Where were you on 9/11?

[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.. At that moment not knowing that the plane meant to run into the buildings.. It was so so Horrible.. I cried for weeks..

[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?

[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 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).

[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...."

[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..................