Where were you? - 9/11 edition

cu97tiger

I am always interested to hear people's experiences on days like today... share if you are comfortable!

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On 9/11/01, I was at work in Richmond, VA. As was (and still is) my custom, I went to msnbc.com while sitting at my desk. It took forever to load, and when it came up, it said a plane had hit a building in NYC. My assumption was someone's little 6-seater or something. I told my co-worker, who is from Long Island. I hit refresh (because the page wasn't loaded fully) and it came up and said a second plane had hit another building. I told my co-worker that, and our boss immediately said: we're under attack. I was floored.

We spent the rest of the day watching a tiny little transistor TV. My boyfriend at the time was on a plane from Atlanta to San Diego. They kept saying that plans flying from the east to the west coast were targeted, so to say I was nervous would be an understatement. Actually, I was in shock and denial. When my BF finally called me at 3pm (they had been grounded in Dallas), I had a legit breakdown. But I know I was lucky, because so many of my friends from upstate NY had friends and loved ones that were killed.

The freaky thing is that I flew through Newark airport that Sunday before. From our approach, I had an amazing view of Manhattan, including the twin towers. I sat there in awe of that city and specifically those buildings... and then two days later they were gone. One of my friends is a pilot, and he was in Newark as well. From his plane, he could see Manhattan, and he saw the whole thing unfold. 

cu97tiger

Also, for a couple weeks after, there were fighter jets flying over Richmond constantly. There is a federal reserve (read: MONEY) there, so they were protecting that. It was creepy.

minskat30

I was in college in Madison.  I was getting ready for class and my mom called me crying telling me to turn on the TV.  She just kept saying how thankful she was that I turned down NYU.  I got accepted at NYU with a scholarship but it was still pricier (cost of living wise) than Madison.  She was sure (and probably right) that I would have been in an internship near the towers as I worked and did internships through college in Madison.  

I actually went to class that morning because some of my jerk professors didn't stop classes.  No one could concentrate though and finally all classes were canceled.  I remember one of my sociology professors in tears who told us to go home, call our families and pray.  I did just that...I went home, watched TV all day, counted my blessings and prayed for those who had died and their families.  

casey1219

I lost no family members or loved ones in the attacks, so I wasn't impacted in the way survivors/their family members were. As I drove to work this morning, I listened to family members who had called in different radio shows to share their experiences. I cried the whole way to work, because I can't even imagine what those people feel each year when this day comes around.

I was in sixth grade during 9/11, and I remember our administrators allowing our teachers to bring us all together to watch the events unfold on the news that day. It became too much for a lot of us, and several of our teachers turned off the televisions and tried to carry out the day as "normal".

I visited NYC in high school a few months after my 18th birthday in 2008, and we went to the memorials and Ground Zero... I can't begin to explain what I felt reading/seeing everything.

It's so bizarre to me that I am teaching children (kindergarten) who have no idea what 9/11 is. As our principal led a moment of silence in remembrance of the day, I had several students ask me what 9/11 meant. I don't even know how to explain it to them. I don't want to mislead them, but the optimistic side of me wants these little people to believe the world is still a happy place. Maybe some will disagree, but I want them to be little for a while.

labro

I was in 9th grade when it happened. My first memory of something being "off" was because my 1st period class was in the library that day and students kept rushing in to check out TVs for their classrooms. But nobody really said anything until I got to my 2nd period art class. My teacher rushed in with a TV and we immediately started watching the news. The second plane hadn't hit yet and the news anchors were still talking about bombs, fire, etc. Nobody had really realized yet what was going on. I watched the second plane hit live on TV and everyone was just in absolute shock over what had happened. I think it still took awhile for people to realize it was a terrorist attack. Parents were checking their kids out of school for the remainder of the day. All of the rest of my classes for the day were spent watching the news.

My parents were at the Atlanta airport that morning picking up one of our German relatives who had come to the States to visit. They didn't realize anything was wrong until they got to the airport and saw security everywhere! It took more than four hours to finally get our family member through customs and security. I can't even imagine what the scene in the airport must have been like.

When I was in O'Hare airport on Tuesday I noticed they had banners hanging memorializing the four flights that were lost and the various people working for the airlines or somehow related to the airlines (like spouses of pilots) that had been on those planes when they went down. I guess it's because O'Hare is a hub for American Airlines and United.

LizzyTish88

I was in 8th grade and I remember that the teachers were all pulled out of class individually and told by administration. They came back, pretty shaken, but the day went on as normal. I remember some people were getting dismissed by their parents but nothing seemed to click. 

At the end of the day they announced what happened with the afternoon announcement, although we still didn't fully grasp what was going on. I walked home and I brought a friend with me. When we got to the house I was surprised to see that my mom was home from work and she was very visibly shaken. She was kind of mad that I brought a friend home and then she explained everything to me and I finally understood. We took my friend home to her family and then spent the rest of the day home together watching the news. 

I wish I had more understanding at the time to really grasp what was going on. 

beachyone15

I was in high school. 3rd period Latin class. We spent much of the time watching it on TV. There were some students whose parents picked them up that day but most of us stayed and tried to get through the day.

The creepiest thing for me is that only 4 months before it happened, our band took a trip to NY. I still have pictures of me and my friends with the towers in the background.

minskat30

I also watched this video yesterday LINK about the last living service dog working that 9/11 and cried my eyes out.  It was a really good video.  

jenna8984

Even though I've seen them dozens of times, I still watch the same shows and interviews on History Channel every year. The two female NYU students who caught a lot on video from their apartment. The people standing outside covered in soot and debri. The man who was an hour late for work because of Monday Night Football and says it saved his life. I am gripped by all their stories each year.

 

So I was in 11th grade and I'm on the East Coast so it was first period study hall. This kid Mike Mooney came in from his bathroom break and said "We have to turn the TV on, there's a plane crash all over the news!" Each classroom had a tv so we turned it on and just sat in silence watching it all in live time including the second plane. I remember thinking oh my god, there are kindergarten students right now that have no idea their parents just died and won't be home tonight. That broke my heart more than anything.

My H was in the 12th grade (we didn't know each other then) but he and his father were both volunteer firemen here in MA. They very heavily debated getting in a car and going there right away to offer any assistance and just jump into whatever they could do. For whatever reason, they didn't go but I know it holds such a place in their hearts because all those firemen lost they considered brothers.

We went to the Memorial last summer, which was beautiful. We were actually a little outraged by tourists taking pictures smiling in front of it. People, this is a grave, not TGIFridays. I offered to get tickets to go in the museum but H decided it would be way too sad and dpressing for him to actually see the items inside, so we didn't.

labro

minskat30 said:

I also watched this video yesterday LINK about the last living service dog working that 9/11 and cried my eyes out.  It was a really good video.  

I'm crying so much right now!

cu97tiger

jenna8984 said:

Even though I've seen them dozens of times, I still watch the same shows and interviews on History Channel every year. The two female NYU students who caught a lot on video from their apartment. The people standing outside covered in soot and debri. The man who was an hour late for work because of Monday Night Football and says it saved his life. I am gripped by all their stories each year.

 

I watch a lot of those shows and interviews, too. The one that gets me is the wife that called her husband in San Francisco. She was at a meeting in the WTC and he was in the shower, so he missed her cal. So very very very sad.

Swazzle

I lived in Delaware and was a junior in high school. Classes had just switched when the first plane hit and I was in French where we had a TV and watched everything happen. In between the second plane crashing and the first Tower falling, school was dismissed so I watched everything else happen from home. My mom was flying to Texas and my dad was at work and no cell phones were working so I was home by myself. My dad got home eventually and we just sat there watching and crying and we finally heard from my mom whose flight was grounded in Atlanta. 

My aunt worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of the North Tower. She had been transferred to their London office in July and was flying back to NYC that morning to work here for the week. Her original flight was supposed to be earlier and she should have been in the building when it happened. Because she switched her flights, she was still in the air when the attack occurred and her plane was rerouted to Nova Scotia. My family didn't know about the flight change and we thought she was there and didn't know if she was alive for most of the day. I can't even think about it without crying. All of her friends/coworkers died. 

I feel like it's inevitable as each year goes by that people think about it less and less and it makes me really sad. Like, I had CNN on here for 2 hours this morning and they didn't even mention it. 

minskat30

labro said:

minskat30 said:

I also watched this video yesterday LINK about the last living service dog working that 9/11 and cried my eyes out.  It was a really good video.  

I'm crying so much right now!

I was right there with you yesterday.  9/11 is obviously heartbreaking in so many ways...children lost, spouses lost, children who will grow up without their parents, the service men and women who worked tirelessly to help and some who lost their lives doing so.  I think people sometimes forget about how our furry legged creatures helped, even just to provide comfort.  I know I curled up with my kitty that day and cried into her fur.    

minskat30

@swazzle - I can't imagine the survivor's syndrome your aunt must feel.  That must be terrible.  

eilis1228

I was in eighth grade, and our school tried to keep it a secret from us. The principals didn't want to cause a panic, so they tried to proceed business as usual. I remember thinking that our teachers were acting really weird all morning, and a few of my classmates kept getting randomly picked up by their parents. Finally in my third period class, my teacher told us what happened and turned on the TV. We just sat there and watched the news reports the entire class period... a few other teachers did the same throughout the day as well. 

I remember thinking that it was the end of the world. I specifically remember being assigned homework and thinking, "But should I even bother? Does it matter? Will we still even be going to school next week?" It was such a terrifying time in the US. I remember when the anthrax scares happened a few weeks/months later, we (as in me and my junior-high friends) were all convinced World War III was starting. 

Swazzle

@minskat30 - Yes, absolutely. She took a leave of absence for a while and after a lot of therapy she managed to return to work. She didn't work on 9/11 for years though. Just a couple years ago she started working on this day again and I think she's doing better for the most part. 

cu97tiger

Swazzle said:

My aunt worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of the North Tower. She had been transferred to their London office in July and was flying back to NYC that morning to work here for the week. Her original flight was supposed to be earlier and she should have been in the building when it happened. Because she switched her flights, she was still in the air when the attack occurred and her plane was rerouted to Nova Scotia. My family didn't know about the flight change and we thought she was there and didn't know if she was alive for most of the day. I can't even think about it without crying. All of her friends/coworkers died. 

I feel like it's inevitable as each year goes by that people think about it less and less and it makes me really sad. Like, I had CNN on here for 2 hours this morning and they didn't even mention it. 

Holy cow, how incredibly scary for you and your family. And how awful for your aunt to lose all her friends/co-workers like that.

I know what you mean, but I don't think about it less... it's still so fresh in my mind. I can't believe it's been 14 years... it feels like yesterday.

[Deleted User]

I was in high school...10th grade, waiting outside in the hallway for my first-period French teacher to get there and open her classroom.  She came in and told us a plane had hit the World Trade Center...like a lot of other people, I thought it was an accident, or a small plane, or...something that wasn't a terrorist attack.  We still had school that day, but everybody who had parents who worked at the Air Force Base nearby got pulled out, and a lot of kids' parents came and got them.  We went from class to class, watching the news on the TV in each one.  I remember, my last-period biology class didn't have a TV, so we all stood in the back of the room next door watching it over and over again.  Being from Oklahoma City, there was a definite sense of "Oh no...not again," that even a high schooler could pick up on.  I remember watching the news anchors, most of whom had reported from the Murrah Building 6 years before, and thinking "They shouldn't have to be doing this again."

My students now don't remember 9/11, because most of them were between 5-6 when it happened.  Every time I teach U.S. History, I show the clip of the plane hitting the second tower.  And every time I teach that day, I cry.

eilis1228

Swazzle said:

I lived in Delaware and was a junior in high school. Classes had just switched when the first plane hit and I was in French where we had a TV and watched everything happen. In between the second plane crashing and the first Tower falling, school was dismissed so I watched everything else happen from home. My mom was flying to Texas and my dad was at work and no cell phones were working so I was home by myself. My dad got home eventually and we just sat there watching and crying and we finally heard from my mom whose flight was grounded in Atlanta. 

My aunt worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of the North Tower. She had been transferred to their London office in July and was flying back to NYC that morning to work here for the week. Her original flight was supposed to be earlier and she should have been in the building when it happened. Because she switched her flights, she was still in the air when the attack occurred and her plane was rerouted to Nova Scotia. My family didn't know about the flight change and we thought she was there and didn't know if she was alive for most of the day. I can't even think about it without crying. All of her friends/coworkers died. 

I feel like it's inevitable as each year goes by that people think about it less and less and it makes me really sad. Like, I had CNN on here for 2 hours this morning and they didn't even mention it. 

I'm very surprised it hasn't become a federal holiday akin to Labor Day/Memorial Day/etc where everything shuts down in remembrance. I guess Pearl Harbor Day was never made into a holiday like that either, but I really do think the government should honor both days in that way. They were both tragic days in US history that changed everything. Everything! Life would be 100% different if Japan hadn't attacked Hawaii and if bin Laden hadn't attacked NYC and DC. I think we should always be made to remember how important these events are, and I hate that as each year passes, they become less and less important. 

MissKittyDanger

reading everyone else's, is shocking. not only that, but I found out @labro and I are the same age!

@swazzle your poor aunt

I was in 9th grade and our school was one of the very few that didn't know about anything. I had no idea until I got home and my mum was home watching t.v. It wasn't a normal day she got home that early, nor was it normal for her to be glued to the t.v!

I remember walking in and asked what was up, why was she home? She waved me over and pointed at the t.v.

I couldn't believe it. I thought it was live but she explained what she knew from the news.

buddysmom80

I was 21 on 9/11 and was supposed to start a new job that day. I woke up really hungover from the night before and my mom was sitting on the floor in the living room and said "I don't think you're going to work today." and turned on the TV. She was working and her internet just shut down and she couldn't work so she thought something major happened. As we were watching, either the 2nd plane hit the towers or the towers started collapsing. My job was in a mall so I figured the mall would be open so I got dressed and went to the gym.

While I was at the gym, the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania happened so I was startign to get nervous. All the SAHM's started leaving to pick their kids up from work. I got home and started getting dressed for work.

I was driving on I-95 south heading to work and the highway was empty. There were state troopers at every exit. I get to work and the mall is closed. So I headed back home and watched the news with my mom. My dad came home later and I think the three of us were up until midnight watching the news together.

speakeasy14

I always get an eery chill thinking about this day. 

I was in 9th grade when it happened; earth science class to be exact.  A teacher came running into the classroom and told us to turn on the tv.  Seconds after the tv came on the second plane hit.  After that the entire building turned into chaos.  Where I live a lot of people have family that commute for work into the city.  The school remained open, but they allowed anyone to leave if their parents/guardians/family showed up.  Many kids were in a panic because they couldn't get a hold of their family members who worked in the city. Then the plane crashed in Pennsylvania, and even more chaos happened.Every room that had a tv had the news remaining for the rest of the day.

My dad was in Queens taking care of my grandfather.  My mom didn't hear from him until that night because it was a constant busy signal.  He was fine, but had to stay there because they had closed all the bridges.

My one aunt worked a few buildings over, luckily that day she was working from home.

A few days later we found out that one of my dad's cousins was in one of the buildings and had not been found.  We went into the city October-November and her picture was on the wall with several mementos.  She is one of the ones who was never found.

*eta can't spell

jenna8984

@swazzle wow that is crazy for your aunt. And obviously you guys, not knowing if she was there. I have read about survivors with such guilt that they have committed suicide, even the woman who let them by at Boston Logan airport security check committed suicide. It's so, so sad, and I'm thankful that your aunt was able to get help she needed to eventually "move on" and continue on.

@caseface5 Same here about not really grasping it. My parents just kept saying to me things like you have no idea what this means for this country, you have no idea how major this is and how much it will impact everyday life, and security measures, and potential wars, and just everything.

I remember the Real World Chicago was filming. The show had always had them cut off from TV, news, cell phones, things like that. But the producers immediately brought them in a tv and let them call their families and everything like that.  

GoldenPenguin

I was a junior in college. I had a 10am class and was laying in bed trying to talk myself out of skipping. Our room phone rang and it was my roommate's brother, just yelling to turn the TV on. I did, and watched the second plane hit. I obviously didn't go to class.

This roommate's dad was a firefighter in Westchester, and her mom kept calling, but she was in class and had no idea what was happening (because this was pre-everyone having a cell phone with internet access/Facebook at all times). Her dad had to go into the city, and I had to tell her to call home immediately when she walked in the door. 

I went to college in southern Connecticut, at a school where the majority of students were from Long Island/New Jersey, so I knew a lot of people who lost family and friends. It was terrifying. I remember just being so scared in the morning, and then again when the plane crashed in Pennsylvania, and AGAIN at the Pentagon. We all were just sitting there wondering "where are they going to hit next?" 

I just wanted to go home to Maine, where nothing bad happens. And then later, after we found out who did it, they said that the terrorists actually started their trip in Maine, and that scared me so much. 

I know I will never forget the feelings of that day, ever. 

AlPacina

My story is akin to @TwoDimes, except I was the insensitive jerk.

I was 11, in 7th grade. My dad's alarm clock was the radio, and he had it set to the news, so when he came to wake me up for school he told me that a plane had hit these towers I had never heard of. It just translated as a small plane crash to me. No effect on my life.

Then I went to school and during math class my teacher had the news on the tv. I barely paid attention because I was angry we weren't learning math. I ended up getting sent out of the classroom, actually, because he got mad when I said I didn't want to watch anymore. He talked to me in the hall and I cried. I don't think I truly understood what happened that day until I was a few years older, honestly. For a while it was just the day I got sent to the hall for the first/only time.

labro

AlPacina said:

My story is akin to @TwoDimes, except I was the insensitive jerk.

I was 11, in 7th grade. My dad's alarm clock was the radio, and he had it set to the news, so when he came to wake me up for school he told me that a plane had hit these towers I had never heard of. It just translated as a small plane crash to me. No effect on my life.

Then I went to school and during math class my teacher had the news on the tv. I barely paid attention because I was angry we weren't learning math. I ended up getting sent out of the classroom, actually, because he got mad when I said I didn't want to watch anymore. He talked to me in the hall and I cried. I don't think I truly understood what happened that day until I was a few years older, honestly. For a while it was just the day I got sent to the hall for the first/only time.

So for some reason, this story shows up as ads. Thanks a lot TK!

labro

jenna8984 said:

@swazzle wow that is crazy for your aunt. And obviously you guys, not knowing if she was there. I have read about survivors with such guilt that they have committed suicide, even the woman who let them by at Boston Logan airport security check committed suicide. It's so, so sad, and I'm thankful that your aunt was able to get help she needed to eventually "move on" and continue on.

@caseface5 Same here about not really grasping it. My parents just kept saying to me things like you have no idea what this means for this country, you have no idea how major this is and how much it will impact everyday life, and security measures, and potential wars, and just everything.

I remember the Real World Chicago was filming. The show had always had them cut off from TV, news, cell phones, things like that. But the producers immediately brought them in a tv and let them call their families and everything like that.  

labro

buddysmom80 said:

I was 21 on 9/11 and was supposed to start a new job that day. I woke up really hungover from the night before and my mom was sitting on the floor in the living room and said "I don't think you're going to work today." and turned on the TV. She was working and her internet just shut down and she couldn't work so she thought something major happened. As we were watching, either the 2nd plane hit the towers or the towers started collapsing. My job was in a mall so I figured the mall would be open so I got dressed and went to the gym.

While I was at the gym, the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania happened so I was startign to get nervous. All the SAHM's started leaving to pick their kids up from work. I got home and started getting dressed for work.

I was driving on I-95 south heading to work and the highway was empty. There were state troopers at every exit. I get to work and the mall is closed. So I headed back home and watched the news with my mom. My dad came home later and I think the three of us were up until midnight watching the news together.

Wtf TK?

KeptInStitches

Ok,not just me - thanks, @labro. Everything is showing up as ads.

I've lost count, who's the KG now?

eilis1228

labro said:

buddysmom80 said:

I was 21 on 9/11 and was supposed to start a new job that day. I woke up really hungover from the night before and my mom was sitting on the floor in the living room and said "I don't think you're going to work today." and turned on the TV. She was working and her internet just shut down and she couldn't work so she thought something major happened. As we were watching, either the 2nd plane hit the towers or the towers started collapsing. My job was in a mall so I figured the mall would be open so I got dressed and went to the gym.

While I was at the gym, the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania happened so I was startign to get nervous. All the SAHM's started leaving to pick their kids up from work. I got home and started getting dressed for work.

I was driving on I-95 south heading to work and the highway was empty. There were state troopers at every exit. I get to work and the mall is closed. So I headed back home and watched the news with my mom. My dad came home later and I think the three of us were up until midnight watching the news together.

Wtf TK?

DED 

ETA: Well crap, when I quote, it posts as the actual quote. Even more WTF.

speakeasy14

It changed every other one to an ad... wtf TK