What were you doing on the morning of 09-11-2001?

[KarlMarx]

When I was growing up, the common question was "Where were you the day Kennedy was shot?"

It's safe to say that question has now been replaced by "Where were you the morning of 9/11?"

So, I'll start it off.....

I had a late start that morning and I was on my way to work. I turned on my radio to listen to some news. At first I thought that they were broadcasting a local town hall meeting (which are notorious for being somewhat chaotic), but then I heard sirens in the background, then I realized it wasn't a local broadcast.... at first the announcer (was it Peter Jennings?) said that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center, I thought it was an accident, then I heard a plane had flown into the Pentagon... I realized that we were under attack......

By the time I got to work (it's a 20 minute commute for me), the radio had announced that all flights over the United States had been grounded.

 

[Adam's Apple]

I was at work. A part-time secretary arrived at the office around 9 a.m. and asked if anyone had heard what was going on. She told as much as she knew. Then everyone went to the lounge, turned on the TV, and no more work got done until mid-afternoon. We were glued to that TV...mesmerized! When people could not be saved from jumping to their deaths, the women cried uncontrollably, and the men fought back tears as well. I will never forget the shock - or the anger - of that day.

 

[Johnney]

i was sitting in my networking class in college. they came in and told us that classes were canceled and for everyone to go to the day room to watch the events happening.

 

[dilloduck]

I was getting my son and the neighbors' daughter ready for school when I saw it on TV reported as an accident. I saw the second plane hit and knew different. My first thought was being grateful my father had passed away earlier in the year and did not have to witness it.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

I was a secretary at a small survey company, and one of the partners had me turn the radio on and go to cnn.com on the computer.

After the first hit, we were kinda like, "Some pilot got drunk and took off, and hit the tower. probably a Northwest pilot..." Then we saw the video of the 2nd plane hit. Then the Pentagon, and the Penn. field. At that point, we all knew this was not just an isolated incident.

My boss (the owner) told us all we could go home to our families, with pay.

I just remember being in shock for like a month. There was a website that is no longer up, that I visited often, to laugh and read jokes, called "www.deadarab.com" ...it was all about Osama and it had a ton of jokes, movies, songs, etc condemning the attacks.

 

[Annie]

I know I've posted this before, but couldn't find it in a search. I was getting ready to begin the day. There were students in my room, as there always are, as I 'open' my room 45 minutes early to the jr. high kids, to work on homework; get help; or do 'service' activities in the school.

I was talking with a gaggle of girls, when my laptop 'brrrgggiingged' signaling instant messaging. It was my friend at another school, also a teacher, that knew I had cable and wanted me to turn to CNN. I did. Kids and I saw the first tower in flames, CNN was trying to 'get there.' Lots of speculating on the size and cause.

One of my really bright kids said, "Remember the Budda statues? It's OBL and al Queda." We had written a petition to the state department the year before. As I was trying to process this, the second plane came on. I said, "Oh shit!" With that, I turned off the tv and told the kids to sit and pray, while I went to find the principal.

Our parochial school decisions that day:

6-8th in my room, watched all day.

4th and 5th were told that US had been attacked, to pray, and get back to work.

Under 4th, teachers were notified, but nothing was said in school. As rumors of attack on Sear's Tower, and Woodfield Mall circulated, about 1/3 of lower grade parents came and picked up their children.

 

[archangel]

I was too much in shock to really remember...I think I was eating a late breakfast!

 

[kurtsprincess]

I live on West Coast and was asleep. My husband, who is AD National Guard called me and told me.

I cancelled all my meetings and spent the entire day sitting in front of the TV crying as the realization came over me that our way of life had changed forever. Which is exactly what we did the day Kennedy was shot.

 

[Avatar4321]

This seems to be turning into a annual thread. It's good to remember though.

That was deffinately an interesting day. I was behind in reading one day so i decided to spend the morning studying with the tv and computer off so i could make sure i didnt get distracted. And i didnt go out to get breakfeast like i normally did. But then i checked my email about noon before class and everyone was talking about it and i was totally in the dark. needless to say its a good thing i studied earlier cause i didnt get much else done.

 

[Nuc]

I was in Brooklyn, hung over. My bro called me to say a plane had crashed into the WTC. I turned on CNN and saw the second plane hit. At that time I knew it was not an accident, but terrorism. I wanted to get to the action, thinking I might be able to help with the survivors. Driving and the subway seemed stupid, so I hopped on my bicycle and rode over to the Manhattan Bridge. People were flooding over it, women were screaming and crying. Some said, "The tower collapsed!". So I pedalled over to the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. Second tower was still in flames. Watched some bodies flying throught the air. After a while the second tower collapsed. We were all in shock. It was even more diabolical because it was a beautiful day. When I rode home I went through Atlantic Avenue, because I wanted to see how the Arab community was reacting. They were laying low. When I got back to my apartment a lot of people were coming home, covered with fine grey dust. Eventually all of Brooklyn was covered with the stuff. My wife was scheduled to fly over the city in a helicopter that morning. Of course all of the circuits were busy so it was hours before I heard from her. That was stressful. Luckily word of the incident got to them moments before they were supposed to take off. After that everybody just started drinking and coping the best we could.

 

[Nienna]

I had a 4-wk-old baby, and it was the first time I had been able to get out to the big superstore for groceries (we live in a rural area, and the nearest "big" commercial area is 30 min. away). I was in the car with my mom, and we heard it on the radio. We couldn't understand what had happened. We couldn't believe it wasn't just an accident, that people would do this on purpose. My oldest had just started kindergarten, and I wanted to pull her out of school. When I got home, I called my husband and tried to get him to come home from work. I just wanted my whole family safe together. He talked me into leaving our daughter in school, but all I did all day was pace, bite my nails, call friends and family, and watch tv.

 

[William Joyce]

I was exiting the C train on Church Street in lower Manhattan. I heard a "boom", thought it was a train accident. I come up to the street, and there's a group of people in front of the Moody's bond rating service building, pointing up at the WTC. I jog across the street to look. There's a big black gash across the tower, smoking. It didn't look so bad. I figured it was a small plane gone off course, drunk pilot or suicidal Cessna pilot who wanted to go out with a bang. I was set to meet with the mayor that day with a group of other folks, and I thought, "well, he's probably got more important things to tend to right now."

Went inside my building. Sitting around, everyone was nervous. Guy comes on intercom, says, "there's been an incident at the WTC, no problem." Then we hear a giant BOOM. That was Plane No. 2. Guy comes back on and says, "please evacuate."

So I did. It was very calm, though. Everyone moved quickly toward the exit, and out to the street. Then everyone migrated north. I saw the gutters filled with women's heels, guess they were ditched by runners. I saw a few chunks of insulation foam or something land in the streets, Church, Broadway, etc.

I tried for the Brooklyn Bridge, but cops shut it off. So I walked up to to the Williamsburg Bridge, and that's where my heart dropped: as the smoke cleared from one of the towers, I saw only blue sky behind. Tower was gone.

Walked back to Brooklyn. Long walk in lawyer shoes. But God let me live that day, so sore feet, not such a problem.

RIP, victims. I hope my prayers came through.

 

[sitarro]

I was in Doonbeg, Ireland working on the 8th green at Doonbeg Golf Club. I had flown out of Newark on September 7th for Shannon and took photos of Manhattan and the World Trade Center. We were late taking off so the sun had gone below the horizon and I was quite irritated but thought that there would be plenty of other chances to get good shots of the Twin Towers.
On that morning I had just switched my Walkman to the radio and the BBC was breaking in to the program and said an aircraft had hit the first tower. I left my stuff on the green and went to the proshop which had a television. I arrived just in time to see the 2nd plane hit. Then the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. It was bad enough that I was on foriegn soil feeling helpless about my country being attacked but I also have 3 brothers who are airline Captains and the news didn't know what airlines were involved or could be involved. One brother was actually flying at that time and received the order to get his plane on the ground as soon as possible or they would be taken down in a half hour. He landed in Kansas City.
I wasn't able to come home until September 20th, flew into Newark, not much fun but it was great to get back to America.