September 11th Open Thread

I remember that day like it was yesterday.... I was on my CB base station and working on my computer when I over heard truck drivers on ch19 saying something about planes hitting the towers.

I too remember it like it was yesterday. I was a truck driver in Wilmington, DE and didn't have the radio on that morning, i was making a delivery at a warehouse when someone told me a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center Towers. I imagined a small private type aircraft. I would have never believed that 4 airliners could be hijacked and used like that, it truly changed my perspective.

As I just posted elsewhere... 9:37 am, 8 years ago... just finishing up my shower to head to class at Marymount University, running late because I was watching the WTCs on tv. I felt a rumble, a shock of some sort - you could feel the building shake. I figured it was something to do with the roof they were redoing on my building, something fell off or they moved the trash tube to my side. I went about my day and ran to the Crystal City subway to get on my train. On my way there, I heard of some type of "car bomb" near the Capitol, no mention of the Pentagon, which if I had only turned my head left I would've seen as it was only 3 blocks away... I hopped on the Blue Line, and was immediately told it would only go 1 stop to Pentagon City. I got off, confused and angry that the exit turnstiles still took my $2.25 even though I had gone nowhere.

I made it back into my apartment to watch the first WTC crumble to the ground, by that point I was in a bit of a black cloud as I was on the streets... Still unaware of what had happened, I emailed my professor, saying I was sorry but I simply couldn't get to class there was some accident that prevented me from getting there. Shortly thereafter my roommate, a staffer for Tom Reynolds, called and told me what happened - and he was being evacuated and was stuck on the 14th Street Bridge.

From that point on, it was essentially darkness... cell phones went dead, noone could get a hold of us, internet was dead so we couldn't see what was happening.. My brother, whom I lived with, returned to the apartment as well as my other 2 roommates. We just watched TV the rest of the day. Since I lived with my brother, our mother was a wreck all day since we were both right on top of it... wedged between the Pentagon and Reagan National Airport in Crystal City, Arlington.

This event is etched in my mind for eternity. I woke up at around 8am, and went about my morning routine. I was about to start my new job the next day, but training was cancelled, and I had to wait until the following month. I recall watching the 2nd plane, in real time, hit that building. The reality of it all didn't start sinking in until the first tower fell. I remember tears welling up in my eyes, as I thought about the magnitude of what was happening....WE WERE ATTACKED ON OUR TURF!

Let's all pray we never see this again. Let's put aside our petty idealogical differences, and treat each other a little bit better.

I posted this elsewhere, but sharing here as well:
Where were you when the World Trade Towers were hit on 9/11?
This is a question many will ask today as we remember those who lost their lives in a senseless terrorist attack on our soil.
My son and his wife both share 9/11 birthdays. That morning I was just getting ready to call them. I made a pot of coffee, turned on
the TV and watched, in horror, the news that a plane had hit one of the towers.
Instinctively, I logged onto my work account and checked to see who was covering the news chat rooms.
Working from home, in this industry, requires a certain amount of virtual imagination.
Imagine running into your office, learning where you are needed most, and making a bee line for that area. That is what I did using my
computer.
By the time I entered the news room, the second plane had crashed into the other tower, and the drama in Pennsylvania was underway.
Just as I instinctively went into work mode, others were coming online to get information. Sadly, the only information available
came from the same TV programs they were watching.
The Pentagon was hit; the plane over Pennsylvania was brought down; stories of heroism were coming in fast and furious.
The real possibility that further threats would come via the internet was a concern. Any type of threat would quickly be moved up the
chain and into the hands of the proper authorities.
One man logged on from his NYC apartment. He gave an eyewitness account of the confusion, the sights, the sounds, and the fear. Another came
in from New Jersey with similar accounts.
As you can imagine, emotions were running high. One of the often asked questions was, "Where are you?". When I replied, "New York", the
immediate thought was New York City. People wanted to find out if I could locate relatives; co-workers; or friends.
I had to explain that I was in New York STATE, but 400 miles from the city.
Hours went by and we all watched the towers collapse. The realization of the number os lives lost was staggering. I can remember feeling
helpless.
What else do I remember of that fateful day?
Strange, but I remember watching take out boxes piling up in my dining room because there was no time to cook.
I remember the anxiety of the people looking for information on their loved ones.
I remember finally getting phone numbers and websites that I could pass along so people could get the answers they sought.
I remember watching President Bush's reaction when he learned of the attack, while reading "My Pet Goat" to school children.
So, where were you eight years ago on 9/11?

I was sleeping when my neighbor came to my door. He told me to turn on the TV. I thought it was some kind of movie. Then when the second plane hit, I realized this was no joke. I sunk to my knees and cried. My husband called me and we exchanged I love you's and OMG's in disbelief of what was happening. I think alot of us wondered if our area was next. We were scared, not knowing what was happening, and horrified by what we were seeing on TV. R.I.P. all that lost their lives that day......

I'll never forget it, I was in 8th grade shop class and at the end of the class period (as usual) we watched CNN. Keep in mind, I was no normal child, I had been glued to watching the news since I was around 10 or 11. That being said, as soon as we turned it on, we saw that a plane had hit one of the twin-towers in NYC.

At first, at least for us in that classroom the consensus was 'what a horrible accident'. I went to my next class and my math teacher turned on the television, to our horror, we found out that a plane hit the other tower. We we're stunned, by that point, even as 8th graders we figured out what had happened. Someone was trying to attack us, someone was out to get us.

Our first question, of course, was 'who'?

Our second question though, was 'why'?

Later on, as the day went on we got more news reports, one of the Pentagon being attacked and the other of a plane being brought down in PA. As Bea alluded too, news was flying in 'fast and furious', so many untrue reports came in, there were some rumors that planes were headed to the Capitol building and the White House. Thankfully, they we're untrue.

Later, as night fell upon us we we're glued to the news, because we didn't have cable, Dan Rather was our salvation. I'm aware that he has had controversy following him since he left the CBS evening news, but on that day, he was both calming and sincere, almost channeling the spirit of Walter Kronkite after the Kennedy assassination.

The phone lines we're jammed, the cell phone lines we're down, and all's we had was our television. We watched President Bush give the best speech of his Presidency, and for a while afterwords, the labels of (D) and (R), went to the side, we were truly just Americans.

Everyone should take a few moments out of their day to pray for our country.

My husband and I were living in Auburn NY. We were four days away from our wedding day, I was two months from leaving for the Army. He had already left for work at a local retail store. It was my day off and I was sleeping in until he called me to tell me what had happened. I was in disbelief. We didn't have tv so my only choice was to listen to the radio and I listened to Howard Stern and his crew explain what was going on. Realizing they were only blocks from the Towers, I was impressed by their resolve to stay and report. About a half hour later I got a call from the place I worked (Hillside Children's Center Residential Treatment) and they requested I come in and help the kids process these events taking place. Without hesitation I went in, but still trying to figure out how to explain to these young teens something I wasn't fully grasping myself. We all sat around watching over and over again, I was struck by how this event affected EVERYONE, not just one group of people...all of America.

I had a lot to think about too with getting married in four days, whether we should have the wedding or not, should I still go into the Army? Yes to all of it. We still got married, and held a moment of silence and prayer for those lives lost. We celebrated life. I left for the Army two months later, eager to help soldiers who give so much every day for our country.

Lets not forget those whose lives were taken on that single day; but all of the subsequent lives as a result of illnesses the rescuers suffered or died from; the soldiers who leave their families because of extended or multiple tours. I say do something today and everyday that can make this world better place.

I was working in Downtown Rochester. My husband was working in a specific job that had large monitors at the front of the room, one of the monitors was always tuned to CNN... he called me and said a plane hit the Towers as he was talking to me he saw another plane hit the 2nd tower. I had to explain to my co-workers what was happening. I guessed who was behind it based on recent news reports and turned out to be correct. That day most of Downtown Rochester closed up shop, Baush & Lomb and Xerox sent their workers home as these are some of the tallest building in the city... I went for a walk a lunch time and there were City of Rochester Police Recruits guarding the entrance to all the goverment buildings. Downtown was very quiet and scary that day.

I was also working downtown Rochester that day Laura. Our managing partner called us into the conference room and the TV was on showing the towers. I remember a coworker saying "we are watching people die". That really hit home. I worked across the street from the Federal Building and they had a bomb threat that day so we were all sent home. I drove to 4 different schools to pick up my kids. I just needed to hold them.

I too remember that day clearly. A friend of mine had just stopped by the house to help me stack ten cord of fire wood. The morning was incredibly sunny but a little crisp.I had the radio on because Jeff had said that a plane had flown into one of the WTC towers. We listened while working until one of the planes struck the Pentagon. I sent him home because we both knew that something much bigger then we would immediately understand was unfolding.
I remember hearing later in the afternoon on the pagers that the Emergency Management office was looking for fire department based volunteers that were willing to be deployed down to Ground Zero. Later that week I was part of the first of two deployments from Genesee County to go straight into Groung Zero. There are no words that can describe the scenes we witnessed. I can't imagine the memories that others have that spent weeks/ months down there. To this day the smell or taste of concrete dust makes me nauseated.
Several years later my family and I visited the site of ground zero. It was incredibly moving to see the momentos that are left everyday at the site. My prayers go out to every person who was impacted by that moment. Whether they lost family, friends or neighbors the loss is deep. The pain may only be from the total horror of the act but is still tangible.
On this day I hope that we all remember that no matter what pain or anger we may feel towards anybody it cannot compare to that day. I wish you peace and safety.

Like most every one else I will never forget were I was the moments I first heard the reports. I would like to share the story of the photo that Howard posted if you have heard it before it bears repeating any way. The 3 firemen are from a Staten Island Engine company. They "borrowed" the flag and pole from a yacht in the harbor. After arriving at "The Pile" as ground zero is called by NYFD. The 3 men became modern day marines on MT Suribachi. Please look close at the upper left corner of the photo. You will see what looks like long pipe of some sort. That is exactly what it is. The pipe to what is left of a first in NYFD Ladder Truck. NEVER FORGET.

Reported for duty on September 12, 2001 at the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner where forensic ID's took place. Three weeks of memories are too private to put into words, but less painfull this year for some reason. Remember all those lost that day.

It was my very first day of teaching at Holy Family School. I will never forget my priest coming to my classroom door to tell me that our country was under attack. The school put a procedure in place pretty quickly to protect the young children from undo fear of the raw reporting of the events as the day went on by keeping the news off in classrooms of the younger grades. I was allowed to keep my radio on while teaching the older children. It was impossible to stay focused in the classroom, but our priest went from classroom to classroom keeping us all updated and offering prayer. It was comforting.

We found out that one of our alumni and an alumni from Notre Dame was one of the fallen. I spent the next couple weeks allowing the kids to express their feelings through art. The hand print flag that we created in the Kindergarten class (now our 8th graders) is still hung in the hallway as a reminder. We also put together a large collage that we gave to our local firemen.

At 54 years of age, I am changing careers and am attending GCC. Over the last couple of days I have conducted a very unscientific survey of our younger students and their perception/understanding of 9/11.

Now remember, these students were 10 or 11 on the day of the attacks. I found out that, almost without exception, they know it happened and have no idea of the impact, how it changed our nation, and our daily lives.

Adding to their inability to understand the wrongness of these acts, school discusions were basically "They came over and did this, because we did this - implying that the tragedy was our fault.

So sad.

Pray every day for our country. Not just on this date.

I was stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany working with A-10 attack jets. We were just finishing off the day-shift and most of us were milling about the office waiting for our relief.

I was chatting with our Flight Chief when one of our NCO's got a phone call from his wife; I heard the following:

"They did WHAT?"

"Bull****, somebody's messing with you."

"OK, just a minute."

(he turns on the office television.)

"What do you mean, 'What are we gonna do about it?'"

"Listen, I'll call you back."

For the next couple hours we watched the story unfold in pure disbelief. Not a single Airman left work without being forced to by the Commander.

Over the next few weeks the tone on base changed dramatically. Before 9/11, Spangdahlem had been full of folks who were just happy to be there. It was a great assignment in the middle of a friendly European country. Most weekends were free and the general sentiment was that life was good.

The news spread quickly though and smiles turned to frowns, the skip in the average person's step was weighed down and defeated by the helmet and gas mask he was now forced to carry with him everywhere he went; things were CHANGING.

Angry feelings and a need to Punish the Guilty permeated the base.

The mood changed off base as well. The German community had always gotten along well with it's American inhabitants, but to them we were outsiders, interesting but not much more than a curiosity. We had lived among them for many years, but never with them.

Before 9/11 the 20 year old kid in the pub chugging strong wheat beer and hitting on the barmaids using the three words he could say in German was simply a spectacle. Now, the beer was free and the barmaid was wearing an American flag t-shirt. You see, the kid had transfomed in the space of a few minutes into a man who could be called upon to kill for and die for his Country.

The Germans understood this better than most. Many of the locals had lived through WWII; they knew the cost of war and they had seen firsthand what happen when you disturb the dormant rattlesnake that is America.

I could spend my time here telling you stories about what I did during the war but it's easier just to say that I spent the rest of my time in the Air Force dealing in one way or another with terrorism and its effect on our country.

We, as a Country, have struggled for eight years with what happened on 9/11. We have held the sword of retribution and learned that it is double-edged. American men and women continue to willingly spill their blood on foreign soil, dying far away from home and family with the desire that what they do there will bring sense to senselessness, hope to the hopeless and justice to those left behind.

The wars have left the front pages but the death toll still rises. It has been said that the greatest tragedy in the world is for a parent to bury their child but because of 9/11 and the wars that followed it happens every day in America. It has also been said that my generation was overpriveleged and weak. We had no Great War, no Great Depression, no struggle to make it through the days, months and years. Well let me say this now: I pray every day that my daughter grows up overpriveleged and weak. I hope that for her, war is a far away concept they learn about in history class and depression is what happens when her boyfriend dumps her.

Because of 9/11 I have seen war and what it does to the world. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

I responded a couple of days after to assist the families whose loved ones worked at the point of impact of the first plane, North Tower. Much of time was spent listening, helping them with paperwork, daily briefings from the Coroners office, escorting them to Ground Zero, or to Pier 94 to provide DNA samples.
Their faces, their stories, their grief, their resilience, their heartache, and even their laughter, though rare, are things I will remember forever.
One of the most piognant moments came one evening while we were at the area where rescue personnel exited Ground Zero. It was dark and there was no electricity, so the only light came from the floodlights on "the pile". With that as the backdrop, a group of firefighters were coming off duty from who knows how many hours of searching and as they walked the dust from the ground concrete clouded around their feet. Their shoulders slumped from their labor and their faces showed the pain of the task. They looked like they had nothing left to give. As they got closer to the crowds that lined the exit, people began to cheer, waving American flags and chanting USA, USA. People would hand them bottled water and offer handshakes and hugs. The longer they walked it was as if someone literally breathed new life into them. By the time they reached the street, they looked as if they could do 10 more hours of work. It was such a testament to the power of encouragement. I'll never forget it.
God Bless the victims, the heroes, and those that were left behind.

You are 100 percent correct Mr. Allen. I forgot about that type of moment until you brought it up. The cheers and the donations were incredible at Chelsea Piers. I can remember the delivery of HUNDREDS of homemade apple pies from near WNY. School children had decorated the pie boxes with pictures and small notes of encouragement. The boxes of clothing and snacks that lined Chelsea Pier was probably 20 foot deep by hundreds of feet.

To Randy - there are no words that could describe my sincere respect for the job you did without any consideration for your own mental welfare. To listen to the history of the oved ones is tough when it is only one or two people. You heard hundreds of stories. I hope that you get to the point where they are not as sharp or colorful.

Thank you to everyone that donated time, blood, money or other donations when called. That is what truly makes this country so great.

I was in NYC on my honeymoon. The day prior my wife and I bought this nice NYC sight seeing package - the Statue, WTC, Empire State Bldg, yada yada... Our plan was to wake up early, make our homemade signs about being from the birthplace of JELL-O and head down to the Today Show. After our big TV appearance, we were going way downtown to visit the WTC and statue - "they open at 9am and the lines don't start until 10", we were told by the nice tour guide helper lady. Well, thank God, we over slept. When we woke up, we were upset that we hadn't gotten up on time. We were hurrying around the hotel room, I took a fast shower and was getting dressed while watching Katie on TV - then it happened. I constantly thank God for letting us sleep in.

"Because of 9/11 I have seen war and what it does to the world. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy." Amen to that Chris, Amen to that.

This may be a good time to also remember why Osama bin Laden orchestrated the attacks. Read Osama bin Laden's own words in his "letter to America" (nov 2002).

I didn't post this to defend his actions, rather just to inform. "Know Your Enemy."

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/11-24-2002-30919.asp

September 11th 2001 is day that forever was etched in all our minds. On this date I was in Tucson, AZ standing in line at a homeless shelter waiting to take a shower and head back to Los Angeles.

It was a period in my life that after splitting with my Daughters Mother, whom I had been with since high school I really needed to get away from NY and the situation at hand. I quit my job and with my last paycheck packed my backpack and bought a bus ticket from Rochester NY to Los Angeles California with the intent of traveling as far from NY as possible.

The 4 day bus trip took me across the country and gave me an opportunity and time to think of the new future and life that was going to begin in L.A. After arriving in Los Angeles, I spent the first couple days sleeping on Venice Beach and wondering what it was that I needed to do. A couple days of the beach bum life had passed and after a brief phone conversation with my cousin that lived in North Hollywood she insisted that I move in with her and a roommate after her telling me the dangers of Venice Beach.

A couple weeks of the L.A. lifestyle and fast nights I landed a job on a construction site making decent money. Still there was something that I was missing a sense of everything that I had lost and left in NY. Disillusion set in and I began to tire of LA. I once again cashed my paycheck and informed my cousin that I would be leaving. I told her I had no clue where I was going and had nothing more than my backpack and few dollars I managed to save. She gave me a ride to the outskirts of LA and I began hitchhiking.

Now many people have the typical horror movie outlook on hitching but I have over the years used this very effective style of travel in times of low or no money and had no incident. I found many Americans that where more than happy, to go out of there way to help someone down on there luck. A couple of days later I made it to Tucson Arizona and with the last couple bucks in my pocket found myself at a moment of true distress. Not knowing where and what I wanted or how to achieve it. True bottom had surfaced. Now this is just quick glimpse into the moment and I could probably write 20 pages on the people and every detail of this experience and maybe I will at some point.

So Tucson, AZ - September 10th 2001 - I find myself at a high school football game and drinking some vodka with a guy from Georgia that was headed back to California to work. We shot the bull a bit and watched a great game. He had convinced me to head back to California for work. After the game we headed towards the greyhound station and in the morning I was going to pick up a western union and buy a ticket back to LA. On the way back to the bus station we ran into a couple Hobos under a streetlight on a corner with a 12 pack of Budweiser and singing away.

I had to stop, most would keep on walking but it was one of those things. The last two dollars I had I gave to them for a Budweiser. The one guy was named “Squirrel” a self claimed Hippie from Mississippi and former Army Green Beret by his claims the other guy I really can’t remember. We all stood there drinking some beers having a goodtime considering the situation at hand. The night wore on and Bill from Georgia and I decide to head back to the bus station.

September 11th 2001 - After a night of sleeping on a hard bench or lack of sleep, with the crowds in and out morning came. It was early bout 4:30 am when in walks “Squirrel” little parched from the night before he goes to the fast food stand inside the bus station and asked for a cup of ice water. He was refused and asked to leave after some bantering with the server. I seen all of this going down and decided to say hello and take a walk with him outside for a smoke and talk.

It was still early enough before I could receive my western union that I asked him if there was a place like a shelter or something like a Y.M.C.A to grab a quick shower. He told me of a shelter that would be open and I could grab a shower. We walked a couple miles and made it in time to be 7 and 8th in the line of at least 50 that would come to wait. As we waited in line there was a small TV that was on and had the morning news on. It was around 6am Tucson time when the news broke about the first plane as we stood in line. I was just thinking wow how many times had I walked in the shadows of those towers and what kind freak accident was this? Then the second plane hit 6:03am or 9:30am east coast time. Now I new this was more than an accident and no one could look away, my beloved State of NY was under attack.

I went for the shower and quickly returned to the television soon after to see the events unfolding. Now info about the attack on the Pentagon had surfaced and possible other planes that still posed a threat. Also reports of the planes origins started to break, planes from Boston headed to L.A. now my heart dropped I knew my cousin was flying back to L.A. from Boston from a trip she had been on and was leaving on the 11th. Panic set in. Squirrel knew I was from NY and seen the sense of urgency that had developed to get to a phone.

After a brief sprint to find a phone and finally getting a call to NY I found out that all was well with my cousin as I thanked god. My family urged me to head back home but how? Everything was on lockdown. As Squirrel and I walked the ghost town that Tucson had turned into I wondered what I could do to get out of AZ and back with family. The day went on and the western union money I was expecting fell thru. Broke and stranded the sun was setting in a Blood Red Arizona sky eerie as no one was out and the streets empty it was an apocalyptic feeling.

Now Squirrel had told me “Well if you want to get back to L.A. I know a way and I will get you there”, “We will hop a freight train to L.A” he says. It was a way of travel that led Squirrel across the country since the 80’s after he returned from the Army and tours in Guatemala and other areas of that part of the world. Now I wish I could go into the complex character he was that also could take 20 pages of writing, lets just say this was a well read and informed hobo that came from a well to do family in Mississippi, a Veteran, a poet amongst other things. He stood over 6 feet tall and had a long beard and hair but a man that was willing to help me back to family.

The night was at hand as we waited with our back packs to hop a train. I was nervous as all hell looking as one passed and he tried to school me how to “catchout on the fly” as he called it. That means to run and jump a moving freight train. We watched and found the train he wanted. With Military precision we made our way across a fence and stayed to the shadows, well it was all going well till the spot lights hit us and two white SUV’s rolled on us out of nowhere. Two men jumping out of each vehicle with guns drawn and telling us to get to the ground and fast. Little did we know that we had crossed a fence less than a quarter of a mile from an Air Force base, since it was night and 9/11/01 obviously everyone was a little nervous. Not to mention it did not help we had mostly black and backpacks.

After we informed the Officers or whomever they where that we merely looking for a place to camp “That was a small white lie since we knew we would be in trouble for trespassing on railroad property” and they ran our ID and released us. With that we decide to make try a little further down the line. A place we decide was miracle mile rd about 2 miles away. We made are way there and waited for the train. After a hour or so a box car came along just slow enough for us to hop. A brief sprint as it picked up speed and the backpacks get thrown into the open doors and we pull ourselves on flawless and all limbs accounted for.

This ride rolled into the night, we had some beers and water and small amount of food we managed to come across after squirrel panhandled and songs for some money earlier to anyone that would listen and donate for the cause. Both doors on each side of this box car open as the night desert scenes passed. The over 500 mile odyssey had begun me putting my trust into a hobo that I only knew for a day or so.

The journey lasted over 4 days and we had to hop more than one train, at one point being “sidetracked” that means they unhooked the train and let it sit till another train comes to pick it up, in a box car in the middle of the desert with the temp close to 115 degrees. 6 hours later a train came along and just in time we were out of water and it was hot with no shade. We made a cardboard sign and had a black maker that read “WATER” to the engineer as the train slowly rolled by he dropped us down Two 6 packs of the coldest poland springs water I ever tasted. The engineer slowed the train enough for us to jump the back of it.

I made it back to L.A. with Squirrel to reunite with my cousin. After finding working in Malibu for a couple months the time had passed since 9/11. I never had the days to sit and watch the news unfolded as so many did in the days after 9/11 since I was out of the normal day to day loop of media. After a the death of my uncle that was almost like a father to me I once again found myself hitching, this time back to NY from Los Angeles to be with family, 3 days later I was in NY after no sleep and countless truck stops and roadside stops, hitching my way back and sharing my experiences with those fine Americans that once again saw someone in need and wanted to help like so many that came together on that September day.

This is my story in short and with many moments left out because it would most likely take another 4 hours to put everything in. Thanks for allowing me to share.

Regards,
Peter H. Scrooby