9/11 - Where were you, what were your initial thoughts ?

[JTpaintball70]

I was an 8th grader home sick from school that day. I spent my morning playing video games until my mother called and told me to turn the news on. I turned it on just as the second plane hit the towers

[Richard B the EMT]

I had forgotten about something several here had mentioned- what I DID NOT hear- the planes. I live on a flight path, and am used to seeing about a plane every minute or so flying over ahead, on final approach. They become part of your life and barely even notice them- until they are gone.

I'm on the flight paths for both approach and departure at JFK. That is why the roar of that military fighter, unseen but very well heard, was so startling to my community neighbors.

[Lone Star]

Absolutely. Thousands were emotionally affected by the events of that day, but thousands more are dealing with the physical effects.

Makes me physically ill when I think of how someone can get absolute joy from inflicting pain and suffering on completely innocent people.

It was outright murder for a 'crime' of being American.

America has been blamed for some of the most stupid of things. For example, the tsunami that struck Indonesia...our fault. According to some Muslim Imam, it's Allah exacting revenge for our way of life, especially the fornication and our culture that allows women to dress in 'inappropriate ways'; in short for being the infidels that we are....

[uglyEMT]

Sorry for getting to this topic so late. I was on hiatus and just got back to technology.

Where was I on 9/11..... 10th floor Tower 2

What did I hear..... Boom, screams, crying, sorrow

What did I do.... Helped get folks out, cryed like a baby when I watched them fall. Looked grey and so did everyone else there, cryed some more. Climed the pile and started helping.

Sirens sounding, run... 7 falls

Back to the pile......

72 hours later after seeing unimaginable things I finally brake down and cry into some girls arms volunteering with the effort. Do not ever want to see what I saw there again. I watched strong, heroic grown men do the same.

One thing that will never leave me.... when we all turned greey as ash and the world looked like the moon, we were all one. No creed, No color, No religon, Just ONE. I hope one day we can all get back to that place.

[HERBIE1]

Sorry for getting to this topic so late. I was on hiatus and just got back to technology.

Where was I on 9/11..... 10th floor Tower 2

What did I hear..... Boom, screams, crying, sorrow

What did I do.... Helped get folks out, cryed like a baby when I watched them fall. Looked grey and so did everyone else there, cryed some more. Climed the pile and started helping.

Sirens sounding, run... 7 falls

Back to the pile......

72 hours later after seeing unimaginable things I finally brake down and cry into some girls arms volunteering with the effort. Do not ever want to see what I saw there again. I watched strong, heroic grown men do the same.

One thing that will never leave me.... when we all turned greey as ash and the world looked like the moon, we were all one. No creed, No color, No religon, Just ONE. I hope one day we can all get back to that place.

Thank God you made it out OK. I simply cannot imagine being in the middle of the nightmare. I hope you are coping OK, UGLyEMT.

I don't mean to open old wounds, (and you certainly don't need to answer if you so choose) Were you part of the responders or working in some other capacity?

[uglyEMT]

Its OK Herbie. I cope and around this time of year it helps to talk about it. Keeps everything from getting bottled up. I do suffer PTSD and have gotten treatment for it. Talking is a big help.

I was there that day on the 10th floor for a job requirement. There was a goverment office there that I had to interview at for a security clearence. Thatw as my only reason to be there that day.

As for staying on "The Pile". For some reason i felt I had to be there. In the first moments after the towers fell alot of folks just started looking around trying to find people and help in any way they could. I was not a responder at the time, I had no training in rescue, nothing. I was just a pair of hands, eyes and ears trying to help. I got on a bucket brigade with the Jersey City Fire Dept and just passed buckets of debris. Time just stood still I didnt realize how much time had passed between shifts or what evere you wanted to call them. Things I did see I dont want to ever see again.

Some things of that day I just dont remeber. I have tried but they are just not memories I have.

It was after therapy to get me over things that I started looking into EMS as a field. The strong urge I felt that day to help others always stayed with me. Its not THE reason I became an EMT but an underlying one.

[HERBIE1]

Its OK Herbie. I cope and around this time of year it helps to talk about it. Keeps everything from getting bottled up. I do suffer PTSD and have gotten treatment for it. Talking is a big help.

I was there that day on the 10th floor for a job requirement. There was a goverment office there that I had to interview at for a security clearence. Thatw as my only reason to be there that day.

As for staying on "The Pile". For some reason i felt I had to be there. In the first moments after the towers fell alot of folks just started looking around trying to find people and help in any way they could. I was not a responder at the time, I had no training in rescue, nothing. I was just a pair of hands, eyes and ears trying to help. I got on a bucket brigade with the Jersey City Fire Dept and just passed buckets of debris. Time just stood still I didnt realize how much time had passed between shifts or what evere you wanted to call them. Things I did see I dont want to ever see again.

Some things of that day I just dont remeber. I have tried but they are just not memories I have.

It was after therapy to get me over things that I started looking into EMS as a field. The strong urge I felt that day to help others always stayed with me. Its not THE reason I became an EMT but an underlying one.

Well, you certainly have a unique perspective on that day- a survivor, and now someone who is in the business. Hang in there.

[Richard B the EMT]

One thing that will never leave me.... when we all turned greey as ash and the world looked like the moon, we were all one. No creed, No color, No religon, Just ONE. I hope one day we can all get back to that place.

I hope we can get back to that place without the death, destruction, and illnesses unleashed by, and during, the attack.

[HERBIE1]

I hope we can get back to that place without the death, destruction, and illnesses unleashed by, and during, the attack.

I hear ya, Richard.

Although-with all the bitching and moaning we do among ourselves- fire vs EMS, single role vs cross trained, etc- we still ARE a family. Any time someone needs a hand, who's the first to step up when we need it? Same for police. We have a great relationship with our police officers- they are great. As dysfunctional as we all are, who else would want to hang with us? LOL

[paraloco]

I got relieved at Medic 1 that morning, it was a perfect beautiful day. I was having financial problems and decided to make my first trip to a pawn shop to sell some stuff. I had to go home and load the stuff in my truck. I walked into the pawn shop, and on all the televisions, there it was. The first tower was coming down. My first thought was: We're at war. For real. My wife was still going to Lamar U. I think I called her first. We picked up the kids together later in the day. The oldest was middle school age, the twins were in elementary school. I remember thinking that if they called it an act of war, peoples' life insurance policies wouldn't have to pay out. While we are on memory lane... I was cutting class from Lamar when the Challenger exploded. I was returning movies (VHS tapes) to a video club that was part of tv/electronics store. Every TV in the place had the video going. The next day in class, one of the ROTC cadre was blaming the Soviets. "They going around to everyone (our NATO allies)saying "See? See what happens?" I've picked up folks in their 80's with Dec.7th birthdays. They remembered exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard about Pearl Harbor.