Tomorrow is 9/11/04

[Jimmyeatworld]

Since this thread started with a "Where were you when" recollection, I figured this was a good place to post this. I just got it in the mail from a friend of mine and this is the best way to get it to everybody. Copy and paste, and send it on if you will. James R. is me by the way.
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Three years have passed since every American stood in shock and horror as the actions of a mad man were executed. 3,047 of our family members and friends lost thier lives in an instant. Each and every one of them died a hero. For they payed the ultimate price. They gave thier lives for our country. It's in this instant that makes me stop and think, where was I when this tragety occured? This is my way of remembering all those hero's of 9/11.

God Bless America. We will never forget.

Pass this on to everybody you know. Lets remember together.

John F. - Texas - In my office working, when a friend told me to turn on the news.

Jeanette B. - Texas - I was in clinicals at the hospital when I went in to assess a patient. The patient had the news on. I stood there in shock trying to figure out what was going on. After class that day, on my way home, I finally got a grasp on what was going on. I cried the whole way home. I just couldn't quit thinking "What kind of a world am I bringing my new baby into?"

James R. - Texas - I work nights, so I woke up to the image of the twin towers smoldering on the tv screen. Within minutes the first tower fell. I sat on the edge of my bed, my elbows on my knees, and me head hung down. All I could think about were the people trapped in those buildings and on those planes knowing they were going to die.

 

[Semper Fi]

I remember that fateful day quite vividly. I was in Fairbanks, Alaska, where I still live, so basically as far away as I could get. But I was laying there in my bed, about to wake up, and my mom came in and told me to wake up, that there's something on the news that I should see. Of course I was still dead tired, but I sat and watched the TV screen in awe and disbelief. I walked to school that morning, and before class started, everyone was talking about it; everybody in the school knew what happened. My teacher decided it would be best for the class if we didnt talk about it and basically tried to forget about it. We didnt officially discuss anything in class, but any downtime we had the words were flaring. We had an assembly the next few days, everyone made American flags out of paper and waved them as "Proud to be an American" played loudly throughout the gym. The sad thing is; now everyone one of my classmates have forgotten about the feelings they had those September days. Now all the hatred toward bin Laden that they once had is now targeted toward Bush. Me and about 5 friends still remember is very well, and talk about it from time to time. Today Im going to rally some friends and go to the corner with some flags. I feel I need to do something at the very least.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

Welcome AequitasVeritas!!! I have so many of them, I think everyone might have seen this one, a little more powerful- just right to the point!

http://www.fdnylodd.com/BloodofHeroes.html

"The Blood of Heroes" has been my favorite. Thanks for posting it janeeng. Post any more that you have -today is the day to remember!

We must never forget.

 

[Merlin1047]

I was in my office. We had the TV turned on for some reason, don't know why since the cable was on the blink as usual and the rabbit ears only gave us one station with really fuzzy reception.

They were reporting the first hit on the WTC. We were speculating if it was an accident or terrorism, with most of us guessing the latter. Then came the second attack which erased all doubt from our minds regarding terrorism.

I remember being in a cold murderous fury and desperately wishing that mine was the hand that could push the button to send the nukes on their way. I would have turned substantial portions of at least a half dozen arab countries into glass and done it without a single pang of conscience. Even today, I wish we would have responded in that manner.

The next day, it took three to four hours to get into the gate at the military installation at which I work. They were searching every vehicle. Never mind if your vehicle was registered and you could produce an ID card identifying you as retired military. Naturally, these huge delays caused the entire post to become non-functional for the day. Everything ground to a halt.

I remember shaking my head at the sillines of such a response because even then it was obvious that arab terrorists were responsible for the attacks. Yet for weeks afterward every vehicle regardless of registration or occupant was searched.

It seems that we still have not managed to get any smarter about profiling terrorists today. We still value politically correct procedure above effective measures to catch the slimy bastards.

Never forget. Never forgive. Left wing apologists be damned.

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

This is another response from a friend of mine. I think it exemplifies how a lot of us felt once things sunk in that day.

H. DeBord - Texas - I was at work. I received an emergency phone call from my wife. She told me what had happened to the first tower and then just a little bit later the second. I didn't know what to say or do. Nobody could leave work because it wasn't an immediate family problem. Everyone stayed at work but every radio in the plant was tuned into the news listening to what had happened. Even the mexicans that worked there that didn't seem before to give a damn about the U.S. was concerned that day. This wasn't an attack on our military or our leaders. It was an attack on our people and it affected us all. Bin Laden when they find you, I hope those marines cut off YOUR FUCKING BALLS! I say when we do find him we set up 2 poles, 50 feet apart and strap him to them. One arm to one pole and the other arm to the second. Then fly one of our fighter planes fly right thru his ass. Oh, and it wont be one of our stealth planes either. We want him to see what is fix 'n to happen to him.

 

[Isaac Brock]

Though not an American, I will not forget 9/11 as a tragedy, not just for my neighbour, but for the whole world. We were there with you then, we will still remember now.

I was at university attending my morning classes when I heard of the events. The rest of my day's classes were cancelled. It was surreal at the university, quiet, almost as if it had happened in my home town. Then the airplanes began landing at our airports. I passed by the airport and saw our tarmack covered with US bound planes and dozens of buses taking passengers to nearby hotels, hostels and private homes. For one day, normal life had stopped.

Lest we forget the tragedies of mankind.

 

[JIHADTHIS]

I live about 60 miles north of midtown manhattan. On most days I would take a commuter train into NYC and make my way to work downtown each day. I had just moved out of the city in summer of 01, trading in the convenience of 24 hour food and shopping for the trees and fresh air. I spent most of my life living in NYC, so it'll always be home. Sept 11th happened to be primary day and I left the house late. Since I usually didn't get home till after the polls close, the plan was to vote in the morning. So I drove to the polls and figured "what the hell" it's a beautiful morning and traffic usually isn't too bad on a Tuesday, Ill drive into NYC. I have a friend at a parking garage on the west side who'll hook me up cheap. (Parking in Manhattan on most weekdays cost $20 bucks or more, usually lot's more).

That picture perfect postcard day, windows down, sun roof open, driving down the West Side Highway along the Hudson river, drinking coffee, chomping on a bagel, listening to the radio. I was at about 125th Street ( about 4-5 miles north of the WTC) when they broke into the radio and said that a small plane crashed into 1 of the towers. It made no sense. It was a sunny crystal clear day & I asked myself "how did some asshole hit the building?"

Then the traffic came to a virtual stop. We all moved over as a few police cars and ambulances were heading downtown. We slowly crept further downtown and I could see the smoke rising. Then they reported that they thought it may have been a bigger plane. I immediately though terrorists. I had no idea who Bin Laden was, nor did I care at that point. I knew that they tried to blow up the WTC earlier, but you never put 2 & 2 together. Then the 2nd plane hit and I was sure we were under attack. For reasons I still don't know, I went ahead and parked the car in the garage at 50th st and took the subway downtown to where I worked.

When I came out of the subway I walked over to 5th ave and could not believe my eyes. You could clearly see both buildings and the flames and smoke. The sirens were never ending as the fire trucks all headed downtown. I stood in the middle of the street with what seemed like everyone and watched. It was surreal to say the least. Part of me wanted to get closer to it, part of me said its time to get out of here. The Empire State building was not too far north and it seemed like the obvious next target. I went upstairs to the office, but everyone was downstairs (except my asshole boss who was too upset that no work was getting done). I made a few calls to my family to make sure everyone was accounted for, including my cousin who I grew up with. He's with the FDNY and I knew he would be at WTC. (He was stationed 4 or 5 blocks away and his squad was 1 of the first there) Miraculously he survived, but most of his brothers did not.

I went back outside and watched in horror as the towers came down. As the clock marched on, people eventually started waliking uptown covered in dust. By now Manhattan was being shut down, no cars in or out, no buses or subways. The only way around was on foot. I walked uptown to get back to my car. I'd stop every few feet to join a crowd all gathered around someone's car radio. I eventually crossed Times Square and was again shocked at the number of people just standing there watching the jumbotrons. The news zippers mentioning the Pentagon and some place called Shanksville. The whole morning was just a blur, minutes seemed like hours and hours seemed like minutes.

I eventually got my car and managed to get out of the city. I drove back up the West side highway alone. It was bizzarre. No other cars going north, just people walking in the median and on the side of the road. The highway turned into a parking lot near Harlem though, since the bridges were being closed. All those years stuck in traffic paid off learning shortcuts and alternate routes, I managed to sneak out through the Bronx.

I'll never forget the Army troop carriers parked on the side of the Parkway in Westchester, and the dozens of off duty police, fire and rescue personnel that were parking on the side of the road and getting in those trucks, heading down to what had become hell on earth.

I'll never forget the hours and days after that.
I'll never forget when I went to the WTC site when it was still smoking.
I'll never forget that smell that hung over downtown for months afterward.
I'll never forget the public unity.
I'll never forget the missing persons posters.
I'll never forget the makeshift shrine at Grand Central.
I'll never forget the flowers at the firehouses
I'll never forget the funerals.

Most of all though,
I'll never forget the rage: hot, vile and unabated to this day. While I grieve for those that we lost, I want vengeance. Now you know why I say :

Jihad This! Mother****ers!

 

[Merlin1047]

Americans from different regions of the country tend to have an almost jingoistic pride in the region in which they live. We love to make fun of the foibles and the real or perceived shortcomings of our fellow Americans from other parts of the country. Few places take more pundit hits than New York City. It's just in sport, but we love to tweak the noses of New Yorkers on everything from their alleged lack of courtesy to their hectic and often cramped lifestyle.

But that changed on September 11th.

On that day, every true American became a New Yorker.

 

[JIHADTHIS]

Americans from different regions of the country tend to have an almost jingoistic pride in the region in which they live. We love to make fun of the foibles and the real or perceived shortcomings of our fellow Americans from other parts of the country. Few places take more pundit hits than New York City. It's just in sport, but we love to tweak the noses of New Yorkers on everything from their alleged lack of courtesy to their hectic and often cramped lifestyle.

But that changed on September 11th.

On that day, every true American became a New Yorker.

I'll drink to that! :usa:

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Though not an American, I will not forget 9/11 as a tragedy, not just for my neighbour, but for the whole world. We were there with you then, we will still remember now.

I was at university attending my morning classes when I heard of the events. The rest of my day's classes were cancelled. It was surreal at the university, quiet, almost as if it had happened in my home town. Then the airplanes began landing at our airports. I passed by the airport and saw our tarmack covered with US bound planes and dozens of buses taking passengers to nearby hotels, hostels and private homes. For one day, normal life had stopped.

Lest we forget the tragedies of mankind.

Do you argue with fellow canadians who call america evil? Simple question.

 

[krisy]

Is it me,or did 9-11 not get the attention from the media(particularly Fox) that it has the past 2 years? I know there was a lot of coverage this morning,but this afternoon,Fox didn't talk about it much at all. It gave me the feeling the media has decided it isn't as important as it was. I was pretty disappointed in Fox to be honest. As Kathianne said in another post,they talked over the parents reading the names at some points. I usually love Fox news,but I am surprided that they have talked more about hurricane Ivan that is still 2 days away.

 

[Said1]

I don't think anyone of us will forget where we were on that day. I don't think we will EVER forget 9/11 PERIOD!!!! You try to forget, but how can you? All the protesting on War and this and that, well, here, here are 2 video's, some you might have seen, maybe not, but I know watching the both of them got me angry all over again. I can honestly say, they BOTH brought the tears out all over again.

http://www.auburn.edu/~peckrob/wtc_tribute.html


http://www.cantcryhardenough.com/

For all those lost and to all the families that lost loved ones!!!!!

Janeeng, I copied this letter from the first link:

A Letter From Our Canadian Friends

This is a letter written in the seventies following watergate by Gordon Sinclair. It was passed around the Internet in the wake of the attack. Rock on, Canada!

"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped.

The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans. I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines except Russia fly American Planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon -not once, but several times and safely home again.

You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke.

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of otherpeople in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those."

 

[Annie]

One of the best pieces I've ever read, I've never forgotten that it was a Canadian either, here's the whole thing. Gordon Sinclair, 1973, as you said, Said:

http://www.tysknews.com/Depts/Our_Culture/americans.htm

The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the earth.

As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtse. Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did.

They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Misssissippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped.

The Marshall Plan .. the Truman Policy .. all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans.

I'd like to see one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes.

Come on... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 107? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or women on the moon?

You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everyone to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, most of them ... unless they are breaking Canadian laws .. are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.

When the Americans get out of this bind ... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the Israel bonds, Let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble.

Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles.

I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians. And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke.

This year's disasters .. with the year less than half-over… has taken it all and nobody...but nobody... has helped.

 

[Said1]

I wonder why the rest of it was cut off, there wasn't much left at the end. I thought it was a nice letter though.

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

Is it me,or did 9-11 not get the attention from the media(particularly Fox) that it has the past 2 years? I know there was a lot of coverage this morning,but this afternoon,Fox didn't talk about it much at all. It gave me the feeling the media has decided it isn't as important as it was. I was pretty disappointed in Fox to be honest. As Kathianne said in another post,they talked over the parents reading the names at some points. I usually love Fox news,but I am surprided that they have talked more about hurricane Ivan that is still 2 days away.

I don't think they feel the importance of it has lessened. After several hours of coverage in the morning, I think most just felt it was time to cover other things that were going on. MSNBC actually had more than anybody, which was probably made the most unbiased day they've had in months. The History Channel and A&E ran documentaries most of the day too.

I agree on FOX News coverage. For awhile, they had the split screen with New York and the name readings, Washington and speeches, and the commentators talking over both. It was all jumbled and not very well done.

 

[krisy]

I don't think they feel the importance of it has lessened. After several hours of coverage in the morning, I think most just felt it was time to cover other things that were going on. MSNBC actually had more than anybody, which was probably made the most unbiased day they've had in months. The History Channel and A&E ran documentaries most of the day too.

I agree on FOX News coverage. For awhile, they had the split screen with New York and the name readings, Washington and speeches, and the commentators talking over both. It was all jumbled and not very well done.

I guess I was just expecting what happened the last 2 years with the all day coverage. Like I said,I love Fox news,but I agree with you that things were a bit too jumbled.

 

[afoprtr]

*edited by moderator*

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[onedomino]

Like all of us, I remember where I was when the WTC news came. But that is not what I want to tell you about. Rather, here a few lines about a cold rainy night five months later.

My plane landed in Newark at 11:30 on a Sunday night. As I waited for my bag, I remembered that terrorists had stalked this building. A chill came over me. I stepped outside and looked for a cab to take me to the hotel. It was dark and windy with a freezing winter rain. I jumped in the cab and said to the Middle-Eastern looking driver, "take me to ground zero."

We drove through the tunnel and into Manhattan. Due to the weather, almost no one was on the streets. Soon enough, the cab dropped me two blocks from where the Twins had stood. I had no umbrella and within a few minutes I was drenched and cold to the bone. But there, one block from the site, amid bright lights, milled at least two thousand people. I was amazed that so many were there, so late at night, five months after the day. Police were manning barricades and prevented any of us from getting closer to where thousands fell. All around, flowers drooped in the rain. Sad notes and letters were posted everywhere.

I turned away from the crowd and began to walk in a long circle around the site. In the distance I could hear the workers clearing where the towers tumbled down. I took a side street hoping to get closer, but a lonely policeman guarded the entrance to the last block. The rain was heavy now. I looked toward the machine sounds. To the policeman I said, "Can I go down there?" "Sorry, this is as close as you can get." A dead chemical smell hung in the air. “You never get used to it,” he said. Alone, we talked for about ten minutes. I found out his name, that he was Irish, and that his Dad had been a policeman before him. I said I was from California and was also Irish. "Yeah, we both got the same problem," he laughed. Finally, I said, "John, would you please take me down there? I need to say a prayer before I leave." He looked around and seeing we were still alone said, "Just for a minute."

Past midnight and in silence, we walked the last block. From the dark we came to where the towers stood. Construction lights revealed the workers and the machines. In the thick dust, I stepped ahead of John and stood alone. I said a prayer for all the Americans who ever died for our country. “We miss you,” I said. Rain and tears were on my face.

John put his hand on my shoulder. "Time to go," he said. We disappeared into the night.