diamond hitch
Well-known member
Watched the planes hit the towers while eating breakfast. Spent the day in Lincoln, Mt teaching an advanced class for the BLM National Training Center. Listened to the towers coming down on the radio on the way home.
9/11/2001 - Where were you?
- Thread starter TheGrayRider
- Start date
JV842
Well-known member
Was working at my side job at Home Depot, we had TVs on some of the isles w the news on in the mornings. Noticed crowds started gathering n people talking. Saw what was going on, told my boss I had to go. Hauled ass home, kissed my wife, daughter, and son. Grabbed my bunker gear n helmet. Then hauled ass to my fire station. Seemed like most of the boys all did the same that day n for days to come…came in on their shift n all the others
MarvB
Well-known member
Working in the electric utility industry as a commodity trader/scheduler. Was online with Enron (I know, boo hiss!) and my trading platform was going gunnybag. Real-time guy from next door yelled “ you’ve got to come see this” (we had news, weather, etc up 24/7) I made it over to his office as the second plane hit. Was truly numb all day 
My heart reaches out to all of those who suffered losses that day or the years since because of it. Our nation and world was truly changed by that single set of events. Also thanks to all of you that have served or have family that have as well
My heart reaches out to all of those who suffered losses that day or the years since because of it. Our nation and world was truly changed by that single set of events. Also thanks to all of you that have served or have family that have as well
Coming back from running some errands in Quebec, stopped in a line of cars at a rather remote border crossing. I was trying to makes sense of the news coming over the radio. One of the Customs Officers I knew, walked back to my truck. He told me the Border was closed and all flights were grounded. He also told me every Law Enforcement Officer in the United States was being called in. He said," I'll let you through...you're going to work". He was correct. I was immediately assigned to beef up Border security.
Cornell Cowboy
Well-known member
I was getting ready to head out to teach Business Calculus and was watching the news while eating my breakfast. I turned it on right after the first plane hit and was watching when the second one did...it was surreal, like an out of body experience. I left for class not knowing what the end of the day might bring.
I was at work at Cat. I was a "line runner" then, filling in for people and making small repairs, and was able to go to the cafeteria when we heard rumors on the radio. It was just horrible watching the TV. I went down to relay what I had seen and went back in time to see one of the towers fall. I'll never forget watching the antenna tower on top staying right where it was down into the cloud of dust.
KipCarson
Well-known member
I was sitting in the Science Lecture Auditorium waiting for class to start when people came in and started talking about what was going on, none of us grasped the significance at the moment but knew it was a really big deal. The professor cancelled class and sent everyone home. The rumor mill was going crazy as we heard the pentagon was hit and planes were crashing all over in other places. Being right beside Barksdale Air Force base we heard the base on lock down and we were all expecting it to get attacked at any minute for some reason, but thankfully we learned later it was only because Pres. Bush and Air Force one had been sent here for safety. I’ll never forget the feeling crossing the river and heading south out of town trying to get home away from the air base and civilization as fast as a I could, not knowing what would still be there tomorrow…
Then I too remember sitting on the couch crying.
Then I too remember sitting on the couch crying.
I was hunting moose out on the Alaska Peninsula. We noticed we were not seeing any planes flying. A game warden flew in on a helicopter to let us know what happened. We were shocked. it was the day after the attack.A couple days later I was able to fly to King Salmon.Spent two days in the bar there watching the news on the t.v. There is a small military base and airstrip in King Salmon that is not active but they keep maintained.They new immediately something was up because two fighter jets came into the strip and they began to escort float planes and other planes out of the air. Flew home the first time flights were allowed. Changed planes in Chicago and never seen that airport so empty.
I was on the Tanana River, hunting moose. Like @Mrc, my grandfather, a private pilot and WWII vet commented how he hadn't seen/heard any planes. We thought not much of it.
On the 14th, some guys stopped by our camp to see if we had any gas they could buy. They told us what had happened. We gave them some crazy looks, assuming drugs or alcohol had impaired their sanity. Grandpa got really sick and some of the crew took him out to Nenana on the 15th. They came back on the 16th with a newspaper that showed/told the story.
After overcoming my disbelief, my first feeling was that of guilt; that my wife and 11 year-old son were home watching all of this in real time, trying to digest it, and I was thousands of miles away in the bush. We came out of the bush on the 18th and raced to the first TV. Watching it, I felt like I had been dropped on a different planet.
A part of me feels like I cheated and got to spend and extra week living a life in the "old world." This morning I still have some of that guilt that the most formative event of my wife and son's lives happened and I was not there.
On the 14th, some guys stopped by our camp to see if we had any gas they could buy. They told us what had happened. We gave them some crazy looks, assuming drugs or alcohol had impaired their sanity. Grandpa got really sick and some of the crew took him out to Nenana on the 15th. They came back on the 16th with a newspaper that showed/told the story.
After overcoming my disbelief, my first feeling was that of guilt; that my wife and 11 year-old son were home watching all of this in real time, trying to digest it, and I was thousands of miles away in the bush. We came out of the bush on the 18th and raced to the first TV. Watching it, I felt like I had been dropped on a different planet.
A part of me feels like I cheated and got to spend and extra week living a life in the "old world." This morning I still have some of that guilt that the most formative event of my wife and son's lives happened and I was not there.
drexal
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I was at Incirlik AB, Turkey. I had just got off from work and received a phone call to turn on my TV and standby. Me and a couple of friends watched events unfold with a lot of mixed emotions and we thought... it's finally happened and things are about to change.
also in 4th grade.
they shepherded a chunk of us into the gym so we could huddle around the little 28" TV on that big roller cart. i think they had others on elsewhere for the other students. apparently our principal had the foresight that this is history and shouldn't shelter us from seeing it.
then i remember my teacher crying in front of all us kids in class some weeks or months later when she learned her army ranger husband was going to be deployed
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BT_NVhunter
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I was a freshman first period in Montgomery county IN. We used to watch channel one news in first period they switched it to the actual news and we watched the second plane hit. A lot of scared faces that day. Felt like everyone’s tiny bubbles of safety we live in had been popped. By Christmas I knew I’d end up in the military just didn’t know doing what.
Tikka06
Well-known member
I was a senior in HS. I was in US Government class and had just finished reading Band of Brothers that morning after my normal morning run. I knew after seeing that second plane hit the building we were going to be at war with somebody and I wanted in from that moment on.
noharleyyet
Well-known member
About to walk out the door to head to work. Wife said come look at the news. Unbelievable, then the second plane.
Had just moved to eastern PA and was working as a laborer with a demo firm, the supervisor stopped our work and told us what had happened. When the towers collapsed, they then asked who would be willing to volunteer to go if we got the call to help.
SaskHunter
Well-known member
I was 12 and in school. These events have shapped my life and made me the man I am today. I joined the Canadian Army at 17, deployed on my first tour in Afghanistan at 20. I have been in the Army ever since and this is pretty much all I know.
As a volunteer firefighter and soldier, today I climbed 110 flights of stairs in remembrance to those who fell that day and in the years since. For those hardcore mother f'ers who climbed in full bunker with extra air tanks and hose lines, rushing up 110 floors to save their fellow man and for all of those who have died in the subsequent war on terror trying to liberate a country from evil.
As a volunteer firefighter and soldier, today I climbed 110 flights of stairs in remembrance to those who fell that day and in the years since. For those hardcore mother f'ers who climbed in full bunker with extra air tanks and hose lines, rushing up 110 floors to save their fellow man and for all of those who have died in the subsequent war on terror trying to liberate a country from evil.
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bobbydean
Well-known member
I was watching the Today show and saw the first plane hit watching live.
The newspeople thought the first plane was a small one.
They were wrong and coverage got serious.
The newspeople thought the first plane was a small one.
They were wrong and coverage got serious.
Big Slick
Well-known member
Working on location in the oil patch, we all listened to the radio the entire job. Not much was said between the crew. I think we were trying to figure out if it was real.
Living in the Central time zone, all of our national morning the shows are tape delayed by one hour. I was just about to walk out the door for the dental office, when The Today show broke in live to talk about the first plane hitting, showing video of the burning building. Somehow I was locked in place, and instead of leaving for work was fixed on the broadcast.
Because they were now covering the event live, I watched the second plane cause the fire (as the angle shown live didn’t capture the plane coming in, but you could hear it on replay).
I ended up ~20 minutes late, and had a crabby patient cuss me out a bit for being late for her appointment. I told her what was going on, and at that moment she said she was still mad, but understood a bit. She later apologized for her words, and I apologized for being late, but no apology for the sorrow felt that day.
Living in “fly over” country, contrails (airplane created streaks of white condensation in the sky) are a normal thing. Not so for the next several days due to the moratorium on flying. Only McConnell AFB planes were flying, and the base was on full alert.
Because they were now covering the event live, I watched the second plane cause the fire (as the angle shown live didn’t capture the plane coming in, but you could hear it on replay).
I ended up ~20 minutes late, and had a crabby patient cuss me out a bit for being late for her appointment. I told her what was going on, and at that moment she said she was still mad, but understood a bit. She later apologized for her words, and I apologized for being late, but no apology for the sorrow felt that day.
Living in “fly over” country, contrails (airplane created streaks of white condensation in the sky) are a normal thing. Not so for the next several days due to the moratorium on flying. Only McConnell AFB planes were flying, and the base was on full alert.
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