Where Were You On 9-11: Not Political

[Wiredawg]

I was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base. Maryland: I was the Wire Chief at at 89th Communications Squadron preparing to chair a meeting with Northern Telecom engineers to upgrade the base hospital telephone system. I stopped in to see some of my folks, who had the TV on showing a plane had crashed into one of the towers... we all pretty much agreed it was unlikely an accident. I left to start the meeting, but it was interrupted with the news a second plane crashed into the other tower.

It was the longest, busiest day of my life. As the day unfolded, more terrible plane crashes were reported. There were so many thoughts, sadness, and anger at the same time. All flight traffic stopped, except for one that came home to Andrews... Air Force One.

I will never forget it as long as I have a mind that functions. I always watch the 9-11 specials that remind us what evil looks like and to always be vigilant of it.

God bless all the souls lost on and after 9-11. Never Forget!

Very Respectfully Yours,

Ron

 

[GCroyle]

I was at work at Valeo in Memphis TN. When this started to be reported many of us gathered in the managers office to watch the news feed.

I have not seen NYC and the memorial but we did visit the Shanksville PA FLT 93 memorial when it was not much more than a chain link fence and some benches. It leaves you speechless.

I can’t forget.

 

[Jim W]

I was sitting in my doctor’s office waiting to find out if I need heart surgery or not! It turns out I did need to have a double by-pass, I was in the hospital by noon on 11, Sept. 2001. The surgery took place 12, Sept. 2001.

I wasn't able to see any news about the terrorist attack, except for the first building being hit when I was in the doctor’s office. At the time I did not know if this was an airplane accident or what. My wife told me everything and kept the newspapers for me to read when I got home from the hospital.

What I found to be strange, was when I was released from the hospital there were no planes flying and the background noise was extremely quiet.

 

[BSeyler]

I was getting ready for work. We did not have TV, so was listening on the radio. When I got to work, the TV was on. Shocking!
When the army had my son in law posted at the Pentagon, he showed me the memorial inside and my bride and I visited the memorial outside. We stopped at the Flight 93 memorial several years ago - very sobering. In January, we saw Ground Zero. The whole world changed that day...

 

[Timd32]

Somewhere we discussed this, but yeah its always a great point to share the stories so they can be passed on to the other generations. I don't have a bad story to tell, I did not directly know anyone who passed at the Towers, in PA or DC, but it made a huge impact on my life, it truly changed in a 5 minute window.

I worked in the towers the 2 years prior was a field technician assisting the electrical contractor perform upgrades to the entire electrical back bone from the bottom up, all the 13.2kv feeders from sub basements up to 108th floor were being replaced both towers, most of that was already done. Then mostly we were retrofitting out the smaller QMQB fused switches with moulded case circuit breakers (think 100A to 1200A range) most fed different floors or even stores in the building. I was able to help work on the kit to make the bus connectors to adapt the breakers into the buckets, it was a nice job and very fortunate to work there. When doing the upper floors you could step outside thru these mantrap submarine type doors and look out over the horizon. From 108 floors up it was usually windy but very peaceful seeing the entire city below.

This project took a long time as it was a NYNJ PA project, so lots of red tape and was delayed since way before I even had started in the industry. The project was called WTC-214 from what I recall.

9/11/01 was a beautiful Tuesday in the NY/NJ area, not a cloud in the sky just an amazing day weather wise.. The weekend before was typical show up at the Towers Friday night work thru Sunday AM, and sleep in the truck inbetween in the basement level. They actually were still fixing the floors in parking deck from the 1993 bombing, they were saw cutting and would redo sections on the weekends when we were there. And alot of the EC shanty set up were in the old parking garages. Still had the little gates with the arms and all still down there in areas blocked off.

Saturday prior to 9/11 we had alot of down time, I actually had a service call at the NYSE and got a cool tour thru the place with a few other friends we saw the board rooms and walked the trading floors. When that was done I walked around lower Manhattan and for the first time ever (been working there since 96 and never really cared to look around) was a quasi tourist that day. Saw Battery Park, Pier 17, back to Wall Street where George Washington's inauguration took place, then back to the Towers, they were having a concert series that was being put on inbetween the base of both Towers I sat and listened to whom ever was playing and you could look up between the Towers is was pretty amazing.

Well that did not last long, got a call that they needed a HiPot; the testers one was not working, so had to head back to the shop about an hour west of the city and then bring it back to the shutdown. Was fun while it lasted.

We completed that weekend shutdown early Sunday AM, I took my usual route home down Church Street to the tunnel, the odd thing was it was super early like 7AM and the officer at the Tunnel stopped my work van and asked if he could look inside, of course having my WTC badge was no issue, they always searched the trucks heading into the building, but this was the exit if the Tunnel to NJ, I always thought that was odd and maybe folks heard of some chatter and were asked to step up the monitoring of activities prior to 9/11. Either way weekend was over no one really cared after the long work schedule. Let them look in and get going.

So Fast Forward to Tuesday, we were doing another big shutdown that next weekend so we had some calls with EC to discuss the plan, we finally were in a pretty good routine and pace was moving well with the upgrades.

My boss at the time and I were on the phone with the EC who was in the Towers at 8:30am, was probably a 5 min call, I was still standing in his office when my GF who was living in Wisconsin at the time called me and asked where I was if I was I'm NY and told me what happened. I actually started to tell her your nuts we just got off the phone with the building and everything was fine, she pressed and said to turn the radio on, which we did and put NJ 101.5 on. Jim Gearhart was talking to someone live who was describing what was going on and the DJ was saying we can't confirm any of this, we jumped in the truck and went over to the owners house to watch on TV, then saw the next plane hit.

It was all very surreal, the guy who we were talking too did make it out, but it was a pretty crazy story of survival what he had to do to get out. And he knew that place like the back of his hand, the utter destruction was just unbelievable what the survivors went thru.

The next night 9/12 we wound up heading down to Wall Street for some service support at one of the buildings, every 2 blocks or so was a National Guard check point, open the truck get out, get searched, took us hours to get to the building, wound up down there for 2 days, it was amazing what they coordinated to get the grid back up and lower Manhattan cleaned up. We had the chance to walk around down by the site it was really hard to process the pile and try to imagine the way it all came down.

It truly was an event that brought alot of folks closer together for a short period of time.

For my generation it was a defining moment as was JFK to others and Pearl Harbor before them. It truly does get lost the farther away we get from that time period.

I'm very greatful to the men and women who answered the call to action and volunteered to support the efforts of post 9/11 and the 20 years since then. From the Military to their families, and the First Responders who are still suffering with post 9/11 illnesses and their families, to all the support workers and volunteers there were so many helpers who stepped up big time. Thank you to anyone who helped out or supported any effort related to 9/11.

 

[Tractorat]

I had just returned home from a sales call. I had been listening to the radio in the car all the way home, but nothing at all about the attack. When I came in the house, I found my wife watching the news (I think it was not long after the first attack. After the initial shock (I dont think we knew it was an attack at first) and they were now saying it was a terrorist attack, I had the presence of mind to toss a tape in the vcr. I now have 6 hours of live coverage of that day. (I made copies last year for each of my kids to have and to pass on to my grandkids,)

Right after I started the vcr recordings I felt an immense anger. I got my flag out and put it up. I was the first in my neighborhood to do so. Probably one of the very first in the seattle area. Maybe an hour or so later, almost every house in the neighborhood had a flag out. (I didnt realize that so many people around here even owned American flags).
A kid I grew up with had an office in the Pentagon (he was a consultant with a civilian contractor involved with aerospace. He had the day off. He told me his office was quite a ways from where the airplane hit though.

One thing that happened with me personally that I would never have expected. My dad was a seattle fireman for 20 years and had long since retired when he died in 1996. I started thinking about him as they talked about the fireman continually going into the towers to bring out as many as they could. Then, when the towers came down and killed those 300 fireman, it was just more than I could handle.

 

[DHayden]

I was stationed at Sheppard AFB in Texas. I was in the last week of a year long Biomed course. Everyone knew I had been prior Aviation and was asking if the plane could bring the tower down. Everyone thought it was a small plane at first, then the second plane hit. Was hard to believe what was happening. Seems like a life time ago, on the other hand it is as clear and crisp as yesterday.

 

[gsbrockman]

I had just completed my 57 mile commute from home to Lexington, KY where I had began my shift at 8:00 am and was working counter sales at S&S Tire. The morning was fairly normal, the commute was good, other than thinking of leaving my wife and then 3.5 month old daughter behind.

I had went in to the customer waiting area to sell a brake job, and saw the replay of the first plane crash. I remember we were watching the local CBS affiliate as well. A little later, I went in to cash out a previously waiting customer, and saw what I believed was the same replay of the first plane crash.....

It was not.

As the other plane crashes came to unfold, I simply thought of the horror and the suffering the remaining family members would have to now endure. I also remember thinking what a time to be bringing my new daughter into this world.

Bless our troops, all of the souls lost on September 11, 2001, and all of the First Responders.

 

[BigPapa]

I had come in our den getting dressed for work and turned the TV with the audio muted so as not to wake my wife. All I could see was a tall building that looked to be on fire. I first thought it was the Life & Casualty building in Nashville. My wife got up and I turned the sound up about the time the second plane hit. I’ll never forget that feeling of dismay and heartbreak as it all unfolded and the towers fell.

 

[jgillott]

On an engine in the way to Shanksville PA. Never actually made it to the crash site. Stayed on the truck on standby approx 2 miles away in Stoystown once they determined that there were no survivors.

 

[Topzide]

Was trimming along the drive listen to the radio when it came across the wire! stopped what I was doing to go to house and turn on the tube! Since living in southern MD, paid close attention to what was going on! If the SHTF, this area would be one area to be flattened due to all around here! Still brings up the same feelings as if had just happened! Prayers to all affected!!!!!

 

[Learjet]

I was cranking up a Learjet on the way to NYC (KTEB to be exact) when the ground stop was put in place. When we called for taxi the ground controller suggested we shut down and go look at a tv...he said all flights are grounded for a while. My first flight back after 9/11 was to New Hampshire...it was a perfect fall blue bird day...flew close enough to NYC to see the smoke still rising from the skyline hole that use to be the twin towers. Those are days I will never forget.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Building a Dental Clinic along the waterfront in Edmonds, WA. The weirdest thing was the skies were silent as there is normally MANY aircraft in that area.

 

[brucejohnson]

I was working in the state financial institution regulatory section. A coworker and I worked an early shift here on the Pacific coast as our "clients" were mostly on the East coast. I had just gotten off the phone with one investment firm who's office was in the towers. I was attempting to phone my contact in another of the big investment firms to resolve an urgent issue. I expected him to answer the phone, as he almost always picked up on the second ring, rarely getting directed to voicemail. On this day no pick up, no voice mail. OK, nimble-fingers...try again, this time push the right phone buttons...same story. Third time is the charm? As I was punching in the phone number for the third time my coworker hollered from some distant location requesting I "come here NOW!!!" "Where's Here?" I queried. She said the "The conference room. An airplane hit one of the twin towers." I hung up the phone and proceeded to the conference room, thinking a small tour plane or helicopter must have had an accident. Visions of the Empire State Building and a few aircraft "contacts", including a B-25 came to mind. Serious, but structurally sufficient... She had the big TV on. As I entered the room she said her mother called her right after the first aircraft hit. Watching the constant reruns of the first hit I could not believe what I saw. That did not look like an accident; too fast and no appearance at an attempt to avoid the structure. Then the second aircraft hit on a live feed...ingrained forever in my memory. Feeling helpless is all I can say...
Long story short, most of my contacts survived; one kept going when she got out of the tower and left the city, swearing to never go into a big city or tall building EVER again. It took over six weeks before receiving word from most of my contacts. Their stories were heroic in nature. Unfortunately, the Cantor Fitzgerald contacts were all in a morning meeting, high up, and did not make it. At this point I have to temper and reserve any narrative. Prayers to ALL involved!

 

[brucejohnson]

Building a Dental Clinic along the waterfront in Edmonds, WA. The weirdest thing was the skies were silent as there is normally MANY aircraft in that area.

We live way south of SEA-TAC, in a vector zone, so we are accustomed to a gazillion airplanes flying over head at any conceivable direction/altitude. "Twilight Zone" Erie is an understatement when they all "instantly" disappeared.

 

[Whitewolf]

My wife and I owned a small grocery store in a small community at the time. She was at a friends house who was dying from cancer. I was literally 'minding the store'. I can tell you that every single customer that came into the store that day and for days to come, wanted a piece of the SOB's that did this. No matter age or gender.

 

[AH64ID]

I was in bed for the first impact. I was in college in North Idaho, PST, and my Tuesday schedule didn’t start until 10 or 11. I got a call from a friend who told me I needed to get to town, since I live south of the college town without any internet or TV.

I met up with my ROTC classmates at a local pizza joint and watched in awe. Needless to say my path into the military was solidified that morning. After 6 months of ROTC paperwork and scholarship stuff I was sworn in on 13NOV01. Coming up on my 20 year anniversary too, both still seem like yesterday.

My first visit to ground zero was on the 15th anniversary. I was TDY in PA and took a day trip to the WTC. It was impressive. The museum was closed to anyone but surviving family, but I was able to go back in the summer of ‘19. I also visited the Flight 93 memorial that summer.

We plan to take the kids to see the memorials one of these years. The oldest is only 14, but they have been taught about the attacks and why I was in Afghanistan when the oldest was born.

 

[AnonEd]

I was getting instructions from Maryland HQ when my father called ...he'd been in London during WWII and his voice sounded the same as talking about those times. Family in North Jersey were concerned about friends who worked there and BIL apparently spent an hour sitting in traffic before changing radio stations.
We visited the site nine months later and it was the fire station that got me. Some people were taken by the hole in the ground, but to me it looked very much like it did when under construction in the early 70s. Momentary thoughts this was just a 30-year dream.

 

[SSage]

I remember that day in Buckhead, GA. I was working for my GC superintendent Father as a carpenter while I was waiting for a tower crane job. I was glad to be in a high-rise building that day instead of a crane cab.

The streets filled up solid with cars. 400 was really packed like never before. I could see all lanes going north were chaotic, people driving up the medians, up the grass shoulders. 285 was a mess, I guess all the roads were. I could see for miles in all directions, nothing but cars and trucks fleeing the ATL metro.

The cable TV techs and electricians yelled at me to get over to the com room. The cable installers had the monitor on CNN and saw the first broadcast of it. I saw the repeat and then saw the second plane hit, thats when guys started going home.

We could see for miles up there, the building was about 80% finished. 10 more minutes after the second hit the traffic really got out of control, cell phones barely worked at first, I called home and checked in though. Landlines were jammed up, I remember my Dad calling me on the radio saying he was in the fire station and to look at a TV. But I had already been watching, he stayed in the fire station across the street till the traffic died down.

I stayed at work and finished out my day, I didn't even try to leave with that chaos. I felt safer up on the building. It was a ghost town on my way home, the roads were almost completely empty by 4pm. Some crews didn't come to work for a while, but my guys never panicked or missed work. We kept the TVs on in the com rooms for weeks after and guys pulled out their radios to listen while working. ATL traffic was light for a while, many folks stayed home well after the attack.

Dad is gone now, but we talked about that day every year, you don't forget those days.

 

[bcbender]

I lived in Lodi CA at that time and was driving into college ( my second stint changing careers after 10y), my wife (GF at the time) and I though it was just shock jocks when listing to the radio driving, doing some type of Orson Wells spin off.. And then all the TV's in the electronics shops along West Lane were showing footage of the burning buildings, It wasn't until I was on campus that they closed the school and sent us all home..

My younger brother was in Iraq and then Afghanistan for his entire career.. Thank you all who've served for your sacrifice!