once I got home I watched news coverage all day and waited on my wife who was at work in Akron. She had to be in a room full of terrified school children all day and I did not envy her or her colleagues.

[XUglow]

I had a sales rep running around NYC that day, and he had a 1:00 meeting on 9/11 at the Windows on the World Restaurant. I still have a copy of that page of his day planner somewhere in my desk.

I was signing a lease for 5,000 square feet of office space at the time. My business tanked for about 8 or 9 months, but I never laid anyone off. No one had much to do, but laying people off would have been a victory for the bad guys. I sold tens of thousands of little American flags for Times Square that year, and I did a huge deal with a breakfast cereal company in Colombia in January. My business may not have survived if not for those 2 deals.

[An X Fan]

Senior year at Xavier. Set my clock radio alarm for 8:45 am since I was a site leader for Xavier's "Graham Day," as previously described, a day with no classes for service work and academic presentations. As I recall, around 8:50 am on 700 WLW, Brian Combs says there's a report of a plane hitting the World Trade Center in New York. Not long after the ABC News "breaking news" horn comes on, which still gives me chills, to talk about something going on in New York. I got up and turned on the tv news in our Village apartment. Of course we know now what happened, but it wasn't clear at all that morning. I watched the 2nd plane fly into the building. CNN showed that replay and didn't even see the plane hit the building - they were reporting on an explosion in the WTC. That video which everyone knows by now also gives me chills. I got my 3 roommates up and we watched together for a while.

I then tried to coordinate with appropriate people at Xavier whether the service day would continue and get the word out to appropriate people (it was cancelled). At some point I drove back to my parent's house in town to pick something up, listening to ABC News coverage in the car. They had someone on the line from Clarendon Boulevard in Arlington, VA reporting on smoke at the Pentagon. I lived in an apartment on Clarendon for a summer internship exactly a month prior. I remember Peter Jennings dumbfounded asking, "The whole building has collapsed?" I remember the clear blue sky, wondering if I'd see a plane go overhead and knowing what that meant.

700 WLW put together a minute by minute report of the day. It's chilling and tragic all over again, but it's amazingly done and worth a listen on this 10 year anniversary.

Listen to the September 11 Timeline (http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/30265/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/30265/1209/richmedia/9-11_Timeline_2010_edit.mp3) (I linked directly to the audio file)

[LyonsIsFlyin]

I had just taken my students to music or art class when I got the news of the first plane. I turned on the tv and saw the second plane crash into tower two. I had to make a decision as to whether I should have my fifth graders exposed to what was, undoubtedly, going to be a very bad day. My principal wasn't there, so I made the decision to let them watch for most of the rest of the day. I didn't feel like it was my right to take away a day of history from my students, no matter how awful it was going to be. We watched and discussed what was happening for the rest of the day. It was a very surreal day that I will never, ever forget. I also was able to look out my classroom window and see the UDF on the corner of Madison and Taylor change their gas prices by like $3 early in the afternoon. That was the last time gas was anywhere near $1 a gallon. It's hard to believe those students are now 21 years old. Good God, where does the time go?

I wish you had been my teacher. I was in 8th grade and they never told us anything. I remember the first period was interrupted by all the teachers being called to the office then the office windows being shut all day so no one could see the tv's, so obviously something was up but even though we kept at it all day, never said a thing. They even instructed our bus driver's not to tell us anything, so I didn't know anything until 4 pm. Needless to say I sat on my couch the rest of the day glued to my tv with shock.

[QueensbridgeMF]

I wish you had been my teacher. I was in 8th grade and they never told us anything. I remember the first period was interrupted by all the teachers being called to the office then the office windows being shut all day so no one could see the tv's, so obviously something was up but even though we kept at it all day, never said a thing. They even instructed our bus driver's not to tell us anything, so I didn't know anything until 4 pm. Needless to say I sat on my couch the rest of the day glued to my tv with shock.

When I was in 7th grade we had almost daily talks and videos of the the Gulf War (of the early 90's) in social studies class, do they still teach that class? I find it sad that a decade later you were shielded from this event when it was actually available in real time. Not in 8th grade.

[xnatic03]

Senior year at Xavier. Set my clock radio alarm for 8:45 am since I was a site leader for Xavier's "Graham Day," as previously described, a day with no classes for service work and academic presentations. As I recall, around 8:50 am on 700 WLW, Brian Combs says there's a report of a plane hitting the World Trade Center in New York. Not long after the ABC News "breaking news" horn comes on, which still gives me chills, to talk about something going on in New York. I got up and turned on the tv news in our Village apartment. Of course we know now what happened, but it wasn't clear at all that morning. I watched the 2nd plane fly into the building. CNN showed that replay and didn't even see the plane hit the building - they were reporting on an explosion in the WTC. That video which everyone knows by now also gives me chills. I got my 3 roommates up and we watched together for a while.

I then tried to coordinate with appropriate people at Xavier whether the service day would continue and get the word out to appropriate people (it was cancelled). At some point I drove back to my parent's house in town to pick something up, listening to ABC News coverage in the car. They had someone on the line from Clarendon Boulevard in Arlington, VA reporting on smoke at the Pentagon. I lived in an apartment on Clarendon for a summer internship exactly a month prior. I remember Peter Jennings dumbfounded asking, "The whole building has collapsed?" I remember the clear blue sky, wondering if I'd see a plane go overhead and knowing what that meant.

700 WLW put together a minute by minute report of the day. It's chilling and tragic all over again, but it's amazingly done and worth a listen on this 10 year anniversary.

Listen to the September 11 Timeline (http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/30265/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/30265/1209/richmedia/9-11_Timeline_2010_edit.mp3) (I linked directly to the audio file)

I too was in the Xavier Village that day. I was the first one in our apartment up and something told me to turn on the tv. I stood there dumbfounded as I watched the 2nd plane hit. I called my girlfriend (now wife) to tell her to turn on the tv. I remember going to work later that day and just being in shock.

[Snipe]

F-16 pilot was ready to give her life on Sept. 11 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/f-16-pilot-was-ready-to-give-her-life-on-sept-11/2011/09/06/gIQAMpcODK_story.html)


First of her kind

She was a rookie in the autumn of 2001, the first female F-16 pilot they’d ever had at the 121st Fighter Squadron of the D.C. Air National Guard. She had grown up smelling jet fuel. Her father flew jets in Vietnam and still races them. Penney got her pilot’s license when she was a literature major at Purdue. She planned to be a teacher. But during a graduate program in American studies, Congress opened up combat aviation to women and Penney was nearly first in line.

“I signed up immediately,” she says. “I wanted to be a fighter pilot like my dad.”

On that Tuesday, they had just finished two weeks of air combat training in Nevada. They were sitting around a briefing table when someone looked in to say a plane had hit the World Trade Center in New York. When it happened once, they assumed it was some yahoo in a Cesna. When it happened again, they knew it was war.

But the surprise was complete. In the monumental confusion of those first hours, it was impossible to get clear orders. Nothing was ready. The jets were still equipped with dummy bullets from the training mission.

As remarkable as it seems now, there were no armed aircraft standing by and no system in place to scramble them over Washington. Before that morning, all eyes were looking outward, still scanning the old Cold War threat paths for planes and missiles coming over the polar ice cap.

“There was no perceived threat at the time, especially one coming from the homeland like that,” says Col. George Degnon, vice commander of the 113th Wing at Andrews. “It was a little bit of a helpless feeling, but we did everything humanly possible to get the aircraft armed and in the air. It was amazing to see people react.”

Things are different today, *Degnon says. At least two “hot-cocked” planes are ready at all times, their pilots never more than yards from the cockpit.

A third plane hit the Pentagon, and almost at once came word that a fourth plane could be on the way, maybe more. The jets would be armed within an hour, but somebody had to fly now, weapons or no weapons.

“Lucky, you’re coming with me,” barked Col. Marc Sasseville.

They were gearing up in the pre-flight life-support area when Sasseville, struggling into his flight suit, met her eye.

“I’m going to go for the cockpit,” Sasseville said.

She replied without hesitating.

“I’ll take the tail.”

It was a plan. And a pact.

What an amazing story. It gave me goosebumps and brought a tear to my eye.

We didn't have one fighter plane loaded with ammo to defend our capitol pre-9/11. That is the sad change in the last 10 years. We lived in a cocoon before that day and didn't even feel the need to have a fighter plane loaded with ammo to defend our nation's capitol. Yes, this was a blunder, and yes we should have lived in more fear, but wasn't it great before all the fear and all the airport molestations?

Those were the days. 9/11 changed them forever.

What about those two kamikaze F-16 pilots? I read that to my wife, and she forwarded on to some friends. It will make a patriot cry.

We were at war again. We didn't even know against who, but the people who were killing thousands were on the march again and a fourth plane was in the air. They didn't have time to arm it, and two pilots embarked on a suicide mission to save the motherland.

Chills the spine.

Todd Beamer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Beamer) and crew saved those two pilots over Pennslyvania. United Airlines Flight 93 was 20 minutes from the capitol went it went down in a field in PA. And while it was going down two F-16 pilots were on a suicide mission and screaming toward it, willing to give their lives for God, Flag and Country. When Heather “Lucky” Penney looks at her children and prays at night, I bet Todd Beamer is first on the list.

[Fireball]

I was with my girlfriend (now wife) on vacation in Myrtle Beach. She got a call from here sister telling her to turn the TV on, and I was just about to complain about her sister calling and waking us up while we were on vacation when she did turn the TV on and I saw what was going on.

We stayed glued to the TV most of that morning, and it was about 2 in the afternoon when we finally decided that we needed to get going somewhere. Everywhere we went, the TV's were tuned to the news coverage. Also, if you've ever been to Myrtle Beach, there is always activity on and above the water: para-sailors, planes and boats with advertisements, stuff like that. For the rest of the week, nothing. Having vacationed Myrtle Beach since I was a kid and being used to that, that was just eerie.

Then a few days later we ate at Damon's on the ocean, and I saw the only activity I'd seen in the air since the attacks: three blackhawk helicopters patrolling the coastline. Along with the towers coming down, that's an image that I'll never forget, since it was a strong reminder of the fact that our country was now at war.

[SixFig]

Lived in Albany, NY which is a few hours north of NYC. I was a freshman in high school. I was in orchestra class when they announced over the loudspeaker that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I assumed it was a tiny Cessna-type plane and didn't think about it too much. During English next period, they announced a second plane had hit the WTC. At that point it was obvious something terrible was up. I never saw the towers fall down live. From class to class we would either watch the tv or talk about it.

My aunt worked in the lower east side a few blocks away from the towers so I was worried about her. They announced counseling for students with relatives in NYC (quite a few) if needed, but I didn't go. Everything turned out all right for her.

My social studies teacher wanted us to write a reflection paper about it that night, but I could barely concentrate. I felt a mixture of sadness and horror and especially anger. If I had been old enough, I probably would have enlisted the next day.

The most horrifying thing to me (to this day) is the people who committed suicide by jumping. I can't imagine the choice between falling 70 stories or burning to death. Even though it is a sin, I might have chosen the former.

Terrible, just terrible.

[bourbonman]

I was at the airport watching a TV prior to boarding a plane. Saw the plane hit the second tower. We then boarded heading to Chicago. As we were on the runway ready to take-off the pilot came on and said there was a 5 minute hold on flights. I called my wive and she told me the Pentagon just got hit. They of course canceled the flight.

What's real eerie for me is that because I had to attend this meeting in Chicago I had to cancel another meeting that day. I was originally scheduled to be presenting a vermouth to the largest account for that vermouth in the country ... Windows on the World, top of the World Trade Center. As I read accounts later I saw that most of the staff of the restaurant were in a staff meeting and they all perished. i was supposed to be in that meeting. I often think why was I so lucky? I feel so sorry for the families who lost family and friends in the attacks.

[XerXes]

It's hard to believe it was 10 years ago but I remember that day with pretty clear detail. I was a sophomore in high school and we were taking ISTEPs. They let us finish the test before telling us anything so I never got to see anything live, but spent the rest of the day watching TV. Not a single teacher even tried to have class that day, they all decided this was more important and I'm glad they did.

My girlfriend told me that her brother had been to the World Trade Center on the 9th of September 2001 and flew out of New York on the 10th. He wanted to stay another day and attempted to change his flight out to the next day. Not to say he would have been on one of the doomed flights but still.

Those of you close or supposed to be in or near that building someone was watching out for you.

[Muskie]

My Wife and I dropped off a crispie to our local fire department after church this morning. Was nice to speak with them all for a few minutes.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6061/6137501482_94699b8d62_m.jpg

If you're interested in more crispies they are made to order here. (https://www.facebook.com/CrispieCreationsbyNicole)

[mohr5150]

I'm with you, Thor. I usually have a pretty hard time around this date, but it seemed that this year was especially rough. I can't stop thinking about the families of those who died, especially the emergency personnel who gave their lives to help others. I always had major respect for the police, fire department, and EMT's, but that day took it to another level. I would give a blank check to those who work in these fields because they put their lives on the line every day for everyone's safety. That day proved how far they'll take it.

[nkymuskie]

I hope everyone was able to see the CBS special last night. It was just absolutely unbelievable. I found myself tearing up throughout the entire documentary. I really lost it when the kids sang empire state of mind for a commercial right after the documentary. I almost start tearing it up right now.

Also as far as the weather the days are eerily identical. In NYC that day it was 80 and sunny just like the past few days....

Never Forget

[MD Muskie]

I hope everyone was able to see the CBS special last night. It was just absolutely unbelievable. I found myself tearing up throughout the entire documentary. I really lost it when the kids sang empire state of mind for a commercial right after the documentary. I almost start tearing it up right now.

Also as far as the weather the days are eerily identical. In NYC that day it was 80 and sunny just like the past few days....

Never Forget

I watched that as well. Started watching it with the intent to go watch the Sunday Night game and never changed the channel. The footage was unbelieve and as I posted on a friends page on Facebook last night, it was Herosim in action that we got to see through this documentary. More amazing is that the firehouse that was being filmed had all its members return. The sad realization of the TV special is that even ten years later, we are still experiencing deaths from the 9/11 fallout because a lot of the Emergency Workers are now getting cancer from the toxic fumes while they helped unbury the dead that week.

My favorite line from the special was when a Firefighter told the two men that made the documentary that "Yesterday you had 1 brother, today you have 55"

[PM Thor]

That documentary has always been one of my favorites. It's funny, because being a firefighter gives me a certain insight that most people wouldn't notice (or so I think). Like when the videographer goes down to the pile, and you hear all the loud chirping. That's PASS devices going off, it's a device that alarms whenever a firefighter isn't moving or is out of air. And if you heard it at the pile, there were ALOT of PASS devices going off.

But there was a moment that made me laugh out loud during the documentary. It was when the newbie firefighter went up and lowered the flag. It's funny because even in a great tragic day that was 9/11, the guys at the firehouse STILL had the newb do the mundane work that no one else wants to do. The newbie gets all the crap jobs to do around the house, even on 9/11. It made me happy to know that even on that day, firefighters never change.

I HATE dayton.

[coasterville95]

I was at the airport watching a TV prior to boarding a plane. Saw the plane hit the second tower. We then boarded heading to Chicago. As we were on the runway ready to take-off the pilot came on and said there was a 5 minute hold on flights. I called my wive and she told me the Pentagon just got hit. They of course canceled the flight.

What's real eerie for me is that because I had to attend this meeting in Chicago I had to cancel another meeting that day. I was originally scheduled to be presenting a vermouth to the largest account for that vermouth in the country ... Windows on the World, top of the World Trade Center. As I read accounts later I saw that most of the staff of the restaurant were in a staff meeting and they all perished. i was supposed to be in that meeting. I often think why was I so lucky? I feel so sorry for the families who lost family and friends in the attacks.


That's a normal part of the grief process, "Why was I spared, and why wasn't this other person"

It's also common that you hear tales of sudden last minute changes of plans that have, in hindsight saved people. Your meeting got cancelled, I recall the story about somebody who was delayed on the way to the airport and thuis not able to board one of those fateful flights, and there are more stories about how some seemingly insignficant event turns into saving somebody. The always punctual person oversleeping, somebody getting a wild hair to drive a different way to work some morning avoids getting into a nasty accident they would have been in had they gone the way they had for 20 years. . I do think Guardian Angels are very real, and save us from ourselves and other things.


I bought stuff shortly after 911 that I haven't been able to bring myself to watch - the CNN documentary DVD, the movie World Trade Center. Someday I may be ready for it. I did finally watch the movie United 93.

I recall seeing a very similar documentary shortly after 9/11 and remember the "sending the rookie up to half staff the flag" scene in it. As I recall that was a great documentary.

A year ago, somebody send me a web video link about a little town in Canada (the name escapes me), that was thrust into the forefront when it became the staging area for all the incoming flgihts from Europe that had passed the point of no return (for fuel). It was one of those warm fuzzy feel good stories about how a little town was suddenly inundated with more strangers (who were scared and frightened) and how the town banded together in remarkable ways. Not enough refrigerators to store all the food aid, no problem, convert the town hockey rink into the biggest walk in. People opening their own homes to strnagers. The town was in the middle of a school bus driver strike and those were the only busses the town had, hearing that the picket lien dropped, and all the drivers went back to work to help move people and luggage around. Yes, 9/11 did bring out the worst in some people, but I like to think about how it also brought about the best in some people. At least that side of it is easier to deal with.

And anyone else notice the Roman Catholic church readings for 9/11/11 - were all about mercy and forgiveness.

[coasterville95]

For those interested - The National 9/11 Flag will be on display at the Duke Energy Center (aka The Convention Center) from 9am-1pm tomorrow. (That is 11/5/11)

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20111103/NEWS01/111040337/

The article advertising the viewing was buried deep in the website, and not much notice.

[PM Thor]

Im getting texts from guys who are working the honor guard down there. The pics being sent are pretty impressive and humbling. I hope to get time to go down there tomorrow.

I HATE dayton.

[coasterville95]

Did you make it down PM Thor, I was there around 10:45 - 11:00

Moving moment to just stand there and look.

Please find photo attached, I hope, if I figured out how to do that.