9/11

[bmoeller]

Man, it's 9/11, and no threads relating to it?



Lest we forget... ... ... ... ... .



YouTube - Tritin Multimedia: Stand Down. The First Tribute to 9\11

 

[JApol]

I still remember that day like yesterday. Seeing and hearing the footage from that day still brings tears to my eyes.

I was working nights while under way on the USS Phillipine Sea (CG-58). I was still asleep when the CO came over the general anouncing system saying that a plane had just flown into the WTC. I remember thinking in a sleepy fog whats the big deal about a Cessna. A couple of minutes later I decided it was time to get up and eat some dinner and get ready for work.

I got up the galley, got my food, just as I was sitting down the second plane crashed into the south tower. We were scheduled for crossing the equator on the next day headed for Cape Town, South Africa. with in 48 hours we were within striking distance of Afganistan.



Fast forward Oct 10, 2001, the official start of Operation Enduring Freedom. We were told by our pilots that this was going to be the night. There were about 6 ships in a straight line and we could see over the horizon lights of Pakistan. We were 3rd from the end of the line.

The last ship in the line started firing off Tomahawks. Were were #3 in the firing order. That was one AWESOME show. We talked to the missile tech and they told us what time to expect our missiles to land. It was 4 in the morning and I dont think there was one person asleep on that whole ship. Everyone was glues to the tv's watching CNN or FOX. During one of the interviews that was taken in Afganistan a missile landed right behind the reporter about the time our missiles should have been there. You could hear the entire ship hooting and holering.

 

[MN Cummins Lvr]

I too remember that horrible day like it was just yesterday. My wife called me at work (she was in Phoenix on business) and told me about it. Like JApol said, I didn't get it at first and thought it was just a Cessna hitting the WTC. Anyhow, my wife rented a car, drove to Salt Lake City, and I hopped in the 99 CTD and picked her up there.



God bless our troops and the USA!



Paul

 

[Wayne M.]

Just saw this thread now. No, I will never forget, I can't. I was too close for the whole thing. I heard the second plane (went over the building I was in) and actually heard one tower come down. I participated in some of the cleanup. Nowadays, I see the WTC area almost daily since I transferred to manhattan in 2003. HOWEVER, there are reports in my area, of people suffering from 9/11 fatigue. It's not they don't care anymore or they forgot, but things need to move on as far as rebuilding the site. I agree with Donald Trump on this one thing, rebuild EXACTLY what came down. Make it sronger this time.

 

[nickleinonen]

i remember going to school that morning. . i didn't turn on the radio that morning until i needed to get some traffic update. they spoke about the first plane hitting the tower. at school, i went to class and no one was there, went to the student lounge and it was packed. there must have been a few hundred people crammed in there watching the big screen tv on the news channel. then the 2nd plane hit...

 

[crobertson1]

MSNBC played the actual coverage from that day on the anniversary. I watched it again. I'm glad they played it and wish they would play it every 9/11. I'll NEVER forget.

 

[rkressg]

I remember driving to school that morning (I was in college at the time), and I could not figure out why there was only talking on the radio. I did not realize what happened until I got to school and looked at the TV. I could not believe it.

Now, 6 years later, I did not even think about it until someone from my office mentioned it, but on 9/11 this year, I was on a transatlantic flight to Madrid from ATL. Some people might not want to admit it, but the security in US airports is some of the best screening in the world (trust me, I have flown in to and out of many countries.

Many people might complain about the hassle of security, but for a (very) frequent flier, I really do not mind.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Never forget...

 

[HPSimpson]

Never Ever Forget... Less we Forget....

 

[jgillott]

If you haven't had the opportunity to visit it, please take the time to stop by the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville. Quite a powerful place.

 

[Timd32]

I was a pretty young back then, we worked there upgrading the electrical systems I was just starting out kinda in this part of the industry, worked there almost every weekend of the summer of '01, would sleep in my service van in the loading dock, sometimes we would start Friday PM and work thru till Sunday afternoons.

It was the most amazing thing to be out on the small cat walk on 108th floor and watch the planes land at EWR those buildings were just massive engineering marvels.

Worked there 9/8 PM into 9/9 AM like any other weekend.

9/11 my boss and I were in NJ but on the phone with a electrician in the building about 8:35 that AM, we had just got off the phone, he survived but the story he told was something out of a movie, it did not seem real at all, got a call at like 8:50 and was like there is no way we were just on the phone with the building you have to be wrong. We turned in Jerset 101.5 and Jim Gearhardt was talking to a guy live when the 2nd plane hit, such a surreal moment in our lives.

I know for me I will never forget and will try to ensure my kids know the importance of that time.

I was able to save my basic ID badges from 2000 and 2001 when I worked there.

 

[SnoKing]

I heard about the first building strike on my clock radio alarm and jumped out of bed and turned on the TV as the second building was struck. My reaction was instant, this is not an accident! Tomorrow we go to DW son's to celebrate his 58th birthday on 9/11.

 

[Wayne M.]

Tim, that’s quite a impressive moment in your life.
One guy I was with that day, a real salty Vietnam Vet (Very active in vet affairs) , also has his birthday today. I have to contact him as I sometimes do. He said his candles (the towers) were blown out that day. I’m sure his Birthday was never the same after that.

I was really pushing this book years ago and even kept a spare copy on hand to give out. I may order another one today just to see if it was revised. It’s a basic kids book- something you’d see in a middle school library, but it’s excellent, honest, and to the point. Really to the point. Im surprised Amazon hasn’t flagged it yet. I think it should be required reading.
Amazon product ASIN 0448487853

 

[jgillott]

I just ordered a couple copies. Thanks Wayne.

 

[tlevan03]

I was in my high school weekly chapel when it happened (private school). My mom was a flight attendant for United and she was supposed to have a flight that day. It was then that I knew I had to enlist and go active the earliest I could. I served 9 years and did five combat deployments. Ill never forget that day or the fallen.

 

[Jim W]

Yes. I will never forget either! I was at the hospital waiting to find out if I would have open heart surgery that day or not. My surgery was postpone to Wednesday, Sept 12,2001. Because the blood bank was not sure if there would be enough blood for me, as there maybe a call from New York for emergency shipments of blood if needed. At least that is what the Doc said!
What I found out when I was released 4 days later from the hospital was how quiet the nights and days were with no planes flying overhead. I live about 35 miles form Chicago two major airports so, planes are constantly overhead.

 

[nibroc]

never forget

 

[JR]

The message here is clear and couldn't
hold any truer with the events going on now

 

[Wiredawg]

I'll never forget that day... I was active duty US Air Force stationed at Andrews AFB, MD. Lots of things I can't share, but I can tell you we wer busy as hell... I went about 36hrs nonstop. From a civilian perspective, my wife and I had previously scheduled a tour that would have fallen on the acutal Saturday after the attack. We ended up going to New York City the following April, visitin the Twin Towers Site and the nearby chapel. With all the activity going on digging and hualing debris and remains, it was eerily quiet and very somber.

One if my friends served with the Air National Guard at Andrews, who are responsible for defending Washington Region airspace. He gave me a pic of two F16s on patrol on 911 in appreciation for our team effort in responding to the threat and improving the security of the Washington Region airspace.

God bless all the Americans who perished and harmed that day and lets pray that we can continue to prevent present and future threats.

Ron

 

[brucejohnson]

I know it's a couple weeks after, but as I reviewed some updates on a little piece in a BUFF article by Bob Bogash I noted this touching story, which I have included below. It opened the memories and spigots wide as this is but one story among the many brave and dedicated professionals we SAC skilled team members supported in every way we could in our time of calling.
(PS: Spent many an hour maintaining avionics on the Midnight Express in Bob's article around the globe between 72 & 92, especially Castle AFB 82-92)

The story of Ash 1 and her brave crew

Ash 1 B52D 12-26-72 U-Tapao, Thailand Crashed at U-Tapao.

Attempted go-around with 4 engines out on same side. 4 KIA. Co-Pilot, 1st Lt Bob Hymel & Gunner, TSgt Spencer Grippen were rescued. No. 56-0584. The Aircraft Commander made a determination that they should bailout before the crash, but since the gunner was wounded and they felt he might not be able to physically execute the bailout, they decided as a crew to try and bring the plane in. Ironically, the only survivors of the crash were the C/P and the wounded gunner. In addition, the C/P would not have survived had he not been rescued by a crewmember from another BUFF who watched the crash, and rushed into the wreck to pull the C/P out before the plane burned up. Lord, that we could have more men like these.

On September 11, 2001, Lt Col Hymel, Retired, Co-Pilot of Ash 1, was sitting at his desk as a Defense Intelligence Agency analyst in the Pentagon. He was one of the thousands of Americans killed that day - a KIA 29 years after the rest of his crew.​