http://www.nationalservice.gov/special-initiatives/days-service/septembe...
Today marks 14 years, it seems like just yesterday, since that horrible fall day. I encourage everyone to not only remember the people lost that day but the honor the heroes of that day. I also encourage anyone with kids to watch MSNBC as they broadcast the live coverage of that day. Too many don't understand what this day means to our country. God Bless America.
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I actually wanted to type more but I can't seem to get my thoughts and feelings out in cohesive sentences. So why don't people share what and where they where that day.
Thank you for what you do Fireman.
Thank you but what I do is easy compared to what the brothers in NYC had to do that day.
I could not imagine riding in that truck crossing that bridge heading to that.
There's a documentary called "102 Minutes That Changed America" that I think everyone needs to watch. Its absolutely gut wrenching and will bring most people to tears, which is exactly why people need to watch it. Almost all of us have no idea how it really felt when all of that went down, and this documentary makes it real.
I was at the University Bookstore buying a lab kit for what I believe was physics (could have been chemistry). The clerk mentioned that someone had flown what we assumed was a small plane into the Twin Towers. Being that I was 18, we laughed at what kind of an idiot wouldn't see the giant building in front of them. I can remember that we used that exact phrasing.
After class, I came back and learned what had really happened, just before watching the towers fall. Spent the rest of the day wondering if campus was safe, as no one really knew how many terrorist plans there were.
Like most who weren't directly affected, my concerns then seem petty now.
I was in 9th grade, I walked into my US Government class after hanging out with my friends in the hallway. I was one of the last people in the room, the first thing I saw when I entered was my teacher crying at his desk, and blank stares on the everyone's faces. The entire classroom was watching the live stream, the first building had just collapsed when I walked in. We were sent home 30 minutes later. Spent the rest of the day glued to the TV with my family. Will never forget GWBush's speech that evening...Say what you want about the man, but at age 14, I was ready to strap on some boots.
I wish I could upvote your comment, but I've not enough turkey legs. GW inspired a lot of us to be better people, better Americans.
I was in French class at Benedictine in Richmond. On Tuesdays we had block day so much longer classes, our teacher allowed us to watch TV for the last 5 minutes or so of class. We were flipping through the channels trying to get to ESPN and going past a news station we caught coverage of the first tower. As we watched live the second plane hit. My dad and Mom at the time were in the Navy reserves and my dad was a Chesterfield County Sheriffs lieutenant so a lot of things ran through my mind. We for some reason still finished school and had football practice that afternoon but our game on Staten Island was cancelled that Friday. 9/11 really influenced my goals as as an adult, I always wanted to be a police officer and I did that for a year and a half but I wanted to do more with Homeland Security and Emergency management so I went to the fire side. I have talked to many firefighters on duty that day and ones who came from home. I've met guys from all over the country who went to the "pile" and worked for days or weeks. It was like nothing seen by people in the U.S. and we have to work everyday to make sure it doesn't happen again.
I saw this picture on Twitter this morning. I think it was taken yesterday evening.
Had the day off, was watching the Today Show, and followed it all day. Same thing this morning, was watching MSNBC when they went to the Today Show that day. Still upsetting, but I'm still watching. As bad as it was, it could have been even worse. Had the buildings been full, a different hit on the Pentagon, the fourth plane not being brought down. It's still shocking.
I was at my parent's home in SWVA helping my dad recover from quadruple bypass surgery with my then 3 year old daughter. My husband was at Ft Huachuca, AZ. He called me after the first tower was hit, so my dad, my daughter and I watched the 2nd plane hit. I'll never forget that day. Being an Army wife for 9 years at that time, I knew all too well what this would mean for our military members. My Uncle was in the Pentagon that day, and thankfully was not injured. All day we cried, were in shock and good gracious I was angry. The sacrifices made that day by firefighters, emt's and police, plus many more should never be forgotten. True heroes that day they were, and everyday. Life at Ft Campbell was so different after that. We were stationed in Germany post 9/11, protestors demonstrating outside our homes, husband's base. Americans came together after 9/11, we didn't allow race or gender or politics divide us. Would like to see that happen again. My husband has retired from the Army and love that we are back in SWVA. He's serving the Commonwealth and was part of those honored at VT today for the memorial.
Here's an amazing read from our friends over at 11W. Just make sure you have tissues handy
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2011/08/one-day-in-september
Edit: Insensitive and therefore deleted. My apologies
Edit2: That was beautifully written! thank you for sharing. It is a very moving piece.
Walking from Gym to English Class, 10th Grade, Godwin High School. Someone told me that a plane hit the world trade center. All I could say was "that doesn't make a whole lot of sense". November that year, on a visit to see my family, we walked to the rubble. I'll never forget that haunting image.
I was stashed at Tech working on some asinine computer project for the Navy Battalion. The Gunney comes in and says Ensign you have to check this out. He brought me to the conference room right as the second tower got hit. I remember thinking to myself crazy Gunney watching war movies in the middle of the work morning then I saw the "live" in the corner of the screen and realized what had happened. Not too long later I was in the sand box for the first of several tours, lost way too many friends over there and still am losing them today...
Thank you for your service!!
Driving to work in Silicon Valley over the Santa Cruz Mountains from Boulder Creek to Santa Clara. Was listening to radio host Greg Kihn (yes, from the Greg Kihn Band) on San Jose's KFOX radio and he was livid! Once I got down the mountain and into the city I could see on fellow commuter's faces the depth of the tragedy and immediately went to my office to see what the hell had happened. Never Forget!
I had been in the Army only 2 years when 9/11 happened. On 9/10 I had no plans to stay in for as long as I have. A couple of years ago I posted a synopsis of my day on here under a similar thread so I won't repeat it here. RIP to the victims, first responders, and thousands of military personnel who've lost their lives on that day and since then.
And thank you for your service!
Flash forward to today. A fine Saturday. I just walked downtown (or what passes for one in Mathews, VA), and went to a street market. Ate fried shrimp standing on the sidewalk, had a nice pint in the local cafe, bought freshly popped kettle corn and pork rinds from a vendor and chatted with people I knew and didn't know. As hard as they tried to hurt us, to kill our spirits, to fundamentally change our lives, we go on being Americans, doing American things in the American way.
They failed.
At least one Hokie fell that day. Richard "Rick" Blood marched in the VT Drumline for at least two years back in the 80s. He was
3638. (Edited - mutliple sources say the latter age.)I found out what happened because I need to unwind coming home from a night out. I was living in Alice Springs, Australia, and we'd gone to a culinary event at the local community college. With the time difference, at least one of the planes had hit while we were out. I'm more of a night person than my wife, so I turned on the TV when we got home. We didn't sleep for a while; since she was active duty USAF, and I've been a DoD employee since '88, though, we knew life was about to get pretty busy.
I will never forget this day. I had a motorcyle(yamaha r6, no radio) back then and I had a scheduled flight out of a semi-local airport. It wasn't just any flight, I was supposed to fly solo for my first time that day, I had a 9 :00 AM plane reservation but I always arrived late. I arrived only moments before the second plane hit. When I walked into the FBO/Pilot lounge, one of the guys said you better get ready for war. I saw the TV and first thought someone blew up a power plant but then I immediately realized what it was as the second plane flew in live. Throughout the day you could still see the smoke from Atlantic City even though NYC is 90 miles North.
Today, they just unveiled a new memorial on the boardwalk, with a large piece of steel from the building, called the Saracini - O'Neill Memorial. Saracini, was the Captain of the United flight that flew into the building and O'Neill was the director of security for the WTC both were from Atlantic City.