Where Were You?

[Desert Spyder]

This is a picture I posted on FB this morning. It is cropped from a picture of a very large firemans helmet re-creation outside the Barstow FD HQ. What do the numbers represent?

Where were you when you first heard about the events of 9/11?

Is 9/11 heading the same direction as 12/7?

[spyderraven]

This is a picture I posted on FB this morning. It is cropped from a picture of a very large firemans helmet re-creation outside the Barstow FD HQ. What do the numbers represent?

Where were you when you first heard about the events of 9/11?

Is 9/11 heading the same direction as 12/7?

I was living in Nashville at the time.... and I was at work but glued to the TV in the office after the first hit popped up on my computer. I called my family in New Orleans and then did not move from the TV... in shock and in prayer.

Remember all the families... remember all those who serve

[zrc]

I was in my second senior year in college (I dont wanna hear about it). I attended the ONLY college in the STATE of TN that did not close classes for the day. I spent the whole day and night watching what was happening and watched live feed of the plane #2 hitting the WTC tower.

It is a day that will forever remind me that regardless of your location evil can and will find you. For too long the US and its citizens have been insulated from war and tyranny. It is also a day that I fear many people are not remembering and those that do not head the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat them.

[boborgera]

The numbers represent the # of Firemen that were lost.
I was not far from there in Manhattan, Like i was every day.
I was helping to direct stunned workers on how to get uptown and safely off of Manhattan. [by foot]
It was surreal, Masses of people walking up town in smoke and covered with dust looking like Zombies.

[juliantrost]

42nd floor of World Trade Tower 7; in a meeting with a client when the 1st plane hit. On the West Side highway when the first tower fell and then few blocks down the west side when 2nd tower went down.

[Desert Spyder]

42nd floor of World Trade Tower 7; in a meeting with a client when the 1st plane hit. On the West Side highway when the first tower fell and then few blocks down the west side when 2nd tower went down.

OMG!

[ARtraveler]

Got a wake up call at about 6:30 AM from family in the lower 48. Said we better get up and put the TV on. We were glued to it for hours that day--not knowing what was going to happen next.

[SpyderDuck]

I was at work, when one of our salesmen come through, ranting about 'them' attacking. We had no tv, so watched as much as we could online. That salesman was in charge for the day, and thought that we should go home to our families, but we were too stunned to move. We stayed. I informed customers about the events when they called, in case anyone had family or friends there... I figured they would want to know. Some coworkers were saying they thought that deaths would be small in number, but I knew thousands would die, and as horrible as it seems, I was relieved that the number was a low as it was.

On Sept. 12, I couldn't keep myself from looking at the sky and seeing only blue sky and clouds. The lack of jet trails was eerie, knowing the cause.

And yes, this does seem to be an iconic date of significance, like 12/7.

[Rar]

Was at work when a customer informed us what happened. We took turns throughout the day going across the street to the Sears store to watch the TVs.

[Arr MiHardies]

I woke up early in the morning, woken by a feeling I can only use a star wars quote to describe... "as though millions of voices cried out in terror, then were suddenly silenced." a few minutes later my mom called and told me to put on the tv as we were probably going to war.

There is one thing I liked about the days that followed... The fact that there were no planes in the sky. The silence was beautiful. You don't realize just how much noise pollution airplanes cause until its suddenly gone.

[donnellpj]

Hard to believe its been so long,... In my head, I can see it like it was just yesterday.

I was working from home that day, and had just finished doing the dishes from the previous nights meal. I was opening the windows in the house because the weather was stellar,...much like it is today here in MD. Sunny, 75 degrees, not a cloud in the sky,...perfect.

Then my phone rings around 8am, and my uncle says; "Dude,..do you have the TV on?", to which I said "No, not yet, why,... what's going on,...?". He was clearly distressed, and I could tell something was terribly wrong from the tone in his voice. His reply was "Turn on the news, dude,...we are under attack!"

I'll never forget those words. Attack? That's something you read about in history books, nothing that could happen here, right?

We live in the greater Baltimore area, and by 9am the cell phone network was jammed solid. My wife, Laura, was downtown in DC on sales calls that morning. When I heard about the plane hitting the Pentagon, and another still unaccounted for over the skies of PA, headed for who knows where. I tried to get a call to her to come home, but there was no chance. The system was unusable. Later that night she told me about being able to smell the smoke in the air as she was very close by, just over the river in Crystal City, and how long it took her to get home with no real form of communication other than her car radio.

We watched the TV for the next two days straight, hardly looking away. It was on all night, and all day, and the only breaks we took were to eat and bathe.

A lot of things in our lives changed that day, forever. Our sense of national security, our feeling of invincibility. We had been punched in the mouth for only the second time in our modern history, on our own soil.

Through out my 20's I did EMT/Firefighter work for my local municipality. The images of the brave men and women from the first responders running toward ​the towers as the public was running the other way, is burned into my psyche, and know I will never forget their sacrifice, or the losses their families will have to endure. True hero's, who showed resolve in the most extreme circumstances.

They may have knocked us down that day, with a cowardly sucker punch, but they sure as hell couldn't knock us out. When you poke the Eagle, sometimes you get the talons!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I had started my second Police carreer and was working the day shift when this disaster enfolded.....Unbelieve- ably the day just stopped even in little ole Montpelier Vt.,.. No Calls for anything, all day.......People just stayed home glued to the TV or Radio....How could you do otherwise......I still weep for those who were lost and their families..........Mike

[bullant12]

1st month in our new townhouse, 2nd month since we moved from Puerto Rico, I was starting a new job selling insurance (boy what a way to start ). When I was fixing my cup of coffee and turned the radio on I heard "... it has been confirmed of a second plane striking the twin towers " My wife was in Georgia doing Government training (I didn't start working Feds until the next year) and I was in Illinois. Pretty much by myself for 3 weeks until she got back from training

Donnellpj: "They may have knocked us down that day, with a cowardly sucker punch, but they sure as hell couldn't knock us out. When you poke the Eagle, sometimes you get the talons!"

[spydaman60]

i was driving down to fairfield, and totowa, nj to pick up some supplies when i heard the first news come over the radio. i could see the smoke in the air coming from new york city while on route 3 in nj. i pulled into one of my suppliers and immediately went into john's office cause i knew he had a tv in the closet. sure enough everyone was gathered around looking at it and everyone was concerned for friends and family they had in the city that day. it was then that they showed the picture of the second jet going into the tower. it wasn't until that moment that everyone there realized it wasn't an accident, but an attack. the somber mood then turned to anger and everyone just seemed to take a second breath. without john saying one word, people took off running to their cars and exited like they personally had been attacked. all that was on anyones mind was to go home to family and make sure everyone was allright. it's something like this that is a reality check on life. it shows us just how vulnerable we all are. may it never happen again!!!!!!

[Blue Star]

I was at home installing floor tile in my entrance way. A small 4 by 6 foot area, that took me two days because I was glued to the TV. Like others I started out with concern when I thought it was an accident, and then to anger when the plane hit the second tower.

As for comparing 9/11 to 12/7. You don't have people celebrating 12/7 like you do for 9/11.

[retread]

Working day shift at Ford's Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, I was the electrician for alot of the south end of the body shop, so only got bits and pieces of what was happening till I got home that night.

john

[Netminder]

I had just finished a night shift working for compaq Pc's, and was watching TV with a friend. Prayers go out to everyone who lost a friend or family member today. God Bless!

[vrodrjs]

Sitting in the break room at work with about 30 structural engineers. They were discussing not if, but when the towers were going to come down and hoping that people realized that and were getting out as quickly as they could.

[Bob Denman]

On my way to the local hospital to meet with the wound-care team regarding a diabetic ulceration on my foot. I was pulling into the parking lot when it hit the news stations, so I called the Missus and told her to put on the radio in the offfice. After that; the foot really didn't seem all that important...

[bruisersbaby]

264098_10151199710565272_1273696633_n.jpg I was at our local hospital, getting a myovue(sp?) - an x-ray of my heart, when a nurse came in, very upset, and said a plane had hit one of the towers. We all thought it was an accident until she came back in and said the other tower had been hit. It was very quiet and tense for the rest of the time I was there. I had tried to call Bruiser, but couldn't get a connection. When I finally got him on the phone, he said he knew about it. I hope and pray that no one will ever forget, and remember to live each day to the fullest. Tell the ones you love every day that you love them!

[bruiser]

I was off that day but was on the phone with my manager when he said a plane had just hit the WTC. I thought it was a small private plane. He said "Jim, you better turn on the TV". I did and was taken aback by what I saw. I immediately went out and put up my flag as I hadn't done that yet. Then the second jet hit. I was in shock. I started praying right then for those in the towers and all of the responders. As Vrodrjs said about the imminent collapse, I knew the towers couldn't hold up to that much damage and heat. I began yelling at the TV "Get out, get out". I wanted desperately to warn them, to warn someone. I cried at the sight of the towers collapsing and at the people running in all directions. I cried more at the sight of the firefighters. police and EMTs covered in dust trying to do their best to save lives. I cried for the lost as I surely knew there would be many. I called our local Dispatch to volunteer to go and help with the recovery, but they weren't taking any names and didn't know if anyone was. Then when the third plane hit the Penatgon I became angrier. I went on base later that afternoon and the saw manned and armed APCs at all the gates. The guards in full battle dress with loaded weapons. It's an eerie feeling having an M60 pointed at you as you enter the base. All buildings were on lockdown and you had to show an ID even to get in to the BX. They were searching any and all large vehicles. They even stopped me and had me open the bed cover on my pickup. If you didn't have an ID you were not allowed on base. There were planes landing from all services but none taking off. The memory that is etched forever in my memory is that of firemen holding each other and crying at the loss of their Brothers. But how soon we forget, how soon we go back to our everyday lives...

[DR Buck]

My company lost people in the Pentagon and though I was not physically at any of the sites I was close enough that our facility was evacuated. I've been involved in the subsequent actions every working day since.

nuff said........

[SDM]

Home watching a movie, hubby (Tobor 9) called, said he just heard it on the radio, turned on and saw what was happening. At 1st thought it was an accident as when that Navy (?) fighter hit the Empire State after WWII. Was talking to my dad when the 2nd plane hit and I said "Oh S, that was deliberate!" Stayed watching the tv for what seemed like the next week.

[Desert Spyder]

I pray for Americas sons and daughters that have volunteered to protect our country on foreign lands. Some of you who have responded may be a blue star parent. I know of one. I ask for Gods mercy and grace to protect all of the soldiers of the allied forces. I pray that our shores will never be invaded by a hostile force again. But we all know that this is now a different world than 1941, indeed 2001. Events today seem ... prophetic. We should channel our efforts in sending care packages to our servicemen and women. I wonder how that is done.

[Blue Star]

I pray for Americas sons and daughters that have volunteered to protect our country on foreign lands. Some of you who have responded may be a blue star parent. I know of one. I ask for Gods mercy and grace to protect all of the soldiers of the allied forces. I pray that our shores will never be invaded by a hostile force again. But we all know that this is now a different world than 1941, indeed 2001. Events today seem ... prophetic. We should channel our efforts in sending care packages to our servicemen and women. I wonder how that is done.

I believe the USO can help. I have been told that the Priority boxes from the Post Office work best. Post Office gives a discount to ship, and does not matter how heavy they are. The Soldiers like to have energy bars, shaving cream (not gel) silly string (I think to find trip wires), Top Ramon soup to eat, letters from you (does not matter if they know you or not), and also remember to fill the empty spaces of the box with individually wrapped hard candies. There is more to the list, but can't remember right now.

After Katie is deployed I am sure I will have an address to ship to, but that wont be until between the first week of Oct. to sometime in January. I plan to start gathering the information soon, and will post more when I find out.

Did a fast search, and found this list. Also found one site that said to include your old Bennie-babies. The soldiers give them the children to gain their trust, and the kids love them. Now I know how to get rid of all those Bennie-babies I have at home.
Baby Wipes
Magazines
Books
Movies (use a permanent marker to write to "US soldier" on it to prevent theft)
Hand Warmers
Foot Warmers
Tooth Brushes
Mouthwash
Frebreeze
Body Wash
Body Spray
Pringles
Crackers (packaged only)
Cookies (packaged only)
Beef Jerky
Comic Books
Travel Size Games (chess, checkers)
Deck of Cards
Memory Cards (i.e. PSP's)
Memory Sticks
Suntan Lotion
Non Carbonated Drinks (Propel)
Uniform T-shirts (which can either be ordered on line
from AAFES or bought at the PX)
Underwear
Pictures From Home
Thumb Tack (to hang the pictures)
Hard Candy
Blue and Black Pens
Notebooks
Envelopes
Fly Paper (some areas where the soldiers live have lots of flies)
A multi-tool or really good folding knife
Sun Glasses
Travel Size Packets of Laundry Detergent
Powdered Drinks, especially Gatorade
Crossword Puzzles, Word Searches, Soduku