Where were you on 9/11?

[MassillonMom]

With the fifth anniversary of 9/11 tomorrow, I just wanted to ask everyone

where were you,

what were you doing,

how did you feel,

what were you thinking,

on that fateful day......

[MassillonMom]

My thoughts....

had just taken our youngest to school and had returned home to get ready for my work day. Was watching NBC's the Today Show when they cut in about the first plane. Was just sitting on the foot of my bed and watched in horror as the second plane hit the second Tower. It just seemed so surreal-almost like it was a movie. As the morning wore on, I had to get to work and listened on the radio in my car what was happening-The Pentagon, Flight 93, the Towers crashing down..... I remember crying all day....

I KNOW I saw Flight 93 overhead-it went right over Stark County on its way to PA. It was the only jet in the sky.... All I can think of is those poor souls.


Please pray for all the families that were affected by this horrible tragedy... and thank God for the heroes that rescued so many so that they could go home to their families.

[DAWGH8R]

I was in NY City on the 10th of September. Went to a rainout of the NYY game, then went to Central Park, Twin Towers, Times Square. Finished the night at Mickey Mantle's Restaurant. Left the Bronx at about 1:00AM, and drove 60 miles north to Poughkeepsie, NY. Woke up in the morning, just in time to see the second plane fly into the tower.

Everyone was fleeing West ! We fled East and went to CONN. Could see the smoke for MILES! Scared the kids, cuz they knew we were in NYC, and all cell phones were SOL !!!

[austinsm11]

I was driving to a college class and had the radio on. They kept talking about the World Trade Center and I really didn't know what was going on. I knew that there was attempts with car bombs and I thought maybe it was an anniversary of this and thats what they were talking about. I slowly started to realize what was going on and that it was current.

I met my wife, we were dating at the time, and we talked briefly about it before I went to class. I had a feeling that no one would be there but I still didn't realize the severity of what had happened and was just starting to learn that terrorists were involved. Only about 4 other kids showed up at class. We talked for a minute about what was going on and left.

I headed to the gym because we had an away game in PA. The assistant coach came and told us that a plane went down not too far from where we were going to be playing. The coaches were on the phone and told us that everything was cancelled and to just go home.

My wife and I went back to her house and watch the towers fall on tv. We just sat glued to the tv.

Anyone remember that not too long afterwards that 2 or 3 men had been sneaking around the Timken company? I believe that they were eventually caught. I also seem to remember that they had all kinds of blueprints on water supplies in Canton.

[PurpleArmy]

I was getting ready for work when my sister stopped by my house to tell me to turn on my TV. She had just heard about the first plane on the news.

We turned it on and watched the second plane hit and ended up watching the news for a few hours. (We both work for our parents and I lived next door to the office back then, so my parents came over to my house to watch the news as well).

After a short time, we were hearing reports of a plane around Cleveland that may have had a bomb on it. Once we heard that, I decided to go get my kids from school because no one knew what would happen next and where the terrorists would attack next. I just felt better having my kids with me and accounted for at the time.

When I got to the schools, parents were swarmed all around the offices and were frantically trying to get information on their children's whereabouts from the secretaries. Because there were so many parents and not enough secretaries, eventually, parents just started roaming the halls and finding their kids and pullling them out of classes to go home with them.

We also went and filled up our cars with gas as we thought gas prices would be skyrocketing, which they did for a day or so after the attacks.

I also drove to Akron to the Red Cross to donate blood. It was packed with people wanting to help.

All in all, it was a pretty scary day. I remember wacthing them replay the planes hitting the WTC towers and feeling so helpless and sad for those poor people trapped in them. I also felt like I didn't know what was going to happen next. It seemed so surreal. It was something I never thought would happen here in the United States. When we were watching the news coverage, I commented to my Mom how the footage from New York CIty looked like something that you usually see happening in the Middle East on the news. People frantic in the streets, running for their lives while police were everywhere trying to keep things under control.

What a very, very horrific day it was. I cried a lot that day. It was just so sad. Unbelieveably so.....

On another note: Below is a link to a memorial site where anyone who wants to can leave a message for the families and friends of the victims.

The site I've linked to has been up for the entire 5 years and does get read by the families and friends of the people who died that day. It also has clickable links to profiles and photos of most of the victims.

http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/

Also, for those who have HBO On Demand, there is a very moving and wonderfully done documentary running right now about the events in NYC on September 11th. In Memoriam: New York City, 9/11/01 follows Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and his staff from their first realization of what had occurred, through the despair and tears, to a renewed strength that would emerge. The documentary presents a panoramic and unique historical record of that fateful day in New York City.

This documentary is a winner of Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for Non-Fiction Programming.

There are also a lot of interviews with police and fire staff who were working that day. It's sad to watch but it's a good documentary.

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/9_11/


http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/0112/Eagar/fig1.gif

[npaflas]

I was at work when it happen.

[werperry]

i came out of a meeting in toledo -- around 9:15 -- and headed back to cleveland. stopped at a turnpke reststop to see a tv and couldn't believe my eyes.

i continued back to cleveland listening to WTAM... and was about 1/2 hr away when the first tower came down. the description on the radio was chilling... i got home right when the second tower fell. :sad2:

i left for akron shortly thereafter...filled up my tank of gas...and people were in shock. complete strangers talking/consoling each other...a lady was crying as she pumped gas.

cleveland was surreal that day. they evacuated downtown... there was a plane on the tarmack at hopkins that reportedly had a bomb... turned out just an unruley passenger.

i'll never forget that... :usflag:

[TigerLily]

It’s hard to believe that five years has passed since that horrible, terrible day.

I was at work. One of the other ladies received a phone call from her daughter about the first plane hitting the Tower. We couldn’t believe it. Then, another call about the second plane. Computers and radios tuned in. Then the Pentagon and Flight 93.

It was so sad and frightening thinking about all of those people. Then the horrible realization came over me that my son, then in the Marines, was on deployment. He would surely be sent somewhere. All I could do was cry.

Sure enough he was. They were in Australia at the time and were sent immediately to Afghanistan.

What tension and fear over the next few months. I would tape newscasts all day long so I could come home from work to watch them and see if he was anywhere on them.
And, prayer, prayer, prayer.

They did go in. And, by God’s grace, he returned safely.

My prayers are now for those who have lost loved ones on 9/11 and through this whole ongoing war on terror. I pray for our Country and for the future.

God Bless America.


http://www.fhsd.k12.pa.us/Clubs/newspaperpage/Clipart%20and%20Animations/Patriotic/9-11-01%20God%20Bless%20America.gif

[TigerBob75]

Working at the front desk at the Stearn Center, one of the teachers from Souers Middle School came over saying that a plane hit one of the towers. At first I thought that he was kidding until I went into the cardio room and watched as the other tower got hit. :sad2:

[MTiger]

I was getting ready to go to class at OSU. One of my roommates was also getting ready for class, and was listening to Howard Stern on the radio when the first plane hit. He came running downstairs and turned the TV on, where we saw the first tower billowing with smoke. We watched as the second plane hit...when we saw it coming in we thought it was going to drop fire retardant on the tower like they do with forest fires, only to watch in horror as it hit the other tower.

About an hour later they cut to scenes from Washington DC. They were showing smoke coming from behind what I remember being the Treasury Building. My roommate was a poli sci/history major and had been to DC several times, and speculated that it might be the Pentagon on fire. Minutes later, the strike on the Pentagon was confirmed.

I made a few calls home to let people know what was going on, told them to stay home, etc. We only had class for about 2 hours that day before they let us go. During that 2 hours, though, the towers came down and the other plane went down in PA. We spent the rest of the day glued to the TV.

[RAPTOR]

I was at Busch Gardens in Tampa Flordia. My hotel was in Orlando. I had to take a greyhound frome orlando to canton. It took me 36 looong hours to get home.

[obiefan]

I was at work. Got a cnn email, i believe...

Went in to our training room and turned on the TV. Our office of 17 people got nothing more done that day besides staying glued to the television.

[MUCSteelers5xSuperChamp]

Gosh, I was heading to one of my communication classes at Mount Union when it all happened. I was shocked to see what I was seeing and at that point, I was thinking of nothing but what I had seen.

It's still a painful memory to this day.

[mrstigger1983]

I was at work. I was trying to get into a link, not related to the towers, but couldn't get into the link. Then I heard it on the radio. Tried to get an e-mail through to my husband. He was working in Oak Ridge at that time. Oak Ridge is the home of the Atomic Bomb. They closed down Oak Ridge. They closed my husband's business and made everyone go home. Not long after 9/11, my husband's school went bankrupt.

I do remember watching the recording of the towers being hit and collapsing. That was a very sad day. My husband was in the Army Reserve at that time. And when the phone rung I jumped thinking it was the Army Reserve calling him to go to battle. His time was up about a week after 9/11. I was so happy when his time was up.

[BlinkxMeh]

I was in 5th grade and in my T.I.G.E.R class for the day. I think that's honestly the only reason I found out before school got out, because at all the other schools they wouldn't tell the students I've heard..

But yeah..I honestly really didn't understand it. I didn't know that was going to effect the next 5 years so much..but it did.

[Marie]

I was at work and just walked into a room with a TV as the second tower was hit. It was so unbelievable.

[chap]

I was in Columbus teaching Linemen School for AEP.

[john gault]

I was at work and heard on the radio the first plane hit, and I thought it was a small plane ( btw the radio sounded, they werent really releasing alot of details yet and I worked in Holmes county , where TV wasnt exactly availbale) that got too close to the towers. It wasnt until the second plane hit that the news came on and stayed on.

I called my folks and called my sons school who informed me that they felt it best to keep the kids there ( he was in St Marys Kindergarten at the time). I called him later that night and told him I loved him - he was not too concerend with everything going on; his mother wouldnt let him watch the TV coverage ( Thank God) and he was very young.

I remener feeling so helpless at the time, and I could think about was all the people who left their loved ones that day without that last kiss or hug. Who maybe had harsh words with someone and were not acting very nice ( we all have those days, eh?) towrds others.

I couldnt watch any of those shows yesterday too long without all those feelings coming back.

I rememebr knocking on my negihbors door when I got home and asked if I could stay and be with them until I decided to go to bed. I didnt want to be alone that night- I live by myself- ; we became very good freinds after that.

I know some of you know Todd Fisher ( of the radio) and I will be forver grateful they let me stay that night with their family during that time.

[pigskinmccarthy]

I had skipped school that day to go to Summit Racing with my grandfather. I remember sitting at the red light on 241 and Portage when they cut into the radio and talked about the 1st tower being hit. By time we had returned home, the second tower had been hit and not 5 mins later it fell. It was a very bad day the next day at school. Teachers and students had lost family in friends in the buildings.

[Submariner]

Very important topic!
Where was I on 9/11. In Warren, Ohio on a blue-sky, sunny day that morning. Running errands and turned the radio on heard the news and first thought a small single engine plan crashed into the W.T.C. Reports were coming in, and the media rushed anything and everything to be first to say something to us all.

Companies let employees go home to be with family. When I got home I was more upset and ready to go to war with my next door neighbor! I will not mention her name, but the day was 9/11. The twin towers fell that morning. That same evening of 9/11 she had a party in her townhouse! Yes a party where people are giggling and laughing, drinking alcohol and acting like fools, disassociated with reality, especially 9/11. We as a nation, we lost fire fighters, policemen and policewomen, and paramedics, and as we cried our eyes out next door to us; they were socializing, laughing etc. Get this, she was a school teacher!

I served as a torpedoman aboard a fast-attack submarine in the Hawaiian waters stationed at Pearl. I am very proud of our Navy, the Service as a whole, and especially my submarine fleet. I will never forget the day I left Pearl Harbor for Warren, Ohio. I went around the base for a last tour. Guess what pulled up? The Brand New Fast Attack Submarine: Los Angeles Class:
U.S.S. Columbus Ohio!!!!! Fresh out of the ship yard and sea trials ready to go and reported for duty that day as I left to serve in SubQuad One!! I think of these things when events like 9/11 occur.

Like you, I walked around numb for a bit, then it turned to all out anger. Like my submariner family, I needed my Commander in Chief to give an order......
I was out of the Navy before 9/11, but some things never leave you. I imagined the buzzing around Pearl, and Hickam Air Force Base next door. I can see the submarines lining up for stores load, receiving their Tomahawk Cruise Missiles and torpedoes and mines. I visioned dozens of wolfpacks leaving Pearl for the middle east and other secret locations. Torpedo tubes loaded before leaving base and home waters. Every submarine rigged for silent running, everyone serious and dead on task. Someone woke the sleeping giant again, and it is angry!!

9/11, the first retaliation missile from the U.S. against the target came from a submarine using a tomahawk cruise missile. 9/11 shows us why we can not be such a nicety, nice nation towards those who see us a big soft super power. This mistake is done over and over again by dictatorships, and in this case a regime with no boundaries. This will be a long drawn out issue, because we are not dealing with a country whom to easily target, but an idealogy to destroy Americans, our Christian Heritage, and way of life. I am sorry to rant, just wanted to give my view point of 9/11 from a conservative guy like his nation was sucker punched and now it is time for a response...
Thank you for this thread, a friend in Warren.

Chad