9/11

[RealMuddyboots]

Please do not allow this thread to go political. Just remember all those that gave their lives 20 + years ago and those that suffered from tragic loss. 2,977 people were killed. The total included 265 on the four planes (including the terrorists), 2,606 in the World Trade Center and in the surrounding area, and 125 at the Pentagon.

344 firefighters; 71 law enforcement officers died in the World Trade Center and on the ground in NYC, another law enforcement officer who died when UA 93 crashed into a field in PA and 55 military who died at the Pentagon. I have visited the site in PA before the Memorial was built and the scar on the land was somber and emotional.

The FD of NY not only suffered loss of people on 9/11 but also had its firefighting fleet significantly affected. A total of 91 firefighting vehicles and support vehicles were destroyed, and approximately 130 more were damaged. The FD and PD ran into the danger without thought for themselves.

This thread is to HONOR those who lost their lives, their families and to REMEMBER and NEVER FORGET.

PD and FD your home towns do this every day and deserve the same respect and honor.

I have had this ribbon on my PC for 20 + years both at work and after I retired.

Please respect this thread and honor those who died that day, subsequent years after and those who protect and defend us every day.

God Bless them.

 

[cgasner1]

US History freshman year of highschool.

Mrs. Grassmans English class freshman year. Whole class just sat in silence watching the tv. I remember later that day my buddy grandpa tried enlisting at like 72.

 

[Dave N]

I was at work when we heard about it on the radio. I was able to leave the assembly line and watch the TV in the cafeteria and relay what was happening to the others. Went back in just in time to see the first tower collapse. Stood next to senior management trying to comprehend just what we were witnessing. The next few days were strange with worries and restrictions.

 

[eshunt]

I was living in a small cabin in AK. Working on a halibut charter boat for the season. It was so strange not seeing any of the small aircraft/bush plane traffic for the next few days. And there was a large LNG tanker in the bay waiting for a pilot to take it into Anchorage. We couldn't come within a mile of that ship without warnings from the Coast Guard to get TF away from there.

On that day we had a couple from NYC on the boat fishing with us. They did not know if their friends that worked in the WTC were OK or not. The fishing was a momentary distraction for them so they didn't obsess about their friends. I never found out if their friends were any of the people that perished that day.

 

[Stocker]

Walked into science class pretty early. The teacher was just hooking up a tv on wheels. He got it on and not a minute or so later the 2nd plane hit and we all looked at each other and decided it was some kind of attack.

It’s interesting because being 12 or so the human cost didn’t hit me, I just remember thinking how it was even possible that it happened. Human factors never really entered my psyche until I got married and had kids.

 

[F250]

I had driven up that morning to a small town in Quebec to buy my Canadian Federal Waterfowl hunting permit. When I got back to the border it was closed. One of the Customs officers recognized me, motioned me out of line and up to the gate. He told me to get home, and jump in a uniform as every LE officer in the nation was being called in. I was assigned a rifle position at a bridge crossing.

 

[elkduds]

W Mrs Duds, flying home from Hawaii. On United. Announcement from cockpit that air traffic had rerouted our flight to Vegas instead of Denver, no explanation. Flight crew were very tense, quickl picking up all meal and drink service to prep for unscheduled landing. Turns out many lost colleagues that morning in the eastern US. McCarron airport in LV was chaos, heavily armed military presence everywhere, Still no explanation of what the crisis was. Impossible to book train, bus or car rental to Grand Junction, only 9 hours' drive home. After hours of waiting @ airport for some official word, United announce its passengers could get on vans for transport to Sam's Hotel and Casino where lodging would be provided. The van driver gave us our first description of the terrorist attack.

Long story short, 3 days later we were given 5 minutes' notice to load a shuttle for the airport. There were 20 passengers on a 757, after United was able to recruit a flight crew to reposition the jet to DIA for flights the next day when air travel resumed. We sat in 1st class, the flight crew gave us any food or beverage onboard at no charge. We were the only plane in the sky for the short flight to DIA @ sunset. The crew were traumatized, some cried, some were mute.

Never forget these turning points. We will be attacked again. There will be more pandemics. Our comparatively safe and stable life in the USA is not guaranteed. Challenges can pull us apart or unite us. We decide.

24 years. What have we learned?

 

[NoWiser]

Senior in high school in Phy-Ed class. I found out after class while walking to my locker. School Administration announced that TVs were to remain off. None of the teachers listened. Watched the first building collapse while in Study Hall. I still get chills thinking about that day.

 

[David Gough]

I was at an orthodontist appointment when the first plan hit. I didn't understand the full impact of what was going on. When I got to school every classroom was eerily silent besides the TVs. I was the only person in the hallways.

 

[CPAjeff]

I was in 8th grade health class. The teacher received an announcement directing her to turn on the TV. She promptly turned on the TV and I'll never forget watching the impact of the second plane. A huge thanks to those past, present, and future who are first responders and members of the military!

 

[Dan-06]

I was in the navy. On station. Right across the flight line where the one guy got his aviation training. We were on our way to Puerto rico.

 

[elkduds]

I was in the navy. On station. Right across the flight line where the one guy got his aviation training. We were on our way to Puerto rico.

Grateful to you and your family for your service and sacrifice.

 

[WVmike]

6th grade reading class. Won't ever forget it.

 

[NDGuy]

Feel like we’ve never been the same since.

RIP to those before us.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I had my haircut today. it's a small barbershop in Sutton's bay that also will sell you a full trolling spread for salmon or get your ammo'ed up for turkey and deer. Taxidermized foxes, coyotes, deer, antelope, etc on the wall. Pretty much the kind of barber-shop most boys would dream of.

The place was middlin-full. 3 other folks waiting ahead of me. A young mom w/ a kid came in, waiting patiently and playing with the frog nets & the hen decoy in the window. An elderly couple walked in as the wife was asking the husband, since it was a 25 minute wait, if he wanted to walk through downtown with her (No, he didn't. He wanted to sit in the barber shop and talk with the guys and read the paper). One guy was reading the local paper and the rest of us were watching highlights from the Sunday Lions-Packers game (Go Lions) and talking about the upcoming grouse and deer seasons. Turns out we get a fall turkey season as well this year, which is awesome since we have Toms nesting on our place again this year.

Nobody talked about politics. I was nervious about that after yesterday. But it was like everyone remembered what it was like on 9/12, so everyone had their kind faces on, and their patient brains engaged.

As we finished up I was writing the check (no credit cards - cash or check only). I had a brain fart and forgot the date. I asked what the date was and as soon as the barber started to say it, we both looked at each other with that look. It got quiet in the shop. We recounted where we were that day and what we were doing.

No republicans, no democrats. No this or that, just neighbors being nice to each other.

I love that place.

 

[NDGuy]

No republicans, no democrats. No this or that, just neighbors being nice to each other.

I love that place.

People need to remember there’s still far more places like this than the others

 

[Ben Lamb]

People need to remember there’s still far more places like this than the others

I think that's true. I also think that we lead by example, and if that's the kind of place we want all of this nation to be, then we need to be the kind of people we want our leaders to be.

 

[Hem]

My nephew typically was in daycare at ground level of one of the towers. Not that morning. Thankful.

 

[Tikka06]

I was in US government class my senior year of HS. I had gotten up early that morning and ran and finished reading “Band of Brothers.” I was a little too patriotic for my own good.

 

[marksjeep]

Pittsburgh. I lived in a small apartment directly under the approach flight path to PIT. Had lived there for 4 years and become completely accustomed to a US Airways 737 passing over every few minutes. The quiet resulting from grounding all air traffic was surreal. It just added to the disbelief of the events that day.