Where were you on 9/11?

[OCA]

I just happened to be in D.C. that day when they hit and did not get home until late that night as every exit in and out of that place was shutdown. Just remember the constant fighter jets circling the sky and the military troop movements in the streets.

 

[opewon]

I was recovering from a car accident and my father-in-law had come over to help me finish my shed that I was building and my wife had called me from her work and and told me to turn on the Today Show and that a plane had hit the WTC....My father-in-law and I were literally speechless after the second plane hit. Next to the Columbia shuttle disaster I can't remember having a more empty feeling in my stomach...

 

[jcon96]

Crossing the Sunshine Skyway bridge in St. Pete Florida...thought it was a moron pilot...I was just pulling up to an account when the second tower was hit....the little cafe was busy (breakfast) but no one was eating, just watching the TV..I sat fro about 2 hours,until the towers fell, then called the office and told them I was going home for the day, found out I was hardly the only one. Got home,and cried like a little kid.....hope a day like that never happens again.

 

[insein]

I don't recall crying. I remember being just in awe. Then that awe turned to intense hatred when it was known who had done this. Took me awhile to cool down from that blinding hatred i had for those first few days.

 

[jimnyc]

I was at work, 58th & 5th in Manhattan. I was outside for a smoke break and returned to my office and hopped on the internet and read about the first plane hitting. At the time they were reporting it as only a 'small aircraft' but that the upper floors of the WTC were ablaze. I kept scouring various sites for more information but they were all bogged down. I worked on the 24th floor so I went back down for another smoke break. CBS broadcast out of my building and they had those monstrous TV sets setup in their window for passerby's to watch their news. A bunch of us had gathered to watch the news and basically saw the 2nd tower get hit. We didn't really know if it was live or a replay of the first plane. I walked out to the middle of 5th ave and looked downtown and that's when it all first sunk in. Even though it was about 1 - 1 1/2 miles downtown, you could see the smoke rising as if it were a few short blocks away.

We all went back into our department on the 24th floor (IT) and mini chaos ensued. Everyone was running around with rumors and in a panic. We all were on our phones trying to call loved ones in the city of calling relatives outside the city to let them know we weren't within distance of the towers and weren't in any danger. It was a few moments later when the first tower collapsed.

The director of our department called an emergency meeting to speak to the department as a whole and updated everyone as to the news. There was a quick prayer said for those in the trade center and we were ordered to stay on our floor until further news came in. Needless to say, I left about 2 minutes later with one of my buddies! (Jackass). We met with some of our other closest friends outside and watched a bit more of the news. We then started hearing the fighter jets circling above and that's when we decided to get the hell out of dodge. For all we knew the city was about to be under full attack! My buddies were all from NJ so they had to walk from 58th & 5th down to the ferry to leave the city as all the bridges and tunnels were closed between NJ & Brooklyn. I finally met up with my wife and we left together. I drove into work so I had my car parked a block away from work. Walking to the car you can see that the whole city was in chaos. Nobody was 'really' obeying the lights and people were gathered in groups all over or walking in disarray.

We got my car out of the garage and started heading uptown to go home on what was usually a 1/2 an hour trip for me. I was tuned into 1010 Wins listening to the news the entire time as my wife made calls to our families and friends she had that worked downtown or in the trade center. I made an ocassional call to my friends that were on the ferry to see what progress they had made. Apparently they were in line for a ferry for quite a few hours as that was the only way to get back to NJ at the time. We finally got in the clear out of the city and through the Bronx about 4 hours later!! That was around the same time my friends were safely in NJ and on their way home.

It wasn't until we got home and I saw my then 1 year old son that I realized just how lucky we were that day. My entire family was safe. My best friends all stuck together like glue to help one another out and stay in contact to make sure we all got home safely. I'll never forget the tragedy that happened that day just as I'll never forget how my friends and family reacted and helped one another.

I honestly don't think I can express the emotions that ran through me that day. Fear, panic, anger, sadness, stress & thankfulness.

 

[krisy]

I was sitting at home and coincidentally watching Fox news when they said the first Trade Center was hit. I wasn't sure what to think. When the second one happened,well naturally I got scared. My fear grew when the said the Pentagon had been hit,and something about a plane over Cleveland. I called my husband and my mom and we talked about what was happening. I sat on the couch in tears,wondering why anyone hated us so much.My son was home from school that day because he was sick,and saw some of what was going on. I remember the cable guy called for a friendly service call and we talked for a half and hour about it. He was the one that brought the whole9-1-1 thing to my attention cause I hadn't paid much attention to the date.

I was glued to the t.v. until I had to go to work at 5. Everyone closed with the exception of my employer and a couple other places.I think 4 people came in in 5 hours-we were dead.

Sad day indeed,I will never forget it. I have never been in such shock and felt so sad for the country I love soo much...then came the anger.

 

[Golden Arms]

I was asleep....My friend called and woke me up at almost 9 am, western time...He was hysterical..talking about how were were being bombed or something. I remember jumping out of bed and turning on the tv and just standing there, transfixed to the screen, with nothing but shock running through me. At the time, I was working at a movie theatre, a rather slow one. On a normal day, we probably had 400-500 people. For the week after 9/11, we seriously had maybe 10 or 15 customers per DAY.