[mtbopfuyn]

I will always remember my best friend, Gina, on this day. She was at work without a tv so called me after hearing about the first plane. I would have had the tv on but was busy making mom's birthday cake and thought she was making another of her endless jokes. I knew who had caused it and was explaining who OBL was when I saw the second plane crash. We were on the phone all that day so shocked at what was happening to our country. My dear friend died of a terminal illness a few months later. For some reason, every 9/11 anniversary I remember her.

[texianyankee]

That Tuesday morning, I was in Zapata, Texas, along the Rio Grande when I first heard the word.

A small group of us were gathered outside getting prepared to go to the field when my ears tuned in to someone mentioning a plane hitting the Twin Towers.....immediately the group gathered around a car radio to hear a news broadcast - another plane had hit the other tower.

I dont know how long we just stood around listening in stunned silence. But eventually, someone mentioned the feed store across the street had a TV. In short order a small group of us gathered in front of the only channel we could pick up - a Spanish language news broadcast - but the live video feed said it all.

My mind thought back just five weeks earlier when I was in NYC....

August 2, 2001, I visited NYC for the first time in my life. It was a short four day stayover with the highlight attending my first Yankee game at the Stadium. Clemens pitched the game - it was his birthday - and we won.

I had a couple of days to view some of the sights and so I walked from my hotel near Times Square, south on Broadway all the way to Battery Park so I could catch a ferry to Lady Liberty. The lower Manhattan atmosphere deluged my senses and the heat in early August approached Texas, but all-in-all it was inspiring to be a witness to this city.

The walk took me next to the Twin Towers. I paused a few minutes to catch my breath and to gaze skyward. They were impressive, to say the least. However, I didnt have time to stop & visit. I wanted to catch Lady Liberty, so I had to walk on.

It took hours to visit Lady Liberty. The day was almost gone by the time I was finished seeing the sights of Lower Manhattan and grabbing a bite to eat so I didnt have the time to walk over to the Twin Towers. It was early evening, so I took the subway back to Times Square.

August 7th I flew back to Texas, thinking that was the last time I would see NYC.......

......The rest of September 11th, I was in a half daze. I spent a few hours watching the TV and watching all that transpired that day. Eventually, I made my way to the field where I overlooked the Rio Grande, just above Falcon Lake. Normally, one could see an occasional aircraft overhead in the sky. However, that day there was an eerie silence and the sky was empty of aircraft. However, towards mid-afternoon, I heard the sound of a chopper. I stood and stared as I saw a lone military helicopter flying slowly down the Rio Grande........

I went back to the motel room and watched TV the rest of the evening and the next day.....

As I sat in my motel room watching the events unfold again & again, I cant tell you exactly when, but it didnt take me very long to realize that I was glad Dubya was my President. I shuddered to think what if Gore had won - the guy I had actually voted for?

From that point onward, I became a conservative.

One year later, I made it back to NYC to join in the 9/11 memorial services. I will never forget.

[DogBarkTree]

To my friends at Canter, Euro Brokers, and FDNY: Jimmy Geyer, Matt Gryzmalski, Wayne Soloman, Gary Koechler, Ed Mardovich, Bobby Parks, The Calaio brothers, Tim Coughlin, Joe Kelly, Art Barry, Paul Keating, Peter Ortali, Vinnie DeFazio, Eddie Disimone, Ed Brenna, Frank Brennan and all the rest, I think of you guys everyday. God bless you and may you rest in peace. I'll join you on the other side someday.

[Alexis the Bengal Kitty]

I will never forget 9/11.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

A prayer thread for those who would like to remember in prayer:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1482231/posts

[LS]

I was in my basement, on the treadmill watching some movie, when my wife, who was at the gym teaching her class, called and said, "turn on the TV right now. A plane has hit the WTC." So I'm thinking, "Big deal, a Piper Cub got off course. A couple of people dead, some images, but why is this such an issue?

I flipped on FOX just in time to see the second plane come in. It hit me like a punch in the gut, although the horror really took a few minutes to register. When the first building went down, I sat on my bedroom floor and bawled like a baby.

I also remember Pres. Bush's speech on 9/16, and it impressed me so much that I wrote an essay on FR the next day and it got so widely circulated that the White House called me up and said they had been innundated by people sending them that essay. Here is the link: http://ashbrook.org/publicat/guest/01/schweikart/weightofworld.html

[niteowl77]

Having driven to work on what I still remember thinking was an unusually bright and lovely morning, I was sitting in the cube when a lady stuck her head around the corner and said that a plane had crashed into the WTC. The first thing I did was say it was probably Islamic terrorists (I used a much nastier term for them); the second thing I did was log onto FR- there are many still here who probably did likewise.

Less than a week earlier, my wife and I had flown down to Columbus to see our son graduate from basic at Ft. Benning, and he was at that moment ready to start his first day of AIT. His deployment to Iraq in early 2003 were out in the future, but we knew that the world wasn't going to be the same again.

[texas_mrs]

My husband and I were making our first trip to Canada, for veterinary continuing ed classes. We were on the runway at Dallas and they were taking an extra long amount of time to clear us for flight. Finally they did and we taxied (sp?) into place, but they never put the gas to it. Everyone was kinda wondering 'what the heçk'when the pilot came over the intercom and announced we were going back to the terminal.

Flight attendants told us about the towers as we were departing. I told my husband it was Osama bin Laden before we left the plan ;I had just read an article about him & his terrorism funding.

When we went into the airport, it was so different than when we left it. Everyone was standing around the tv's, hands to their mouths, as they watched the burning buildings. The fist tower fell, as we all watched. Gasps, and then an eerie silence amoung all those people. Crying stunned people as far as I could see around me.

No one could tell us what to do about the flight to Canada. No one could tell anyone anything. I only saw one person upset about their flight interruption. Everyone was pretty calm, but confused.

The drive back home was surreal. We listened like zombies to the radio all the way back home, 140 miles, with our cell phones ringing every little bit with calls from our kids, parents, freinds, checking to see if we were alright.

We had been to New York in May, for my sons wedding. His wife didnt know for 3 days if all her family lived or not. One man missed the attack because he bareley missed his train that morning.

I pray for those who died and those who lost loved ones. May America never forget 9/11 and stay ever vigilant.

[Earthdweller]

When the planes hit, I was at a graveyard researching the genealogy of my ancestors who came to the America to escape religious persecution.

How ironic for me that on the same day we would get hit by Islamofascists who hate the USA for our religious beliefs.

[Anomaly in Illinois]

Ashes Ashes (9/11)

Images seared
into our collective soul
bright blue sky
marred by
smoke black as night
angry flames
birth
soot and ash
falling falling
without end
baptizing all within reach
inhaling one another
deeply into our lungs
wearing heinous evidence
as dusty white cloaks
tears leave trails
down faces
revealing
human flesh
not meant
for such things
to bear.

by Anomaly in Illinois

___________________________________________________




9/11/2005

September comes with her brilliant blue sky
summer’s air shifts to crisp
trees hint of Autumn color
our hearts whisper September
remember
we go about our days
rushing here and there
September breeze caresses our skin
our bones whisper from within
remember
children who’s parents are still dead
heroes who’s lives are still lost
the wife the husband the lover the child
goodbyes never said
i love yous never said
remember


by Anomaly in Illinois

[backinthefold]

I was driving to work when my bossed wife called me and said that a plane had crashed into the twin towers. I, like many others, thought it was a small plane off course. When I had arrived at the office I turned on the radio and sat in stunned silence. When the second plane hit, I called my hubby, who works nights, and said on the machine, "turn on the tv now, while you were sleeping the world has gone to hell in a handbasket"

 

My brother in law is a pilot for a major airline, and I spent the next 5 hours trying to contact him, along with several members of my family who still live in the NJ/NY area.

 

When I heard that the pentagon had been hit, I knew it was war. I walked into my bosses office and said, they just attacked the pentagon, and just turned around and walked out. I felt like life was over as I had known it, everything was now changed. I wanted to go to school and grab my kids and never let them go. That feeling I had inside me when I heard about the pentagon still haunts me, it was fear like I have never felt before, deep down to the inner core of me being. I still feel it, though not as bad, every time I see film and pictures of it all. I will always watch, I will never forget.

 

My bosses wife had called several times asking me if I had been in touch with my brother in law. By about 3 I had finally spoken to him, she was glad he was ok, than said to me.... by the way, with this, I dont think I can keep you on, but you can work till Friday..... wow, the bee-ach fired me... I packed up my belongings, walked into the bosses office, and said goodby. He thought I was joking... I left, never to see either of them again

(he is currently in jail for child molestation, and she is being sued by several people who put children in her day care center, where he was molesting her charges, ahh sweet revenge)

 

I went home, and curled up on the couch with my children around me and watched Peter Jennings tearfully tell us to hug our kids... I lived in fear for a long time. Not hearing any planes over head, the silence of it was almost deafening....

 

I still fear another attack, I wont lie about that. The fear is less with President Bush, had it been Kerry, my bomb shelter would had been fully complete by now :)

[sneakers]

I was at work in my office that morning. Strangely, I was feeling more than usually patriotic and had just hit the button to install a screensaver depicting the signers of the Constitution when my sister called me "Did you hear? A passenger plane has crashed into the World Trade Center!" Shortly after, the second plane hit. Shocked, I ran over to my co-worker's office to find my fellow employees gathered around the radio. When word came about the Pentagon, if the second World Trade Center Plane didn't convince us, we knew for a fact that we were under attack. We were all helpless, trying to get news. Our town, Indiana, Pa. is east of Pittsburgh, Word spread that a plane was headed towards the power plant six miles away and it was evacuated. Later, we learned of Flight 93, that was,in reality headed toward Washington, DC. I work in the county courthouse. Everybody was trying to find out what was going on, nobody was in their offices working and people worried about their children in school. They sent us home before noon. It was a relief to be told to go home and be with family. At home, I ran into the neighbor lady who was panicked and complaining that the President wouldn't do anything. I angrily told her that she should be GLAD that Bush was our President! My elderly mom couldn't seem to understant what was happening and, astoundingly, my 19 year old son - talking to friends on the computer - was marginally aware that something was going on but didn't realize the magnitude of it! We watched the footage all through the day and the days to follow and prayed hard for survivors. Standing outside, looking up at the sky, it was strange not to see condensation trails from airplanes when they stopped all air traffic. It was eerie.

No. I won't EVER forget - or forgive! I still think of it often. If the islamofascists think they have weakened us, they have not. At least *I* have become more patriotic than ever, and my belief that we are right in taking the fight to the enemy is stronger than ever. My son is now in the military, and I am very proud that he chose to serve. The flags may not be flying like they were after 9/11/01, but the resolve is still strong!

Just my memories, thoughts and sentiments.

[tongue-tied]

We were at sea on USS Carl Vinson. It was a normal flying day; training ops well off of the west coast of India. It was just after 5PM and the Today (back when she was still perky) Show was on. I saw a smoking tower, then watched in disbelief as the second plane hit. Shortly, all flight ops were secured and we hightailed it north to wait for the USS Enterprise (who we had just relieved) to return to the area.

We waited nearly a month, and then we began cyclic combat ops. We flew our Hornets into the gound, waiving hourly and calendar inspections and putting more hours on them in a short time than any McDondald Douglas (original manufacturer) engineer could have imagined. On the F/A-18, weapons release checks are required every 7 days, unless the aircraft has successfully "dropped" in the past 24 hours. We weren't required to do many release checks. My squadron alone dropped over 750,000 pounds of ordnance.

As a "ground pounder" I stood duty so that the pilots could fly. Our pilots would brief, fly, debrief and sleep. I remember seeing them return from a flight, watching the video of their bombs hitting the targets, and then just before I got off duty would see the same guys coming back in to begin their day. 20 hour days were the norm for us, and the aircrew were not doing much less.

We listened to the news, worried about our families, and prayed for the people that had perished. I know we were angry like everyone else, but maybe because we were taking action we felt better than those that were simply sitting home being angry. There was at least the ability to write "FDNY" and "To Osama, with love" in chalk on the bombs before they were flown to their targets.

The pilots would come back excited about a particular target destroyed, and show their HUD camera tapes to us. We tried to get as many troops as possible into the ready room to watch the video, so that they could see what their efforts and long work hours were allowing the pilots to do. The motivation was huge, and morale was sky high.

At the time I was dead tired, with bags under my red eyes and simply wishing for a break. But even so, I knew there were people far worse off than us, missing loved ones or trying to cope with uncertainty.

Forget? Not a chance.

[Mo1]

I remember that day and talking with my liberal sister on the phone and telling her this attack meant war

She told me that I was over reacting

[PigRigger]

I will never forget seeing those fleeing uptown from lower Manhattan

I will never forget the blood, tears, and dust smeared across their faces

I will never forget the silence a crowd of thousands can make when seeing fellow New Yorker's die

I will never forget seeing the FDNY and NYPD rush to their deaths

I will never forget my first train back into Manhattan - viewing a black cloud over where the towers once stood

I will never foreget the prayers and sobs as we all looked out the windows as we passed

I will never forget the smell that lingered in the streets for weeks thereafter

I will never forget the sense of rage I felt....and still feel to this very day

[Leapofaith]

It started as a lazy morning and was much cooler than it had been. I had just got off work and was messing around. My husband called and said "Turn on the TV we have been attacked". I stood there and said are you sure and then I watched the second one hit. Before the camera cut away I saw someone jump. I said "oh my God, Pat, she jumped she was afraid she jumped". Then I couldn't speak, I couldn't speak and I couldn't sit down. My husband just kept talking, talking, talking and I don't remember what he said. I just stood there with my hand over my mouth and I started to cry. The next thing I knew an explosion was reported at The Pentagon. My brother works with the Air Force and his group was in Washington doing something. My husband told me that I needed to try to call him. My fingers were numb I called and called --- "all circuity's are busy" I thought I was not going to be able to breathe. I got his duty officer who couldn't tell me anything yet. My brother called me at about 11:00 PM to say his group was in Virginia and he was OK. He told me that we were going to go to war and recommended we move out of this city. My family was blessed that day --- I still have my brother. He said it was a scene from Hell. He lost friends. As long as I live I will never forget that day. I can never forget that lady who jumped. I can't forget the sound of that day.

[oldngray]

Thanks Dog, for a remembrance thread!

Never forget!

They attacked our own soil, a sneak attack on innocent people. Sixty years after another I remember so well. In both instances we have taken it to them, in spades.

May the Lord comfort the families and loved ones of those who suffered and died four years ago today.

Never forget! Be ever vigilant!

[Theresawithanh]

I was with my mom at a hospice, with my sister and her husband. My dad had just left to go home and take a shower, and I was sitting with mom. I was going to get a bottle of water out of the machine when I passed my sister and her husband watching the footage of the first plane hitting the tower. I thought they were watching a movie, and I didn't pay much attention as my brother-in-law was trying to tell me what had happened, and I only half heard him, as I wanted to get back to sit with mom. It didn't hit me until I went home to shower and have a little lunch. I turned to Fox News, and sat in utter disbelief, crying and praying for America and the people who were killed and their families. Because I was so involved and worried about mom, I pushed everything to the back of my mind, as did the rest of my family. We had a funeral to plan, as my mom's condition was terminal.

Remembering this week is doubly sad for me, losing my mother, and the brutal attack on America.

My parents' house is right along the flight path to the airport and we always heard planes, so much that we didn't even pay attention anymore. The skies were strangely silent for the whole time I was there, and it was eerie.

After mom's funeral, as I was flying home to CA, I had to walk a long way from the parking lot to the airport as they were not letting cars stop in front of the terminal. My luggage was searched, and I was thoroughly searched also. This is a small-town airport, mind you, and while I always had to pass thru the scanner when I flew out, I had never had to undergo such scrutiny. I had thought ahead and had packed some food with me, as meals were not served on either of the two flights I was on.

Life in America as we all knew it was completely changed on that day.

[ladyinred]

My memories of that day will never fade. I can still recall the horror I felt sitting on my couch watching the surreal on Fox news, and reading the live thread here on FR. The world had turned upside down that day. May God be with the families who lost their loved ones that day that I will never forget, nor forgive.

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

http://www.truthusa.com/911news.html
http://www.truthusa.com/911.html