9 / 11

[STEVE POLLARD]

22 years, seems like it was yesterday.... thanks for allowing me to post.

 

 

 

Steve

 

( Ex-Chief, North Highlands Engine Company, New York )

 

 

[Hans1]

WE REMEMBER

[keiser31]

Just saw the 60 Minutes story about the FDNY and that dreadful day. Brought it all right back to the day we saw it happen.

[30DodgePanel]

Thank you to all who served that day. 

 

This eve, I can't imagine what folks who lived it are dealing with knowing tomorrow morning will be the date and time that marks when they lost someone they deeply loved. Our thoughts and prayers will always go out to those families who have suffered and lost so much.

 

 

 

 

[rocketraider]

To tie this to old cars before someone barks:

 

I had a rare day off. Local schools hadn't started back yet and a young friend was going to bring his 69 Camaro by to do a polish and wax to look good for first day of his senior year. He was watching TV before we started while I was in the bathroom.

 

He came down the hall yelling and beating the door, get out here, come out now! 

 

I came out in time to see the second plane hit and told him we were undoubtedly under attack.

 

I told him we might not get his car detailed because I'd probably get called in to work. Sure enough in less than ten minutes the phone rang.

 

What was deeply unsettling was I had been in the Towers on a NYC nighttime tour not quite 5 weeks earlier.

[Studemax]

I was working 2nd shift then. Dad called me early and said Turn on the tv! What channel? Doesn't matter! Just in time to see the 2nd tower fall. Watched tv all day until I got to work. They all wanted to know how bad it was... I said Worse than you could ever imagine. In my mind, that was the day the 21st century really began.

Edited September 11, 2023 by Studemax (see edit history)

[CChinn]

I vividly remember that day. I was stationed in Okinawa Japan at the Naval Hospital there. It was evening in Japan on 9/11/01 and I recall turning on the evening news to see the 1st tower burning. 15 minutes later, the 2nd plane hit the other tower. I told my wife that was no accident and we were under attack. My next thought was that we were in the safest place on the earth living on a US Marine Corps base in Japan. Within the next month we were off to war for the next 20+ years

[viv w]

Seems like yesterday, I was at home in Harare Zimbabwe when a friend called me from Belgium and told me put on your TV, I did and saw the live footage of the 2nd attack, then watched as the towers came down. I will never forget watching this act of terrorism. Many lives lost from many nationalities. Prayers to those that lost their loved ones, we will never forget. 

[Fordy]

6 hours ago, 30DodgePanel said:

Thank you to all who served that day. 

Enough can't be said. It was a day the world changed forever. I was trying to call a pal who was in NY and panicking when cell wouldn't connect. Finally got a call back to me in Australia that he was OK and was several blocks away but still crapping his pants hours later. God only knows how much trauma still lingers for those involved. For what it's worth my atheist self is actually saying a prayer for them.

Steve

[prewarnut]

I was on a federal facility of completely unrelated nature that morning. It was incredible what kind of lockdown occured all day. Best wishes to all affected.

[John Bloom]

I will never forget the morning.  I was the dental officer on the USS CORONADO, out of Point Loma.  My parents were in town to spend time with us and our four kids (7,5,3,1).  All the kids were sleeping, but the four of us were up relaxing and drinking coffee.  The phone rang and it was the OPS officer saying get to the ship immediately, we were going to see in 2 hours with no return date.  I said "what is going on" and he said, "turn the tv on for 60 seconds and then race to the ship, tell your wife we don't know when We'll be back"

 

At that point, no one knew what was going on, who was doing this, what they planned next.  Military leadership felt like the ships were vulnerable targets sitting at the pier in various ports.  I still remember the feeling I had driving to the ship.  

 

So many innocent people gone.  Unfortunate how dangerous the world can be, I'll be thinking about it today.   I'm grateful for so many who gave their life to try to save as many as possible.

[Bhigdog]

Evil walks among us....bob

[8E45E]

Like when Kennedy was assassinated, this was one of these events that made the world stop for a few days before reality set in.   Everyone alive at the time remembers exactly where they were and what they were doing when they first heard the news.  I was at work already and the news came on the radio at 9 minutes; 20 seconds to the hour (station is 92.1 on the FM dial, and 'first' with the news), stating "...a plane crashed into the WTC."  First thoughts were the WWII incident when a plane crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945.  After mentioning it to a couple of customers, a few minutes later, another customer said a plane just hit the second one, and immediately upon saying that, the music on the radio stopped mid-song, with the news bulletin.  Of course, after that, 'normal programming' for the day did NOT resume, and all eyes and minds were on the TV as the day's events unfolded.   

 

Craig

[John348]

I remember where I was more then most, I saw the second plane hit with my own eyes. I was on 57th and 5th ave, the Tuesday morning. Thursday I was running a crew to get the stock exchange up and running with temporary cables.

Myself, I try to forget it. 

[Dandy Dave]

You could see the Jet trails above our family farm that was in Hillsdale NY. They were coming from the east and turned sharp to head south above the farm. The trails lingered for quite a while. 

[STEVE POLLARD]

2 hours ago, Dandy Dave said:

You could see the Jet trails above our family farm that was in Hillsdale NY

[Walt G]

I was teaching a full class of elementary school kids Art. They loved to be in art because it was a happy time of the day to be creative and make something with their hands to bring home to show their parents. One of the buildings custodians came in and took me aside and told me what was happening and then said to me how are you going to tell the kids. I was thinking the same thought. He left and I looked at them and thought of possible loss of them having a family member there in NY or at the twin towers. There were twenty seven 8 year old kids. It is a bit of a blur now of how we all got through that class and the other classes that followed that were facing the same horrible truth about not knowing if their family would be touched by that tragedy.  Our school was 35-40 east of NY City on the Nassau and Queens county border.

[demco32]

I remember it too, it came instantly on the TV.

Terrible day.

It's on 'national geographic tv ' this week.

[tcslr]

I recall it vividly. Watching the latest shows of that day - the thing that came through most was the sheer goodness in so many people helping others that day.  There was one comment about the FDNY, the folks going up to assess and fight reportedly said to each other they didn't think they'd survive and didnt - that comment reported by other FDNY who were working near by and survived.

There is evil amoung us - but more good.

[STEVE POLLARD]

I'm north of the city, but my younger brother went down to lower Manhattan with the Sheriff's Department to help with traffic control with getting heavy equipment in and out of the site....so far he has not come down with any of the 9/11 illnesses to date.... 

 

 

Steve

[zepher]

I was on my way to work when my brother called telling me that a plane had crashed into one of the towers.

When the second plane hit, we knew it was an attack.

Since I was the logistics coordinator for our region's EOC (Emergency Operations Center) for a state agency, I knew it was going to be a long, long day.

Our EOC was fully activated for almost a week, with personnel on duty 24/7.

We had field personnel watching all sorts of facilities and areas that we thought may be potential targets.

We especially kept an eye on areas with gas or oil pipelines, electrical substations and major bridges.

 

The entire EOC was glued to the massive video wall all day watching the events unfold.

As others have said, it is a day you will never forget.