Sad anniversary today, and condolences to those who lost loved ones. I think almost everyone knows someone who was personally affected by this attack.
I was at work, as was my DH. Both kids were in school 30 miles away, way too painfully close to a major international airport and 2 army bases that could have been targets for attack. It was very scary that we could not go get them. DH worked at the time for a well known international company whose headquarters could also have easily been a target for attack. It was very scary. Where were you? Your kids? Your spouse? What did you do?
And my parents, alive at the time, could see the smoke from their house. They were about the same distance from their home to the twin towers as my kids were at school, from our home. Scary thought.
I was at work. I had gone into a patient’s room to start an IV. Patient’s family were in his room talking about the first crash, thinking it was an accident of some sort. We witnessed the second plane hit, then realization of what this was really about immediately set in. I remember my hands trembling as I put the IV in.
I was standing in line at a Dunkin’ when the first plane hit, watched the second at home, then saw the towers fall as I sat waiting for the vet. We live in a suburb of NYC and i spent the morning calling friends who worked in or near the WTC. My oldest son’s best friend’s mom was late for work that day…she worked in Tower 1…the train saved her. Our younger kids remember being so confused about the military jets flying so low and so close when they looked out the windows at school. It was one of those days that are engraved in my memory -where I was, what I saw, how I felt. i hope never to experience that feeling again.
9/11 was my D16’s first day of preschool. Most of us parents were waiting in the hall since preschool only lasted a couple of hours. I had heard a person talking about an incident but didn’t grasp what was happening until we got home. My older daughter was in school and I decided to leave her there for the day. My husband was traveling several states away but fortunately had his own car so he was able to drive back home. I stayed riveted to the TV all day. In the days and weeks following it was all that was on our minds and all that was discussed. I hope nothing happens to anyone like that again,
I was at work in the therapy clinic in the basement of a hospital in SC. One of my coworkers had just had knee surgery and was home watching the Today show, when the first plane went into the Twin Towers. She called the clinic, and as we were on the phone , the second plane hit. I remember feeling immediately nauseous. Then word of the Pentagon being hit… I’m from Md originally and still have family there. My nephew worked at the Pentagon, but fortunately was at a satellite building in Va. My children’s godfather worked at the Bureau, and my husband had recently retired from the service, and was eligible for recall.The knowing that my life could easily change from that moment . My cousins were in law enforcement and my sister was a nurse in Md. While I was hundreds of miles away , I immediately wanted to be with my sons who were in daycare. I finished my work day at 4:00 and went to pick up my son’s to find the center on lockdown. The center erred on the side of caution. There was no policy for an event like this; one was never needed.
While none of my immediate family was affected, I have two friends who had family members that were lost in the Towers. One friend’s cousin was supposed to be in the Tower that morning, but overslept. Since that day, I make it a point to tell my loved ones how much I love them every time I leave them. Many didn’t get that opportunity. My thoughts go out to anyone directly affected by the tragedy of that day. I cannot imagine .
I was working from home most of the time back then, but had to go in to NYC once every few weeks. I was supposed to be in NYC on 9/11, but changed to 9/10 because I could get an hair cut appt that day. I would normally walk through WTC around 9-9:30 when I was in the city. I remember watching the towers go down on TV. I then called all of my friends in NYC and outside of NYC to tell them to get home. A friend was in Atlanta on business and he couldn’t get on any flight to come home. He quickly ran over to car rental to get one of last cars. He carpooled with 3 other people to get back to NE.
A college friend’s husband was on the UA 93. Their kids were about the same age as my two girls. It was a hard funeral to attend. My friend never got remarried. She raised their 2 girls by herself and they are wonderful young adults.
D1’s English teacher’s husband died in one of those towers. He called her before he died. Unfortunately she was teaching at that time and didn’t pick up the phone, so he left a message for her and their children on her voice mail. He said it was probably going to be the last time she’ll hear from him. It was heartbreaking.
Sep 11 touched so many people. It is still hard to think about it.
I was at work. My older daughter was in 2nd grade and my younger one was in preschool. I immediately left work and called both schools, who assured us that everything was calm and that we should not pick up our children. Teachers accompanied students on the bus ride home and we had to sign our kids off the bus. Several teachers at my older daughter’s school were not able to contact their husbands, who were working in the city. When I came home that day I spoke to a HS student down the street who could not contact his parents, who were working in the city. Cell phones were not working. My neighbor was watching a 6 week old baby whose parents worked in the city. My family member had to walk home from Manhattan to Queens- all bridges were closed. It was a horrific day that forever changed our lives.
I live in the DC suburbs, and what I remember most is not knowing whether it was over. For days, we had no idea whether more attacks might be coming, and we knew that if they were, locations in our area would be targeted. How could one prepare for that? There are well-established principles for how to prepare for a blizzard or hurricane but none for preparing for a terrorist attack of this magnitude.
Home. With my husband who was recovering from sinus surgery. Good college friend lived in apartments near towers and was on the way to train when planes hit. She was one of people pulled off battery. I remember trying to get in touch with her and relief when her father called to say she was safe.
I was teaching an apologetics class at our parish church. The church secretary poked her head in and told us that a plane had hit one of the towers and to turn on the TV. We did, wondering if this was an accident. Obviously, that question was moot once we saw the second plane plow into the 2nd tower.
We all sat stunned as we watched the other crashes unfold. This parish is located within a few miles of a large army base so many members are military families…both active and reserve. They instantly knew how all of this would affect them.
Hubby was golfing in a remote location and when I finally reached him by phone, he didn’t believe me that the towers “were gone” and that our country was under attack. He kept saying,“What do you mean by, ‘gone’? They can’t be ‘gone’.” Of course he couldn’t imagine the way the towers melted afterwards.
Our kids were at the parish school and we all quickly gathered up our kids, only to return that evening for a parish-wide Mass.
God bless the USA.
I was home with my youngest who was barely 3. Here 2 sibs were at elementary school, a mile away. Even that mile seemed an eternity away as the day unfolded and I just wanted them home.
I found out about it because my H called me and asked if my brother was ok. OK? Why? Him and his wife live and work in NYC. (both were fine). My nephew was 6 weeks old so my brother was home with him that day. He tells the story of standing on his brownstone rooftop watching the smoke and holding so tight that newborn and feeling the most vulnerable he has ever felt.
Today he posted this message on Twitter, which I understand, but which is sad to me. You NYC’ers perhaps understand. (messaged edited a bit) :
“If you remember how cloudless and gorgeous it was in New York City early on 9/11/01, this is not a bad day to wake up to an overcast morning.” <3
Husband was at work. Kids at school - 1st, 3rd, and 6th grades. They were confused when a lot of parents went to the schools to pick up their kids, that never occurred to me. I put the youngest 2 on the school bus and just walked back into the house and turned on the news to see the first plane hit reported. My sister who worked in the area for a financial company had called in sick that morning. My church had a prayer service at noon that I attended.
I was a stay at home mom at the time and doing breakfast dishes when I looked up and saw the image of smoke coming from one of the towers - GMA said it appeared a private plane may have flown into the tower - as I kept watching, the 2nd plane flew into the 2nd tower. It was horrifying and I immediately called my sons elementary school to see if kids were going to be released early - they had no idea yet what I was talking about and of course I didn’t know yet either. My oldest son was driving those long haul Fed Ex double trailers cross country for a living and I couldn’t reach him immediately and I don’t recall where my middle son was…
My husband was away on business (NC I think) and when I called him he had no idea that anything had happened, he had been set up in a temp office at some large corp to do some consulting and was head down into work, said he didn’t notice the activity buzzing around in the hallways. I caught him up to speed, I don’t recall if he flew home or rented a car and drove home later that week.
My in-laws were in Canada on a vacation and couldn’t fly home. I think they had to drive back across the border to the U.S. and fly out of NY/NJ if I recall correctly.
@abasket, it was a gorgeous morning in Atlanta as well on that day and is today too.
My grandmother had just passed away and I was in Mass with my family. I had my youngest child with me because school had started when I had to leave and my husband was home with them.
I was on my way out to buy a dress from my 4 year old to wear to the funeral when the 1st plane hit. I thought it was a cessna and and accident. I was in a little shop on Cape Cod getting that dress when the sales clerk burst into tears because she couldn’t get in touch with her brother who was in that tower ( I never found out if he made it out or not )
I drove back to my parents house and plunked my child in front of PBS children’s shows while we all watched the news unfold .
Their neighbor lost their daughter in one of those flights
Everything was so sad for so long after that day
I worked at our local HS and was in the staff mailroom when one of the music teachers arrived to tell us that a plane had flown into the WTC. I knew there were TVs in the library, so I went there to see what was going on. By this point, both towers had been struck. I was in shock. I’m a native NYer and had spent college summers working in one of the smaller buildings that were part of the complex. I walked out of the library when I watched in horror as the first tower fell. Eventually, the library turned off the TV as students began congregating around.
DH was at work, heard it on the radio, and put on the TV in his staff room.
S1 was in his first day of school his soph year. They were very aware of what had happened. Since this was a private day/boarding school with kids from NYC among the student body, there was alot of concern about the safety of their families.
S2 was in 6th grade. The middle school didn’t tell them much of what had happened. He kind of knew what happened, but hadn’t seen anything while he was at school.
At a meeting on Astor Place, NYC, in a building with windows that opened on that fine, crisp fall day. Usual City noises in the background – until the sirens. SO may sirens of ambulances and first responders racing down Broadway.
I was getting ready for work with the morning news on TV when they went to “breaking news” about the first tower. I called my husband (originally a native NYer but fortunately with no family in the city) over to see and like many others believed it to be an accident until the second plane hit.
We continued with our usual morning. Dropped of the kids (both very young and unaware of anything) at school and headed to work. During my long commute I listened to the radio. When there were more reports on airplanes going down I remember thinking to myself that they need to land all planes. Then I realized that my work was at a building close to LAX and I didn’t feel safe going. So I turned around and headed home. I spent the day watching the news. My kids and my H (a teacher) were all in school and all within a 1/2 mile so I wasn’t worried about them (especially once all planes were ordered to land) but I was happy when they were all home again.
I was home working on a magazine article. Older D (then 2) was at a 2 morning/week nursery school and younger D had just turned 1.
One of my friends called and said “turn on the tv”. I did about 5 minutes before the second plane flew into the building.
I called H and he said “I’m coming home and I’ll get D on the way”. We sat and watched tv together for the rest of the day, just stunned.
To this day I can’t watch replays of it. Just can’t.
DC suburb, going about errands while 3 kids in 3 schools. DD’s high school encouraged kids to go to cars and get their cellphones to check in. DD’s best friend reached her dad in Pentagon and got to call her mother to relay he was alive. DH reached me while I was in a Costco