Posted on 09/10/2007 6:41:30 PM PDT by Milwaukee_Guy
Might be a good time to revisit how we all heard about the the attack on 9/11 and how we reacted to the darkest day in American history.
What emotions were strongest for you on that day?
How did you find out? Did you stay at work? Did you go Home? Who did you call?
I do remember ‘Debt of Honor’, have heard of, but haven’t read, ‘Storming Heaven’. I remember criticism of the Clancey book as being a ‘how-to’. Lefties burying their heads in the sand as my late mother, also a real Clancey fan, put it. For Clancey (since I haven’t read the other), as usual, he was a step ahead of the terrorist fringe, of these kinds of security issues. His ‘fiction’ seemed as much fiction as fact, and has/had an eerie kind of read on the pulse of these groups. Maybe not so eerie...
It took quite a while for them to get around to the topic of the day but that was to say that a 2nd plane had hit the tower and that it couldn't have been an accident, it had to be an act of war.
I remember watching it on tv with some co-workers and growling, "We're going to have to put our foot down on Islam's neck, FIRMLY! We can have them bringing their old-world blood-feuds over here and tearing down the real-estate faster than we can put it up!"
I was VERY angry and still am!
2759 WTC, 149 Pentagon, 44 Flight 93 - NEVER forget!
Godspeed
Finally got Hubby on his cell. He was working on a roof across from the WTC (in Jersey) and saw it happening. He watched the towers fall.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, A DAY OF INFAMY AND HEROISM
The much abused cliche, “I’ll never forget this as long as I live,” certainly applies to September 11, 2001. I had overslept. Monday night I was in Baltimore at a meeting of the Chesapeake Pipe Club. Diane, my girlfriend, was also there meeting some of my friends. Then, as Diane was leaving, she surprised me with a spectacularly framed copy of the York Daily Record story on pipe smoking that featured a large picture of me. I went back inside the meeting place and showed it to the guys. They were all impressed - with the gift, and with Diane.
As I didn’t get home until about midnight, I slept until about 7:30 AM. I showered, shaved, dressed, ate breakfast, read the Wall Street Journal, and started to watch Fox and Friends on the Fox News channel. I have been watching CNBC during the day to get business and financial news while I’m in my office, and they do a marvelous job of reporting, and entertaining. Since I got DirectTV, I now can alternate between Bloomberg and CNBC. But, as it was after 7:00, I turned on Fox. The first thing I saw was a question about one of the girlfriends of the philandering Congressman Gary Condit. I immediately switched to CNBC.
After finishing breakfast, I came down the nineteen steps to the first floor of my building, where my accounting office is located. I logged onto the internet to check for email and to check the Drudge Report for news. I also turned on CNBC.
As they had been doing while I ate breakfast, CNBC anchors and reporters were talking about the state of the economy, the markets, and that the futures were well above fair value, indicating that the US stock exchanges would open higher than they had closed the day before. It was not to be. As I had found two pipes on my desk with half-smoked bowls of tobacco, I lit one, finished it, then the other.
At 9:00 AM Mark Haynes reported that there was a fire in one of the towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhatten. The TV scene switched to a camera trained on the twin towers, a symbol of American enterprise, and maybe, of human hubris, that had been bombed by Islamic terrorists in 1993, but had been fully repaired and was back in operation. This building held perhaps 50,000 people. I saw flames coming from the upper floors of one of the towers.
Maria Bartiromo is one of the best financial reporters on TV. Smart, knowledgeable, and beautiful, she adds a touch of class to any stock market or business report. Normally, in the morning, she reports from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. This particular morning, As we watched the burning tower, she called in on a cell phone describing the scene as she saw it from the street. She said that there had been reports of a plane crashing into the tower. Oh well, an accident, I thought.
“OH MY G-D!” said somebody. As we watched, there was an explosion close to the middle of the other tower, and reports that another plane had crashed into it. It was now obvious that it was no accident. As I watched, stunned, transfixed, the tower began to crumble. Then the other tower collapsed. The World Trade Center, the tallest building in America, was no more,
it just simply ceased to exist.
In the midst of this, another report came in, that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon, and another one crashed in Western Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Another report, one that proved to be erroneous, came in that a car bomb had exploded outside the U.S. State Department building.
We soon learned that four passenger planes - two from United Airlines, and two from American Airlines, had been hijacked. Two of them were deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center, destroying the building, killing possibly tens of thousands of people. One had crashed into the Pentagon, causing a lot of damage, killing hundreds. A fourth had crashed near Pittsburgh, PA, killing all onboard.
America had been attacked. I called my mother. I told her that I had some idea how she might have felt upon hearing of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This attack had been well planned, well co-ordinated. It was an attack on the two symbols of American power - one, the symbol of American economic power, the other the symbol of our military might. It was evident that the fourth plane was supposed to be crashed into some other target - the White House and Camp David have been named as possibilities.
The attacks had also been well-timed. Every major news organization had their video cameras trained on the World Trade Center to cover the fire in the one tower, which, itself, was a big enough news item. At that point, the second plane crashed into the other tower, which transfixed the world. With everyone glued to their TV’s and radios, the third plane hit the Pentagon, and the fourth was to have hit its intended target.
The phone rang. It was Diane. She had heard that there were terrorist attacks, and that she was listening to a radio. I told her what I had just seen on TV. She reminded me that she had been on a plane in 1970 that was hijacked by the notorious Palestinian terrorist Leila Khalid. The events of Tuesday were bringing back disturbing memories. She has been engaging in quite a bit of business travel late this summer, and is scheduled for quite a bit more throughout this fall. She had just returned from California on Saturday, and is scheduled to fly to Orlando next Tuesday. She is hoping to get out of her next trip. I kidded her that if she had been scheduled to fly home on Tuesday the eleventh, she would have been stranded amongst all those blond, muscular, California beach boys.
* * *
One year later:
I have closed my office in honor of the heroes, and in memory of the victims, of the terror attacks. In the past year, I have been to New York twice, with Diane, once was to visit the site of the World trade Center, forever to be known as ‘Ground Zero.” Diane is now my fiancee. (my wife as of June 22, 2003)
I’m the lone flag flying here.
I was in Lubbock, Texas putting on makeup before I walked out the door for work. I had Fox News on like I do every morning. Saw the first report of something happening to WTC, then they said, it was an airplane. I was in shock... sitting there thinking how could that happen. Then I ran outside to tell my husband, he was fixing a flat tire for my neighbor, I told him one plane hit then another hit. In disbelief I drove on to work listening to radio in car. When I got to work my boss had t.v on, we watched all day long. After the Shankville plane crash, I knew we were under attack. I went to a local church 2 blocks from my office, wanting to get inside for prayers. The doors were locked. I saw a bum sitting on the steps with his hair in a mess and smell of strong booze. I told him what happened, and he said, mame, can we pray. I sat down on the step with him and took his dirty hand in mine and we both cried and prayed for our country.
God Bless our President and Military.
We are divided by an evil spirt in this country and I pray that our people will come to their senses and realize what we are fighting for.
I was in my usual place at work during the early morning; in the lower level conference room watching the morning business report while having coffee with friends.
The screens switch to CNN and we see the smoke from the first tower. Within moments the entire ground floor conference rooms were shoulder-to-shoulder and all big screens were tuned to CNN. I have never heard so much silence from so many people. rarely did anyone leave for the entire day. When the towers fell, the tears came, then the anger...
My neighborhood is full of flags today. Not as many as after 9-11, but we do still remember!
Another thing. To tell Mrs Suhks story. She was at work and after the second plane crashed a bunch of her coworkers gathered on the 11th floor of her law office. They witnessed pentagon plane crash. They saw the steep angle of the plane and the smoking aftermath. Funny thing, she called me and said she saw the plain crash “out of her window”. I took that as it crashed “outside of her window” and called Clint Jr’s school and warned them that a plane had crashed at DuPont Circle AND the Pentagon. Tis one of my greater bozo moments. LOL!!!
I was living in Ireland at the time. I was instant messaging my mother and she mentioned the first plane. She was feeding me info. I remember the first few messages were about a small plane. Didn’t really think much about it.
A little while later she im’ed again about the 2nd plane. Then we knew. I was relaying to my American boss who was over on business. It was very strange. He continued about his business and his phone calls. He’d been on the phone to the office in Northern Virginia the entire time.
Then BBC Radio 1 had a few breaking news messages but not much.
When the plane hit the Pentagon and my boss was still working away I said “right that’s it, I’m going back to my apartment to get more information.” All my friends in the DC area started im’ing that they were leaving their offices.
My then ex-boyfriend (now husband) had just finished a renovation job on that side of the Pentagon. Because we were broken up at the time I didn’t know he’d finished about a month before and wasn’t on-site anymore. My dad was a defense contractor and could very well have been in the building. I had no way of knowing where either of them were.
I felt so helpless being that far away.
On a lighter note - it was that feeling of absolute emptiness not know the location of a guy I’d been broken up with for several months that made me realize I never wanted to think about losing him again. It took us several more months (and then being in the same country together again) but we got it right, and later got married. I feel knots in my stomach just thinking about it.
I was living in Ireland at the time. I was instant messaging my mother and she mentioned the first plane. She was feeding me info. I remember the first few messages were about a small plane. Didn’t really think much about it.
A little while later she im’ed again about the 2nd plane. Then we knew. I was relaying to my American boss who was over on business. It was very strange. He continued about his business and his phone calls. He’d been on the phone to the office in Northern Virginia the entire time.
Then BBC Radio 1 had a few breaking news messages but not much.
When the plane hit the Pentagon and my boss was still working away I said “right that’s it, I’m going back to my apartment to get more information.” All my friends in the DC area started im’ing that they were leaving their offices.
My then ex-boyfriend (now husband) had just finished a renovation job on that side of the Pentagon. Because we were broken up at the time I didn’t know he’d finished about a month before and wasn’t on-site anymore. My dad was a defense contractor and could very well have been in the building. I had no way of knowing where either of them were.
I felt so helpless being that far away.
On a lighter note - it was that feeling of absolute emptiness not know the location of a guy I’d been broken up with for several months that made me realize I never wanted to think about losing him again. It took us several more months (and then being in the same country together again) but we got it right, and later got married. I feel knots in my stomach just thinking about it.
My flag is out, too.
My neighborhood is a bit more patriotic-there are lots of flags flying everyday.
Thank you for starting this thread.
I turned the radio on, listening to ABC, listening to the newsfeed - CNN IIRC. On CNN, an architect being interviewed confidently said the towers wouldn't fall. ABC was reporting rescuers were evacuating the victims, the triage center had been set up, I had a sense of relief; it looked like the loss of life could be minimized after all...then the first tower fell on top of the triage center. The world fell apart for the second time.
The Pentagon had been hit. It was reported to be burning. Hubby, who enjoys flying, was watching sky. Air traffic was being shut down and we knew fighters were scrambled. I ran out and told him the Pentagon was on fire, we were still under attack, and then the entire thing hit me like one of those airliners.
We looked up at the sky. There was a silver plane, too high to see name of the airline, but low enough to clearly see it was a shuttle plane, not an airliner. It was flying E-NE to S-SW, like it was headed for Pittsburgh from Elmira Airport. We were REALLY confused, Elmira's close enough that that plane should have been turned back and been sitting on the tarmac now. We were speculating, Hubby said they would head for Buffalo Airport and it did change heading to more due West.
Then the thing swerved. It practically pulled a U-turn. It was now headed to pass directly over us, like it was headed for Pittsburg after all. Planes to NOT swerve, that feeling of yet another disaster about to happen hit us, the plan did not go down and we went back inside to more clearly hear the news.
I told only a few people about that plane. Most people were not standing outside staring at the sky andway and wouldn't have seen it. I've always wondered though. I know it wasn't Flight 93, but never heard what happened.
"Till the day I die.
My burning hatred has the same expiration date.
Driving on a freeway to work. Morning news hosts hold their daily 10-minute “free for all” ... but one seems oddly absent. Comes on saying a plane hit the towers - in clear weather.
I shoulda just gone back home and stayed there.
Getting just of out the shower that morning, it was shortly before 7AM Mountain Time when I saw the Today Show break into the local morning news about the first plane. I continued to get ready, and when I was finished I went to the kitchen to start coffee. I turned on the TV in that room and as soon I did, I watched the second plane flew into the WTC...
I was at work in Virginia when we got the news. Our managers let everyone go home to make sure their families were OK. I live about 5 miles from the Pentagon. I remember all the ambulances coming and going from the Pentagon. My dad was glued to the TV and said he felt like he did the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. I was numb for most of the day in shock. I got angry later when I saw all the pictures of the heathen trash dancing and celebrating in the streets and passing out candy. Most of all, I remember seeing pictures on the news that evening of Israelis mourning with us and expressing such deep sympathy. I remember Bibi Netanyahu saying “today we are all Americans”, and I said back to him on the screen, “no, Bibi, today we are all Israelis, now we have a taste of what you all have endured for over half a century.”
I was asleep. That’s the great irony. I worked in newsrooms for a lot of big stories — the OJ Simpson trial and verdict, the Centennial Park bombing, Colombine, trials from Timothy McVeigh to Robert Blake, terror attacks from Centennial Park to London, wars from the Balkans to Iraq, and the deaths of Jerry Garcia, Yitzhak Rabin, Princess Diana, and on up to Ronald Reagan and John Paul II.
Comes the biggest news event in my lifetime — I hope to ever see a bigger one — I was a sleep. I was working nights. I fell asleep with the TV on, but it was on HBO, so they didn’t cut in.
Working nights, before the Do Not Call registry, I’d learned to sleep through a ringing telephone. There were probably a dozen phone calls before the one that finally woke me up a little before noon.
(Groggily) “Hello?”
“Are you watching?”
“Watching what?”
“The World Trade Center is gone.”
“No, really. What?”
“Turn to CNN. “
(Silence)
(More silence)
(Many expletives deleted)
I ended that call and started calling around. My mom was on her way to a convention in Virginia Beach, and was waiting in the Atlanta airport when the planes were grounded. Mom, my sister and I formed a phone triangle, both of us following the news on TV and the Web and passing it on to Mom, who then shared it with the other airport refugees (the TVs in the airport are automatically shut off when there’s a plane crash).
Mom finally got home about 4 PM. She got her luggage back three or four days later.
By the time I got to work, all of my colleagues were sitting around the radio. The second plane had just hit and we knew by then that it was no accident. I still found it incredible that they would hit the SAME TARGET twice. I immediately called my father, and told him to turn on the television.
Since I wanted to get a visual on what was once my place of employment (I did an internship at 6 WTC when I was an undergrad), I ran across the street to Citibank, where I knew they had a television. I could not believe that what I was seeing was occurring in real time, and not some bad Jerry Bruckheimer film.
While watching the towers go down, I contacted some friends of mine who worked in lower Manhattan. One (my second cousin) did not show up at Cantor Fitz that day because she had a doctor's appointment that morning. My other friends told me that they immediately vacated their offices (three blocks away) and walked as far north as possible.
Everyone was let out of work that day. I wanted to get my mind off of the tragedy, so I went to my fave book store in Coral Gables, where the streets were eerily empty. I did get into a brief argument with a Lebanese-Peruvian man who told me that while he was saddenned by the deaths, the US had "brought it on themselves." It then told this senile old coot that this was the same argument that Hannah Arendt made in "Eichmann in Jerusalem", and that what he said was equally as disgusting. Before I could slug the old man, his daughter scolded him for having a big mouth, and pulled him into her Lexus (the Chevrolet of South Florida).
I spent the rest of the day in a combination of shock and bitterness. I was angry that I saw mass murder committed in my own country, anger that a major landmark of my childhood and adulthood was gone (confession: the WTC was how I knew I was walking south while intoxicated), and anger that my own country seemed defenseless against a bunch of foreigners who used OUR OWN COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT against us.
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