Question: What were you doing this day two years ago?

10 Sept 03 | Mr. Silverback

[Mr. Silverback]

The last few days I've been thinking about the guys at Pearl Harbor, and a section of a National Geographic documentary that talked about what most of them were doing the day and night before. So I'm wondering: What was that last day of the old, sleeping America like for you all? You can post your remembrances (and any other events that you remember from that day, see post #1 for an example) in this thread.

I'll start:

I couldn't tell you which deals I signed or anything like that, but I was pounding the pavement to get newspaper ads that day, picking up copy, etc. I remember sitting down near the end of the business day and wrtiting a list of new business for the 8am sales meeting on Tuesday. I don't think we ever covered them...

Then I went home. My wife took the keys and headed out to nursing school, I rolled around on the living room carpet with the kids, read the newspaper, watched Brit Hume and O'Reilly. I only know I did these things because they were my routine; the day doesn't stick out, though it should. I'll bet there are a lot of Pearl Harbor survivors who remember vividly what they were doing on the night of 6 December.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I was here at my desk in downtown Manhattan. When I looked out my window I could see the World Trade Center buildings towering over the building immediately next to me...although I'm sure I didn't take any particular notice of that fact because they were always there.

[hchutch]

Day before I worked, and then spent the evening watching the History Channel. Not much out of the ordinary. Probably spent some time on FR that evening, too.

The next day, Tuesday, I'll remember that I had planned to spend that evening composing a letter protesting the blacklisting of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) after reading that Colin Powell had placed them on the same list as al-Qaeda. I have long felt Mr. Castano was a good guy.

Suffice it to say that I decided to hold off on sending that letter. SecState would be quite busy.

[vikk]

My heart started racing halfway through writing that.

[ssaftler]

It was a normal day in my office, probably spoke to my colleagues on the 10th floor of 1 WTC (as I did most days).

The one thing I do recall was that my wife and I went to the gym that evening, and I was probably watching MNF there for a while before heading home. I know I was at the gym because it was quite a while before I went back, and I've not really been a regular there since 9/10/01.

I also recall turning on the radio Tuesday morning around 5:45 AM (PST), hearing the KSFO gang talking about an airplane hitting the WTC. One of them commented that it was probably a small private plane, probably a freak accident.

To them and to all listeners that it would be preposterous for any plane, let alone a commercial jet, to have deliberately hit the building. Little did we know... At that point, off went the radio, on went FNC to see what was going on. Just in time to watch tower 2 get hit.

Beyond my friends and collegues who worked at the WTC, I was quite tense when I heard that a United flight to SF was involved in one of the crashes. A lady who formerly taught with my wife was, at the time, a flight attendant for United, based in SF. Fortunately, she was not on the plane.

[KellyAdmirer]

Heck, not hard to forget what I did that day at all. I got on a plane at Newark bound for Colorado and sat on the tarmac for four hours as heavy rain beat down. We just barely got off the ground that evening, otherwise I would have had to fly out of NYC the morning of September 11. As it was, got into Dallas too late to complete the journey, and wound up spending three glorious unintended days in that fair city.

[Bosco]

On 9/11/01 I was at the same job I am today - a couple of cubes away from where I sat that day. A co-worker came by my cube to tell me that an airliner had struck one of the WTC towers. I initially thought it an accident - the towers are tall and aircraft have flown into buildings before. The second strike left it in no doubt that it was not an accident.

I met my wife and 2yo daughter at the mall food court for lunch that day. It was eerily quiet and begged her to go directly home afterwards and stay there. None of us had any ideas as to where else there could be trouble.

The company opened up the exercise room in one of the buildings on our campus - they have multiple TVs. I was in the room watching as the first of the two towers collapsed. There were audible sobs from co-workers who were watching.

It was difficult to watch, knowing that people were dying as the tower went down, but I knew that I had to watch it.

IMO anyone who does not treat this as a war is foolish, short-sighted and IMO a traitor to our country. The Islamic fascists want all of us dead or Muslim - it doesn't matter if you're conservative or a pinko. I think most of us Freepers understand that.

We're at war, we're at war, we're at war.

Let's Roll.

[mhking]

My sinuses were killing me as I woke up -- early -- on that Tuesday morning. I took some medicine and plopped down on the couch at about 5:30, watching Jack Cafferty's curmudgeonly ramblings on CNNfn.

After sixish, I woke the kids to get them ready for school. I had yet another day of job-searching planned for myself (I was in the midst of a 5+ month employment drought).

My very pregnant wife and daughter left at around 20 minutes to 9 to get my daughter to school by 9. I poured myself a second cup of coffee, sat down at my desk and turned my attention to "Good Day Atlanta" on WAGA.

A commercial for some car dealer or some other sundry thing was on. The commercial ended abruptly as Lisa Rayam said, "We're going to join CNN live right now; there's something happening in New York City - it appears that an airplane has struck one of the towers of the World Trade Center."

My mouth fell open as I was entranced. The first thing I thought of was the Empire State Building plane crash that we'd all seen pictures of, where the plane got lost in the fog.

I started flipping to all the affiliates and news stations -- news junkie that I am -- to see if there was any better information than what was coming from CNN.

By 9, I figured that the quick shower that I had in mind was out, so I flipped on the set in the bedroom so I could hear and see it while I washed up and tossed on a t-shirt and sweats.

I remember thinking as time appeared to slow down, "What's that plane doing? Is it a military rescue plane? It's banking awful sharply to get around--"

Like the rest of the nation, I went numb.

I rushed back into the living room and frantically found the phone. I knew my brother would be getting ready for work, and not out the door yet up in Indiana.

"Hello," the voice on the other end grumbled.

"Turn on CNN, now," I yelled.

After a pause, he said, "Holy shit! What is it, terrorists!?"

"Yeah, it looks like it."

I was transfixed the rest of the day, hell, the rest of the week. When my kids got home, I turned to other things - thank God for Disney Channel & Cartoon Network.

It was hard to get to sleep that night with those scenes playing out over and over again when I closed my eyes. The people jumping. The flames. The falling towers. The dust-covered zombies who were the walking wounded.

Not only that, after midnight, jumbo freight jets for FedEx, UPS and all the rest normally fly overheard out of Hartsfield with packages for the world. Their thundering rumbles are almost comforting after all these years. That night, however, was eerily quiet.

I knew the world had changed forever that day. I knew that we were at war with a foe that could strike us anywhere at any time. I was afraid for my family. For my friends.

Like the rest of the nation, I mourned. I was blessed not to have lost anyone direcly in the disaster, but friends had lost. Family, even, had lost people close to them.

And those bastards had the audacity and unmitigated evil to celebrate. They thought they had mortally injured us. But after we mourned, and cried, we dried those tears and put on our collective armor.

Like a rivalry between schools, we fight each other tooth and nail regularly. We trade licks and insults and venom with regularity. But don't ever mistake that for weakness. Because you hit one of us - rival or otherwise - and you have to take us all on.

It's like Bill Bixby in 'The Hulk' years ago.

"Don't make me angry....You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

[GreenLanternCorps]

I have no idea what I was doing the night of Sptember 10th, probably watched TV with my then very pregnant wife and she probably went to bed early.

On the morning of the 11th I was at my desk by 8 am going over various Purchase Orders that might have come over late on Monday, probably catching up on news on the internet. I remember I had 700 WLW on at they mentioned that a small plane had apparently hit one of the World Trade Center buildings. I commented to several co-workers the this had happend before when an Army B25 had gotten lost in fog and hit the Empire State Building. I figured it must be foggy in New York. I was wrong...

[GreenLanternCorps]

One other thing I remember, WLW had cut to the ABC network coverage of the plane crash. At this point most people were thinking it was a small plane. They were doing an interview with a New Yorker who had seen the plane crash and was commenting on what little he had seen. Suddenly, he started screaming, OH MY GOD!!! or words to that effect. Then either he or the reporter stated that a second plane had hit the other tower. I knew then that it was deliberate.

[Mr. Mojo]

I was too angry just sitting on my ass all day watching the death and destuction on the tube, so I got out the driver and blasted some golf balls into the Puget Sound. When that didn't do the trick, I chopped some wood with my heaviest axe. Nothing was working, so I grabbed my battle rifle and went down the the local range. Finally, a little peace. Came home, sharpened the Ka-Bar knives, and was overcome by a sense of steely determination.

[philosofy123]

A week before 9/11 I sent an editorial letter to my local paper warning the US about a potential bin Laden attack on us. That editorial was published 9/10, and my coworkers commented here we go again, he is always worried about the Islamic fanatics. The next day, I got a call from one my coworkers saying that New York got hit by the Moslems. I ran to a TV, and was so upset that the bastards was able to hit the world trade center again.

The first time, they hit the world trade center, we had a fool in the position of leadership. He looked the other way. I kept crying to any one who can hear me that they are plotting all the time to harm us, the Moslems have infiltrated our society, and are plotting against this nation days and night, right under our noses! No one would listen.

[the lone haranguer]

My wife and I were planning our son's 3rd birthday party. We were borrowing chairs and cleaning up the house while the football game was on in the background. Just an average night. We both talked about the party the next day and planned as though we had all the security in the world. It was actually a very nice low-key night.

[TheGunny]

I was at the end of a 6 month deployment to Iwakuni Japan. Looking very forward to rotating home on the 12th of sept. It was about 8 pm or so, some of my friends and I were watching a movie (on video) in my room when one of my Sgts ran form his Bks accross the road to inform us that the WTC had just been attacked with aircraft. We watched in horror as the second, third and fourth A/C hit thier mark. We were glued to the TV until about 3am, when we broke for a few hours of shut eye. We were summond at 0400 for a base wide recall, ordered to report to our work centers to enact contingency plans. Being an Aviation Ordnanceman and a Marine, we were quite busy....and have been ever since. The fact that so many folks have forgotten how they felt durring and after the attacks really pisses me off! Get the hell off of the President and look for ways YOU can make a positive difference in this war. WAR! YOUR FUTURE depends on it.

[Severa]

I don't remember the day before, but on the morning of the 11th I was having a home meeting with my son's teacher (he's autistic) when I got a phone call from my husband's mom, who works at the Census Bureau in Jeffersonville, IN. She said a plane had just flown into the Towers and to turn the TV on. My son's teacher and I watched the second plane hit the Towers. Watching the Towers fall, I remembered my senior year trip through DC and NYC, and one of our highlights was to see the view of NYC from the Towers.

Once she left, all I could think about was my husband, who is stationed at NAS Norfolk. I wasn't sure if he'd come home that night or if he'd be sent out to sea. He came home that night around 6 pm, and the next morning I had to drive him to work, which turned out to be one of the most nervewracking drives of my entire life. What usually took 30 min took 2 hrs and that was even with me having to drop him off at the Exchange because of the Threatcon Delta, I was not allowed on base.

[Severa]

Your experience sounds a bit like my husband's. He told me he was in the control room when one of his fellow sonar techs ran in saying 'A plane's just hit the Towers' No one believed him at first as he's one of the goofier guys on the boat, but soon after that the announcement was made over the 1MC by the CO. My husband said that was easily the quietest he's ever seen the crew and not a lot of work was done that day as everyone was too busy watching the news coverage. Just a few weeks later they left on a scheduled 6 month deployment, my husband's first cruise.

[superloser]

On 9/10? On vacation, back home, helping my mom get ready to head back to class to teach kiddies. Made reservations at a local restaurant to go out for my birthday the next day. Spent the day milling around town noting the changes and got various things in the classroom repaired or ready to go for students.

[TexanToTheCore]

I was on the internet that morning and decided to come over to FR for a minute to see the day's news. As I read, a thread opened up about a plane hitting the first tower and I said some prayers that God would grant a few more minutes to get people out of the building. Some minutes later, a new thread opened on the second plane and as I read through the first several posts I knew we were at war.

I called my wife and told her to get to a TV and gave her instructions for getting home.

I then place a loaded pistol on my right and cleaned and loaded the rest of my pistols and rifles as my tears of rage and sorrow splashed on my 45. I began praying for those extra minutes harder, just a few more God.

When the buildings collapsed, I watched with horror and hot rage as thousands of my fellow countrymen, my family, died. On that Friday my wife and I went to a memorial at a local church. We arrived 20 minutes early and we were the only ones in the chapel. Over the next 15 minutes people began streaming in, workers and co-workers and families. There were people standing in the lobby, outside on the steps, in the aisles, sitting in on the floor in front of the pulpit and in the choir loft. The chapel was designed for 600 but now contained over 2000 people. My wife and I left that service profoundly changed, new believers in Our Lord and Savious, Jesus Christ.

I, for one will never forget 9/11. It is a war against those bastards who wish to kill us and our children. I will not be satisfied until the last of them gets a 45 through the heart.

And to the Imam who said that attacking Iraq "would open the gates of Hell", I say:

"This is America, boy, we own the gates of Hell. They open when we say they open and they close when we say they close"

[ntnychik]

Sept. 10? Prepared for the night's school board meeting. Got home from the meeting very, very late. Regretted I'd missed the day's beautiful weather, but tomorrow should be even better. Sigh of relief that the overtime summer madhouse was over.

Just before 9 a.m. on Sept 11 I got a telephone call from my son in Conn., with a high-pitched, almost wild voice. I could picture his blue eyes wide with agitation. "Mom, a plane crashed into the World Trade Center!!" I tried to reassure him with the story my Mother told me of the small plane that hit the Empire State Building decades ago. As he tried to tell me that he was watching it on screen and it looked big and bad, his voice was drowned out by screaming and "Oh my God" from his co-workers in the room. He shouted that a second plane had hit the second tower and that he had to go.

I yelled for the office staff to turn on the satellite feed on the big screen in the conference room. There were technical difficulties so I turned on the radio and called out the news which was relayed down the hall and around the building. Hi-jacked planes, the Pentagon, rumors.

The admin. team mobilized to pool our information and assess the school district's safety and the issues with which we would have to deal with our students and teachers. Counselors were sent to help people with relatives in or near the WTC or Pentagon. Notes were written to parents how they could assist with their children's trauma. We got counselors for the counselors.

We were notified that our local hospital had been assigned to receive burn victims from NYC (we are 350 miles away). We planned what the district could do for families who might come to our town to be with their loved ones. The wounded never came--anywhere.

I took a shortcut through the conference room to go from one meeting to another and was stopped by the awful image of the south building collapsing. Then the north building went down. There must be tens of thousands of victims. And such a perfectly clear, gorgeous day. The mind just can't wrap its mind around it.

My son called me about six times a day for the next week. There were about 30 cars at his train stop that were unclaimed at the end of that horrid day. I called my parents several times a day. "I love you" was part of every conversation.

On Friday I listened to our President's comments at the Day of Prayer and Remembrance at the National Cathedral. I shed tears of wonder to hear him quote the Scriptures, and I got the chills when I listed to the Navy Choir sing The Battle Hymn of the Republic, with its determined deep drumbeats. I told my husband, "He's sending a message. Those are the drumbeats of war." I listened to the liberal radio news announcer's voice falter, and through tears he said, "I'm so proud that man is my President."

Saturday, in anguish, Pres. Bush toured Ground Zero and tried to speak to the crowd through a bullhorn. "We can't hear you, someone shouted." We all know his response.

And in this week's Newsweek, there was a half page picture of that scene, along with a half page picture of the flight suit pic (waist up, only) with a big headline, "Packaging Patriotism." Last night I heard the screaming nutcases that pass for democrat candidates screech "Miserable Failure." For shame.

[Poohbah]

I hear you.

On 9/11, we were in the midst of a screaming match in our meeting when word arrived about the first plane hitting the WTC, followed by the second almost immediately.

This was a Navy-sponsored meeting. Sailors, officers, civil serants, and contractors all reacted in the same manner: shock, fear...and then a great resolve came over us.

We put aside our bickering, and actually came to a solution acceptable to everyone. We then turned to figuring out how we were going to support the Fleet as it sailed forth to smite the forces of evil.

That night, I was in the Holiday Inn. Something bothered me.

I realized that what bothered me is that Reagan Airport was only a mile away--and it was deathly silent.

Reagan International without inbound and outbound flights until 10:00 PM is like St. Peter's Basilica without a Mass in one of the side chapels, or priests and pilgrims offering the daily prayers of the Catholic Church...it's just WRONG.

[zx2dragon]

Mourning the loss of my father, who passed away about a week before the attacks. We were supposed to go on a family vacation. Since everything was non refundable, we went to the beach for a week. Figured it would be good to get my mother out of the house for awhile.

The night before we had walked up and down the boardwalk. We stopped at a 711 on the way back to the house. The next morning I woke up just a few moments after the first plane hit. They were reporting it as a small plane at first. My first thought was "what, couldn't he see the big building in front of him?". When the second plane hit (just after we had gotten changed and ready to spend a day on the beach), I hit the phones and starting calling around. We sat there for 6 hours before finally forcing ourselves to a nearly empty beach. Soon other friends joined us there. Schools had been closed early. That night we remarked how odd it was not to hear planes in the air.