OT: Never forget - 9/11

[HuskyHawk]

I was on the way to work, didn't hear the news until I got in, still saw the second impact on the Towers live on my pc. Devastating. No work got done that day. I was married ten days earlier, and called my wife who was being evacuated from her office in Boston (Fidelity) next to the Federal Reserve. Nobody knew what other targets were or how many planes were hijacked.

Then came the Todd Beamer story, and the "Let's Role" as those brave people took down that plane ending their lives to save others. It was very impactful where I work, as Todd's dad David was our COO at the time.

 

[Tommyboy]

My Aunt is lucky she is stubborn. She worked in the South tower. After the first plane hit the North tower, security was initially telling people in her office to remain where they were. She ignored them and left. Then they ordered the evacuation of the South tower but was too late for many in her office.

 

[FatElvis]

A few months before September, I put in a request to attend a conference similar to the ones I had attended in the past, but due to some belt tightening my request was denied. I was bummed at the time, but I later found how fortunate I was. The conference was hosted at the Windows on the World restaurant, at the top of the north tower, on 9/11. No one who attended the conference survived. Crazy how seeming bad things can turn out to be good things with enough perspective. (For me, that is. Not the poor souls who perished.)

Wow, that's a crazy story. I work in advertising and shot a television commercial at Windows on the World earlier that year. Some of the people we filmed lost their lives on 9-11. Still gives me shivers thinking about it all. So glad to hear luck was on your side, Jim.

 

[Marat]

I was walking nearby WTC before 1st plane hit, and on the way to the office - I didn't hear it, but saw the papers flying all over as I was crossing the street near by my office building. Some co-workers saw the 2nd strike thru the conference room. It was then all about getting out and escaping as I thought we were being attacked by an airforce of another country. ... what a horrible day it was.

 

[huskymedic]

Most surreal 3 days of my life... forever ingrained in my being.

 

[Citrusdog]

I was there.

For those so inclined, pray for those families who lost. I know some.

Edit: of course DC and PA as well.

Thank you! We've all lost somebody... All the fireman and police still bring heartache. The truth? This board can't handle the truth - so I won't go there. (Jack Nicholson and Tom cruise?) 19 guys with box cutters? Ah....no. Tower 7? Ah....what? Securacom? Ah....what?

Please keep all the families and their members in your prayers.

 

[superjohn]

 

[WallStreetHusky]

Was downtown then, still downtown, watched it from the office window. Wife worked at Goldman at the time, she ran from the collapse cloud, came to my office for safety, covered in "dust". Lost a lot of good friends at Marsh and Aon, went to a lot of funerals. Just a bunch of innocent people going to work. I will never forget the cars at the Metro North lot after, knowing that the owners were never coming back. When ever me and my buddies are together on a crisp fall day with a blue sky we always say it is a good day for a terrorist attack. It was such a brilliant, crisp, autumn morning in the city.

Never forget.

 

[Kemba'sYogurt]

I just got chills reading through this thread. Thoughts and prayers to everyone.

 

[uconnell]

Was downtown then, still downtown, watched it from the office window. Wife worked at Goldman at the time, she ran from the collapse cloud, came to my office for safety, covered in "dust". Lost a lot of good friends at Marsh and Aon, went to a lot of funerals. Just a bunch of innocent people going to work. I will never forget the cars at the Metro North lot after, knowing that the owners were never coming back. When ever me and my buddies are together on a crisp fall day with a blue sky we always say it is a good day for a terrorist attack. It was such a brilliant, crisp, autumn morning in the city.

Never forget.

Every time I see a beautiful blue, cloudless sky I think of 911 and the brave souls, police, fire drpt, emu service dogs etc that were lost. Breaks my heart. I will never forget that day.

 

[MattMang23]

My uncle married a 9/11 widow. Her husband worked for Cantor Fitzgerald in the North Tower. She told us about him as a person shortly after she joined the family. Doesn’t want to talk about the events of 9/11 and what she knows of his struggle that day and no one, appropriately, will ever ask. Can’t imagine what she has had to live with.

 

[Mister P]

“ I will never forget the cars at the Metro North lot after, knowing that the owners were never coming back. “

Never forget.

Wow, very poignant.This sentence gave me goose bumps.
A very tough day for the country and those that lost loved ones and friends. Especially hard for those in the Tri-State area and DC. Never forget.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Young girl from our town was fired day before from Cantor Fitzgerald. Person who got her the job was on vacation but went to WTC to advocate for her. He was in the office of Cantor Fitzgerald when plane struck and perished.

God I have to imagine she feels terribly guilty in a way.

I have no personal connection to the tragedy, and I was only 11 at the time and could barely process what had happened, but it’s still to me just such a sad, sad day as I think back on it as an adult

People aren’t really talking about it out here in San Diego, understandably. I met a patient today who is from NY and we talked about it. So surreal it’s been so long and yet the emotions are still there. I was in Boston when the bombing happened but 9/11 was just so different.

 

[storrsroars]

Then came the Todd Beamer story, and the "Let's Role" as those brave people took down that plane ending their lives to save others. It was very impactful where I work, as Todd's dad David was our COO at the time.

Knowing what they knew, what other options were there? And they thought there was at least some chance they could commandeer the plane and fly it, so it wasn't exactly a suicide mission. Regardless, grateful they didn't let the plane reach whatever its intended target was.

Clear blue skies indeed. Wife and I think of 9/11 whenever the skies are cloudless.

 

[Devland]

It's amazing how the worst attack on our country's land has faded in so many circles after 18 years
Prayers and thoughts to all those who lost loved ones on that awful day

It is human nature to let tragic events fade as time passes. When I was young my 5 year old brother was killed by a car after he got off the school bus. For a few years my mother would visit his grave site at least once a week. After time it became a few times a year. When my mother died my brothers, sisters and I visited the gravesite while we were at the cemetery. It was overgrown with grass and looked like she hadn't tended to it in years. When I go back to the Philly area I now make it a point to go to the cemetery and clean my mother's father's and brother's graves.

 

[Captbluefin]

Reading everyone’s experiences from that day is very moving. I am very glad I took the time to read this thread.

I watched the second plane hit on TV. I thought at the time that nothing will ever be the same. Now 18 yrs later I realize how much I underestimated how much the world truly changed that day.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!

 

[NJHusky]

WallStreetHusky said:
“ I will never forget the cars at the Metro North lot after, knowing that the owners were never coming back. “

Never forget.

Wow, very poignant.This sentence gave me goose bumps.
A very tough day for the country and those that lost loved ones and friends. Especially hard for those in the Tri-State area and DC. Never forget.

I was living in Hoboken then. Seeing way too many posters of "missing" people and notes on parked cars saying please don't ticket/tow..owner missing. This post brought it all back

Hoboken was a zombie apocalypse in the days after...people out walking around because no one was working, but no one was talking or making eye contact....people at the waterfront just staring at the plume of smoke & ash where the towers once stood.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

My school honors with a moment of silence each 9/11 at 8:46 AM.

Our gym teacher, who is an Army vet in his late-30s, cites 9/11 as one of his greatest influences for serving our country. In the last three years, he leads our school's moment of silence over the intercom.

Today, I had that period off, so I had the opportunity look out of the window near my desk towards the direction of Manhattan, close my eyes and pray. Couldn't help my eyes from watering.

Never forget.

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

If you ever find yourself on the PA Turnpike or in the Pittsburgh area, absolutely try to make a stop at the Flight 93 Memorial. It’s an extraordinarily sobering experience.

 

[UConnRock]

Knowing what they knew, what other options were there? And they thought there was at least some chance they could commandeer the plane and fly it, so it wasn't exactly a suicide mission. Regardless, grateful they didn't let the plane reach whatever its intended target was.

Clear blue skies indeed. Wife and I think of 9/11 whenever the skies are cloudless.

The story of the 2 fighter pilots who scrambled to intercept flight 93 was amazing. Their planes were not armed so they were planning their kamakaze mission to bring the plane down. The people on that flight essentially saved the lives of one or both pilots

 

[Engineer90]

Knowing what they knew, what other options were there? And they thought there was at least some chance they could commandeer the plane and fly it, so it wasn't exactly a suicide mission. Regardless, grateful they didn't let the plane reach whatever its intended target was.

Clear blue skies indeed. Wife and I think of 9/11 whenever the skies are cloudless.

A lot of people would just freeze and hope for a miracle. You would be amazed at how rare the "go down fighting" mentality is and it only becomes more so as time moves on.

Another sad facet of this is how the country has changed from the day after 9/11 to today. Then, the country was united like we hadn't seen since Pearl Harbor. Now we hear things like "some people did something" and read things like "airplanes took aim and brought down the World Trade Center".

 

[Guapo]

Powerful thread.

9/11 happened just before my 11th birthday. No single event has had a greater impact on me.

The sobering and frightening reality communicated here is needed and warranted.

However, something I’ll never forget is the feeling of absolute community and solidarity we felt in the days afterwards.

Lets never forget that, despite the political polarization and cultural fragmentation that has occurred in the years that have followed, that feeling that there is undeniably something that binds us together; our Americanism and our humanity.

That is something special.

 

[traitor71]

I was working on a telephone system at a VA facility in Pembroke Pines, Fl. I remember going out to my truck and seeing everyone around the TV watching the coverage of the first impact. Like a lot of people, I thought to myself that I was surprised a plane had never crashed into a building like this before. I went back to work and not long after, one of the building engineers came in and informed me of the second impact, saying that the country was under attack.

It seemed like the world was absolutely crazy at that point. Every person with a backpack, every broken down car, every truck that was parked somewhere too long started to seem like it could be part of some bombing. Rumors were everywhere, and it didn't seem like anywhere was safe. I just remember the tremendous sadness, frustration, and anger that everyone was feeling. What a terrible time that was.

One thing that often gets overlooked is that about a week later, we started seeing the anthrax scare throughout the country, and that just added to the feelings of uncertainty as to whether we could ever really feel safe again or not. It really did feel like we were being attacked on all fronts.

 

[UofCT]

Was a Freshman in a CT HS at the time. My school had 2 or 3 pay phones back then and I remember the longest line of students waiting to get on the phones to call their parents who worked in NYC.

All of my teachers went about the day as business as usual and I will never forgive them. We had no cell phones so we got our info throughout the day in between periods from kids who were eating lunch the period before and got to watch on the TVs.

 

[uconngb]

I was in Midtown that day. Have a crazy story of my own but doesn’t compare to two others.

First one is that one of my wife’s co-workers was on the first plane to hit the towers. She found out about an hour or so after they confirmed the flight number. Cant even imagine the fear those people felt as they were scraping the top of those buildings going 500mph right into impact.

The second is even more chilling. The next year was hosting a bday party for my daughter. At the end of the party when the parents show up to pick up the kids, I start chatting up one of the dads. We ask each other what we do, he tells me he works for Cantor. I must have turned white as a ghost. He says, yeah......I was there. Turns out he had a visitor that morning who was stuck in the building lobby cuz he forgot his ID. His secretary, who was 8 months pregnant said “don’t worry about it, I’ll go down and get him.” Guy days “no way, not in your condition. You sit down and I will go get him.” First plane hit as he walked off the elevator into the lobby. You wanna talk about survivor guilt??? I couldn’t speak.

It’s written about in a book called “102 Minutes”.