OT: Where were you - 9/11?

Where were you when you heard the details of 9/11? I was at work sitting online talking to a friend in an Instant Message. That radio chimed in with the news, and we flicked on the TV. At the time, our office sat right next to the World Trade Center in Baltimore, so they evacuated us. I remember driving home in disbelief of what was going on. My oldest daughter had just started Kindergarten the week prior, and all I wanted to do was pick her up and take her home and protect my family. We sat most of the day glued to the TV. Come the 12th, I couldn'****ch TV anymore. I think our TV was turned off - except to watch DVD's for the kids, for almost a week. Now 5 years later - I am just as emotional today. The whole family is dressed in red, white and blue. My American Flag is waving outside of my house waving proudly. I skipped the eye make up today. I figured it was pointless since all I've done is cry. This year is different though -- I don't have food there to comfort me. Instead I'm hugging everyone today. LOL God Bless! Susan

Susan, I was working in the Pensacola, Florida airport. My DH called me at work and told me, minutes later they grounded all US aircraft and our airport was chaos. I remember a gentleman coming up to me and asking to use my phone. His daughter was at work at The World Trade Center. I said a prayer for him and his daughter. He could not get a call through to anyone in NYC. He was so distraught and stuck in Florida. I never knew what happened to him or his daughter but I remember them today and pray for all the vicitms and their families and all the heroes of that day! I broke down during the moments of silence today as I remember. I don't think any of us as Americans will ever forget! God Bless, Julie

I was at home watching Good Morning America and they announced the first plane hit...My husband just left to drop off my son to school and we live less than 5 minutes round trip from the school and before he made it back the second plane hit while I was watching tv. The urge to go get the kids was extremly high and to this day I wish that is what I had done. My kids were 9, 11, and 13 and I was sure they would not know anything before my husband and I spoke with them. I couldn't have been more wrong. My oldest got in the car and didn't say anything then my 11 year old got in the car and announce "Mom did you hear what happen? That bad made broke down some buildings" I was floored. The school allowed them to WATCH everything that happened after the first plane hit.....During that time I am amazed at how out country became patriotic....We all had flags out and you couldn't buy one in a store if you wanted. I finally found one at the American Legion and paid $45 for it but it was 8 feet X 10 feet and we hung it from my two front windows.....We kept it out for a very long time......Last week I went and bought a new flag and it is proudly hanging outside waving in the windy sunshine.....We went to NY city in Feb 2002 and stayed for a week to see the site and teach the kids but boy were we petrified to go onto the Empire State building....But we did.....Today my husband is wearing a FDNY sweatshirt and my son is wearing an NYPD tshirt proudly.....You are right we will never forget that horrible day and not a day goes by when I hear a plane and look up to see how low it is..The fear will always be there... ~~hugs and well wishes~~ Chris

I was driving to work and listening to the radio when they said, a plane just hit the World Trade Center. I remember thinking wow what a freak accident and then they said another plane hit the second tower and I said, OMG we're under attack!! I walked into work and everyone was glued to the radio.. My boss and I went across the street to K-Mart and bought a little T.V. so we could see what was happening. My DH was in Wyoming and supposed to fly home that day I called him and told him to wake up and turn on the T.V. the U.S. is under attack and he thought I'd lost my mind. He had to stay an extra 3 days. I watched t.v. for a week day and night till I finally said ok I can'****ch anymore.

I had just arrived at work and everyone was freaking out. We have tv's in our cafe so we all went to watch. It was a horrible day. The other thing I remember is that it was my 35th birthday - so much for that - so now I have to celebrate all my milestone birthdays on that horrible day. Good thing I have a wonderful husband, friends and family. Happy Day to you all! Rhonda -111 lbs.

I woke up to the news on the radio (KCBS) because I have my radio alarm set to talk radio and the first words were "a plane has crashed into the WTC in NYC and the Pentagon has been hit." I thought it was a dream then I turned on the tv and watched the horror in amazement especially when the towers crumbled one by one. Woke my husband up to tell him about it and then dropped my son off at school (he was in middle school then) and then went to work. My commute seemed like the longest commute ever even though there wasn't heavy traffic. Got to work and they told everyone to turn around go home. The strange thing about that day was that my son's school kept the kids in school all day and for some reason my son remembers that more than anything else. I watched tv all day and also saw a commercial jet landing at San Francisco Int'l with fighter jets ushering it to land as we live where we can see the planes coming in for a landing. It was an emotional day I'll never forget as long as I live. Karen S.

As I type this I'm listening to a program the auto shop teacher has been showing his classes all day with 9/11 info and music. I was testing a student at our intermediate school that day. It was before I moved to the high school. Our speech therapist, who was very young came in and said her mom had called from Dallas and told her about the plane****ting the towers. I remember it being surreal. At that time, I didn't have internet hookup or anything in the building I was working in. Karla

I remember waking up to my radio clock and I was groggy so I really didn't catch on what was really happening. I was getting ready to head to the college, while in my car I was listening to the radio. I was like floored to hear that two planes had crashed, it was inconceivable that this was some attack at first, I thought perhaps something was wrong with the planes but then when they announced the Pentagon, then I knew for sure we were under attack. When I walked onto campus, there was this eery silence that just freaked me out. So, I walked into our student hall where tons of people were there watching the television, that was my first sight of what had happened. We were all just bawling, no one was talking all you could hear was wimpers from the crying. I didn't know what to do about class, since I had a 9am Music Appreciation, so we all gathered in the room and waited for the professor. He came in white as a sheet, and he said we could stay if we wanted or we could go home. I stayed and we listened to some soft music and talked to one another trying to help figure out what was happening. Later they had counselors on hand to talk to us, but I decided to come home and I called my family as soon as I had arrived just to have some connection with them. The days afterwards were just a complete blur. We held a ceremony at campus and classes were suspended for a few days to allow people to take it all in. What was really weird was not seeing airplanes in the skies for that week or two. It seemed as if the world had just stopped, with complete silence and and uneasy depressed feeling. I don't think I've ever gotten over it. Today, I walked on campus again and it was quiet and it brought me back to that day. I came home and watched some news, crying and hurting as if the wounds were never healed...I don't think we can truly ever heal from such a devastating event. I hope we can learn something from this and live our lives as if it was our last day. Kelli

I was at work. A customer came in and said that a plane had crashed into the trade tower. He was one of those customers that was always full of s*#t so I said sure it did. You know real sarcastic. We turned on the television and sure enough this time he was telling it like it was. Why did he have to be on the up and up that time. I still remember the heart stopping horror that I felt as I watch the second plane fly into the towers. I will never forget that day. But I refuse to live my life in the fear that they want us to. Would you believe that the majority of the federal health code for food service is on terrorism now? Hazel

I was just arriving at O'Hare airport, getting ready to fly to LaGuardia. I had a full week of business in Manhattan including a stop at the World Trade Center. My mom called after hearing the news to see where I was....I laughed it off that it was likely a private plane gone awry. I continued thru security and she kept calling me...then my boss called and said something odd was happening and I should not take the trip. We were just boarding the aircraft. Then things started to get odd...all the airport TV monitors were turned off. People started getting calls and looking concerned. While I was in line for the baggage retreaval word came about the plane hitting the Pentagon. The rest of the day I watched as much as I could but was very angry that some TV stations and websites were cut off - like BBC - I thought it was a very big mistake for our government to turn off our media. Right now I am in Hong Kong and here the day was remembered by all. It was an event that changed life everywhere. God Bless. I am proud to be an American.