what i remember most from 9/11..the jumpers

[goldcatt]

9/11 is soon approaching.

I was in grad school when it happened. I had decided to sleep in that morning because I had been at the lab late the night before. My fiancee at the time had a sister who worked for the UN. He didn't know NYC that well and he called me. I woke from a dead sleep to hear the panic in his voice as he asked me if the UN was near the WTC. I was confused and he told me to turn on the tube.

Soon after, I saw the second plane hit live. Unbelievable. I popped in the shower to get ready to get to the lab. When I got out, I heard the tube say something had happened at the Pentagon. I wanted to be with others but I also didn't want to miss anything. When I decided to drive to the lab, the first tower collapse happened.

It was an awful morning. I had a best friend from undergrad who worked in the WTC (she's gone). I have a close guy friend who worked in the Pentagon. He is 100% service disabled - got burned and has lung issues with jet fuel inhalation, but managed to help others that day. I recall a Marine telling me over and over that it was a 'bad day to be an Arab'. The quiet rage of so many....

What a horrible day. My memory of it is as clear today as it was nine years ago. Some things just get burned into our memory banks.

I'm so sorry, Si. Many of us lost people we were close to that day, in addition to what we all lost collectively. One of the pilots was a relative of mine. Another person I was very, very close to was lost in the WTC. I'm sure, no, I know, there are more of us on this board with similar stories if they cared to share them.

Death is one thing, but there's something uniquely haunting about 9/11.

No, there's no erasing any of those memories. Ever. But somehow it helps to know we all have the same memories and shared at least for those few days the same reactions.

 

[Paulie]

Bones usually you make a thread about NOT talking about 9/11 around this time of year, what's up?

 

[strollingbones]

o paulie...my thread is about not letting 9/11 determine everything we do....

that we need to move on from it..and make political decisions based on the reality of today....

i also bitch about the failure of people to remember ok city which was the largest domestic act of terrorism

but the jumpers are vivid to me...the fear that would make one jump to their death....
and i think we dishonor the victims of 9/11 with our petty quarrels and partisan mal...

if 9/11 truly had an impact on one then remember the days after when the free world stood together....

that is who we should honor the dead of 9/11 by realizing we must come back together...

 

[Jeremy]

I discovered a new emotion on 9/11. I've never experienced it since and I still don't know what to call it.

When I heared that F-16's from Fargo's ANG squad ("The Happy Hooligans") flew the CAP over D.C. that day I felt better.

Many here own this painting...

 

[SFC Ollie]

This year on 9-11 I will basically be having a family reunion. My Son is leaving on 9-15 to fly to Germany where he will be getting Married, and he'll be living there. So the weekend before we will have a going away/wedding party for him. That Saturday being 9-11, I will not allow to affect the family gathering. I will put up all my flags in front of the house.

But to put it off to any other day would be admitting that they won.