Where were you Sept 11, 2001?

[squish]

Well there I was minding my own business at work at a Rehab hospital in New Albany, Indiana when all this comotion about planes flying into buildings in New York started to be reported.
You know I have a theory that with these kind of posts, we're all fired up about putting down our experiences but really don't care to read others' posts. I could be wrong. Maybe it's just me.

I've read each and every one of these up to this point.

 

[femurphy77]

Getting ready to go to work at United Airlines. I got up in time to see the aftermath of the first strike and then see the second plane hit. I knew then that things would change horribly from that time forward.

 

[Birds Away]

Thanks all for making me feel even older.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I was at work, and heard it over the radio. At first I was in shock, and really did not know how to react. Once I got off work, and it really set it, I became furious. Needless to say, I shipped off to basic five months later. Felt like it was time to give back. I remember my Company Commanders playing videos in basic, not a dry eye in the room.

 

[indytechnerd]

Sitting on top of a steel column with my impact gun and spud wrench waiting for the crane operator to bring the beam into place to be connected.

In NYC? Or elsewhere?

 

[Sylvain]

Celebrating my birthday with my family.It was the afternoon for me.

 

[tgallmey]

7th grade history class. My teacher was pulled into the hallway came back a few minutes later and we watched the news the rest of the day. My teacher cried others didnt understand. Our school was locked down. Nobody really spoke. Teacher said she was in 7th grade history class when Kennedy was shot and that this will be my generations war.

 

[Caldad]

I had just finished filling up at the Shell station down the street from my home... I had just pulled away from the pump, and about to start my 3 1/2 hour drive to help set-up for a food-service trade show in Lexington that was to start the next day... when my wife called with the news that a plane had hit a trade center building. We were discussing-hoping-praying that it was a pilot error, and not intentional, when the second one hit. I can still remember that sick feeling.

...and the rest of the story. I called our VP of Sales because I was certain that the show would be canceled. Think again. After what seemed like hours, I got a call back to tell me that the show was on, and to come to Lexington. That was the longest drive.

After the Pentagon was hit, and the 4th plane went down in the field... (which I heard about on the radio during my trip to Lexington) I was shocked how many people came to the trade show the next day, and from such long distances. I would have rather been with my family. I still don't know what inspired all those people to travel so far from home and family.

After the show, there was a run on gas stations, and many were running out of fuel. I paid over $5 a gallon to fill up, which was a lot back then. I had also bought 2 5gal gas cans and filled them too, since I wasn't sure if gas would be available on the road, and I didn't want to end up stranded. The inside of my SUV smelled of strong gas fumes even with all the windows down... still, every time I smell gas fumes, I think of 9/11 and that drive home.

 

[NYFelon]

In NYC? Or elsewhere?

No sir. In Queens.

 

[indytechnerd]

No sir. In Queens.

Still, not that far away, at least you weren't in Manhattan. The video of all those folks walking across the bridges was stunning.

 

[williamnewman1]

Istep , yeh im one of the youngin's here

 

[Sylvain]

Istep , yeh im one of the youngin's here

Probably not the youngest though.

 

[sbcman]

I was on my knees praying at the church I pastored at the time.

The church was rural and sit on a hill in western KY with the parsonage right beside it. My normal routine was to go to the church and pray in the morning. I don't know why, but for some reason I grabbed my cellphone before going that day. I never carried that cell but it rang out, giving me a good scare. It was my Mom, calling from Jacksonville, FL. She had to try several times to get the words out through her sobbing voice, but I finally understood her; "they hit the Tower on purpose." I went to the house and turned the TV on. My wife and I just sat there dumbfounded for the next few hours as reports of the other tragedies came in.

 

[Hohn]

I was a Robins Air Force Base, GA managing the base motor pool as a young LT.

We had an office TV that never got used--until that day. I actually saw the 2nd plane hit live, because we were watching the coverage of the 1st plane hit.


It took me three hours to get to work the next day through base security.

No offense to those who lost loved ones that day, but I feel the greatest tragedy of it was how we as Americans seemed to line up to trade freedom for security. I mean, TSA-- really? DHS and the epic expansion of government that Bush undertook?

Many of the things the gov't did after 9.11 may have made us safer-- but it seems almost certain that airport harassment and even more bureaucracy did not make us safer.

 

[Hurculeasz]

I was getting ready for work, was watching the end of the morning news when I saw the first plane. When the second plane hit, I called into work and headed for the Army recruiter.

 

[ZbornacSVT]

I was getting ready for a morning weight room session the week before we were to play Oregon State...I remember the mood in the locker room changing as we watched the second one fly in live. At that time it was obvious this had been deliberate.

It doesn't feel like it has been 11 years....

 

[Aggar]

Sleeping when the first plane hit and my college roommate woke me up in time to see the second hit. Then heard the news about the plane in pa. Went to my only class that day and it was a us history class and he said we could stay and talk about it or go home and you won't be docked for not being in class. About 3/4 of class left. 200+ lecture hall at purdue.

 

[Eric0321]

Camp Schwab Okinawa on chow duty. And hating every second of chow duty...

 

[tryingtosurvive03]

911

Hauling a load of sand in a tri-axle truck. I remember calling my grandma to check on her because I was not sure what was going to happen next. I think to many have already forgot about this tragedy.

 

[Ski]

I was deployed on the USS Enterprise. I remember 9/11 being the best day since we had left the Arabian Gulf the day before after 8-10 weeks. We had been relieved of our duties and the plan was to head south around South Africa and take our time getting back to Norfolk. Around supper time someone turned the tv on and we saw the 2nd plane hit.
It was obvious that we weren't going home but at least we didn't have to return to the Gulf. Surprisingly our deployment was only extended by about a month.
It was kind of weird seeing the increased security on the base but
shortly after returning we went into the shipyard for a year so things at work were more normal. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be home in the US when the attack occurred. On the ship it didn't ever really seem real except for the near constant launch and recovery of planes.