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Original Message
"Where were you?"

Posted by SurvivinDawg on 09-11-02 at 07:46 AM
LAST EDITED ON 09-11-02 AT 09:54 AM (EST)

Where were you when you first heard of the 9/11 attacks?

I was at work, on a military installation. I saw the news on the Internet.

The first thing I did was pick up the phone and call my brother, who lived in Brooklyn. Fortunately, I got through and he answered his phone right away. While on the phone, my brother said the second tower was hit. We talked a few minutes as I made my way to the TV set.

Everyone thought it was some kind of accident... until the footage of thee second plane hitting the second tower was shown. I said "That was on purpose" and someone else agreed. So we all just watched.

We watched a good while, then the first tower fell. I went back to my desk and my coworked came up and said the second tower had fallen. Back to the TV. It looked, in the smoke, like half the building had fallen.

The military post started initiating all its good stuff, so we had to deal with that for the rest of the day.

It was a good thing I got through to my brother... none of the rest of my family could as all the phone circuits filled up. So I was on the phone a lot calling family to tell them he was okay.

The only other scene I really remember was from late that day. In November 2000, I visited my brother in NYC, and we went through a building adjacent to the WTC to get to the front WTC plaza. The building had a big staircase in a semi-circle that we walked up. Well, they showed that building on TV, that staircase littered with debris. I think that building went down later on.

"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -- Thomas Paine

Contradictions don't exist. If you are faced with a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong. -- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged


Table of contents

Messages in this discussion
"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by GeorgiaBelle on 09-11-02 at 08:56 AM
I was getting ready for work. I stopped and watched the TV in horror. Then I changed my mind about going into the office that day. It was a day to spend with my family.


"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by Femme on 09-11-02 at 03:46 PM
We were at Fort Hood. I was a pretty nervous that day. My husband was on DRB 1 - that's Defense Ready Brigade. They would be the first people in the Army to respond if something happened anywhere in the world. It rotates from brigade to brigade every couple of months or so. They have to be up and out withing 12 hours. It was scary. He was the unit's movement officer. That meant he would be the one coordinating the load plan and getting everyone on board the aircraft to fly off.

We never thought he would have to go anywhere. Just thought he was marking time on this detail. They made them all sleep at the battalion right after everything happened. Just in case.

For weeks after, our post was tied up. It would take about 4 hours to get onto post. They were checking every ID of every person trying to come onto post, and they were checking trunks, backseats, engine compartments of every vehicle. There were armed guards at every gate onto post. It was quite scary. You never can start to "get over it" when you're faced with such serious, scary searches each time you tried to enter post. It was such a tremendously frightening time.

Thanks for your story Dawg; I can only imagine your military community was as understanding and supportive as ours was.


Femme


"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by Naked on 09-12-02 at 05:31 AM
I was on a luxury cruise liner sailing past the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska. Imagine the guilt of eating the finest foods, and being served constantly, when you know that Brothers and Sisters of yours are struggling for life and death. I felt incredibly helpless being so far away also.

I travel frequently, and not very many people knew where I was, so I spent the day calling people at $8.00 a minute from the ship letting them know that I was not in New York at the time.

I woke up that morning and turned on the TV and saw what was going on. In the afternoon, it was unreal to have the vision of the buildings falling in my head while wathing pieces of the Hubbard glacier break away and fall into the ocean.


"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by Crimsyn on 09-13-02 at 09:50 AM
I was at work in Carrolton (Dallas). We had just taken our first break and I heard some woman mention a plane crash. After I came back in from my break, we saw the WTC on MSNBC. We saw live streaming footage and thought that it was a mistake, that the plane had malfuntioned or something. We were all unsure how to respond until we saw the second plane hit. Thats when everything stopped and we all broke down. For the next 3 hours, work pretty much ceased to exist. The security guards locked down the building and wouldn't let us leave. One thing that was moderatly comical, there were workers on our roof, redoing the tar. As soon as we found out about the attacks, the workers all scrambled and ran. Everyone was so terrified. I was upset because my DH was in Saudi Arabia at the time. He was slated to be home on the 13th. I couldn't call him and he couldn't call me. Neither of us had a clue about what was going to happen. I called the AF Base where we are stationed and talked to the commander, who told me nothing except that DH couldn't come home. A month later, he called me from Baltimore and said he was getting on the next flight to Dallas. I tried to meet him at the airport before he had to catch his connecting flight to the base, but the security at DFW was psychotic and they wouldn't let me see him. I hadn't seen him in 4 months so I quit my job in Dallas and drove straight home to Dyess. It was such a relief that he was home and safe. My biggest fear is that something will happen again when he goes back next summer.

I think that I am better than the people who are trying to reform me. -- Edgar Watson Howe


"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by PigFace on 10-06-02 at 00:52 AM
I was eating breakfast. I very sad day for us all.

"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by L82LIFE on 09-09-03 at 06:48 PM
Thank you all for sharing your stories. They were all very touching.

I set my alarm clock to radio and it goes off a few times before I wake up. That morning, as soon as it came on, I heard the announcer talking about the WTC being attacked. I jumped out of bed and went into the FR to watch the TV. Hubby came shortly after and we spent the morning in disbelief. Our biggest fear was that the attacks were just the start and soon the West Coast would be hit.

We dragged ourselves to work (the hardest part was leaving my son at school that day, so unsure of what was going to happen). I took a portable TV to work, and my coworker and I sat in my office and watched it all day. Needless to say, there wasn't much business and most that did call or come in spent a good time talking about the day's events.

It was scary and surreal. I hope and pray our Nation never has to deal with such devastation again.


"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by Mon Cherie on 09-11-03 at 06:15 AM
I was still in bed when my friend called and told me to turn the TV on. Shortly after I turned the news on, the report came in that the Pentagon had been hit. And the rest is history.

"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by Bebo on 09-11-03 at 08:31 AM
I was at work, handling client support in a different building. As I was leaving, one of the women said she was trying to pull up news on the Internet about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. I just kinda nodded. What she said didn't register.

When I got in the car to drive back to my office, I heard the radio reports. Even though I only had a mile or so to drive, I almost had to stop the car and vomit at the side of the road, because I was so physically sickened by the news.

Life is a game where we make up the rules as we go along.


"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by nailbone on 09-11-03 at 10:08 AM
I was getting ready for work, and getting the kids ready for school. I remember that absolutely NOTHING got accomplished at work that day, and for days after, because we were all glue to TV or the 'net trying to find out more.



(c) 2003 IceCat Originals, Inc. All rights reserved.
Prince of Passion, Royal Liaison to Illicit Activities, SB Video Historian (StS) o-


"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by KScott on 09-11-03 at 02:15 PM
I was at work and heard on the radio that a plane had crashed into the WTC. My first thought was not of terrorism but that it was some malfunction on the plane or in the tower. Then the 2nd plane hit and we were told it was a terroristic act. A co-worker went home and brought her tv up, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I kept hoping and praying that all of those people would get out safely. It was just a horrible horrible image that will never be erased from my mind. My prayers go out to all the families that lost loved ones 2 years ago today. And to those of you who survived my thoughts are with you as well.


- God Bless America


"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by drich61 on 09-12-03 at 07:22 PM
I was at work at the time, the news was all over the radios. We had a group meeting just before lunch, and were told to turn off our radios after lunch, so we could concentrate on our jobs. Since I work for a defense subcontractor, and the two wars we have had since 9/11, it was important that we stay focused on our jobs (it didn't seem right at the time, however). As I write this, my brother-in-law is on a plane back from being in Iraq the past few months.

The other thing we didn't know that day is that our company was up for sale. That day the people which bought us came to visit for the first time, they came through Logan airport since we are in Massachusetts. The buyers just happened to also be the company which was started by the Wright Brothers. And planes were used as weapons, certainly not what they had ever intended.


"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by zster00 on 11-01-03 at 00:30 AM
LAST EDITED ON 11-01-03 AT 00:40 AM (EST)

I woke up to a wonderful morning, with sunshine and energy. I live in Illinois close to St.Louis Mo. I went to the kitchen and made my son breakfast, which is unusual because of my work schedule. I remember walking my son out to the bus stop and joking with him about skipping school and going to the zoo in MO. I told him , "Come on, lets go to the zoo. I will tell the school you are sick. It is such a pretty day." He didnt want to go because of a test he was going to have (he is a straight A student with a conscience). After the bus I went back in and made my self breakfast. Took my seat in front of the TV.....then ....my world fell apart. I didnt believe it, it couldnt have been true..but it was. I called the school to make sure the kids were safe or if I should pick up my son. They assured me of there safety. I woke up my hubby and together we watched the horror of the firefighters entering the building to save lives only to lose there own.

I today , 10-31-03, still remember ever detail and still think about those who parished. X(


"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by Shannon022 on 06-08-04 at 02:01 PM
I was at work in Nashville, TN, and I heard something on the radio and I just caught a bit of it and didnt pay any attention. And then everyone was talking about it and we all tried to get on the net at work, but no one could. And so we just sat around and I called all my family members.

"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by universityofkentuckyrocks on 06-30-05 at 06:18 PM
I knew something was wrong because I was a 7th Grader and we got envelopes and were told not to open them. I had notice the principal wispering to teachers several times that day. I got in the car and My Mom said did you hear what happened. I started getting a little freaked out because i couldn't beleive what happened. I was shocked. The next day the school took the 8th grade and 7th and they told us why they didn't tell us but that they would give info only too those classes. I am a junior in high school so I wil get too see what happened.



"RE: Where were you?"
Posted by 4aRide on 03-22-08 at 09:21 PM
I was at work. I heard something about an airplane hitting one of the WTC towers. Like everyone else, I figured it was a freak accident. I went on with my work. As soon as I heard that another plane hit the other tower, I turned to the person next to me and said, "This is war."

Great insight was followed by poor insight as I watched the burning towers in a small crowded room on a poor-quality TV, I thought, "It's going to take a lot to fix that." Moments later was the first tower collapse.

We were sent home from work. A road crew was sealing cracks in our street with hot tar. I took it upon myself to let them know what happened. They had not yet heard. Even now, as I drive down my street and look at the tar, I remember that day.

Another memory of that day is that my father and mother were going to fly from Green Bay to Chicago to Las Vegas on 9/11. Lucky for them, they never left Green Bay. Neither of them are veteran air travelers. They would have had a hard time of it in Chicago.

There are so many things I remember. The final one I will share is how odd it was the next few nights as we went out for our evening walk. There were no moving lights in the sky - just the stars. It was so weird.