Remembering 9/11: Where Were You? Share Your Story.

I had graduated from college in May, and I was recovering from knee surgery so I was sleeping on the couch in my parents' basement. My brother was working for the community college at the time and he had to go to work. When he came down stairs, he said, "Turn on the TV, there's been and accident in New York. A plane crashed into the World Trade Center."

When we turned on the TV, we did not know it, but we were watching the 2nd plane hit the towers. We thought it was a replay of the 1st. It wasn't until after he left for work that I realized what had happened.

I was working for a local news station in downtown St. Louis at the time. I knew we would be wall-to-wall national coverage, so I didn't rush going in. I stayed at home and relayed information to my parents and brother and friends about the events as they unfolded. Around 1:00, I went into work since I figured I would get a better insight from being in the newsroom. It was extremely surreal -- and extremely frustrating. As a group of journalists, impotent to cover the most important event of our generation, it was very trying.

 

I was in the fourth or fifth grade at a private christian school, we had an all school assembly, prayed for all the people involved, i thought it was a small airplane crashing into a small building for awhile, I didn't understand how huge of an attack it was until I saw it on the news later that morning

 

I was sleeping sounding in the basement. I was living at home at the time and had no clue what the World Trade Centre Towers were. So when my Mum came in and told me a plane had crashed into them my reaction was "And I care because?"; then I proceeded to roll over and go back to sleep.

When I got up I learned more of the story and what actually happened and I remember thinking "Wow, somebody sure fucking stirred the hornets nest now."

10 years later Allied forces are still kicking ass, and sadly 10 years later we're still taking losses. Seeing people come together for the greater good, putting aside petty troubles and helping each other for the sake of helping, moves me every time.

Right now I'm sitting in a small room out in the middle of nowhere, and it seems like yesterday that it happened. Nothing is quite as surreal.

I don't pray but rest assured my thoughts are with my American Brothers today, especially, for absolute certain.

 

i was ten years old sitting at my desk at school. It was snack time for us. one of the other teachers came into my class room and said terrorist hit the world trade center. Everyone was confused including myself. My teacher pulled out the tv and turned it on. All eyes were on the TV as the picture started to show the chaos. I recognized the building they were talking about. It was the one that my uncle had shown me a picture of when he explained to me how he earned his living. As minutes went by the second aircraft plowed into the other tower. I stood straight up and punched my desk in pure anger. I couldn't control the tears running down my face. 78 hours later my Uncle had found a way to get in contact with the family. I was relieved that my uncle was fortuneate enough to survive. 10 years ago I never saw myself being in the military. I never saw myself going and fighting the "bad guys." All I know is that I don't want any kid to be as scared for a family member as I was that day. The sight of the second plane exploding and both towers collapsing will be forever burned into my memory.

 

10 years ago was the day our generation was introduced to war, and the evils of human nature. Now, it's the only constant thing we've grown up around.
That day, Americans lost brothers and sisters. Parents lost their children, and children lost their parents.
We will never forget those who lost their lives that day, or those who willingly gave theirs trying to save others.
To my friends that are currently serving, thank you. I'll be there soon.

-Facebook.

 

Freshman year, Wood working class, guy named Dustin came in and turned our tv on in the room... every class in the day from then on was just us watching the news...

 

i was in the 4th grade watched it with the teachers in the classroom.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE4wjGp-80A&feature=share

 

was in 5th grade in Northwest school for hearing impaired children. I woke up early in the morning getting ready for school and saw news on tv in living room and thought it was just fire accident then left to school. First class all the teachers talked about it with all the student and they didnt have cable or anything but teacher explain to us what was going on and drew a pic of WTC on the board with plane crashing. Remembered seeing some of teacher crying. It was a really say day.

 

Not sure if this was posted yet, it has been on TV all day, but if you missed it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSlDchQqXS4&feature=player_embedded

As for where I was... I was home getting out of bed, logged onto a forum I frequented, saw a thread about the towers being hit... turned on the TV and watched in shock most of the day.

 

Take that post to liked thread, not here please.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/military/176194-anyone-here-question-official-9-11-story.html

 

This is my facebook status today...

I was on the way to work and hadn't realized what happened until I'd gotten there and started a conference call to India. The vast majority of employees ended up the cafeteria talking about what had happened and trying to account for those who were on the road or in the air. At some point, our CEO dismissed us to be at home with family.

We had a number of people overseas who would be there for some time. Others traveling here in the states who would rent cars and drive cross country to come home when it became clear flights would not quickly resume.

We were lucky. Our employees returned safely home. Some of our customers and colleagues were not so fortunate.

I have friends who were supposed to be at the WTC for meetings that were either cancelled or who didn't make the meeting.

An interview with the husband of a woman killed on flight 93 said "It's not an anniversary; an anniversary commemorates a happy event. It is a day of remembrance and reflection". I truly believe that.

Seeing how the site has since been developed, the memorial, the new structures and transit center has given me a sense of hope for a brighter future.

 

The conspiracy theories are retarded... all of the things they show as "proof" that this was something that it wasn't... there is a reasonable explanation.

http://911review.com

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDOrzF7B2Kg&feature=player_embedded

 

wow, just wow !!!!

 

new tower

 

wish that video has close caption

 

I will search for you when I get home.

Edit: I searched. Couldn't find shit. So I listened and typed. So if there are spelling errors excuse me.

I thought I was watching a movie towering inferno at first and then I looked real close and noticed it was the World Trade Center.
I was compelled because I’m the type of person who cant stand by and watch other people suffer, and to me they were suffering because they wanted to get off the island and there was no way for them to get off of the island. Other than the water and I had noticed when I was watching the TV I saw allot of the ferries going up into the slips taking people off, I said I can do the same thing I can take people on my boat get in there and take them were they have to go and that’s what we did.
On the morning of September 11 when the towers came down millions of people ran for safety. Hundreds of thousands of them ran south to the waters edge that’s when they realized Manhattan is indeed an island, and that they were trapped.
They were feeling helpless and that is the worst feeling in the world what was a person on the ground gonna do, buildings were down there were people laying under the rubble of the building fireman civilians. My wife was there and I turn around and say “I’ve gotta go do something” just like that and she looks at me and goes” what are you gonna do you maniac” I said I’m gonna take the amberjack up into the city and help and she says “what if there attacked again” i said “well thats something im gonna have to live with i says i have to do what i have to do and nobody can stop me right now even if i save one person thats one person less that will suffer and die”.
They were trying to evacuate Manhattan cause nobody knew what was going on , you know you didn’t know if something else was gonna happen. It was just madness on one side and and wanting to help people on the other side.
They were just streaming out of the buildings and the first mode of transportation they saw was a ferry boat and that’s when they knew, this is how I’m getting out of here . They didn’t even care were the boat was going.
There was a panic in New York in the beginning just volume it wasn’t until the first building fell was there panic .
You heard the building go down but were in the slips so you cant see it that’s when we saw the smoke and whoosh you couldn’t see anything.
People were actually jumping into the river and swimming out of Manhattan boats were very nearly running them over these people wanted out of Manhattan any way they could every mode of transportation out of Manhattan was shut down subways/tunnels/bridges everything. Immediately boats, usually and after thought in most New Yorkers minds were the first time in over a century the only way in, and out.
The process had actually already started some boats were grabbing people, people lined up at the walls
Its just human nature you see people distressed on the sea wall in Manhattan begging you to pick them up you have to you have to pick them up they didn’t know what was going on they seen the building getting hit with these two planes far as they was concerned we were being bombed i was wondering if they were gonna come on the boat if people with bombs were gonna come on board, were a big orange target in the middle of that harbor. My job is to keep the boat safe, my passenger and my crew safe
Everybody was in shock running around didn’t want to leave there families they had loved ones running around the city. There was one guy ran from the apron jumped onto the boat he grabbed on to the metal climbed up right next to the pilot so I’m going after him to say something to him, he slides down to the next deck the deckhands got him and say what are you doing he said "I’m jumping for my life" so you know, you couldn’t argue with him there.
There was a smaller boat that was at the lower point of Manhattan i thought the boat was going to flip over cause so many people were trying to get on and as i looked behind they were just ten deep that kind of gave us the idea we decided this needed to get better organized and we better do it and that’s what we did so we decided to make the call on the radio " all available boats this is the USCG pilot boat of ny anyone who wants to help with the evacuation of lower Manhattan report to Emeralds island”
When that call came on the radio , they were coming.
I was uncertain of who was going to respond bout 15-20 minutes later there just boats all across the horizon.
Literally 100 targets converging on the lower part of Manhattan.
When we came out of that dust cloud. tug boats, I’ve never seen so many tug boats all at once
They were like a fleet of tug boats headed to Manhattan
If it floated and it could get there , it got there.
Boats of all different size shapes and forms and I mean they was just zooming across that water
Ferries, private boats, party boats.
I’ve walked on the water for 28 years, I’ve never seen that many boats come together at one time that fast one radio
Call and it just came together that fast
Hundreds of boats converged on the city leaving the sun bathed harbor behind them dead ahead, the unknown.
That was something I won’t forget it was just low dark black smoke like there was a big chimney in Manhattans
When we pulled into pier 11 the dust was unbelievable.
Out of nowhere you just kept seeing people coming
They looked like zombie coming thru the fog and you knew that those were human beings

Don’t leave us please don’t leave us here take us with you, at that point the coast guard said not how many people are you allowed on your boat... how many can you fit.
Boats started hanging, literally would take a bed sheet off a bunk and a can of spray paint and paint there destination on it.
Some of these people never been in the water, never been on a boat before.
House wife’s, workers that do windows, we had executives and the thing that was the best everyone helped everyone .
I saw 4 business men lifting up an old woman and passed her over the hand rails.
When we would carry a load of people over and there was someone standing there that seen a husband or wife they made us feel even better. well at least we got 2 back together lets keep on going
The guy that works at the ferry he’s a welder his son was on my boat he actually came up and thanked me.
We went back and forth all day long carrying boatloads, as many as our boat would hold. that was allot of people... allot of people.
You couldn’t have planned nothing to happen that fast, that quick
No training this was just people doing what they had to do that day
You forget all about what you suppose to do what they teach you in school and you say you know what morally This is the right way to go and this is what I’m going to do average people and they stepped up when they needed to. They showed me when the American people need to pull together they will.
I do in a way feel honored i was a part of it
Greatest thing I ever did with my life
Greatest day I’ve ever seen in all my days of boating
The great boatlift of 9/11 became the largest sea evacuation in history large than the evacuation of Dunkirk in world war 2 when 339000 British and French soldiers were rescued over the coarse of nine days on 9/11 nearly 500000 civilians were rescued by boat, it took less than nine hours.
I believe everyone has a little hero in em you gotta look in, an its in there, itll come out. if need be.
I have one theory in life I never want to say the word "I should have" if I do it and I fail I tried if I do it and I Succeed, better for me and I tell my children the same thing never go thru life saying you should have if you want to do something you do it.

 

Thanks! I appreciate it.

 

You are a fine man to type that out for Calvin!!! Touched me as much as the video. Rep doesn't come close to giving my full appreciation of your helpfullness.......nothing less than a firm handshake for you. Mike, you have the heart of a hero in my book!