Do You Remember?... What Were You Doing On September 11th?
Do you remember where you were & what you were doing on September 11, 2001 -- the day the world came to a halt?
Here it is 5 years later, and I can remember exactly what I was doing on that day.
...As I'm sure you can, too.
My Recollection:
I was working from home that day and watching the morning news on TV.Like usual, I kept flipping between Good Morning America, The Today Show, and the CBS Morning Show (...I'm a television marketer's nightmare: I have no favorite channel).
All of a sudden, CBS was the first to break in with information and photos of the first plane as it crashed into the World Trade Center, setting the building on fire.
When I switched the channel and saw all of the other stations were covering the same thing, I realized it was incredibly serious... incredibly tragic... and incredibly real. Especially when the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania plane crashes followed soon thereafter.
I quickly called Jim at work, and he said everyone's spouses had just begun calling the office to inform their loved ones of what had happened. Jim and his co-workers immediately turned on a TV and followed the events of the morning.
From that day on, practically every television channel on the dial began airing something about this tragic day -- even MTV, CMT, and HGTV. "Normal" TV programming didn't resume until about 2 weeks later.
But it was clear to me -- as it was happening -- that this was history in the making, so it seemed anti-patriotic to even think about switching to a channel that wasn't covering some angle of the tragic September 11th events.
September 11th... Gone But Not Forgotten
I had been to the World Trade Center several times before September 11th.
...A couple times, just as a tourist doing the typical tourist things in New York City.
But my most vivid memories from inside the World Trade Center are from the times when I worked at Paul Smith's College. Each year, we hosted a huge private party at the World Trade Center (at "Windows on the World" -- the restaurant with panoramic views of the City that was at the very top of the north tower).
Video Tour of Ground Zero In New York City
Here's a 5-minute video from the site of the World Trade Center... taken a few years after the tragedy. The author describes what it looks like now, compared to what it looked like then, as well as what the crowds are like, the type of attention given to Ground Zero in New York City several years later, and some of the tributes that can be found at Ground Zero.Watch the Darryl Worley video "Have You Forgotten" (...the guy on the guitar is the songwriter, Wynn Varble)
God Bless all who lost their lives in this terrible tragdey.
I live in Northern Ireland. I was 17 when this happened and I had never really heard of The World Trade Centers. My Mum and Myself had just finished work and went home to where my sister was waiting for us. she hurried us into the house where she turned on the tv. we were all so shocked we just sat in silence.
I thought that there would be the start of a world war. I couldnt help but to feel sick to my stomach at what these people had done.
God bless all the survivers and those who perished
did you go to new york?
I rember where i was and what i was doing. I Live in New York and my mom worked in the towers with my aunt. i watched it happen through our apartment window and i tryed to call my mom but no calls went through. i watched the towers fall and i waited and waited for my mom to come home and she didnt. not untill the next morning. she had been looking for my aunt who died of smoke inhalation and she tryed her hardes to climb down those stairs but it was to much i still to this day cry about it
I was just waking up to get ready to go into work for my shift. I was in the Air Force. My mom called and told me to turn on my tv. I turned it on, saw the news, told her I had to go, got ready and rushed into work. I was still pretty new, I just enlisted Feb 01, and only been at the base still in on the job training for a few months. My first real experience in the military. I guess on the job training was the most intense I could have imagine. I got moved up from training/junior controller for the command post, to senior controller/shift leader. Everyone else had to deploy. Our B1 Bombers did a hell of a job during that first phase though, and I can definitely say I am proud of our military. We lost alot of people on that day in NY.. but we lost alot of people during the deployments also. Proud of every life sacraficed on the homefront and in defense. Proud to have served in defense of those people also. We truly live in a wonderful country, a very brave and resiliant one also. My husband is still deploying because of that day, and i'm proud of my marine. And thank you all for being the support behind it, even in your grief.
I remember being in school walking out of my class turning around to the big windows that went to the science. Then it happened one of the towers had fell and I had turned white as a ghost. I'm thinking god lord please watch over those people that are in those buildings. Who would do such a thing? I watched Teachers, students, and even parents that came to pick up their kids stand there and cry because there's nothing we can do but, Pray. God be with the lost souls that have parished and one's that are still losted today and not found. My wishes and prayers go to all of the families that lost a husband, a wife, a mother, a father, a son, a daughter, a friend, anyone that was close to you God is on your side. God Bless Everyone!!
I am so sorry for the people who lost their lives and their families god bless you i wos inly a kid when it happend soo i dont reeally remembe r i think i waz in school and all of the teachers would not stop talking about it
I remember what I was doing on september 11 I was on holiday to ireland And my mum dad sister granny and I went to a glass factory I was 4 at thetime and I still remember it clearly My mum went home with my sister to the cottage we were in. They watched it on bbc news my dad granny and I stayed they made an announcement throught the inter com telling us what had happened and we realised americans were in the factory and they running and screaming around the place I can still remember what a woman said over the phone im guessing her husban or a male relative of hers was in the world trade centre She said '' no matter what happens hunny I will always love you but you're gonna get out so it will all be ok let me know when youre out hunny love you'' thats the words I remember there was a tv on the american tourists were crying watching the attacks and hugging each other One lady had to led outside as she was in hysterics screaming about her husband I dont know why I remember it so clearly I will never forget that day
Hallo :) I'm a 14 years old girl from Denmark, who had seen you're video, and you're picture.. I think it's a good video because you're got all the detail, and explain the things we see. And it's incredible have the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, have touched people all over the world! Good bless America like you're say :)
(Sorry if there is some mistakes, hope you're understands what I mean!!)I have never been i New York, but I wan't to, and maybe I go there next year in the summer vacation! Do you live in New York, or was you just on vacation? And if you're live in USA, maybe you have some advice you can give to me?? :)Thanks, I hope that you're will answer me..
Love from Christina, from Denmark 05-05-08
September 11, 2001 where was I/what was I doing?
At the time, I lived in El Paso, TX. I was working as a third-shift waitress at Denny's Restaurant. I had just finished my 10PM to 6AM shift (ironic, it was 6AM there in TX and 8AM in NYC) and arrived at my sister's apartment. After the usual getting ready for bed routine, I turned on my TV and set the TV timer to shut off in 120 minutes. I always did that; it was routine.
I started to drift off to sleep watching Headline News (or CNN) and heard something about a fire at the Twin Towers or to that effect; I was already drowsy from my sleep medication. I had just drifted off to sleep when my pesty neighbor came knocking on the door. He saw the remote control on the small table next to the hide-a-bed I slept on. His next words were "You have got to see this. I just found out that an airplane of some kind flew into the World Trade Center." Then he turned on the TV.
I looked at the screen and thought "No, that is not what it looks like. There is no way an airplane could have crashed into the World trade Center. No way possible." I then looked at my neighbor and asked him "When did this happen?" he then told me "Just about 15 or 20 minutes ago. It is on every channel too, even the radio is playing it." As I turned to go into the kitchen to give him back something I borrowed the night previous, I stared at the TV. Blank faced. "Who would do such an act? I've heard of small planes before, but what would leave a gaping hole like that?" As the word 'that' came out of my mouth, the second plane hit.
I was instantly awake then. "Holy *expletive* who is...what is....why? there were people on those planes and there are probably 1,000s of workers in there. What is going on?" I literally screamed. Some neighbors walking by the apartment peeked in and pretty soon, we had about 10 people staring with blank faces at my television.
The Twin Towers, The Pentagon, Shanksville...Then later on, the collapse of World Trade Center #7.
What was going on? What evil has just invaded my country, my homeland?
I immediately was wide awake. Forget sleeping that day. Even though I had to work another 10PM to 6AM shift, I didn't sleep the whole day. I figured I'd grab a bite to eat and then head over to the local Plasma center to donate plasma. Certainly a good idea at the time.
The Plasma center had done something very nice & thoughtful at the time. They had hastily made a sign and said that any donors who came in to donate plasma would be given $100.00 for plasma and the plasma was going to be shipped directly to NYC for possible usage. As we all know, less than 20 people were eventually pulled from the rubble.
But still, the plasma center later earned a letter from the mayor thanking our center for the generous donations of plasma. The plasma will be used by anyone who needs it.
I couldn't offer anything more. I felt a part of me could have gone to someone that day. and, it did. I was called back a few weeks later to be shown a letter that one of the few seriously injured survivors was indeed given the plasma I had donated. (there is a serial # that ID'd me as the donor). But, I never found out who it was. It was someone who remained unknown. But I wonder, would it have been one of the 2 men from the Port Authority that were trapped? I will never know, and I really wouldn't want to know. I just know that I gave and someone used it.
On the bus ride over to the plasma center, there was a group of Arabic men who were sitting together and talking in their language. One of them grabbed his briefcase and hugged it like a bear when I got on the bus. It was a strange sight indeed.
But, after donating, I had gone back downtown to transfer to another bus, and it was then that I had looked skyward and noticed an errie silence...no aircraft at all; save for the military jets that were circling around the entire city. It made me feel like I was a prisoner in my own city. I knew they were doing a job, but it felt very strange inside.
As I stepped off the bus, I glanced up at the 40-some story tall Wells Fargo bank building and had a flashback in my mind's eye to seeing the Towers on fire. I shuddered to think could it happen here too? Could an airliner crash into this building right here? I know and think a lot more people were looking at their respective tall skyscrapers and thinking the same thing.
Reflecting back to the day Spetember 11, 2001 or as it is called, Patriot Day, I am thankful to be an American citizen. This country does have it's ups & downs, but all in all, we are a very good country.
God Bless You. If any survivors happen to read this, God Bless You Too!!!
I tought it was the begining of a new world war.
I had just got in my car to drive to the tv station where I worked in promotions for local news. The radio station I usually listened to normally played music and loaded up on high-intensity rock-n-roll humor, but on this day there was no music and they were awkwardly stumbled through a very uncomfortable announcement about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. Shortly afterwards they gave way to ABC news who began talking about terrorism. I listened in horror as I drove to work. When I got there no one was working. ABC had taken over and for the next 2 days Peter Jennings would tell the dramatic story through the eyes of New Yorkers. I sat in silence until my GM asked if I was alright. I remember saying that our world has just changed forever. She asked how, but I couldn't articulate... It was just a feeling. For weeks I had nightmares that I was in one of the towers. Very vivid feelings of falling from the top amongst the rubble. I still work in news and think that day has had a dramatic impact on our business. Like it raised the bar of what's really important and people have said they don't have time for the "false sensationalism" that local news had made a habit of projecting. Maybe the feeling I was trying to articulate to my former boss was, "Most of the things we think are important have become less significant today." Sometimes I wonder if we really still remember.
I was at work when I got the word from a co-worker about the WTC tragedy. Before I knew it most of the office was in the conference room watching the news. We continued to be glued to the set as we watched both buildings billowing toxic smoke and then came crashing to ground zero. I remember, literally, everyone gasping as it happened. Scary, unbelievable stuff. The VERY first thing I did when I got home from work that evening was put Old Glory on display. I just had a tremendous feeling of patriotism and pride in our country and that we needed to stick together. Our flag is our reminder of our heritage & history and our forefathers have been through worse to allow us to enjoy the freedoms we have today. We will never forget 9/11/2001... a threat to our freedom and our way of life here in the United States of America.