Where were you and how did you hear about it?

aspeck

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 29, 2003
Messages
19,255
Kind of curious to hear where you were and how you heard about the acts of terrorism that besieged us on 9/11/01. What was your response?<br /><br />In another thread I mentioned that the wife and I were finishing morning coffee and I was headed out the door. We had the CBS Early Show on when they broke with the special announcement and then we watched the second tower being hit. We were so dumbfounded at the time. All we could do was to kneel in our living room and pray for those that lost their lives. And I was very late for work.<br /><br />As a volunteer fireman, I knew immediately what that erie beeping sound was after the Towers came down - the passive breathing alerts. They are a pain, but invaluable when a fireman goes down, and the sound made me sick to my stomach.<br /><br />As a family we spent most of the day in prayer, and are still praying often for the families of the victims, and perpetrators as well.
 

JGREGORY

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 1, 2003
Messages
1,412
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

I was at work. 25 miles from NYC. We all stopped what we were doing and went up to Washington Rock State Park, So named because it's where George went to watch the Britsh in NY. When we where there the Towers were burning by the tme we returned Tower 2 collapsed.<br /><br />We lost Three Township residents that day. One was a Volunteer Fire Fighter that made it out then went back in to help others to safety.
 

oddjob

Commander
Joined
Jun 19, 2002
Messages
2,723
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

I walked into a conference room to attend a meeting and a couple of people had the TV on. Only the one tower was on fire. Watching the story unfold is what my project team did that day. I was amazed by some folks in that room that thought it must be an accident. Then the second plane came...
 

jim phillips

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 11, 2003
Messages
504
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

It was my day off and I had just came in from feeding the stock when it came on tv. I will never forget the feeling of helplessness, Wanting to head out the door and drive 1500 miles to see if I could help. It was a very bad day.I will remember but hate to think of it.
 

Kilgore Trout

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 9, 2003
Messages
126
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

Nice beautiful sunny day. I get into my car, roll out of the driveway, and turn on the radio. The first thing I hear from Howard Stern is "that there is complete pandemonium at the world trade center" I thought it was a joke. "he then says we have to get the *******s responsible for this"<br /><br />I turn the car around, run into my home and tell my wife to turn on the TV, right as the second plane hit.<br /><br />It made me sick.
 

mellowyellow

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 8, 2002
Messages
5,327
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

I was talking on the phone with a customer in<br />Denmark who told me a plane just hit the WTC.<br />went and turned on TV...<br />strange way to hear.
 

11 footer

Lieutenant
Joined
Nov 16, 2002
Messages
1,408
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

I was in JR high school.<br /><br />Got my math class switched, it was my first day in the new class. It was almost time to switch class's and someone walked in and wispered something into the teachers ear. Then the teacher ran into the other room crying and put the TV on. Me and a few others walked into the room to see what was up. Right after we walked in the 2ed plane hit.<br /><br />They did not want to kids in school to know, so they told me and the two others not to tell anyone because they may know someone who was on the plane or in a building, I only told my friends.<br /><br />Turns out the teacher that ran out of the room had a son who worked in one of the towers, he died that day.
 

gaugeguy

Captain
Joined
Jun 4, 2003
Messages
3,564
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

Was at work, heard about the first plane on the radio. Knew immediately it was a terrorist act. Watched the second one in the conference room. I'll never forget how blue the sky was that day, not a cloud in it and very blue.
 

SCO

Lieutenant
Joined
Aug 19, 2001
Messages
1,463
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

Was at work and heard about it on the radio. Turned on the tv and listened to commentary by Katie Couric , then the 2nd plane flew in. Next came the surprises when the towers collapsed. Many in the office wanted to get out of the building even though we were thousands of miles away. I stayed but recall assessing the vulnerability of my particular building.
 

mellowyellow

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 8, 2002
Messages
5,327
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

no matter how senile I get, I will never forget<br />the sight of the towers coming down and see myself<br />one day explaining it to my grandchildren.<br />for some reason I don't want to tune into some<br />feel good TV today...Just wanna feel bad.<br />trying to understand why
 

ndemge

Commander
Joined
Jul 15, 2002
Messages
2,644
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

aspeck.... I'm from a firefighter family...<br /><br />When I was a kid, I was always up at the station on sunday mornings when the pulled duty, checking out the trucks, .. and the scba gear.. <br /><br />Exactly like you said, all you could hear were the PAL alarms going off.... you knew just how many firefighters had quit moving and were done for.<br /><br />I was driving to work that morning, and heard it on the radio that a plane had hit... I called my boss and had him turn on the tv in the warehouse (we had just put there 2 days prior!!)<br /><br />I arrived at work a few minutes later, just as the 2nd plane hit. We sat there the entire day watching. The phone never wrang all day.
 

kenimpzoom

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2002
Messages
4,807
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

I was in my isolated lab and didnt hear about it until the towers collapsed. No one came and told me. From that day on I suscribed to CNN news e-mail alerts so that I would know the minute something big happened.<br /><br />I remember going home that day and thinking how lucky I was that I just moved back to the USA 2 months earlier. What a nightmare to be overseas at that time.<br /><br />I refused to watch the video of people jumping to their deaths until I saw some on PBS two days ago. What a horrible way to go.<br /><br />I hope those *%^(*^%(^@#@ responsible rot in hell.<br /><br />Ken
 

JGREGORY

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 1, 2003
Messages
1,412
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

You Know what Bites??<br /><br />The Towers have been Part of the NY skyline since I was a kid. Next to the Statue of Liberty it was most likly the most recognizable. Now my Daughter will never see them or the great view from the top of them. So much was taken away and not only from this generation but those to come. :( :( :(
 

FLATHEAD

Captain
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
3,514
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

I too was at work.Beautiful sunny day working outdoors. I was working with a good friend I hardly ever get to work with and we were having a great morning. Another coworker drove up to the building in a real hurry and shouted to us that he had just heard the trade center had been hit. We rushed inside turned on a tv and you guys know the rest. I will never forget it as long as I live.
 

Ralph 123

Captain
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Messages
3,983
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

I will never, ever, ever, forget:<br /><br />I got in my truck and headed into the office. It was a perfect day in Boston. Not a cloud in the sky. Perefect temp. I just bought my boat a few weeks before and I was looking forawrd to getting into the office, getting some stuff done and cutting out early to get the boat out for a ride and maybe some fishing. I was excited.<br /><br />I stopped at Starbucks to get coffee as was my custom. I was third in line, daydreaming about how the day would unfold. Got more excited.<br /><br />My cell rang. It was my Mother and she said a plane just crashed into the WTC. Must be terrorists. I immediately thought F'in Arabs! After all, they already tried once, who else would it be? And, on a day like that day, no way it could be an accident.<br /><br />People around me overheard the conversation and you should have seen the look on their faces!<br /><br />Then, oh God, another one. Oh God the planes were from Boston. OH MY GOD IT COLLAPSED... OH MY GOD. THE OTHER ONE'S GONNA GO TOO THEN. OM HY GOD. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD! THEY HIT THE PENTAGON! THIS IS F'IN WAR. F'IN WAR THOSE M F'ERS. THEY WANT IT THEY GOT IT. <br /><br />Then I started thking about how easily I could have been on either of those flight (I've been on those several times) and how easily I could have been at the WTC for a meeting. I thought about all my classmates working at the WTC, My former colleques (I was with one of the Big 4 Professional Services firms and we had offices there) and on and on and on<br /><br />That day changed my life. I pretty much decided to drop out for a wile spend some time with my family. I spent the next year stripping and rebuiilding the Formula from scratch and trying to figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my life. <br /><br />I imemdiately wondred if I could re-enlist in the Army. I even thought about joining the CIA. But given I am in my late 30s both seemed unreasonable.<br /><br />To this day, I imagine that I am sitting in a window office in the WTC on the phone, with my back to the window. I hear a noise and swing around and see the plane heading right for me. It haunts me.
 

NOSLEEP

Commander
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
2,442
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

I had just left the house and had started my<br />truck to go to work. The radio was on and said a<br />plane had struck the world trade center.<br />The first thing that came to mind when I heard the<br />news was the bombing in the early 90,s. <br />My work is only 3 minutes from my home,and we were<br />all glued to the t.v. for the rest of the events.
 

Kilgore Trout

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 9, 2003
Messages
126
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

Jgregory: I feel the same way. My dad used to take us down there every month and see how much progress was made. One the first tower was complete it was amazing<br /><br />I remember back when it looked very much as it does today, a big hole in the ground.<br /><br />Believe it our not, I saw hope and rthe greatness of American in that hole. 30 some years later, I still see hope and greatness, but his time with a lot of pain.<br /><br />Those towers have always meant I was home. <br /><br />You could see them From the Jersey Turnpike and the Whitestone Bridge. Sometimes I would treat my friends from distant locations to the Staten Island Ferry, at the end of a long road trip. It took a little longer, but what a great way to come back home, with the twin towers standing like sentinels to the harbor. The most beautiful site was from the air at night, as I would pass over them on the approach to La Guardia.
 

KennyKenCan

Commander
Joined
Aug 26, 2002
Messages
2,501
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

Was in the elevator in Tower 1, got off at 72nd floor and walked down.<br /><br />That is all I will say.<br /><br />Kenny
 

LadyFish

Admiral
Joined
Mar 18, 2003
Messages
6,894
Re: Where were you and how did you hear about it?

Words alone cannot express my emotions of that day. <br /><br />I can hardly find the strength to post today--two years later. I just want to say, people like Kenny, SBN, Ralph, jgregory, Kilgoretrout, MellowYellow and every other American in one way or another has been touched by this horrible tragedy...some more so than others. I keep you in my thoughts and prayers always.<br /><br />Today, is a somber day for us all. Our silence is grief and its okay.
 
Top