Where were you on September 11, 2001 when this country, and the world changed? I woke up that morning after working the night before, and turned on the TV to see that the first tower had been hit. Some reporter, I think Bryant Gumbel, was talking still thinking that it had been an accidental strike, and then the second tower was hit.

Emergency Action Coordinator, NORAD Battle Staff, Northeast Air Defense Sector.


Tim

On the phone with tech support about a customer's DSL modem. Heard about the attacks on the Howard Stern show. At first they thought it was a small plane.

Afterward, I noted to a co-worker that a lot of people needed to die in retaliation for the attacks. Fortunately they did and continue to.

I was working patrol on September 11, 2001. I was listening to WLS AM890 on my squad car's radio. I remember the news breaking that an airplane had hit one of the Towers. My dad was a private pilot and I thought that was impossible to do by accident. The initial news story in those first few moments was very confusing.

I made a traffic stop. I was going to write the guy a ticket but then the news got much clearer about what had happened. I let the guy go and told him to turn on his car's radio to the news on WLS.

I drove to the firehouse. I stood and stared in horror at the tv with the firemen. We barely spoke. We switched channels to see different perspectives. The spanish station was showing the people forced to leap from the building. Reports are that approx 200 people were forced to leap from the smoke, flames, and heat. Among all the images of 911, I am still struck by the fact that the news media did not show people falling from the buildings. But the spanish station did....

Our police radio was silent. There were no calls about barking dogs or neighbors cutting tree branches on some one else's property or even traffic crashes.

When the towers fell, the firefighters and I were shocked. We realized we were watching police officers and firemen dying live on television. Most civilians were evacuated from the area. But the police and firemen were still there.

The firehouse I was at is in direct line with a landing pattern for O'Hare airport. I also remember stepping outside and listening to the silence. The silence of no jet noise was deafening.



Today is my birthday. My father was my best friend and he died on September 11, 2004. It's a special day for me today. I will go to the nursing home and take my mom to lunch. Today is the day she gave birth to me. It is also the day she lost her husband and best friend of 54 years.

Tough day today. But a day to celebrate as well.

-Steve

I was delivering milk off my semi at a Walmart in Trinidad CO. We were having a good time in the back room when a manager announced " a plane has hit a building in NYC". Almost every one went to where they sell TVs to watch. Pretty soon the second plane came in. The four hour drive back to Denver was strange, with no traffic and no airplanes in the sky, except for the CAP jets.

I was working at the Albany County Airport for American Airlines,I was loading luggage into carts for a departure when all the flights were cancelled.

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Anchors

UNfortunately, it is far too few of the RIGHT people and far too many of the GOOD people.

I was at work in downtown Kansas City. Don't remember how I got word, but rushed down to the lobby to watch the big bank of TVs. Kept the rest of my office mates informed. We had a co-worker, Tegan, who was supposed to have a meeting in one of the towers that day. We did not know his status and could not contact him. My office phone rang that afternoon and it was Tegan. He was safe and walking out of downtown NYC with all the others. We breathed a small sigh of relief for that fact.

I'll never forget that day....

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Barry, youngest son of Claud

I was supposed to fly from Newark to Detroit that day and turned on my computer as soon as I got to work and saw the breaking headline that a plane had hit the WTC. I thought, "How could a plane fly into that building on such a nice day?" I called the travel agent immediately to find out if the airspace had been closed and therefore the flights delayed. She said yes the planes were all on delay but should be back up soon.

My ex had retired from the Port Authority police only two years prior. Of course he knew the PA police who had been killed.

The Newark Airport PA police were on their way to assist. They had to stop to gas up the van. As soon as they arrived at the towers, the first one fell. Those 5 minutes saved their lives.

With my wife as she got her first colonoscopy. Unforgettable.

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"Vus ken men tin?" -Irving

I had a 9:00 am T time at a local golf course. Just after we arrived at the pro shop (the first plane hit at 8:46 am) my father-in-law told me to come inside and see what was on the tv. TOTAL disbelief at what I was watching.

At work. ...........

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Misty

I was driving back to work at my job at a Toyota dealership parts department. I'd been in the dentist chair in Florence getting my teeth cleaned when it came on the radio. Listened all the way back to work and that's when everyone realized that no, it wasn't a joke, and no, it was not an accident. That day will stay with me forever. For some reason, the fact that the weather was so beautiful here that day seems to stay with me as well. It's almost like something so tragic couldn't possibly happen on such a beautiful day.

I was at work and heard it on the radio. I then went down to the cafeteria to watch the tv. I stayed there for an hour or so. Some folks called to make an appt to come in and look at cars and I tried to dissuade them. However, they were insistent and they drove a long way and I sold them a car.

That evening I remember all of the posts here.

I was at work on a turnaround at a Citgo Refinery when we got the word that a plane hit the first tower, we went into our change trailer and we turned on the tv just as the second plane hit we all decided to leave as a oil refinery is not the place to be when we are getting attacked, our superintendent couldn't believe we were leaving, he even asked if we were all going to join the Army? What a a^%$#&e! It sure was a shock!

Teaching an NRA Basics of Personal Protection class at the local Bass Pro Shops. We were using the lounge as a classroom and were maybe an hour into the program. A store employee came up to and turned on a big screen TV. At the time, only one tower had been hit and it wasn't yet known whether this was an horrible accident or an attack. We watched the live coverage as people jumped to their death, saw the second tower and the Pentagon hit, cancelled the class and sent everyone home.

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"I also cook."

At work. The phone rang, and when I answered it the caller told me to turn on a TV. "Something bad is happening."

Naturally, I asked "What? What channel do I tune to?"

And he said, "It won't matter."

I was at work when they attacked. Made contact with both of my sons, one at college and one with Navy Security, the younger headed for home and the other on full alert, along with the Marines who had moved up to dig gun emplacements covering the approaches to the base . It was truly a sad time but I was none the less proud to be an American and glad we had a President that carried the war to the enemy. I hope and pray today for the future of our country and hope we everyday Americans have the fortitude to do what is necessary for the defense of Liberty and our nation. All my best, Joe.

At the time I was getting ready to dispatch to the missile field at Malmstrom AFB Montana. One of the Airman came running in and said the Twin Towers had been hit. At first we thought accident until the second one hit. My Chief (Senior Master Sgt) and I went and secured all the gates, trucks, doors and made sure everyone was inside the buildings. Then we waited for updates from Base Security. One of the airman "found a TV" from somewhere so we watched the coverage until released for the day. I can't lie and say we weren't hoping for a live fire of one or more of our missiles.

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Mike
USMCR 84-87, USAF 87-07

One of my customers was at a business meeting on the other side of the country, California, I think. When all of the flights were canceled, she and her party rented a car and drove cross country back to Cleveland.

That was the only time in my life when I've never seen an airplane for more than a few hours.

I had worked the night before on patrol. I was sleeping when the sheriff called me and told me what had happened and that I needed to come to the office. We spent the next several hours going over different plans the department had for the area since we had a nuclear power plant close by. Extra security was sent the power plant as well. It was a very long and tragic day.


snakeman

So you had a REALLY intense day.

Well it doesn't happen to often but I aggree with you wholeheartedly.

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Chad

I was in Myrtle Beach on vacation, never will forget it. It was kind of surreal, watching the scene unfold on tv in the hotel room, while people were walking on the beach right in front of us oblivious to what was happening.
We were immediately undecided if we wanted to stay in SC, having thoughts of what was happening to our fellow NYer's. I also knew guys that were on the FDNY and NYPD, and that my Ladder Company and the rest of my Dept would be responding down to the Trade Center(my job was a stones throw from the Bronx).
We thought about it all day, and of cousre that was all the talk in Myrtle, as well as everywhere else. At the local beakfast joint the staff was so nice to us, because as soon as I opened my mouth to order they knew we were from NY.They even announced it to the rest of the patrons.
We decided later in that day to leave Myrtle and go home in the morning. Trouble is we couldn't get a flight back. Having a rental car, we decided to drive it home, even though it was a local rental. We called Hertz and they said no problem, turn it in when you get back to NY and just pay the normal rental. That cemented me as a lifetime Hertz customer.
That night, another surreal event occurred. The hotel fire alarm went off at 3 am. We, and the rest of the guests were stunned as we walked down the stairs to the street. We thought we were under attack! When we arrived in the street, we were somewhat relieved to see it was just our hotel being evacuated and not the whole area.
We got up early and drove the 10 hours back to NY, seeing nothing but rental cars on I95 all the way home. My guess is everyone else did exactly as us, kept their cars, the only way to get home.
As everyone else I'll never forget that day. Even more so, I am so proud of the way NYer's(as well as non-NYers) responded and rallied around one another during and after that tragedy. I feel honored and privileged to be called a NYer, and always will.
Sorry for the long post.

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Sure you did

Amici--

Yes we did.

We scrambled our alert jets and then our went looking for any flyable fighters in the Northeast. What many people may not realize is that, except for 4 (yup, four) jets in the NE, no other fighters in our AOR were under NORAD command, nor were they armed.

Pilots were prepared to crash their unarmed fighters into targets to stop them, if necessary.

A surreal day, for sure.

Tim

It was 1 am the 12th September here(We are 15 hours ahead of New York)I was watching TV and was skipping through the channels when I saw what I thought was a movie.I relised it was real when our own news presenter said that an aircraft had hit the World Trade Center.I thought how could a pilot not see the building or was it a mechanical problem with the jet.Then the second one hit and I knew something was not right.I was in shock...How could anyone do this..Why...Then it started coming in that the US was being attacked.The first thing that came to my mind was Pearl Harbour..The US was attacked back then by the japs but who is doing it now.The Russians...Chinese..Who.I stayed up and waited to hear who would do such a thing(I did not sleep that day),I saw NY come to a halt,All aircraft were grounded the world was in shock.Who had the Balls to attack America?.Then we heard the Taliban had attacked the US,How could a bunch of uneducated camel humpin towel heads do this.The carnage these low life had caused innocent people to suffer..Even now as I type this the images I saw back in 2001 are as fresh as they were back then and I am still saddened for the loss of innocent life.I always hoped The US would go in and wipe the whole country out....
As they say every dog has his day and those mongrels will get theirs.



Ken

I was at work about a block from the state capital.Listening to the KQRS morning show.
I remember hearing a plane hit one of the world trade centers and thinking "What the hell".
When the second tower was hit I knew we were under attack.I got down on my knees amidst the clutter of a construction sight and prayed for those in the towers and wisdom for our leaders.
I was not realy shaken until they hit the Pentagon,The symbol of our military.
After that I pretty much spent most of my time looking out the window at the capitol until the boss sent us all texts telling us to go home.

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Chad

Had just gone downstairs to the den with my morning coffee to watch the news. Was sure I had switched on a movie channel, nope that's CNN. The first plane had hit so I ran upstairs woke the wife sez turn on the TV it's bad! She sez what channel ? Doesn't matter it's on all of them I replied. We both watched dumb struck as the second plane hit. The aftermath in Alaska was pretty scary for a time as we had fly in drop off hunters scattered all over the state with no clue as to why they weren't being picked up at the prearranged time. If you are sheep hunting in the Brooks Range several hundred miles from the nearest civilization all sorts of thoughts go through your mind. It was a terrible time for the whole world of that there is no doubt.

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Jumpin Gee-hoss-a-fat..Bob

I learned of the events that morning when my sister in Baltimore woke me up with a phone call asking immediately where my husband was. No "Hi, Sis, how are you?" greeting, but "Where's Dave?" with great panic in her voice. She was concerned because he is a commercial airline pilot and was not sure who he flew with.

He was safely on the west coast and could not get home til 4 days later. It was a long 4 days.

Today, he is on the west coast flying 4 legs and I won't stop worrying until I see him arrive back home tomorrow.

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2 Blessed 2B Stressed

I was driving south on I-17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix. I stopped at a rest area, and while checking my load, fell out of the back of the trailer right onto my chin. My head bounced twice. A car load of Indians stopped to ask if I was OK. I said I was, but as I got back in the truck, I realized my shirt was covered in blood. While I was trying to get the bleeding stopped, the news came on XM that the first tower had been hit. I listened to Glenn Beck after that newscast. I had no pictures, but it was quite obvious what was going on. I think I prayed the rest of the way to Phoenix. I should have gotten a couple of stitches in my chin, but by the time I got to Phoenix, it didn't seem all that important.

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Insert short witty words here

Had arrived at the police station a little late that day, watched on the briefing TV the horror and destruction. Our chief told us to get ready for major differences in our lives.

Increased security for city hall and station.

Prayed for the victims, and just could not believe this was possible.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

At work......

I was a Freshman in High School... I was in Geography Class when the announcement came over the PA. Then they had TVs set up in the hallway so we could watch it unfold... It was intense.

On September 11, 2001 I was driving a school bus here in my home town. I had just completed my morning route, parked the bus and went to my car. As I started the car to go home, the radio came on and I was greeted with the news.

I listened intently and it was all like a bad dream, just too nutty to comprehend.

I drove home and turned on the television just in time to see the plane fly into the south tower, live.

My heart just dropped. This was just completely unbelieveable, however I had just witnessed it with my own eyes. The media people were trying to report, however, at that time nobody really knew what was going on.

I was thinking..."Is this it...are we going to be fighting somebody in the streets...today?

As I set glued to the television, trying to get all the information I could....I loaded all the AR, AK and FAL magazines that I had. What else could I do? There were literally tears in my eyes and I was thinking..."bring it on you *******s."

I was sincerely moved and feared that this was the beginning of the end.

As it has has been proven, in some ways it was. We have profoundly changed since that day...and for the most part...it has not been for the best.

Our country has changed. We have not solidified into a monolithic force to combat evil...but instead...we have divided into to two blocks...one profoundly evil.

Evil seems to be at the reins now and the rest of us are just trying to figure out what to do. I think the not to distant future will give us the answer.

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G.P. Charlie

I was at work in N.E.New Jersey. On the way home I could see the smoke coming from The World Trade Center. It was like something out of a Sci-Fi movie.
I didn't sleep well for months afterwards.

On my home from work--driving north on I-79 from Pittsburgh

grizz

A student at Auburn University. Woke up around 8 (central time) turned on the tubed as I was waking up. Flipping around channels and saw smoke from the first tower as I went by FOX News, turned it right back to FOX to hear them confused about what happened. Was it a small plane, etc? My friend was on his way over to do homework when the 2nd plane hit. wow. He got there shortly thereafter and we sat there glued to the TV watching history. Utter disbelief when the first tower fell. We were both in shock. Watched it all, then went to class. Not a lot of productivity in class that day...
It still hurts me, and it should. I'm glad it hurts to see it. The day it stops hurting, I don't want to be here anymore.
I know for some they don't feel it anymore. What a sad state...

Was in VA at home watching TV and immediately knew my two NYPD sons were involved and their wives called me to say that they were there as well as a nephew (FD Fire Marshal). It wasn't until late that day that I heard their voices to confirm they were OK. They spent many weeks at the site or the landfill sifting for remains. Neither are the same people they were on 9/10 as certain images last forever, but they are alive and presumably in good health so far. Anyone who was there that day and the months following are at risk of serious health problems at anytime. The Fire Marshal was retired for lung problems and a son for non-related OTJ injuries. One remains working and hears every day of another cop or fireman who was there that died or has a terminal illness. Just a coincidence? I doubt it.

I was on the phone with a fellow firefighter, when he told me to turn on the TV. The first plane had hit. We thought it was an accident, and were discussing high rise firefighting tactics when the second plane hit. Niether of us said a word for about 10 minutes, and then we both said, "I gotta go now". When those towers came down, we all knew that a whole lot of brothers went down with it. It seems like yesterday. I pray for the families and friends of all who lost their lives that day, professionals who responded, and also those innocents who were just going about a new day.

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Freedom above all else.

F-15's out of Otis? It put up 2 Eagles.

Waiting to board what was supposed to be the first flight of a three year "traveling duty" work assignment.

Everyone in the terminal was watching the report of the first World Trade Center impact...then the second impact came and the terminal was the scene of the largest collective shock I have ever experienced.

A month or so after 9/11 my "traveling duty" assignment kicked into full gear. During the three years following 9/11, I flew well over 100,000 miles on commercial airlines and probably drove another 100,000 miles (in order to avoid flying whenever possible).

The increased security scrutiny for airline passengers made those three years fell like ten years. After putting up with the "enhanced security measures" for those three years, I have made it even more of a point to drive whenever possible; flying the equivalent of only three round trips in the past five years.

It was my senior year in high school, and I remember I slept in and woke up late for school and decided to skip the first 3 periods of class. When I was trying to sneak into my 4th period class thats when everybody had the tv's and news reports on, nobody even noticed that I just got there. I guess I was glad I didn't get caught but kinda wish I had. The whole event amoung other things directly influenced my military career.

Keep Strong America.

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Cheers -Jeff

Study hall in 11th grade.

Some teacher came around and told my teacher a plane had hit the first tower. She turned on the TV and not long after we watched as the second plane came in. I don't recall anything being accomplished the rest of the day in any of my classes.

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- The Federalist #46 -

We had taken a weeks vacation to prepare to move to a new home. I was taking a break and watching Magnum P.I. on cable. My MIL called and told my wife there was a plane crash in NYC. Everything seemed surrealistic for the next few days and moving was a welcome distraction.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

I was in my office on the 6th floor of the Washington Hospital Center where we could see the smoke rising from the Pentagon. Dr. Marion Jordan and his team saved all seven of the burn victims pulled from the rubble alive.

Bullseye

Amici:

Yes--

Eagles from Otis (the 102FW) and Vipers (F-16s) from Langley--these were 119thFW jets from North Dakota on alert at LFI.

Tim

I had just pulled in to get my speedometer calibrated on my patrol car in Daytona Beach. I know I was doing about Mach 3 back across the county, but it still felt like it took me two hours. Spent the rest of the day trying to calm very nervous people who wanted us to post deputies at the schools, etc. Watched the towers fall and remember thinking that the FD up there was losing A LOT of people. For some reason the other memory of that day that sticks with me was the Queen of England having our national anthem played at the changing of the guard ceremony as opposed to God Save The Queen. Liked her ever since. Like some of you I spent the evening loading magazines, wondering if they would be needed.

On the way to work, just coming east out of the tiny town of Smyer, TX. Won't EVER forget!!

Hi:
I was on patrol when comm center gave an "All Units Alert". When it was determine that this was a "Terrorist Attack" I placed patrol units at the airport, water works, city and private fuel storage areas. Being my agency was a small agency I took it upon myself to call the president of the local gun/shooting club and requested that the members assembly at the emergency center (fire and police complex). By this time the "Desk Bound Commandos" had arrived and "Took Charge".(Muddled Thing Up).
Several days later I was on patrol while everyone else was at the county court house (in another city) for trials.
The airport manager called com center to report two "Middle Eastern" men prowling among the parked aircraft. While responding com center reported that the two "Suspects" had left the airport property driving a white rental four door car heading east. Spotting the vehicle and notified comm center of a felony"10-50". Exiting my patrol vehicle in a timely fashion I forgot to turn on my portable radio. As the second suspect followed the first suspect out of their vehicle, he suddenly reached back in the vehicle and grapped something. As my finger was taking up the final slack in the service pistol trigger he held up a wallet-so he kept on living. In the meantime com center unable to reach me because my portable radio was not turned on, put out a "All Agencies-any units "10-24" 0fficer Down call. In a few minutes the entire world was coming "Code 3".
Turns out the two gentlemen were tourist and were airplane fans.
Innocent but DUMB!!
Jimmy

The morning show was playing on the radio in the shop and the news broke that a "small plane" had crashed into the WTC. I went to the drivers lounge and flipped the TV over to a news channel. They were showing a live feed of the fire when suddenly the second plane veered into the other tower, at that moment life as I knew it was over. We listened to the updates on the radio all morning and spent lunch break watching video of the mornings events on TV. I prayed harder that day than any other time in my life, for our country, the first responders, victims and their loved ones.

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"Shall not be infringed"