it was a crystal blue morning....

[joycenalex]

and i was on my way to work. i know exactly where i was standing when trish told me about the first plane. when the second plane hit, i found an old radio in the storeroom and turned on NPR. by the time we learned about the 3rd plane, the very early internet hookups we had at work were all trying to reach a news organization website. annies dad called her from pennsylvania cause he heard the crash in shankeville and wanted her to know he was okay. i think about the airtraffic controllers who saw the planes disappear from their screens, i pray for the guard who was doing his duty at the tomb of the unknown as the plane screamed past his station to find the pentagon that crystal blue day, not so long ago.... god save the united states of america, amen and amen.

[Kirsten]

I think no one who lived to see that day will ever forget the moment he learned about the horrible events. I, for my part, will always remember that dreadful day. Here in Germany, it was afternoon already; I was at work when I got an email from a friend... I remember how I drove home, listening to the scary news on the radio, then rushing home to turn on the tv, and my computer, to see how my American friends were doing... And I remember talking to a friend on the phone, who was deeply shaken, like I was, and we both cried....

I think I have must have seen these pictures of the burning twin towers a hundred times or more on tv now, and still they are driving tears to my eyes.

Today, my thoughts are with those who have lost their lives that day, and with their families and friends, but also with those who have lost their lives in the wars following the terrorist attacks. So many people's world has never been the same since 9/11!

Kirsten

[moosmom]

I was sleeping, having worked the night shift at the newspaper, when I got a phone call from my daughter to QUICKLY turn on the tv, that a plane had hit the WTC. My daughter, being the drama queen she can sometimes be, had panic in her voice. I flipped on the tv just when they were announcing it. All I could do was cry. I was more worried about my former sis-in-law than my own brother, because she owns a travel agency and travels VERY frequently.

I don't think anyone will forget exactly there they are and what they were doing when this tragedy struck. I know I won't.

Thanks for this wonderful thread, Joycenalax. I think it's a wonderful tribute to all those who gave their lives.

May I suggest a moment of silence for those fallen, and the families they left behind?? Let's also go and light candles.

[Pam]

I was driving into work and heard about it on the car radio. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. When the boss got in we cancelled all of the patients for the day and we went home to sit in front of the TV and cry. :(

[pomtzu]

I was in my office and on the phone with a client in TX. She was working from home and had her t.v. on and said a plane had hit the WTC. We speculated about how big a plane - she thought a commuter plane. After the conversation was over, I went into the kitchen at work and turned on the t.v. and saw the horror unfolding, and by that time, many of my co-workers were streaming in since they were getting word of it too.

My boss called in to me a short time later, wanting to know what was going on. He was stuck on a plane waiting to take off from Baltimore, and none of the passengers were being told exactly what the problem was. As I was speaking with him, I learned the Pentagon was hit.

Such a terribly sad day for all mankind - one you wish you could forget. Those images are burned into my mind, and nothing short of my own demise, will make them go away.

Peace to all - to those who perished, the injured survivors, and the loved ones of all of them.
May God protect us all..............

[Catherinedana]

I was born and raised in Brooklyn NY, worked in Manhattan for many years and my former husband actually worked in the WTC before we moved to FL. It had been an emotional, confusing morning already because my mom went to the hospital in an emergency situation, my husband was in or on his way to Boston for business and I couldn't get in touch with him and I was actually home from work that day. I was talking on the phone with my sister trying to find out what was going on with my mom and heard about the first attack on the news. They didn't actually know what was going on yet. Then the second plane hit and everything became different in my entire life. It was like they crashed it right into my heart. . .this is my hometown and I knew people who worked in and around that area. I still had some family there and couldn't get in touch. I remember it like it was yesterday.

I recently found out that a childhood friend of my lost her husband who was a firefighter in the 9/11 attack. I have tried to get in touch with her to no avail but I hope that one day I will see her again and give her the hug that is waiting for her.

My heart is back in NYC today.

Cathy

[Sonia59]

I was at work, it was the afternoon and someone heard the news about the first plane on the radio. I tried to search for more info on Internet. When I came back home I watched the news on TV and saw the images! It was so unbelievable. That day and the days after, I think we all felt very close to our American friends, wherever we were in the world.

[Pinot's Mom]

I was at work, on the phone with my very favorite customer, and he said, "Oh my God they flew a plane into the World Trade Center!". We both got off the phone in shock. I had my computer up with the internet minimized and restored the screen to CNN.com - it was the only computer in the building able to access; the sites were jammed, but mine was already up, so I just kept it there all day. We just couldn't believe all that was happening. All those people...:(

When we saw the people fleeing in all that debris, one of the first things my husband and I could think of was his Aunt Gussie. She lives alone in Brooklyn and, at the time, was 85; we couldn't get through to her for days. We knew the debris affected all the way to Brooklyn. Turned out she was (and is) OK.

I am deeply sorry for all the victims and their families; still. Those scars will not fade any time soon.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

I was washing dog dishes at the vet clinic and listening to the radio. The first plane hit and everyone thought it was a stange airline accident. Then the 2nd plane hit the other tower and everyone knew it was not a coincidence. I stopped what I was doing and migrated to the front lobby where the TV was and saw images of the Pentagon in flames. It was very scary, even though I was 1000 miles away. After all of the TV coverage became monotonous and I turned it off it was still eerily solemn, even outside- I lived near a military base and was suddenly made aware of what it was like to NOT have planes flying over on a regular basis. Even the military was grounded and the silence was deafening.:(

If anyone has a chance to watch "102 minutes that changed America", please watch it! It was comprised entirely of personal video footage shot by New Yorkers as the events were unfolding. There is no commentary other than what everyday individuals were saying as they were filming. You really get a sense of the confusion and fear of the situation.

EDIT: looks like it will air tonight on the History channel

[Lady's Human]

I was in my living room with LOH and our 3 week old daughter.

I was getting ready to go back to work that afternoon, as I had taken some time off from work for MJ's welcome home/welcome to the world.

We were sitting watching a movie, and the phone rang.

It was Karen, wanting to know if I had heard from the Army. Huh? Yeah, we're at war.

Huh?

She told me to turn on CNN, I did, and after a few minutes of conversation I called my unit to report in.

[joycenalex]

this is from an internet article, care2.com...... The only dog to lose his life in the disaster was a Yellow Labrador Retriever named Sirius. He worked for the Port Authority as a bomb-detection dog alongside his partner Sergeant David Lim. Lim and Sirius were in the basement of the South Tower when the North Tower was attacked. He put the 4-year-old dog in his kennel and left to check on the situation.
“I told him, I think we’re in a lot of trouble right now,” said Lim, who assumed he and Sirius had somehow failed to detect an explosive. “I said, I’ll be back for you.”
But before Lim could return, the South Tower collapsed followed by the North Tower. Lim was trapped on the fourth floor with six firefighters and an injured woman. They were all safely rescued five hours later.
Lim came back for Sirius as he promised, but it was too late. He continued to look for his partner until eventually – on Jan. 22, 2002 the dog’s remains were uncovered.
The Port Authority held a memorial service in his honor and have since built a memorial at Battery Park with a dog run.
a line of duty death....faithful dog

[Marigold2]

I was at work and my co-worker had the radio on. Once the second plane hit I looked at Sharon and said we are under attack. She looked at me and no sound came out of her mouth.
I ran to the computer, my son was on an Air Craft Carrier headed for the Middle East I know I had only moments to e-mail him before all communcation would be shut down.
I remember my words.
"I know where you are, I know where you are going, be careful, I love you so much"
His ship was the first one there, trying to keep peace. I was so scared for him.
My other son was in boot camp in Texas. I prayed and said "please God don't send them both there" my prayers were answersed. They were both there but at seperate times.
As a mom I had no idea how long or to what extent this would be and I was so afraid for my boys, my country and all that I loved and all living beings man and beast.
Sept 11 is also the day my mom had her car accident 9/11/94, she died on the 22th. Never waking from the coma, I could only hold her hand and talk to her, not knowing if she heard me. Her neck was broken, we had no idea if she would be able to move at all if she awoke. It was hell on earth. The worst time of my life by far. I have always dreaded 9/11.

[Marigold2]

May you never been forgotten Sirius.

this is from an internet article, care2.com...... The only dog to lose his life in the disaster was a Yellow Labrador Retriever named Sirius. He worked for the Port Authority as a bomb-detection dog alongside his partner Sergeant David Lim. Lim and Sirius were in the basement of the South Tower when the North Tower was attacked. He put the 4-year-old dog in his kennel and left to check on the situation.
“I told him, I think we’re in a lot of trouble right now,” said Lim, who assumed he and Sirius had somehow failed to detect an explosive. “I said, I’ll be back for you.”
But before Lim could return, the South Tower collapsed followed by the North Tower. Lim was trapped on the fourth floor with six firefighters and an injured woman. They were all safely rescued five hours later.
Lim came back for Sirius as he promised, but it was too late. He continued to look for his partner until eventually – on Jan. 22, 2002 the dog’s remains were uncovered.
The Port Authority held a memorial service in his honor and have since built a memorial at Battery Park with a dog run.
a line of duty death....faithful dog

[Taz_Zoee]

Every year on this day I should remember to wear waterproof mascara. I always end up in tears just thinking back to that horrible day.
Being on the left coast it was very early in the morning and I was getting ready for work and always had my stereo on. I heard it on the radio and turned the TV on to see.
I worked at a day care center at that time so we were all told what we should say to the children. Well, I was working in the infant room at the time. But my co-teacher at the time was from Afghanistan and we did not get along even before this event. That day there was an usual silence between us. She was not as bitter and snippy with me as she usually was. It was nice while it lasted.
As the DJ on my radio station this morning stated, it was nice how American's came together even just for a brief time. It seemed like everyone was just genuinely nice to each other. We really did unite through this difficult time.

I have a friend who celebrates his birthday today. For the past 8 years he has not been able to celebrate it like he used to. In fact, he sometimes prefers to not even acknowledge it.

I know I will be thinking of this all day (as I did yesterday and will tomorrow) and wish everyone affected by this the best.

[gini]

It was a crystal blue morning but it was also one of the darkest days for mankind.

For all who lost their lives that day we pray..........and for all of us who remain, we pray we can make our earth a peaceful place to live.

[RICHARD]

I was in bed and hit the button to get a few minutes of radio time.

I usually listened to Howard Stern and he was going on about about a plane and the WTC.

I jumped out of bed to go to my mom's house and watched one of the towers fall.

After I spoke to my mom, I went to work, looking for airplanes all the way there.

[catland]

We were having breakfast at a small restaurant north of Crater Lake. Being after Labor Day, we were the only two customers in the place. The day before, September 10th, we had taken the hike down the trail at Crater Lake to go on the boat tour on the lake from inside the extinct volcano. One of the boat tour guides mentioned that the walls of the caldera were taller than the tallest buildings in New York City.

The waiter at the restaurant told us - he said that a plane had hit the building. We both thought that some idiot in a 2-seater Cessna was to blame, so we kept eating our breakfast. We had to fetch our own coffee refill because he was in the other room. It was only when we paid our bill and looked at the TV that the horrible reality started to sink in. We went back to our motel room to pack, and that was when the first tower fell. I remember the newscaster saying "the building is gone", and the other newsperson asked for clarification - "do you mean the side of the building?" - and the first person said - "no, the building" - and that is when I realized that I had just watched thousands of people die.

It was a beautiful September day - just like today.

[Karen]

I was at work, and my boss had a small TV in his office. One of my coworkers came in the room, and told me a plane had hit the World Trade Tower in NYC, and to come see the TV, then we were watching, stunned, as the second plane hit, live. Not long afterwards, we heard about the other planes, and suddenly there were screams of anguish from the business below ours: the proprietor's boyfriend was on one of the flights from Boston that hit the WTC.

As LH has said, I called him, they hadn't had the news on.

The rest of the day was odd, and the skies overhead were utterly silent, for once, only broken by the occasional scream of fighter jets patrolling the airspace.

And that evening had already been scheduled the calling hours for a dear woman from our church who had succumbed to breast cancer, at far too young an age.

[finn's mom]

I was asleep in bed when the first plane hit and my brother woke me up and we watched the second plane hit together. It was surreal and it took me awhile to really grasp that it was actually happening. I worked really close to the DFW airport at the time and it was a strange strange day when I did go into work later that afternoon. I worked with a man whose mother worked at the Trade Center, I don't think I ever found out if she was there when the planes hit.

[RICHARD]

I slept with the TV on for days afterwards.

Like Karen said, the skies were so quiet. There are three airports within 8 miles of my house, and there is ALWAYS some kind of plane traffic moving around.

The sound of fighter jets did make me stop and look up, strange to hear war planes buzzing overhead.:(

[blue]

The first plane hit either before or on my way to work. Didnt have a radio in my Samurai, it was stolen a few days before. First thing I heard when I got to work was some jackhole flew a plane ito the WTC. We all thought it was a small plane like a 2 seater Cessna, my brother in Chicago thought the same thing. Heard the news about the second plane live while driving to the job site. I was wiring by myself so I kept the radio tuned to the AM news all day and kept the radio close. The plumbing crew a few sites down were just sitting on buckets in the garage around their radio.

Im glad I only listened to the radio all day, my brother sat glued infront of the cable news all day.

The local station played parts of Bush's speech today, that brought on an 8 year old flashback.

Obama's sauce was weak with his speech today.

[kuhio98]

It was very early in the morning here in Alaska. I was scheduled to fly to work that day. After watching the coverage, it became evident that no planes would be flying that day -- or for quite some time.

I was home safe and sound with my loved ones, but I ached for those who didn't know where their family members were.

When air travel was available and I flew back to work, a monument wall with photos of the heros on United Flight 93 were posted. We stood there and read the bios. We even memorized the names. Sadly, I realize that I have forgotten most of them. But, I will never forget Todd Beamer's cry of "Let's roll!" Their efforts saved untold lives in Washington DC.

http://www.unitedheroes.com/whotheywere.html

[DJFyrewolf36]

I was still in school...I remember waking up for class and my mom telling me to look at the news. I ended up seeing the second plane hit the WTC. I remeber gaining a lot more respect for one of the Sacremento morning radio shows for the excellent coverage they did. I drove about 40 miles one way to the school and was impressed at the respect the radio people showed, and the respect of the people that called in.
At the school, classes were for the most part canceled. I sat in the business media classroom and watched the news. Im shocked as much at the whole thing now as I was 8 years ago.

[sirrahbed]

I had left at dawn that morning on a bus tour into Amish country (thus no electricity, no media) so was totally unaware of any of the events of the day until the bus was returning us to town near dusk that evening - we noticed lines at gas stations and a sudden increase in traffic. I could feel an ominous dread and gooseflesh rose on my skin. The friend I was touring with turned on her cell phone for the first time that day and checked in to her work (she is a banker) and had a message that told her she must attend to business ASAP. A few minutes later we had to take a detour to get back to where our bus left because the airforce base where we live near had been closed to traffic. I then knew something potentially global in scope had occurred...My husband picked me up and told me about what all had happened on the ride home. He had spent the day glued to the television. I had to view everything many hours later but the shock is still easy to recall. Because September 11 is also the birthdate of my first son 31 years ago - his birthday has a different *feel* to it now. Part of me secretly wishes I could permanently return to Amish country....

[Medusa]

I had my house cleaning business at that time and I was cleaning a client's house when her doorbell rang. I never answered doors or phones while working but this person was persistent, going from front to side to back door repeatedly and I finally answered and said "The lady of the house isn't at home". He said in an agitated voice "We're under attack! Can I come in and watch the TV?" I said "No, you cannot". Then he said "Well then turn on the TV if you don't believe me!" He didn't mention the Twin Towers but he did say "I'm their mailman" but he wasn't in uniform so, frankly, I thought he was a nut. I immediately called my client at work to tell her about this guy and she said "Mary, I know you don't turn on the TV or radio while you work but turn it on now. We are under attack" and she explained what happened. I had a tough time finishing my work that day.

[kitten645]

I had flown from Milan to SF via JFK on a red eye hours before the attack happened. I'm a native NYer and lamented not being able to spend a few days there. I got home in the wee hours so I called and left a voicemail for my boss that I would be in late to get some sleep. I got a couple of hours sleep and turned on the TV. It took me quite a while to wrap my head around what was happening. It seemed utterly IMPOSSIBLE that FOUR jets where hijacked and two crashed into MY CITY? When I finally realized, I called my family to let them know I was home and safe.
I got a chance to go to NY at the end of Oct that same year. We went down to ground zero on our way to the airport to go home. I had a friend that lived the American dream. He immigrated from Italy and worked at my favorite restaurant as a bus boy. Every year we'd make our annual business trip to NY and dine there. We watched him work his way up to maitre'd then he disappeared. We were told he had opened a restaurant of his own but no details. As we walked around the area around ground zero, we saw a restaurant called Rocko's...my friends name! Could it be? It was closed and still had inches of soot and dust on everything. We peered thru the window and who did we see? ROCKO! He opened the door for us and poured us some wine and told us how lucky he was to be alive and his place standing..dirty but standing. He was prouder than ever to be an American. It gave me renewed hope that there is goodness in this world.

[smokey the elder]

I remember being in front of my building at work talking with someone and seeing a plane fly by. We're not too far from the White Plains airport, but it was going south.

I went inside and someone said an airplane had hit the WTC. Thinking of the plane that had hit the Empire State Building a long time ago in the fog, I said, "In this weather?" Then a few minutes later the second plane hit. My SO worked late so was in bed; I called and left a message on the answering machine that he said later was so garbled...he said all he could make out was "terrorist attack", "WTC" and "We're probably at war with someone right now".

I think the plane that flew over was the one that hit the North Tower; the flight path shown later was consistent with that. I always wonder if it would have been worth the effort to call someone, but I wasn't aware at the time that that was an unusual flight path.

[RICHARD]

I think the plane that flew over was the one that hit the North Tower; the flight path shown later was consistent with that. I always wonder if it would have been worth the effort to call someone, but I wasn't aware at the time that that was an unusual flight path.

Wow, that is really crazy.

Because I am an airplane freak, any irregular plane noise makes me run out of the house and look. Years ago I was in my house and I heard a large jet passing very low over the airport that is two blocks away.

Turns out that he had mistaken the small AP for Burbank/Bob Hope AP -which is about 4-5 miles away and almost oriented in the same way.

The plane that hit the ESB was a military bomber, I remember reading about it in a book...:(

I can't help but think about where the idea of crashing planes into building came from. Dale Brown and Tom Clancy both wrote books with plots involving nut cases doing the same.

I cringe when I think about how many other literary 'twists' people will think about and use in a terrorist attack.:eek::(

[cassiesmom]

I'd started a new job the previous week. I was getting ready to go for training at the home of a telecommuter co-worker. First day at her house and I was nervous because I'd never met her and the managers told me that her Great Dane was a big softie, not to worry. I just remember Katie Couric on the Today Show saying it was very unclear what a commercial airliner was doing so close to the NYC skyscrapers (that was after the first one hit, and if I remember correctly, they thought it was some sort of pilot error). One of the part-time pastors at my church was on the Boston to L.A. plane, so there was a prayer service at church the very next evening.

The fire station by my work has rows and rows of small American flags on their front lawn.