Where were you on 9/11?

[Laura's Babies]

Lets all light candles Saturday and place them on your front porch/door steps in memory and in tribute of those who lost their lives that horriable day.

Where were you when you head the news that day?

I had just left my daughters house on my way to Florida with a stop off to sign the papers on the new home I was fixing to buy. I wasn't 15 minutes from her house when I heard it on the radio. I was going to Florida to pack up to move back to Louisiana. I stopped at the office to sign the paperwork on the new house and someone was standing in the door of the office, waving me to hurry up and get inside.. The second plane had just hit the tower and I almost cried when I saw the replay of it on their TV. The person at the door that was waving me inside thought I was just out on my way somewhere and stopped at the first place I came to after hearing it on the radio. She was surprised to find out I was there to sign papers.

I went on to Florida, GLUED to the radio and scared to death. People were checking their kids out of school taking them home all over the place, they were saying on the radio THIS WAS WAR and America was under attack! I think that was the scariest day of my life! I knew our world was fixing to change in a way we have never seen and it has!

[aTailOf2Kitties]

washing dog dishes at the vet clinic I worked at. I had the radio on, as always. People were talking about the planes hitting the twin towers. I wandered around to the front lobby where the TV was and saw that the Pentagon was just hit. It was very surreal for the next few days. There was a military base across the road and the usual background noise of jet planes constantly flying over was suddenly not there any more.

[sirrahbed]

On 9/11, I had left town early morning on a seniors bus tour to Amish country. Since the places we visited were without radio or TV, we were oblivious to the news all day. The bus returned that evening at dinnertime - we noticed roads closed off surrounding the military base near our home. We all knew *something* was very wrong but it was not until I returned home about 6pm that I learned what had happened. :( Like, Laura said, the world has not been the same again.

[Taz_Zoee]

I was getting ready for work and had the radio on. When I heard what happened I turned on the TV. I worked at a day care, so we had a quick meeting about how we would approach this with the children. Mainly the school age children. We also had the TV on in the break room all day to keep up to date.

I still get tears in my eyes when I think about all the innocent lives lost that day. So unnecessary and so sad. :(

We will be flying our flag on Saturday outside our house.

[sana]

I would have been playing with my toys, hey I was only 4 by then. I didn't know the meaning of aeroplane crashing. Still weird why some ppl want to do that.

[pomtzu]

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at work and on the phone with a client in TX who worked from home. She had her t.v. on and she told me she was looking at a report that a plane had just hit one of the Twin Towers. We speculated back and forth - a small plane? - a big passenger plane? No one knew that early, as it had just happened. My office was across the hall from the kitchen/break room and there is a t.v. in there. After I got off the phone with her, I went over and turned the t.v. on and saw it all unfolding. People started streaming in to see what was happening also, since they were learning of it thru phone conversations, or their computers. Not much work got done in the office that day.
I had two sales reps from the company that lived in that area - one in NY and one in north Jersey. The one in NY - his wife worked in that vicinity, and the one in NJ - his fiance was scheduled to be right there at GZ for a meeting. I also had a friend who had visitors from out of state, that were taking a day trip to NYC that day, to see all the sights. All of these people went thru a living hell for hours and hours, not knowing if their family and friends were dead or alive, since all communication failed - even cell phones. It wasn't until later that day when they found out that they were safe. I can't imagine going thru any kind of mental torture such as that.
All of those horrible pictures of the towers, all the destruction, the people running thru the streets covered in ash and dust, and so many more - those are images I have never been able to get out of my head. :(
I haven't been back to NYC since then. I used to take the train up with friends occasionally, for shopping or a show. The first thing I would see of NYC from across the river, was the WTC - it was a beautiful sight to see. Now it's gone..........

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I was at the pet boarding "kennel" I worked at. It was a very quite day, only a few pets (early September was always really slow). My boss and I were the only ones working that morning. My boss' husband called to tell us the news and we quickly turned on the TV we had in the back. A little while later my husband came by, they closed his work and sent everyone home. My boss then told me to go home too, her husband was coming to take over for me.

My boss later learned that her cousin died in the World Trade Center that day.

[Cataholic]

I was on my way up Montgomery Road, to an early hair appointment, and first heard some very little news on the radio. I went into the salon, and was listening to some talk as it unfolded. I remember one girl complaining about her trip to some where being cancelled, and at the time, thinking, "oh, it isn't that bad of a situation, is it?" Then, I left there and realized the horror of it all.

[Karen]

I was at work, and my boss had a small TV on in his office, and called us all in when the first reports came in. We were still watching when the second plane hit, on live TV. We were stunned, and wondered what it all meant. After a while, we returned to our desks, and then heard heart-wrenching screams from downstairs. The partner (life, not business) of the floral designer who worked downstairs was on one of the planes that hit the World Trade towers.

The air overhead went silent - remember, I am one town west of Boston, where two of the planes originated. All air traffic was stopped, when it is normally a busy airport. I called Lady's Human, as he was home with his daughter, she had been born less than a month before, and he was still in the Army Reserves. I told him to turn on his TV, and call in to base. A few hours later, a fighter jet, patrolling, overflew our area, which continued for a while.

After work, I urged our pastor to open the church for prayers, but I went instead to the calling hours for a beloved church member, Donna Park, who had lost her battle with breast cancer.

It was a strange, surreal sort of day.

[kuhio98]

With the time difference, it was still very early in the morning here when we saw it on the news.

I was scheduled to fly to work in Prudhoe Bay that Tuesday. The planes didn't fly for almost a week.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

The sort of funny thing about 9/11 is I think that everyone old enough to remember, remembers where and what they were doing the moment they heard the news.

I remember I was in 6th grade. I saw the towers fall on t.v. at home (school didn't start til about 9) and of course it caught my eye but I had no idea. When I got to school there was a lot of confusion and a lot of joking around (middle schoolers are ridiculously immature!) about what was happening because I don't think everyone understood what was really happening in our country. I finally heard what really was happening from various teachers throughout the day. I remember sitting in my art class praying that it would stop and for the victims.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I had a doctor's appointment that day so I would be going into work a bit late. I remember turning on the radio and hearing the dj's talking about a plan crash. My roommate at the time received a call from some friends on the east coast and they told her to turn on her tv. We both watched what was happening and couldn't believe it.:( I later went to to my appointment and they had the radio on so I could hear the latest updates. When I got to work we had the tv on in the break room and I was able to see more of this horrible tragedy.:( Yes, the world hasn't been the same since.:(

[Pinot's Mom]

9/11 - I was where I am right now, at work. I was on the phone with Bill, my favorite customer, and he said, "Maggie, a plane just flew into the World Trade Center." I concluded that call, and immediately went on line to find out what I could, then the second plane hit. My computer was the only one in the building that was able to stay on line so everyone kept checking in with me. I think the amount of traffic on line just bumped many off line. Functioning was very difficult; we were at war and I hadn't heard those words in a very long time. Later on, my husband and I were watching reports and saw all those people crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on foot trying to get away. We were trying to get ahold of his aunt in Brooklyn; she was then in her mid 80's, living alone, and had no air conditioning except in her bedroom. We kept thinking of all the debris she must be breathing and hoping she could survive it (she did, and is still in that apartment). I'm still getting goosebumps about that day.:(

[prechrswife]

I was teaching 5th grade. I walked my class to P.E., and the P.E. teacher told me what was happening. I went to the school library where several of us watched events unfold on TV, and eventually went down and watched with another of the 5th grade teachers in her classroom. We were asked to shield the students from the news as much as possible, but the school was on lock-down. (We were in metro Atlanta, nowhere near the attack sites, but still near a major city.) We teachers were able to get more information at lunch from those who had been able to get news while we were teaching. That whole day/time was just frightening on so many levels.

[happylabs]

Wow...I got chills reading all of these posts. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was here at work and we heard it on the radio. My first thought was my children at school. They would have been 11 and 14 at the time. I remember being glued to the television set every night for I don't know how long hoping and praying they would find more survivors.

I like the idea of lighting candles.

[Randi]

I was doing something in the kitchen when I heard someone in the yard saying "plane crash". So I went to turn on the TV (CNN) and I was shocked to see that a plane had crashed into one of the towers. :( Then about ten min. later, the second plane hit - and we knew it was not just an accident. Both John and I were clued to the TV for the next couple of hours - in fact all evening. It was horrifying to see people jump from those towers. :(

[lvpets2002]

:( I was at work when one of our employees was on the internet & told us all to come watch this stupid plane in the air && then ask us all why was they not seeing the building.. :confused: At that moment not knowing that the plane meant to run into the buildings.. It was so so Horrible.. I cried for weeks..

[Bonny]

I was outdoors doing the cow & calf chores. When I came into the house, my hubby said you aren't going to believe what has happened in New York City. The TV was on there was a picture of the twin towers ablaze. I was like:eek: what happened? He said planes crashed into the twin towers. My thought was why would a plane crash into the towers let alone two? Then news of the Pentagon. I remember the rescue workers the most & all the efforts being made to save people in the towers before they fell. I remember smoke, dust, & papers floating all over the place coming down from the towers & thinking how safe was it to be around it inhaling it? Being attacked on the main land was a shock & surprise but then it was planned that way by our attackers. We must not forget about the plane that went down over Pennsylvania our heros on board that took the attackers down in a blaze of glory.

[Alysser]

I was in third grade at the time, all the kids were leaving school and no one knew why. Maybe the teachers knew, but they didn't say anything to us. My mom didn't pick us up (my sister was in the same school in 5th grade), but when we got home we saw what had happened. I didn't understand it at the time. My dad was on a plane that day going to Boston. We didn't know if he was dead or not at first, we didn't know anything. All I remember was that for all I knew my dad was dead. As a little kid, I just put airplane and crash together with my dad. :(

The next day my teacher tried to explain it to us, and she got through pretty well. Some people were crying, I was upset but I didn't cry much. I just remember how they kept replaying and replaying the footage for weeks.

My dad came home the next day, he rented a car and drove all the way home with his boss and whoever else went on the trip. He didn't feel safe staying in a major city, and he didn't want to leave his family again for awhile. Funny how he has not been on a business trip since. He knew some people in the towers, he spent alot of time in the City the next couple of weeks (he still works and for as long as I remember has worked for IT for the NYC). That's all I really remember.

[karlyb]

I was running errands all day and not listening to the radio. Mid-afternoon when I got home, my neighbor came over and asked me what I thought about what was going on. I had no idea what she was talking about and then she told me about the planes hitting the Towers. I went to my sister's house (I didn't have TV then) and watched the news the rest of the night.

I found out later that the daughter of my dear friend in Queens was working in Manhattan that day near the Towers. Cilia didn't know if her daughter was dead or alive until late that night when Maria was finally able to get home.

[Louie and me]

I was at work when a co worker said that her husband had called to say that two planes had hit the World Trade Centre. We were all skeptical that two planes would crash at the same time so we went to the presidents office (he had a TV) and turned it on to see replay after replay of the second plane flying straight into the tower. It was horrifying enough to see the people leaping from the building but devastating to see both towers collapse and realize how many people would have been killed, rescuers included. There were many tears. It was only later we learned of the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania crash. Since Toronto is only about 500 miles from New York and we worked on the 22nd floor of an office building we were sent home as were many workers in highrises in the city. Since no planes were allowed to fly over US airspace for many hours, most planes were diverted to various airports in Canada including Pearson International (the Toronto airport).

[moosmom]

I was sleeping after working the night desk at the Hartford Courant. My daughter called me frantic telling me to turn on the tv. She told me a plane had crashed into the twin towers. Now, my daughter is known at times, to be a "drama queen", so it didn't phase me. I was speechless when I turned the tv on and saw black smoke billowing from the twin towers. That's where I was, that tragic day in history.

[Miss Z]

I was nine years old at the time and remember coming out of school into a playground full of parents gathering and talking in shocked tones. The whole afternoon and evening, we had the television on streaming the footage of the towers collapsing. I think it was the first time in my life that I'd ever seen the news stream for the entire day on one event.

Don't think I comprehended the scale of the tragedy until some years later.

[kitten645]

LES. I'm a NYer and still remember every detail of that day. I'd JUST been at Kennedy airport that morning flying back from Milan on a business trip. I' only gotten home at 3AM and went to call my work that I wouldn't be coming in because of the travel nightmare. It was so surreal watching the first tower burn and then watching the second get hit. That's when I knew it wasn't an accident and we were under attack. Watching those people jump still horrifies me and makes me cry.
I'll admit to being a bit obsessed about 9/11. I've seen everything written, filmed, photographed about it.
I have a very personal story about it but I think LES will prevent my posting it for now.
God bless us, everyone.

[cassiesmom]

I'd started a new job just a few days before and was getting ready to go to work- I was going to the home office of a co-worker who worked from home. I remember Katie Couric on the Today show as I was dressing and putting on makeup saying that it was unclear why the plane was flying over lower Manhattan, maybe the pilot was ill. I wasn't in the office but at the co-worker's home - a vendor in Baltimore told us the office was closing and the entire staff was excused for the day. We pretty much kept working all day. When I got back to the office later in the day, they'd had the radio on almost all day. That's when I understood the magnitude of it. One of the passengers on the flight from Boston to L.A. was a part-time pastor at my church (Christ Church of Oak Brook, IL), so our senior pastor was interviewed and we had a prayer service the next evening. The most spooky part of it for me, like Karen said, was no airplanes- I live under a flight path to O'Hare so I'm used to planes all the time. I couldn't listen to the radio or watch TV for several days afterward, I just kept it on the classical station because that was about all I could handle.

http://sarahsotherblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/tribute-jeff-mladenik.html

[Roxyluvsme13]

I was in 4th grade, 9 years old. I was just really confused as to why everyone was leaving early... The parents were coming and getting everyone and I was wondering why I wasn't going home. Our school didn't tell us what was going on and I didn't find out what had happened till I got home.

I believe we had a flag gathering the next day to remember those who lost their lives.

[Cincy'sMom]

I was at work. I remember our secretary coming back to the lab and telling us a plane had hit the WTC. AT that time, like so many other, when they eard of the first, wondered if it was a small plane, or what. It wasn't long before she told of us of the second. Even still, I didn't comprhend what was going on...sure that it must be some computer error with air traffic control, but never imagining that this was an attack or "on purpose". I remember going to the dance studio for lessons that night and my friend and teacher being upset as her neice lived in NYC and across the street. She was fine, it was some time before anyone knew.

We were talking about this very thing today at work, as a friend was watching a replay of some of the broadcast last evening. His 5 year old was watching with him. Even after all these years, how do you explain that to a 5 yr old?

[Casper]

I was a week away from turning 10 years old and in middle school. The principal was going around to all the classrooms and telling the teachers to turn the televisions on to the news. Now that I think back, that wasn't a very clever idea. I think half of the middle-schoolers were convinced the world was ending... I was too dumb to understand anything that was going on, so I just sat quietly in the corner.

[GoldenLover]

This will make me seem young to some... but I was in my senior year of High School when the towers were hit. I took post secondary classes at a college that year and got to miss most of my schoolday to go to college- just went for 3 classes. I had made it from college to h.s. a little early that day, so I went to sit in study hall while I waited for my next class to start. I was surprised to see the tv's in the corners turned on and the volume up- it was never that way in study hall. I whispered to my friend next to me to ask what was up and she told me that the towers had been hit by a terrorist attack. I watched the tv and learned about everything else. That day, every class was stopped. We just sat in class and watched the tv's. The teachers said it was history in the making, and it was more important than our normal lesson plans. It was such a strange, sad day- I will never forget it.

[Marigold2]

Working not far from Cleveland Hopkins airport in an office. The planes flew over our building all the time and I remember the eerie silence of that afternoon when the sky was with out planes.
My oldest was on an Aircraft Carrier heading for the Middle East, his ship was there first to protect and patrol.
I had but seconds to reach him by e-mail before total silence was mandated.
I wrote to him
I know where you are, I know where you are going, be careful. I love you Mom
He wrote back.
Don't worry. We will take care of it. Love you too.
I was so scared, I was shaking. My son was going over into the mouth of the dragon again. I had no idea what it all meant what would happen how long he would be gone.
My second son was in boot camp in TX. Would he be sent over as well?

God I was scared for my boys..................

[RICHARD]

In the days after 9/11 I slept with the TV on. Somehow I thought that I would be able to get the first news about anything that would happen after the initial attack.

I woke up late one night and saw a tiny clip of an interview with a construction worker on the streets of NY.

The woman reporter was talking to a construction worker and asked him about going back into ruins to look for survivors.

He answered, in a giant, thick Aussie accent-and I paraphrase here-

"I have to go back, those are my mates in there...."

[K9karen]

I was at work as a corporate travel agent. When all airports closed, we had stranded clients calling us, angry that they couldn't get home. Like it was our fault. Grown executives yet! But don't think everyone knew the seriousness of it immediately. There are only a few occurences that I still remember like it was yesterday, and this, of course, is one. I put a few Flags out already. Candles are ready.

[chocolatepuppy]

I was at work. I work in a factory. Someone from the office came through and told all of us. They had a tv turned on in the conference room and told us we could go in there and watch the reports on our breaks.

[pomtzu]

We will be flying our flag on Saturday outside our house.


Lets all light candles Saturday and place them on your front porch/door steps in memory and in tribute of those who lost their lives that horriable day.



We fly our flag everyday, but I will have 4 candles burning on my front porch tonight - one for each of the four incidents. Unfortunately, we sometimes forget the plane that crashed into that lonely field in PA, and also the plane that struck the Pentagon.
Hoping that all my fellow PT'ers will in some way, remember and honor those who lost their lives on that tragic day 9 years ago.

[Medusa]

I was cleaning houses then. I told my clients that I would not answer the door or phone, that I never turn on the TV or radio, and that I take only a short lunch break. That day a man knocked on the door; I didn't answer. He kept knocking, going to the back door, side door, front door, frantically knocking. I finally relented and said "That lady of the house is not at home". He said "We're under attack! We're under attack!" I thought he was a loon so I started to close the door. He said "I'm the mail man and I know Mrs. ______". He wasn't dressed in his uniform so I didn't believe him. Then he asked if he could come in and watch TV. That's when I closed the door and called my client at work to tell her what happened and ask if I should call the police. She said "Mary, we are under attack. Turn on the TV". She later thanked me for protecting her house.

[Kirsten]

I was at work (in Germany, it was already afternoon when it happened). A friend sent me an email, telling me about the attack. Minutes later, everyone at work seemed to know... Or boss set up a tv so we could watch, but I decided to drive home 'cause I wanted to talk to my American friends online. I remember driving home and listening to the horrifying news on the radio. The reporter almost cried when he talked about the collapsing of the second tower... Everything was so unreal, almost surreal, hard to imagine that any of this had actually happened. Turned on the tv immediately when I came home, saw all the horror over and over again. Talked to a friend on the phone for hours, and we both cried. What else could you do with all these innocent lives lost that day? :( I was glued to the tv until way past midnight. Seems like yesterday to me.