Where were you on 9-11-2001?

[Hanu]

I was on a yearly vacation in Florida with a group of 12 friends and my sister. Several of them were watching TV when the first plane hit. We were all watching when the second one hit. I can remember the feelings of horror, disbelief, then grief, and then anger that someone would do this to innocent people.

Our group had taken this vacation together for several years and planned on doing it indefinitely but that was our last one. We didn't talk about not doing it again, but I think we all knew it wouldn't feel right.

 

[Citronman1980]

I was in the Navy at the time and standing duty on my base in Bethesda, Md on that tragic day...

I'll never forget hearing the tones on base and getting the call from my senior chief to get down to security to grab a side arm and shotgun and get to the front gate. He ordered me to stand my post and challenge anyone that was not authorized to be on base (anyone that was not military)with whatever force was needed.

As I'm standing gatedutyand watching thefirst cloudof smokerisefrom thePentagon, I turn around and notice two of my Devil Dog friends on the roof with their rifles. To add to confusion, we had no radio service ( over crowded) and we had no cell serviceeither.

It was a long day. I slept very minimal for the next two weeks. Whenever I talk about the events that happened I can recall everything that happened that day. Everything from the tones to the smell of the trees and even the knot in my stomach.

 

[jesse485]

I was in chapel (Christian HS), getting ready for our yearly retreat. A student had come in talking about the first tower, but I didn't pay much attention, as I figured no air traffic would be able to get anywhere near there. The principal's assistant came in interrupting a few minutes later to give the news of the second tower. I was still in disbelief, as I had in been on the roof of the south tower a year previous to that. Its still surreal to think that those massive buildings could possibly be destroyed so quickly. We carried on with most of our school day, and even went to the planned retreat, though everyone was almost in a fog for the rest of the week. It's still unbelievable to me, and probably always will be.

God bless the USA and especially our soldiers.

 

[Mike H]

I was in my barber shop getting a haircut and the TV was on. It was unreal watching the second plane hit the other tower and the aftermath that followed.

 

[acase20]

I was In class 8th grade.... we watched on the computer after we heard, it didnt seem real

 

[JCAJR30]

I was on the military installation in Aberdeen, Maryland attending a 6 month long course on materiel management. We were receiving instruction on ammunition transportation and storage procedures when the instructor flipped the overhead projector from "death by powerpoint" to cable television. We watched the rest of the situation unfold on the news. Aberdeen is an R&D center that tests munitions, amoung other things, so the base immediately shut down and went into full alert status. Since we were in a "student status" we were not directly affected by all the chaos, other than not being able to travel off the installation w/o going through a security checkpoint that makes airport security look insufficient. Not to mention all the times we had to report to the cadre so they would know we were present and/or accounted for. Needless to say - we were all chomping at the bit - wanting to leave the schoolhouse to return to our parent units so that we could deploy and take the fight to OBL's turf.

 

[t_star]

I was on the Southshore train headed downtown to work. I remember walking to my building and Chicago was silent. When I walked into work it was that same eerie silence, where you just know something is wrong, then I was told what happened. I spent the entire day worried about what was happening in NYC and worried Chicago was next.

 

[2cool9031]

I was laid off and watching it on TV as it was happening.

 

[Tebow]

I was in my 5th grade home-room class. A guy in our class known as a jokester came in saying a plane just hit the WTC. Most of us didn't believe him but shortly after we found out it was true. I don't even remember what happened the rest of the day.

 

[pinshooter45]

I also remember the local news breaking in every once and a while reporting that people from Richmond, and Kokomo were reporting "Explosions". I knew at the time No one knew were Air Force 1 was. But I thought to myself that has to be F-16 exceeding the sound barrier to escort AF1. I figured if POTUS was headed back to DC his path might take him over WP-AFB. There was a few reports he had been taken to a secure location in Nebraska or some where around that area. I was also thinking since my kids had pretty much grown and I was unemployed at the time I thought about enlisting but at 42 I figured I was over the hill.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I was at work detailing cars when they came over the radio about the first attack. My Boss and I thought it was nothing at first, just a plane that had mechanical failure. Then we heard about the second plain and knew it was not an accident. The couple that owned the building we worked out of lived next door. The wife let us come in and watch TV for a couple of minutes. I was so damn mad I cried when I got home. Five months later I shipped to Basic Training. I knew I had to do my part and serve this Country, not the Government, but our country. To all our Veterans, Reservists, and our Men and Women all around the World. Thank you for your service, God bless.

"Semper Paratus"

 

[tv1217]

Driver's education class, I lived in IL at the time.

 

[Amattern]

I was in 5th grade. My teacher took us all to the library after the first plane hit, and we stayed there the rest of the day watching.

 

[Ski]

I was on the aircraft carrier Enterprise. Our mission in the Persian Gulf was over and we were going to take a long, slow cruise home so Sept 11 had been a good day. About supper time someone turned on the tv to the coverage of the first tower burning. Saw the second plane hit and knew we weren't going home yet. It almost didn't seem real, more like just something on tv since we were so far from home.

 

[Knife Lady]

I was driving to work and heard it on the radio and watched the tv that was on in the service department all day. the phones were really slooowww that day.

 

[Benny]

I was sleeping when the first plane hit and watching the news as the second one crashed.

I almost couldn't believe what I saw.

 

[mattdennis3]

I was on 94 through downtown Chicago on my way to a job interview when the planes hit. I had no idea what was going on because I was listening to a CD and not the radio. A guy in his brand new Corvette raced on to the highway right in front of me and proceeded to back it into the concrete median. I thought to myself that's the craziest thing I've seen in a long time. Boy was I wrong.

I was in the interview when the towers fell. Didn't get the job.

 

[Big Naughty]

I was at the FedEx hub waiting for my next shift to start. A few of us were in the break room watching the local news when they broke to the story about the first plane hitting. Initially I thought it was a small plane such as a Cesna since the damage didn't look too severe. About 5 minutes before our shift started is when the second plane struck.

During the shift we were informed of the Pentagram being hit as well as Pennsylvania. We were then informed that the FAA was grounding all flights. When the shift was over I walked from the truck building to the tarmac side of FedEx. Near the airport terminal sat more planes then I'd ever seen in a single area.

 

[strahd71]

i was in truck driving school! we watched the second plane hit and then they shut off the TV and told us to go back to studying the manuals. WTH? like we could concentrate then?

jake

 

[confused89]

3rd period ag class sophmore year high school.