9/11…..Never Forget

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Absolutely, never forget. We can all recall where we were exactly when 9/11 unfolded.

That particular year, I was in Lower Manhattan 2 weeks before 9/11, and two weeks after. I attended my only World Series game that year as well, game 6 at Yankee Stadium. 😢
 
22 years ago today. It seems like yesterday. Our lives were changed forever.
never forget.jpg
 
I was in St John’s NL - never will forget the large planes that unexpectedly landed and stacked tight at the small airport … Or the kindness of people bringing strangers into their homes when hotels were overflowing …
 
Crazy that's 22 years ago. I was in fifth grade, walking to the bathroom at school and not understanding what happened. I remember my teachers going berserk, everybody went home, and watching the news show the skies clear up from all airplane traffic. I still didn't understand what happened until years later.
 
I was in my mom’s stomach still, about 9 weeks in there. She was at work at a day care. My sister was in 4th grade at the time and said everyone just paused and the TV in every classroom was on and everyone was watching eventually school was dismissed early. My dad was on a regular schedule run he is a truck driver and had the Roanoke VA- Harrisburg PA- Roanoke VA at the time. He said once you got to PA you could still see the smoke in the air. He didn’t want to go in case anything else happened but his company said if you don’t go you’re fired. But regardless we will never forget 9/11/01. I had the 9/11 tags on my car till this year when I switched them out. They are on my wall now. I also visited the 9/11 memorial in 7th grade on the band trip to NYC. There is something you can feel when you stand at the memorial it’s not a good feeling.

My dad had been in the old towers before. Both of them he was making a delivery there in about 1998 or 99 he made it to the top and found out he was in the wrong one. So he had to go in the next one. He said everyone was really nice and friendly and didn’t seem to pay one bit that there was some random guy in the towers.
 
Two weeks after it happened, I was simply astounded how quiet Manhattan was. No honking of horns. National Guard at East River bridges. NYSP at multiple intersections. I myself felt overcome with how heroic the FDNY was, and even bought various sweatshirts from different companies in Lower Manhattan. I recall walking into them (have pics somewhere in an album/35mm) and wanting to shake hands with as many firefighters as I could.
 
I was at work, a small town LEO just working my shift. I remember after first hearing of a plane crashing into the trade center, I thought it was a small plane trying to do a stunt. I made it to a tv at a fire station just in time to see the second plane hit. I remember how odd it was that all of our activity stopped. No calls for service and no 911 calls at all.
 
dishdude said:
Want to feel old? Someone who wasn't even born on 9/11 would now be old enough to walk into a bar and order a beer. ugh
Click to expand...
How about this…a year later (9/30/02 close), I bought my first and only house. My realtor was a pleasant, old fella. He revealed to me on Father’s Day that year, his kids are taking him out and he’s having a steak. He normally didn’t because he had a triple bypass.

Well, I’m his age, today!! 😂
 
I was happy to be on new assignment in MA instead of working at Chase Manhattan (week before) that faced trade towers where I’d get lunch.

I cannot fathom it, the windows all smashed on Chase Manhattan building.
 
I had taken the day off work to spend with my wife who was on bedrest awaiting the birth of our first child. We found out when my MIL called and woke us up. Not long after I turned on the TV the first tower collapsed. I will never forget.
 
I was in 8th grade math class when the vice principal came running down the hallway and yelling for teachers to turn on their TVs. The teacher turned ours on merely seconds before Flight 175 hit the south tower. Watching the plane drop altitude and take aim at the building is something that's imprinted in my mind forever.
 
It was about 5:30 in the morning here, and I'd been awake but a short while when I received a phone call telling me that the WTC was on fire. At that moment there were many people who didn't know what had happened and that a plane had struck the tower. Before I got downstairs to turn on the TV, my neighbor knocked on my door to tell me that a plane had crashed into the WTC. I was somewhat stunned although I could not imagine the magnitude of the event. I thought about the B-25 bomber that crashed into the Empire State Building in July of 1945, so that was my frame of reference. That all changed when I turned on the TV.

Years later I visited the September 11 Memorial in NYC and came away shaken and distraught. Seeing images of, and reading about, the events of that day paled in comparison to walking through the debris and remnants of those buildings and seeing the personal possessions and artifacts of those killed in the event. To this day I can still see a little doll that belonged to a child who was apparently vaporized in the crash.

If you don't want to forget, then here are some pictures from that day:

www.cnn.com

The 9/11 photos we will never forget

We look back at some of the most unforgettable photos from the September 11 attacks — and tell the stories behind them.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com
 
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I was in first grade 🎒
A neighbor and my mother came to pick us up from school before it was locked down
I don't envy the teachers and admins who had to explain what happened
Living in the land of the civil servant, I remember a distinct uptick in funerals and general sadness
Several NYPD/FDNY and various city agency workers lived on my block, luckily they all made it home
Cancer has taken a few of them 😔

Grandma luckily caught a ferry to Jersey City, my Aunt went running over the Brooklyn bridge
My dad drove car service at the time, running essential people to and from the ferry, and to the hospitals
My mother worked in a florist, she was busy for weeks
People were kicked out of the hospital for elective surgeries, to get ready for the flood of casualties that never came 😔

I hope the world never has to go through this again
For those like myself who were younger (or didn't exist yet), outside in perspectives help in understanding what happened IMO


Never forget 🙏
 
A woman in my neighborhood almost died that day. This is what she posted in our local Facebook page this morning.

"22 years ago today this young wife and mother left for work as a government securities analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald. My office was on the 104th floor of 1 WTC. This was no ordinary morning. My normal morning schedule was out the door at 7:10am, drop my sons off at a friend's house (she took them to school), on the train by 7:30, ferry by 8am, in my office by 8:40.

On the morning of 9/11/01 we were running late. We were up late the night before watching the NY Giants play the Denver Broncos on the opening of MNF. The game went into overtime and we all went to bed after midnight. I had a hard time getting my sons up and out the door. I missed the 8am boat by 5 min. I had to settle for the 8:15 boat. I was so upset that I was going to be late. I disembarked the ferry at 8:40. I would normally walk to 1 Wtc on a day like this but because I was running late I decided to take the subway 2 stops to Cortland st/wtc. I got off the subway and started walking through the concourse. 1 minute later I heard a loud boom followed by a rattling and shaking ground. I thought it was an earthquake. I continued to walk towards the 1 WTC lobby. A few seconds later I see people running and screaming. Some of these people were on fire! I then realized something bad just happened. At this point I continued towards the lobby when I was stopped by a police officer telling me a plane hit the building. I was in a state of shock and told the officer that I am late for work, I have to get to my office. The officer said ma'am did you hear me? A plane has hit the building you have to evacuate the area. Still in shock I decided to go outside and see for myself. I walk towards the church street exit, walk up the stairs to the outside turn around and collapse in horror. The plane hit right where my office is! At this time the cell phone service was down and I couldn't get ahold of anyone in my office or anyone else. Also my husband and family had no idea I was late for work. I was frozen in shock and didn't know what to do. I stood there in horror for about 15 then started walking down church street towards the ferry. I walked approx 1 1/2 blocks when I hear a loud roaring sound followed by a loud boom! I see flames and debris start falling from the sky. I immediately ducked into an alley to avoid being hit. At this point I am crouching down next to a garbage dumpster in a dark alley. I am thing this has to be a dream. There is no way this is real.

When the debris stops falling I start walking down church street again. Now I am walking over body parts, smoldering items, and metal. The smell was horrendous, I will never forget that smell! I make it to the ferry still in shock. I see a gentleman in the terminal talking on his phone. When he was done with his call I asked him if I could use his phone to call my husband. He picked up the call and I said honey it’s me, I could tell he was crying. He asked if this is a joke. I was calling from a different number my voice was cracking and I was talking hysterically. I assured him it was really me and I was running late this morning. He broke down on the phone. I told him I was on my way home and hung up. When I got home everyone was hysterical crying. My husband and I went to the school to pickup our sons. When I walked in their teacher started crying. My sons told her mommy works in the building with the big tv tower on top and her office is all the way to the sky. A few days later I tried to reach several of my colleagues to see if they were able to evacuate the building. When I couldn't get in touch with anyone I called my regional manager who was out sick that day. He soberly informed me that no one survived. Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 employees that day. Only 12 survived, I was one of the 12. I have lived with this guilt for 20 years.

I ask God everyday why he saved me? 5 minutes saved my life, 5 measly minutes! If I made that 8am boat I wouldn’t be here. Life is precious, live each day like it's your last. Today I will mourn the loss of my colleagues and all those who died on that horrible September day. They will always be in my heart. God bless America."
 
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