I was in a small convoy of welding rigs on I-45 just outside of Madisonville. We were on our way to an oil lease to rebuild some oil storage tanks. We had pulled over to fuel the rigs when the lead man told us to turn to the local news station. We spent the rest of the day listening to the radio and trying to do some work inside the vessels. Their was a large airplane that was making big circles which one of the arcs was right over us. We figured it was a radar plane. It would take like 30 or 45 minutes for it to return but it always did. I wanted to go join the military right then. It was one of the longest days of my life. Working my tail off, trying to stay focused, but wanting to do something, anything.

Just woke up to our first full day at Hedonism III, in Runaway Bay, Jamaica.

Getting ready to leave on a trip to Montana.  A friend who is a news correspondent called me and asked "have you seen it yet?"  This was just after the first plane hit.  

Oddly enough, the company I used to work for was the one that provided flight training to the terrorists.  I was damn glad that I was no longer working there on that day!

I was driving to court from home listening to the radio.  Bob and tom mentioned a plane hit the WTC and I figured it was a rookie pilot in a small plane.  While at court I heard that another plane hit.  I was glued to the TV for then next 2 days solid.

I was on an American Airlines flight from El Paso to Dallas, final destination Detroit. The flight departed El Paso between 6:00 and  6:30 AM MST, 8 - 8:30 EST.

Needless to say Dallas Fort Worth was a mess about 15-30 minutes after my arrival. The first plane had already hit one of the towers.  Airline attendants were crying. The only televisions working in the airport were the ones in the restaurants.

I was fortunate enough to get a rental car back to El Paso. All I did on the way back home was listen to the radio and talk to my wife on the phone. I was in disbelief when she said the towers had collapsed.

It was erie to see the big blue Texas sky void of contrails.

God bless them all that perished, their families, and the fortitude of America.

May the recent US government activity related to pre-emptive nuclear strikes go into effect ASAP so those living sorry Fuc*s, and future sorry Fuc*s, pay their due.

Sitting in my dorm room at U of Delaware, my sophomore year, studying for a pol sci quiz, decided to take a break, brought up AR15.com and saw the thread saying to turn on the TV just in time to watch the first replay of the second plane hit the WTC.

Kharn

I was in my 2nd period Journalism class senior year of HS.

Our teacher told us the Twin Towers had been hit, so she turned on the TV.  There was footage of the Pentagon, which confused me because she said it was the WTC that had been hit.  It showed the Pentagon with smoke coming out, then the crawler said the WTC towers had both been hit.  They went back to the NYC footage and kept showing the second plane hit.  We just watched for the rest of the period.

Third period came around and they were all still watching TV.  One of my classmates said, "They both fell!  They're gone!"  I was like, you've got to be shitting me, those towers are huge.  Sure enough, that came next on the news

They constantly replayed that all day.  The second plane, people jumping out, the towers falling.  It was all too surreal.

At home, talking to my recruiter, sitting at the computer desk.  Ran down stairs and turned on TV.  Watched the second hit with my parents in the room.

I was on Camp Lejeune, walking down from ny battalion CP to our vehicle ramp to go to the armory.   Acouple of Marines told me about the first plane and i brushed it off as an acident.  I got back up to the CP in time to see the second plane crash into the second tower on TV.

We were flying from New Century to Springfield. We were assigned lower altitudes EARLY and we were bitching about it. The Controllers were in no mood to debate. When we landed at KSGF as we taxied in we called GA for fuel, when the fuel truck arrived they asked "are you sure you want fuel"  we asked yeah, why not? Then we found out about the World Trade Center being struck by Hijackers.
We had no knowlege until that moment, and we all figured that no planes would be moving the rest of the day....

myit

I was living in the middle of nowhere NorCal at the time and had recently told them to disconnect my cable, so I had no TV at the time. I found out when I stopped for coffee on my way in to work. All the people in the store where talking about it. I had to get all my news in between the sounds of construction on a jobsite from a cheap radio. When I got home I watched all the news on streaming video on my computer.

I was sitting here watching IMUS on MSNBC , eating my breakfast. I did not finish my meal that day.

Quoted: DO you remember where you were when you heard about the planes crashing into the world trade center? I was in the tool room at my shop at camp lejeune, when 2 guys from my platoon came in and said "Did you hear about the plane crashing into the world trade center?" We turned the radio on to listen to it and in less than 2 minutes we heard "Oh my god a second plane just crashed into the other tower" I knew from that second that it was an attack, I was just glad that it stopped that day. We were sent back to our barraks/ houses to get our "Deployment load" didnt know if we were gonna fight a war on our own turf or not......Seems like it was yesterday.

I was at NNMC Bethesda, MD. Within an hour I was at the P-GON pulling bodies out of the wreckage.

My brother came in and told me that some one had "pulled a Tom Clancy" on the WTC. Not that I knew WTF that meant or WTF the WTC was.

Pulling my last day of guard drill for the year.  My jet was one of the only two flyable that day.  Needless to say I was busy the rest of the day getting putting my jet put on alert.

I was at home, just turned off my computer and saw the first tower fire on ABC. I thought damn thats a hell of a fire. So i kept watching thinking of how they were going to get the ppl off that were above the fire. They were saying a plane hit it, and i thought how the hell does that happen, then i watched the second plane hit. I thought it was a plane flying by  to get a look at what the damage was and hit it by accedent.

Then they started saying we have been attacked "again". My heart sank, it was unreal. I got dressed and strapped on my boots and pistol and waited for an attack in my area. I didn`t know just how far this was going to keep going as the reports kept coming in about the pentagon being hit.  I felt ready to do battle, and so helpless not being able to do anything.

I saw the cafeteria ladies watching what looked like news fake broadcast on a movie on a small portable TV. Kids were being pulled out of class to go home by there parents all day, I had less than 15 kids out of 30 in my class by the end of the day. I later found out it was real on the bus ride home from a kid named Corey  in 5th grade. Bus number was 113

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day Out in the yard with your wife and children Working on some stage in LA Did you stand there in shock at the sight of That black smoke rising against that blue sky Did you shout out in anger In fear for your neighbor Or did you just sit down and cry Did you weep for the children Who lost their dear loved ones And pray for the ones who don't know Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble And sob for the ones left below Did you burst out in pride For the red white and blue The heroes who died just doing what they do Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer And look at yourself to what really matters I'm just a singer of simple songs I'm not a real political man I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you The difference in Iraq and Iran But I know Jesus and I talk to God And I remember this from when I was young Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us And the greatest is love Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day Teaching a class full of innocent children Driving down some cold interstate Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor In a crowded room did you feel alone Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her Did you dust off that bible at home Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened Close your eyes and not go to sleep Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages Speak with some stranger on the street Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow Go out and buy you a gun Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger Stand in line and give your own blood Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family Thank God you had somebody to love I'm just a singer of simple songs I'm not a real political man I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you The difference in Iraq and Iran But I know Jesus and I talk to God And I remember this from when I was young Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us And the greatest is love I'm just a singer of simple songs I'm not a real political man I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you The difference in Iraq and Iran But I know Jesus and I talk to God And I remember this from when I was young Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us And the greatest is love The greatest is love The greatest is love Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

I was sitting in front of the tube watching it all.

I was stationed on a brand new AEGIS destroyer still under construction in Bath, Maine.  A civilian yard worker in the torp mag told me a plane hit the WTC.  I blew it off, thought he was talking about a little single engine prop plane.  I went and turned on a TV and saw what was really happening.  Yardworkers pulled all their gear off the ship and we were ready for sea in two hours, but didnt leave until the next week, a couple of days after we were scheduled to leave anyway.

I was at recruit training, MCRD San Diego.

I got to MCRD Sept. 10th, but we did not hear about the WTC until about a week later.  I assume they did not tell us about it in order to identify anyone there who may have had relatives that were there.

We were wondering all the time why the airport was so quiet though, but it made sense once they told us why.

I was asleep.  When I drove into to work at 9:15 CDT, my two co workers were by one of their trucks listening to the radio.  I though that was odd and naturaly asked them what was going on....

I was at work on a military installation when the first plane hit.  We were all recalled to the home office after the first plane hit, and saw the second one hit on the conference room TV.  I work for a major Defense Contracting company and all of the members present were retired military.  No one had to tell us that business was about to be booming.

I was in my office at KU working on some homework. My two office-mates came in. They had seen the second plane hit live on TV at the Union. I turned on the radio, and spent the next 30 minutes trying to get ahold of Mrs. DzlBenz, who was scheduled to fly to Boston that morning. I finally got her, just as the second tower collapsed, and she was still in KC, obviously not going anywhere. I said a prayer with my office-mates and a student, and left to collect my kids from daycare. I clearly recall seeing vapor-trails making 180-degree turns in the sky - passenger jets returning to their departure points or other nearby airports. I "bugged-in" at home with my kids, but kept them away from the TV. They were 19 months and 3 years old, and I didn't think it was right to expose their tender minds to such horrifying imagery.

You want to know one of the most incredible images I recall from that day? It was the GW bridge, jammed all the width of the bridge with people leaving the city on foot, with their city smoking behind them. Perhaps it was the overwhelming shock, but they just seemed so orderly and calm. Speaks volumes about the resiliency of New Yorkers - certainly a unique breed of American!

I was at work on a Surgical Unit at the time, we had students present, and carried on. We did spend quite a bit more time rooms to catch someTV.

Sitting right where I am now.

I was laying in bed listening to the radio when they announced the first crash.  I turned on the tv in time to see then second one.  It was really hard going to work after that.

I was at work my office not too far from the Pentagon.   The entire office gathered around the TV after the first plane hit and we all saw the second plane hit.  Shortly after that our management told us they were evacuating our building and we should go home.  Of course, everyone else in the area had the same thought and we were stuck in traffic that didn't move for hours.  We couldn't quite see the smoke from the Pentagon, but our stress level went way up when we heard that it had been hit.  

I got a call from my daughter's day care center saying they were closing and I had two hours to go pick her up.  My wife was at an out of town conference and I had no way of contacting her so I had two hours to get to my daughter and about no chance of getting there in time.  

I have very vivid memories of sitting in traffic and wishing I had my AR in case any more planes flew overhead.  I didn't expect to hit or do any damage to the plane, I just wanted to be able to do something to hurt those bastards.  

Eventually, I made it to my daughter's day care -- at the same moment my wife did.  I have no idea how she got there -- she must have started right after the second plan hit and averaged over 100 mph to get there in time.  There were a lot of upset parents and even the kids seemed to be in a daze.  Parents were also hugging their kids a lot more than usual.

My wife and I were careful to not talk about 9/11 around our daughter or allow her to watch TV when they might talk about it (even putting up with Barney and the Wiggles was worth it).  One night, however, she got out of bed in the middle of the night and watched TV.  We didn't know about this  for a few days until she started having nightmares about buildings falling down on people and people jumping out of burning buildings.   This made me want to kill those bastards even more.   A three year old should be able to focus on playing, having books read to them and eating everything in sight, not have to worry about dying in a burning building.

It will be a very happy day when Osama Bin Laden's head is on a pike in front of the White House.  It will be an even happier day when all of the Islamic Terrorist organizations have been rendered ineffective (hopefully via a bullet to the head of each of the members).

Our country is in a epic political stuggle and I am not confident we are up to it.  We have armed forces that are the envy of the world, but this is primarily a political struggle, not a military one.  I fear that our political will as a nation is too weak.  There are too many citizens of this great country that think that we can just treat this as a criminal problem or a dimplomatic problem and just ignore it.  The citizens that are calling for us to withdraw from Afghanistan and Iraq are insane.  That would provide a huge political victory for the Islamic Terrorists and would only embolden them to try to kill more Americans here at home and abroad.

If you have read this far, I apologize for ranting.  The memory of not being able to take care of my child is driving me to distraction.

I was in my office in Bldg 1247 at Hill AFB, Utah.

physical ed. class in high school, teacher had the tv on but cant remember if i found this all out b4 or after the second plane hit

I had just exited the "power block" of our plant.  On the computer monitor was the first burning tower.  We set up a TV in the machine shop office and watched the rest.

I was at work at a construction site (new water tratment plant) waiting for a safety class when someone came in an mentioned a plane had hit a building in New York.

By the time we got a TV to work, everyone huddled around and watched as the second plane hit.

About an hour later, they closed the site down and put all the water facilities on lock-down and made all of us go home.  Didn't go back to work for a couple of days due to someone calling in bomb threats.

Some of us thought the first plane might have been an accident, but the second one hitting threw that theory out the window.

Dearborn was a pretty tense city for a few weeks after that day.

To all who gave their lives on that day

I was at my apartment in Jersey, getting ready to go to work.

Got calls from friends who knew I worked there. (Used to, some time ago)

I bugged out with a half-ready BOB (never half-ready ever again), half-tank of gas (never half-tank; always fill up before it hits half now), and headed up to my parents, who lived by West Point in NY.

Heard it all on the radio, AM stations.

9/11 is my father's birthday. He spent it getting suited up and going down to his Guard unit, to initially help with evacuees...and then security details.

Not a great birthday for Dad.



Never forgotten, never forgiven.

Late in the afternoon of 10 Sept I had left Andrews AFB, MD to return to my base in TX.  I remember seeing the Pentagon and Dulles Airport as we climbed out.  We had though about staying at Andrews and trying to pick up another mission the next day, but finally decided to go back to TX.

I got back to pretty late, and seeing as how the wife was TDY I fell asleep on the couch.  First thing the next morning I turned on the TV.  It was right after the first plane hit.  At first I thought it was aviation’s worst nightmare – an airliner accidentally hitting a skyscraper.  When the second plane hit I knew it wasn’t an accident.  I packed my deployment bags.  By Christmas I was flying missions into Afghanistan.  

I had friends at the Pentagon, and family in NYC that day.  I will NEVER FORGET!!

On 11 Sept 03 I flew a mission into Afghanistan.  My crew made sure to fly a lot of American flags that day.

I was getting ready for work and went into the dining room area of my apartment at the time to check my email. Connected to AOL and  saw the news was about a plane hitting the WTC. We had some electrical problems in the place so i busted into my roomates room and turned on his tv which was hooked to the one good outlet. I recall telling him " a place just hit the WTC" he dismissed it was a "stupid accident" then as i watched the second plane hit and after i told him that hereally woke up.

I went to work and left a little while later. We hooked up a tv with a extension cord in the living room and sat there all day watching the coverage.

I had worked until 2 am on the 11th.  I remember my wife calling me, waking me up and saying "You better turn on the tv".  About that time the second plane hit.  Shortly thereafter work called and I went in and worked...I don't even remember anymore how long I worked.  All I know is it was a frustrating time to be a cop right in the geographic center of all the plane strikes.

i had the day off, walked up stairs, turned on the news, watched second hit, almost crapped myself.    not the best wake up to say the least.

It was my Algebra class in 9th grade. Some teachers kept on coming in the class whispering to my teacher, then kids started getting called down to get picked up. I was called down too, when I got to the office they had a TV with what was going on and I couldnt believe what was happening.

I will never forget.

Pentagon. "A" Ring about 200 feet from where the plane impacted...I was on the Joint Staff at the time heading up to the HQMC spaces to do some work...heard a rumbling in the building in the direction of the crash, but with all the renovation going on thought it was just more construction work...a couple of minutes later heard all of these loud klaxons going off and stood around with everyone else wondering WTF was going on...went back to the office to be told a "light" plane had hit the building...we evac'd the spaces about 5 minutes later and went out to the parking lot...we could see the smoke from the impact site, but that was it. About 10 of us went back into center court yard and spent the rest of the day trying to help get survivors outside...about 3 PM a group of us went around to the impact site to help with stretchers. I'll never forget that sight as long as I live...about 5 PM every EMS guy within 50 miles had showed up so they sent us home...

Dan
LtCol, USMC (ret)

2nd period class in my senior year in high school. I left school shortly there after so I could go home and watch what was happening.

The next day at school, I threw a guy up against the lockers and punched him in the stomach as hard as I could. He was running along the halls with his arms streched-out yelling "I'm an airplane BOOM".

Luckily, the Assistant Principal that found out let me off scott free because he was from NYC.

Sitting in my office with Fox News on as usual.  By lunch time I was on a range nearby listening to the radio and wondering what was next.

I shot a rifle match today; I did my pre-match sight in on a photocopy of one of the hijackers.

We haven't yet killed enough terrorists to make up for 9/11.  

It was a bad day. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Home sick.
I will always remember that day. I remember waking up in a cold sweat, running to the bathroom and bearly making it before throwing up. I remember thinking that somthing was seriuously wrong with me as I had never puked like that. I finally stopped, rinsed my mouth out and went out to the living room to lay down. Turned the TV on and could not figure out what I was seeing. Then the second plane hit.

A day I will never forget. A day that changed my life.
CH

Bob Evans resturant  on the west side of the Washington DC beltway

On my way to work.

Very revealing to compare this thread with the "where were you" one on DU.  Really shows what different people they are, almost another species.  And not just the political commentary they put in their stories, but where they were and what they were doing.  I didn't see much indication of honest labor, and nobody was on a military base or anything of that nature.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4735152