Posted on 09/11/2010 3:38:07 AM PDT by davidosborne
In the office. We got word and were watching the TV news. Then I got this email:
From: karl@****.net
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 11:11 AM
To: r****@****.com
Subject: Terrorism
Dad-
I’m typing this at school during lunch. I went through the webmail backdoor, because the school isp blocks most communication sites. If you don’t already know, a bunch of planes, passengers and all, were hijacked and made kamikaze runs. First one plowed into the World Trade Center, causing one tower to collapse. A second plane, looked like a 737 or something slammed into the second one shortly thereafter. A little after 1030 we got to a classroom that was picking up the news, and right after that we saw the second tower go. Titus pulled the cable, doesn’t want the school panicking, but word is moving faaaaast. Also, a commuter plane hit teh pentagon, all key government officials are being evacuated, bush is on his way home. Unconfirmed reports state that a car bomb went off outside the state department. FAA has grounded everything and fighters can be seen scrambling. A few hijacked planes are still missing, another jet crashed earlier in the day a short distance from the airport, but no one is sure whether or not its related. 1 palestinian group has so far claimed responsibility, but they all try to be proud and stupid. The real perpetrators would know that once the US finds out, they would be incinerated into the stone age. This is an amazingly well coordinated attack, focusing on the major symbols of the free world, all within 1 hour. All the history teachers have studied and have known that there is gap in recent years that should be filled by a war, not just a little gulf war. Even I knew it was coming, but I never expected such a violent and unprecedented attack. This could easily erupt into a holy war if there are enough zealots in palestine and elsewhere, and could cause a huge conflict that could spell the end of the muslim faith. I hope it doesn’t get that global, but you can be sure the world will not let this one go unpunished. This is without a doubt the biggest, most vicious act of terrorism (if not an act of war) in modern times, if not the history of mankind. Looks like Bush and the military will be getting those funds to finish research on all those new weapons and fighters scheduled for the next 8 years. Well, I’ll see what’s going on when i get home, most of the news sites here are normally blocked anyway by the school isp. Just let you know that we heard it too. Now that I’m done, there could have been another attempt at something, although national security forces probably would’ve intercepted. Nonetheless, the nation has been really jarred, and while I fear what’s going to come, most of it is channeled into anger in knowing that something will happen. Take care, and buy more ammo.
-Karl
9 months later he joined the Marine Corps. He was killed in an ambush in Iraq in Jan 2005. Yes, Karl, something did happen. You did what you could. Semper Fi.
Wow,
RIP Karl
God Bless Him
God bless you and your wonderful son!
Tears...
I was at my wife’s (then girlfriend) apartment sleeping. We lived a couple miles from Pittsburgh Int’l Airport. She called me when the first plane hit. Upon turning on the TV, I seen the first tower smoking. Didn’t look like a small plane impact. Then, I called my family and friends waking them in some cases. I left messages for a couple of west coast friends and just told them to not fly today if they so happened to have flights.
I was a Corp. Account Exec. for FedEx and 90% of my accounts were in the WTC, so I was thinking of my clients and how my job would be changing. When the second tower was hit and like most other people, there was no question on what was now happening.
The rest of the day was consumed with watching the TV and out the windows. When you live next to an airport, you kind of learn to tune out the noise. That day, I listened and looked for each. I remember feeling a sense of comfort when seeing the landing gear down on the planes overhead nearing the end of the landing cycle. When all air traffic was being grounded, the sky was full of planes on approach. Then, there was the eerie silence of nothing. No planes, no people, no sound as if the outdoors were on mute.
Remember.
I’m sorry for your loss...
He is in a better place now. Never forget that.
Thank you for your service! I’m from a military family and I honor military service every day of my life! The Military are our LIFE!
The Moozie’s piss me off, but what pisses me off more than anything is the fact they are still in our country, and they are allowed any rights whatsoever.
They are NOT a Religion of Peace, much less a Religion at all rather they are a Political System based upon some concept of Satan’s that passes for a Religion.
The entire lot of them should be declared enemies of the State, and dealt with accordingly.
Yesterday, the day before the anniversary of 9/11, was also EID, if I heard correctly. The Empire State Building in New York, the tallest building in the city since the World Trade Center towers came down, inexplicably decided to honor EID by lighting its tower in green. They showed the same lack of sensitivity as the people trying to build the mega-mosque at Ground Zero! Hardly surprising, because the owner of the building is friendly with Bloomberg.
Many hours - his “sparing” and “rescue” was a series of small and large miracles (certainly there were many that day)
He was spared for a reason - we believe that reason rests in his son - conceived and born 11 months later.....
My boss came in and turned the tv on in the middle of my show and I knew something was wrong. I tried to describe to the audience what was happening but was at a loss for words. We put a hot mike in front of the tv and went to the nbc feed and the rest is history.
We were all in shock.
USMCPOP, thank you so much for sharing that. And thank you for your son’s service. None of us have the words to express our gratitude to him and your family, or our sorrow at your loss. God bless you and yours.
Sureal.
I was at a design review at Newport News Shipbuilding for the CVN 78. It was a beautiful morning and we started the meeting at 8:00. At the first break, one of the Newport News engineers shared that his wife called his cellphone to tell him that the WTC had been hit. We didn’t have access to any television so we went back into the meeting.
At the next break, we were told that the second tower had been hit. At that point, I thought “this is an act of war”. Unfortunately, the Navy CAPT in charge of the meeting insisted that we proceed. No one was concentrating and a few minutes later a Navy Commander received a call on his cell from his wife who said the Pentagon had been hit. He walked out of the meeting and left to return to DC to be with his family. (And soon after he retired from the Navy. I wondered if his leaving the meeting had something to do with his decision to leave.)
We suffered through the meeting until 1200 and then a couple of co workers from DC decided we needed to get out of there since we were not sure if the attacks would include hitting the shipyard and the carriers under construction and overhaul.
I remember driving up I-64 and I-95 listening to the radio, hearing a description of the events earlier that day, aware that there were few cars on the road and no planes in the sky. Our convey of cars coordinated stops along the way for gasoline because it seemed like the right thing to do.
When I got home, I finally had a chance to see the videos from earlier that day. My husband had picked up our children from school that morning and spent the whole day glued to the tv watching them and waiting for me to return. I was just glad that we were all together.
It was also our oldest daughter’s birthday. She’s never had a normal birthday since.
I remember staying awake all night watching the television listening to Peter Jennings and hearing the jets fly overhead.
The next day, I traveled to work on I395 headed to the Washington Navy Yard. Already, there were flags draped at some of the highway overpasses. As we drove by the Pentagon we could see the wound from the plane. Black and charred, but still a line of cars headed for work in the building.
Now I work in the Pentagon and attend daily mass in the Pentagon chapel. There are daily muslim services at 2:00 PM.
Often, during mass, I think about the moment that the plane hit that spot, exactly where the chapel is located. Did the terrorists have any fear? What happened to their souls?
As a mother, I wonder about their mothers. Were they typical young boys at one point? Did they laugh and play? What made them turn to such evil?
This is a complex emotional post. I want to forgive, but cannot.
I will never forget. Ever.
Thanks for sharing - like you, I cannot nor will not “forgive” those directly responsible
I overslept. I had the radio set to wake me up. I awoke to a news report of an aircraft hitting the WTC. I actually thought it was a commerical for a new Tom Clancy or similar novel. When my brain woke up enough to realize it was a news report. I ran to turn on the TV. Just in time to see the first re-run of the second aircraft hitting.
Then I jumped on to FR and was on for a few hours, before finally going in to work.
Some co-workers were at Barksdale AFB. In fact they were in the B-52 simulator, when they found out. Project lead made the decision to leave the base. They were the last car out of that particular gate before the base was sealed in preparation for President Bush’s arrival, or maybe they just sealed it as increased security, not yet knowing the CinC would be showing up later.
Another group of co-workers, working on Ft. Hood, was at an “organization day”, shooting competition off-post. They spoke of it taking hours to get back on post, because they were doing 100% vehicle inspection.
Who cares, he was an unknown Illinois state senator at the time. No gravitas then, none now.
Who cares, he was an unknown Illinois state senator at the time. No gravitas then, none now.
“The last few years under Obama, again, I’ve been pleasantly surprised.”
Appeasement might lighten the lash, but it also fortifies the shackles.
Was he forehead down on a rug, facing Mecca? — that’s really what I meant.
Well said.
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