Where were you 6 years ago September 11th

[donna]

We were about to go to bed when the newsflash came across the screen. I rang my mum to see if they had seen it as we were in a state of disbeleif. We sat up most of the night watching as events unfolded.
It was like the world had suddenly got smaller, colder and scarier, as we wept in shared greif.
Watching those images, that were happening on the other side of the world, and feeling the emotion that was so raw it was as if it was happening to us all.

 

[Gordon Nore]

I was working at a new school, teaching a grade five-six class. The principal called us into the staff room during morning recess and turned on the television. Within minutes we were receiving bulletins from the school board via email instructing us how to handle this issue in our classrooms. Many of the kids went home for lunch and came back to school full of stories of what they had seen on television. It was a surreal day for us at work, between coping with our own shock and trying to help children deal with this calmly.

 

[grydth]

I was on an AMTRAK train to Albany, and so was completely oblivious to what was going on.

When I got to the meeting I was going to, I couldn't understand why everyone was crying and shocked looking - until I looked at the TV in the room and saw a Tower fall.

I found another guy who had a car and we decided to take off for home - it was easy to see nothing was going to get done there. On the way we saw government/police/military vehicles of every type going the other way on the Thruway, towards NYC.

When we arrived back at the office, just about everyone had left. I was told to send the rest home, some of whom did not want to go. I eventually got everyone to leave except one - who had been my commanding general in the Army years before. There was no way I was going to budge him.

Then I went home... no heroics, no nothing. I just went home.

 

[crushing]

I was at work when my wife called me crying that morning about what was on the news. I think the second plane was hitting in NY when she was on the phone with me. At work we had a department conference room with a large screen television and cable, so I turned that on.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I was at work in the press room of our local news paper when I heard what was happening. We did not have a tv in the building at the time so I went down to the one of the local stores to watch a tv and see what was happening

 

[exile]

We were in Vancouver, at my wife's parents' home. It was early morning, and we got a phone call from my sister-in-law, in the British Columbia interior, who'd seen the news stories. We couldn't get our minds around it at first, no matter how many times we watched that horrifying footage.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I have a simple question that doesnt push any kind of political adgenda.
Back in September 11th of 2001 I went to a computer class that got cancled,I first heard the attack on the radio. I was taking Mantis boxing back then the Sifu went on with class as usual but it seemed he wasnt convinced the news had the right information about who did it.
Now what happened to you back then?

It was a very sad day for me.

1) I walked out of a meeting to have people make comments about "Well it wasn't Rich Who flew the plane into the tower." Made after the first crash and before the second.

2) I had to travel to another company site and there were no air con trails. But there was a nice large 4 prop plane flying over head in a large circle. (* B-52 scrambled from local sites *)

3) I usually get gas on Tuesday's, and when I pulled in everyone was racing to get gas. I waited to get to a pump and then went inside to pay. This guy walking out was yelling at the Lebonese Store owner about going home. I opened the door and he walked through like I had opened it for him. I was shocked from earlier in the day. I was shocked by his anger to someone who was not involved. He looked at me as he walked to his truck that his wife was filling up and said, "Go home! Go back to your country. We do not want your kind around here!". I was very tired and upset and more than willing to kick this guys butt. I replied, "Go Home White man. We US indians want our land back" His wife told him to shut up and get into the truck. I was mad. I said hi the the Owner and paid. Others just looked at me, like WOW I cannot believe he said that.

4) I tried to pull out but even more people were pulling in. To get out in my lowre clearance Firebird all I needed was for this woman to move her car 4 inches. I asked her. She ignored me. Others started to scream at me to move, in which case I got out and told them that I would be glad to get out of there way but this woman will not move her car 4 inches so I can clear. I then grabbed the phone and keyed up 911. The three guys were upset at me yelling back, "like who is this foreigner telling them what to do." and asked me what I was doing. I told them I was calling 911, so the ambulance for them would be on its' way, because I was going to kill them if they got near me or my car. The lady in the car then moved her's and I was able to leave.

It was a day of anguish and hate and fear and anger. It makes me cry to think of it all. But, most times I just laugh so I can get through the story.

 

[Steel Tiger]

I was up late that night just flicking through the TV channels when I came across areport of the first crash. I just sat there shocked and became more and more shocked as events continued to unfold.

I remember thinking, "That's bad but at least the building's not going to collapse because a plane crashed into the Empire state Building in the forties and didn't have much affect." Then it collapsed. I was speechless. The events rolled around in my head for the whole of the next day. It was difficult to sleep or do anything.

 

[MBuzzy]

I was a Senior in College at Virginia Tech (Corps of Cadets, uniforms and all). I was walking into my dorm when one of my classmates was coming out and said "We're under attack! Someone blew up the WTC!!!"

So I went inside and found a TV. After that, the Regimental Chaplain and I (Retention Officer) started tracking down Cadets whose family was at the Pentagon or WTC and trying to counsel them. Once we'd found them, we started helping with accounting for every Cadet at Tech. Then started organizing the memorial ceremony.

 

[blacklightmike]

I was home, taking the week off to watch our kids while my wife went to New Orleans on business. She called me early on the 11th to say goodbye, as she was getting ready to board a flight to Dallas to meet up with her co-workers. My daughter was getting ready for her first day of ballet class when the TV started showing the images of the first tower, then the second. I checked my watch... my wife's plane was in the air, and they were talking about shooting down any planes still flying; so, for a chilling moment, I was dumbstruck by the notion of becoming a single father to a toddler and an infant, and losing the woman I love.

A call came through from Missouri from her cousin, as all circuits direct to the NJ/NY area were down... my wife hadn't boarded the plane and all flights were canceled... and I was to take my daughter to ballet as if nothing happened. As I drove to the studio, there were reports of mushroom clouds over Jersey City, about 20 miles from us. I waited outside the studio, my infant son on my lap, watching for smoke in the clear blue sky. As there was no telling what was about to transpire, I packed a few vital goods by the back door when we got home and waited for... whatever.

My wife was stuck in New Orleans for a week, and spent her time arranging bus charters for her fellow conference attendees to get them home, but ironically, couldn't rally enough support to get one back to NJ, She spent the week being wined and dined well, but also spent a good deal of it crying on her bed and listening to fighter jets flying over the hotel. A last chance van rental, a drive to Dallas to pick up her comrades, and a non-stop drive brought her home the following Sunday.

 

[Karatedrifter7]

Well thanks to all, interesting feedback.

Dave