Never Forget!!!!!!!!!!!! 9/11

[TooPatient]

Deb, Missy, and Lioness:

Thank you all for sharing a part of your story. I am sure there was so much more that can't be described and must be horrible for those of you who were so close.

I am so glad you all took the time to share. It has already been 14 years. It has only been 14 years. It is shocking that "A" has friends who aren't aware. It was more shocking to hear a kid (about 18 years old) making comments about how small it actually was and those who remember must be exaggerating.

We must never forget. Thank you all again for sharing.

 

[MJ_Mac]

I am Canadian and I still remember the day as if it were yesterday. That horrendous day touched lives across the globe. It showed the worst and best of humanity. I can't imagine what it was like for those experiencing it firsthand and the ones whose lives were/are directly affected.

Here is an interesting read for those that don't know how the community of Gander, Newfoundland played a big part in helping those stranded by the grounding of planes - "The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland". It's been a long time since I've read the book and there was a Canadian documentary detailing those days in Gander. It was heartwarming to see a small group of people pull together to help strangers in need. My husband and I cried watching the documentary. It brought hope at a time when the world was looking bleak.

 

[jordyonbass]

I still remember when this happened, I was a teen and in the 8th grade. Despite happening on the other side of the world, it literally stopped our country and was the only topic people spoke about for weeks.

I hope all those who died or were affected by this tragic event are at peace. But when such an event happens and such passionate tributes are held, I could imagine it would be a hard feeling to achieve.

Take care my friends.

 

[marcy]

Karl thank you for posting this. It was such an awful day. I will never forget it and it doesn't seem that long ago. My heart breaks for all those innocent people lost and their families.

 

[KaeKae]

Just a few more minutes to 9/11/15 here in CA.

I will never forget, and cannot imagine any American living on that day forgetting.

Although a native New Yorker, I've lived most my life in NJ. My own father commuted into Manhattan from our shore area town for 27 years. On 9/11/01, I was living near Princeton, NJ. Our community lost two men that day. The area I grew up in, which is along the southeast corridor of NJ Transit (into NY) lost many.

Now in CA, I've come to understand how the events really did effect every American and so many all around the world. I think I knew it, but didn't truly understand, until I became a part of a community outside of the NY area. In this tragedy, we learned how we really are one nation of people. And, one country within humanity.

 

[the_mother_thing]

I also remember it like it was yesterday. I was in downtown DC working for a federal agency, and heard the news of the first plane striking the tower on my office radio, and sat in disbelief and fear for those who were in the building. When the second plane hit, I just knew it was an attack and ran to my boss' office and had him turn on his television to watch the news. It was such a horrific thing to watch unfold live. He was summoned to the Secretary's office within minutes, and we remained watching the news ... until we saw the smoke from the 3rd plane crash into the Pentagon from his office window. I couldn't help but sob, thinking of all my former fellow servicemen & women who might have been innocently snatched from their otherwise normal lives that moment. I had taken the metro into DC that day, and refused to take that risk as a means of getting out of DC, not knowing what else might be targeted, and was so thankful my coworker offered to give me a ride when we were dismissed.

All cell service was down, my daughter was in daycare well outside the DC line, and my mother couldn't reach me. She immediately sent my stepdad and grandfather from a state away to get my daughter in case I couldn't get out of town or worse, as in those moments, nobody knew how many planes were taken hostage, what other targets there were, etc. We were lucky to get out of DC pretty quickly because we were dismissed after the pentagon was hit, and when I got to the daycare I was able to use their phone to call my family and let them know we were okay. We got home, and watched the news nonstop with my partner for what seemed like 24 straight hours, just in utter disbelief that someone could hate so deeply, so horrifically to perform such a cowardly, unimaginable act of terror.

I will always remember the sacrifices of those who were brave enough to go in while thousands were rushing out, and those innocent lives lost just by going about their normal daily routine, but I still cannot watch the remembrances and things on TV. It just puts me back in those moments and hours that followed and it's just too painful to relive, and fills me with so much anger.

 

[AGBF]

Hi, JoCoJenn.

I moved to northern Virginia (metropolitan Washington, DC) in 2004, just three years after 9/11. Having been in one area affected by the attacks, it was "interesting" (for lack of a better word) to move to another area that had been affected by them. When I moved, I started hearing stories about the attacks on the Pentagon. I was lucky enough not to meet the family member of anyone who had been killed in that attack, though. It was probably just that I didn't move in the "right" circles. The people I knew were mainly in the suburbs, and if they were ex-military (and some were) they usually went to the Pentagon sporadically. Two families in my neighborhood had one person (one had two) who worked for the CIA, however. (Yes, we were close to that area called "Langley" in the movies.) It is funny to have your neighbors tell you openly that they work for the CIA!

Everything was different near the District, though. Everything was about who had done what with which administration. Our house, for existence, had been owned once by someone who was in (President) Lyndon Johnson's cabinet.

At any rate, thank you for sharing and I am very glad that you and your daughter and family came through 9/11 safely.

Hugs,
Deb (AGBF)

 

[doberman]

Living in NJ I will never forget. It was such a crystal clear beautiful day before the horror. My children's classmates lost parents. My closest neighbor was in the 2nd tower hit. He got out because he ignored the announcement that advised everyone to remain calm and stay in the building. It was all anyone talked about for months.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Thank you Karl.

That day and its aftermath is seared into my memory.

 

[MJ_Mac]

It tugs at my heart to hear everyone's recollections of 9/11. Some of you lost family, friends and associates and saw the destruction first hand. I can't imagine not knowing if a loved one had been lost in the attack. To see the tireless emergency responders working to retrieve survivors and bodies was beyond words - many having lost family and friends themselves. Some of us, like myself, watched it unfold on the television. The one thing we all share is the horror and fear we felt.

My DH was working in another city at the time and when this happened he was on call 24/7 as he worked in telecommunications in charge of the network. Contingency plans went into place just in case terrorists targeted telecomnunication towers/equipment. They had to deal with network overloads as well. I caught a brief glimpse in what goes on behind the scenes in an emergency. I also saw companies who had been previously been competitors pull together.

I think JoCoJenn summed it up the best "utter disbelief that someone could hate so deeply". This is what I had a really hard time wrapping my head around. I just don't understand to this day. But for every person that hates I like to think there are at least 1000's more that love.