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

[JPINFV]

I was in 10th grade at the time and living on the West Coast, when I woke up just before the second tower was hit. I vaguely remember watching it on TV before heading off to get my portable radio from my father's self storage unit (he was working on a walking stick out of there. The walking stick never picked up for a variety of reasons). One of the things, though, that will stick in my mind about that specific day was sitting in first period (Algebra 2/Trig) listening to news updates, in part, because there's also a World Trade Center in Long Beach.

Also, one of the eeriest things was the sheer lack of sound over the next few days. I lived under the flight path for two major airports (John Wayne Airport (SNA) where the planes come in from the ocean before joining the main approach and Long Beach Airport (LGB) at about the area where the planes lower their gear). While the planes themselves aren't low enough to cause any noise problems, you'll almost always see 2-3 planes at a time when in the backyard. However, the amount they add to the ambient noise isn't really appreciable except when it's gone, like the few days after the attacks when almost all aircraft were grounded. Similarly, hearing 2 military jets in the dead of night when you haven't heard any aircraft for days is unnerving.

[scubanurse]

Also, one of the eeriest things was the sheer lack of sound over the next few days. I lived under the flight path for two major airports (John Wayne Airport (SNA) where the planes come in from the ocean before joining the main approach and Long Beach Airport (LGB) at about the area where the planes lower their gear). While the planes themselves aren't low enough to cause any noise problems, you'll almost always see 2-3 planes at a time when in the backyard. However, the amount they add to the ambient noise isn't really appreciable except when it's gone, like the few days after the attacks when almost all aircraft were grounded. Similarly, hearing 2 military jets in the dead of night when you haven't heard any aircraft for days is unnerving.

Same for me in D.C. you just don't appreciate the ambient noise they cause until suddenly there are no planes anymore.

[Lone Star]

Late night 10 SEP 01 was a fairly busy night for fires. I had several calls throughout the night, so I was sleeping when the phone woke me up. The voice on the other end of the line was in sheer panic, and fairly screamed, "We're being attacked!".

Like everybody else that morning, I turned on the television and sat in sheer disbelief as the second tower was struck.

I had a sinking feeling that things were only going to get worse as time progressed. Sure enough, the towers came down. I just sat there wide eyed and slack jawed. I was having a really difficult time trying to process what I had just been witness to.

I've seen some pretty amazing things in my life...from the death of Elvis, to the first successful shuttle launch (the resulting two disasters there). I've seen the election of an actor to the office of President of the United States and the launching of the greatest telescope ever created, and the images from a planet that no one would ever believe we could explore...but I don't think anything has made me feel so insignificant and helpless as watching our country being attacked by a group of religious fanatics.

[maverick56]

I was a freshman in college, a PVT just out of basic and a new ROTC cadet. I'd been up for a few hours already for PT and work and was heading to my first class of the day. When I walked into the mechanical engineering building there was a crowd in the lobby massing under the tv's that usually had announcements and campus bookstore ads on them. Took me a minute to gather what was going on, everyone was silent and in shock. Not really sure what my first thought was, other than "is this real?" Then it seemed like everyone was looking at me (I was in uniform) expecting... something. I remember it taking forever to be able to call home because the campus phone system was overloaded. My mom was really freaked out, even more so because I was new to the Army and she wasn't thrilled with the idea and I was far from home.

We were on high alert for a couple weeks after that with contingency plans for multiple attacks on the school. At the time, my school had multiple classified government/DoD research projects on campus and we were a legitimate target for the region. Also the town is the main shipping thoroughfare for the western Great Lakes, so we had to coordinate with the Coast Guard. It was intense and surreal. None of us knew what to expect and there was already talk of possibly being mobilized. That was terrifying at 18 and green as can be. And I was still expected to attend classes and do my homework as normal - surreal. As for what I thought it meant, I knew we were at war. I knew I would be doing something and my life would change forever, it was just a matter of when and where. I was in Iraq 3yrs later.

[CBEMT]

I was asleep.

Having no morning classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, my habit was to stay up late on Monday night and sleep in Tuesday. My mother was watching the Today show when they started covering it, and saw the second tower struck live. She called me immediately, but the phone didn't wake me up. I didn't wake up until my ex-gf called about 10 minutes later.

Turned on my TV and almost instantly said "Ohhhh.... Bush is gonna f#$%in KILL somebody," then turned on the TV in the living room and woke my roommates up. The only time I was out of sight of the TV for the next 14 hours was a brief trip across the street with one of my roommates to confirm that our mutual class was, in fact, canceled by the professor as were basically all others that day.

Being directly under an approach path for [a major international airport] I agree that it was goddamn ERIE to hear..... nothing. When word came that there was an aircraft unaccounted for in the PA area, my cousin's 11-story dorm in Pittsburgh was evacuated.

All I could do when the first tower fell (because I didn't realize that the whole thing collapsed, it appeared that just the top portion tipped over) was "...That just fell on top of the entire FDNY." I knew right then that the responder death toll would reach the hundreds. I had nothing to do with any response agency, and in fact EMT school was still 2 years in my future- but I still felt the heavy weight of loss of those that I sought to call brothers and sisters.

[Teen EMT]

I was in 1st grade.

I was picked up and was trying to speak.

My dad told me to be quiet their was a dual plain crash.

When we got home, I turned on CNN and saw the video of them coming in (it was video from when it happened).

I automatically thought 1) are my Grandmother,my mom,and my grandfather OK?

2)How is my friend who was a FDNY Fire Fighter.

My friend who was a FireFighter was one of the 343.

My family also lost a relative.

My Grandmother,Mom,and Grandfather were ok.

My mom and grandmother had interviews in the towers the NEXT DAY.

[island emt]

On Friday November 22nd of 1963 I was siting in Mrs. "K's" 7th grade english class when the principle came over the loud speaker and told us to pray for President Kennedy as he had been shot in dallas. That was a very scary day. We had just been through the Cuban missile crisis and the cold war was a constant thought on our young minds. We did regular civil defense drills where they had us all go to the halls and crouch down in case of a surprise nuclear attack. The shock of the nation and the world at the news will forever remain in my mind.

Those same thoughts came to mind all these years later when I heard of the hijackings and the attack on the twin towers in New York , the pentagon, and the ill fated flight 93.

This was an attack on our country and could lead to someone unleashing the nuclear demon across the planet. Like many others I got a call from a customer who lives in Manhattan telling me about the first plane and then watched the news coverage for the rest of the day.

Seeing the collapse of the towers brought the thought of how many brothers & sisters had died in minutes and the thousands of innocent civilians that had also perished at that moment.

Later that night I got a call from a friend telling us that 2 close friends had been on flight 93 and gone down in Shanksville PA. They were in 1st class and had been part of the group that tried to take control of the aircraft away from the terrorists. It brought the emotion of the days events even closer to home and made it personal. Two really great people had died trying to do what was right. Linda was an EMT that we had worked with for years and Joe was the class clown that brought a smile to everyones face . We'll always miss both of you.

Later we found out another couples son who we had watched grow up had died in the towers as he was assigned to the USSS detail there. George left behind a wife and young children..

Enough of my ramblings for now.

Let us never forget those who gave their all that day 9 years ago and don't ever let up the vigilance to hunt down the terrorists who were behind this criminal act of cowardice!

[HERBIE1]

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 recall standing on my porch, looking up, and seeing nothing. Extremely eerie. Then, several hours later I saw a few military fighters streaking across the sky. I recall thinking some horrible thoughts- like I may be witnessing the end of our country as we knew it. In many ways, I was right.

God bless those who perished that day, and all the soldiers who have given their lives protecting us.

[island emt]

Let us also not forget all those that worked the pile afterward and are sick or dying in record numbers.

[HERBIE1]

Let us also not forget all those that worked the pile afterward and are sick or dying in record numbers.

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.