September 11 2003

[PNYKLR]

Howdy all just want to say God Bless America today and I want to say that I'm thinking of all those lost. (I lost a friend from HS)Also to all the Troops,EMS,Fire, Police etc that are serving this great country today and every other day I applaud you for your efforts .

PS I now work across the street from the World Trade Center Site
its a really sad thing to see - especially today

 

[PNYKLR]

I just came back from Ground Zero its really sad to see all the people over there crying holding pictures/flowers

 

[gn85]

Well said Chris,

This is such a chilling day. I personally make it a point to let this day take affect on me. Let all the emotions that were so haunting sink in again. Remember where I was that day... who I was and how I felt. Last year, on this day,I was sitting in my apartment and noticed that there was hardly even a blink from people around me. So I proudly wore my colors as I roamed the streets of Germany. This year, I am here and so happy to be surrounded by the people of my country. There's something of comfort to be said knowing that fellow Americans are around me. People just like me who lived through that day. People who live in such a great country. I pray for all of those. Those who were lost in the World Trade Center towers.... those in the Pentagon... those in Pennsylvania.... and all those that were affected by this. I pray for all those who are fighting for this great country today.


Sorry to rant... just a sad day. Thanks for listening.

 

[HurstGN]

We can never forget

When I was much younger, I'd occasionally remember the adults would once in a while lead a conversation to the assination of JFK. Everyone would say they can remember exactly what they were doing to the second they heard the news...they recalled events and actions in high detail. At that time, I just thought to myself, how could you remeber everything so vividly?

Well, wind up about 25 years later, 9/11/01...

I was getting ready for work with a shower and shave when the radio announced a small plane hit one of the world trade center towers. More details were to follow. A local news story ran then they returned to the plane accident. Now there was definitely confusion as to the size of the plane. One report said it was a jumbo jet. The newscaster said they were watching a CNN newsfeed in the broadcast room trying to get more accurate details. At that time I ran to the living room and turned on the TV to see the horror first hand, live from a TV traffic helecopter. As the CNN correspondent was talking on the phone to a New Yorker from his apartment in Manhattan, I saw the second plane come into the shot from the right side. I saw the plane bank sharply left and dissappear behind the twin towers. It was painfully obvious, this was no small plane, this was a commercial airliner. Moments later the plane struck the second tower and a ball of flames erupted from the second tower. I recall yelling at the TV that the plane never emerged from behind the towers, it hit the towers! It hit the towers! At that instant, I came to the conclusion that this was no accident and that New York City was under some sort of attack. Reports of a reported explosion at the Pentagon sent chills down my spine. It was more then just New York under attack. Now reports of all plane traffic being grounded, but not before a plane went down just outside Somerset County and somehow one flight was not accounted for yet over Pennsylvania. Well, Somerset being just 20 minutes south of here made this hit much closer to home.

Calling work more than once I find we're still supposed to go to work today. The severity hadn't sunken in at work yet. I've got no desire to go to work, I'm to worried about the unaccounted for plane in the airspace overhead. The South tower collapses and the North tower stands alone billowing smoke. I have no option but to go to work and I leave the house. Minutes later, the radio in the car gives the news the North tower has collapsed. As I drive into the City of Pittsburgh, thoughts race through my mind...

Why are we working today? Our east coast is under attack.

Why don't they get out of the city? We could be next. There's still one plane in the air and air traffic control can't locate it. We now know there wasn't another plane in the air, but the reports of the time said there was.

I think of how work could be a major target being in a 27 story building, named Federated, right beside the Federal Building and the FBI.

My stomach is tied in knots and I constantly look up thru the sunroof of the GN looking for the missing plane.

Just as I get into the city, I find city emergency services has ordered the evacuation of the city. I never leave the car and turn around for home. The rest of the day into the night, I'm numb from the reports of the lost lives and the images of the destruction.

Fast forward to today...

This morning I went into the bathroom to shower and shave. I felt a little sick turning on the radio. Today though is different. Our pet cat comes in and rolls around on the carpet playfully. Like a small scild, he wasn't born yet, and isn't aware of the signifigance of the day only two years ago. He does look at me with a look like he's wondering why I'm just a little different today. Today, I wear a black shirt and suit to work, with a black tie that has a ghosted flag pattern with a yellow ribbon on the tie. Somehow, I now know what the adults were talking about years ago...how they could never forget what happened. There will be children that also wonder how we say we can never forget the tragedy of 9/11.

I can only hope our children will never understand the feelings attached to a national memory that we can never forget.

Dan

 

[2quiktocare]

Hurst, I can't imagine those senses. Being on the left coast I remember waking to the radio talking about a strange nightmare type incident and then the news followed as I was on the way to work. All I can remember is how many people were woke up earlier than normal and then glued to their tv's in total disbelief. That day at the dealership, We wrote a total of 3 r/o's that day. I am talking of a multiline GM dealer that wrote over 150 r/o's a day. It was painfully obvious all of America was going to be changed forever and pained in every conceivable way possible. To be attacked in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington at one time by these dogs was a sign of a new era in America. Mark

 

[86brick]

LET THE TALIBAN BODIES HIT THE FLOOR FOR 9/11.......

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/sweeg/talibanbodies.WMV

 

[2quiktocare]

A picture is worth a 1,000 words, and that video speak volumns. Like it was said at our birth,"don't tread on me". thanks, that brought moisture to the eyes. Mark

 

[gn85]

Dan I was just thinking of the Alan Jackson song "Where were you when the world stop turning". They played that song on our local radio station after the moment of silence. Since you started it.. I'll go ahead and add.

There's a line in the song that says "Were you teaching a class full of innocent children?" When I first heard this song it gave me chills because that's exactly what I was doing. Granted, my students had behavior problems but it amazed me that they were still so innocent and so confused by this event.

In my classroom, I used to play a radio very quietly with classical music. This classroom has two teachers and my co-teacher was standing in front of the room when I got word on the radio of a plane hitting the tower. Since we had CNN in the classroom I immediately turned it on thinking it was an accident. I always try to interest my students in current affairs and the ways of the world. Sure enough when I turned on CNN there was the picture of the first tower in smoke. But several minutes later, the sight I saw in front of my classroom was so sickening I forgot for a second that I had a classroom full of children. I didn't even have the presents of mind to turn it off. My colleague and I as well as the students watched this live... one heck of a sight for a 13 year old. I remember math immediately went into a lesson of social studies. The teacher I work with contacted the administration and we got immediate word to lockdown the building. So he left to help with that while I stayed with the class to try to give some explaination of what was going on. The kids were angry... they wanted to "nuke" somebody. I had to explain to them that these are times when we need to think things through and be more critical thinkers. It was tough to teach that knowing how angry I was myself. I remember saying in the classroom "Oh my god, my country just went to war". As the day continued to unfold, my colleague and I cancelled our classes and sent the students to other teachers so we could assist with security of the building and helping other teachers who were having problems coping.

I called my g/f and let her know what was going on. She was home asleep. That was the only time I could call her and comfort her. Later in the day phone lines were absolutely down and no way of contacting her.

I think what really brought things home for me was when I was at the front door of the building and had to co-ordinate the early dismissal for over 300 students as their parents came to pick them up. That was an amazing spectical of parents frantically trying to get their kids. Some coming with stories of husbands, wives, relatives and friends who they knew were in the Pentagon or WTC. Having to stay strong, block everything out of your mind and work at your peak efficiency to get an important job done safely was incredible.

But out of all of that... what surprised me the most and made me so proud was the drive home. Everything seemed surreal. There was an eerie quiet on some of the streets. But all the way home from the school to my house on every street corner and every bridge there was an American flag. I couldn't beleive it. They weren't there when I went to work 7am that morning. It was something that told me that we'll get through this.

God bless America.

.... and thanks for reading my carrying on. Just felt like telling that.

 

[88 CuttyClassic]

i was here, at PNC Park watching those building go down not knowing if was gonna live to see tmw. I was worried about my girl cause she works at a federal building. I was also worried cause working in a stadium full of people i didn't know if my work was a target. I also remember that day was one of the most beautiful days weather wise. When they told us to leave work i knew i was in for the mother of all traffic jams. All the people working in downtown pittsburgh trying to leave at once. So i took the t-tops off and turned off my tunes and turned on the news and just sat in traffic for three hours to get home which usualy takes 15 minutes. I listen in horror as i thought the end of civilized world was comming.

now two years removed I still freak out everytime i see or hear a plane or helicopter, I hate loud noises and i'm scared of buildings falling in on me.