NEVER Forget.

[Chandler#81]

[oldmanfan]

God be with the families of those who died that terrible day

[H2o]

A day forever etched in the memories of those who are old enough to remember. I remember where I was at, who I was with, hearing about the North Tower being hit, and then watching the South Tower happen live. When I look at our country today, at this very moment, it's easy to see how many people have already forgotten or were not raised with reverence of any kind to where they truly understand. 

[Wacka]

Living in CA then (SF area).  Alarm goes off at 6 (9 AM eastern). Firtd thing I hear on the radio is that possibly a small plane hit the twin towers. Ran to the living room yo turn on the TV.  Within 30 seconds  I see the second plane hit. Just stood there repeating "Holy F***" Both towers fell  before  I left for work .

 

Our company had a  facility in Jersey and several people would travel back and forth.  At noon we were alll in the lunchroom watching the TV.  One of the people who regularly traveled  back and forth comes in carrying something with an ashen face. He would get tickets for several flights in case he got done earlier than expected or have to be delayed and then get refunds.  He had flown back on 9/10. What he had  in his hand was a ticket for Flight 93. the one that crashed in PA.

Edited September 11, 2020 by Wacka

[BillsFanNC]

 

[ChevyVanMiller]

Here is the column that I wrote shortly after the attacks. It went viral and was read by millions worldwide.

 

Never forget...

 

Two days, two outlooks. On Tuesday, Sept. 11, I joined the rest of America in officially packaging up our false sense of national security and mailing it back to the black-and-white, Ozzie-and-Harriet world from which it was unjustly spawned. There can be no doubt that from the moment, at 8:45 a.m., when American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center, the future course of America was permanently altered.

 

Throughout the 20th Century the fight was always "over there." From the two World Wars, through Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm, we observed attacks from a safe, detached distance. This time it was a home game and the overflow crowd was sent scurrying from the stadium in a state of shock -- fleeing for their lives.

 

At the time of this writing, President Bush has promised a firm, calculated response, not only to the terrorists responsible for the attacks, but to the countries that financed or harbored them, as well. By the time that you read this we very well may have begun a full-scale war against any number of nations, including Afghanistan, Iraq and possibly even Pakistan.

 

I cannot improve upon the President's description of the prevailing emotion of the American people as one of "quiet anger." I join the multitudes in believing that this is not the hour for pacifism or turn-the-other-cheek ideology, but one for a quick, devastating response -- on a scale unmatched in American military history.

 

As the sun rose on a still smoke-covered, eerily deserted, Manhattan skyline on Wednesday morning, the initial shock of the attacks began wearing off and I found myself becoming increasingly angered. You see, my wife was 9 months pregnant and due at any moment.

 

Bob Dylan's words from the 1960's classic, "Masters of War," were pounding in my head:

 

"You go threatening my babies, unborn and unnamed.
You ain't worth the blood that runs through your veins."

 

Like an unwatched pot, my rage continued to fester and boil, reaching unprecedented heights -- until 3:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. It was then that I met my wife at her pre-scheduled doctor's appointment.

 

"My blood pressure's high, they're sending me to the hospital," she told me, tears spilling from her eyes in a sudden torrent.

 

"We'll probably induce her -- she'll be admitted," said Dr. Judith Ortman-Nabi, her OB/GYN.

 

Suddenly, my perspective shifted. My consciousness was forced from the Nation's heartbeat to that of the tiny one beating inside my wife's tummy.

 

Despite the inducement drugs administered by the nurses at the hospital, my wife's labor progression was nearly non-existent. The Thursday morning hours blended into the afternoon with little movement in the dilation of her cervix. Continuous network television coverage of the aftermath of the attacks served as a surreal backdrop to our labor room drama. Each hour brought new, disheartening statistics. 4,370 people declared missing. 94 already confirmed dead. Buildings adjacent to the World Trade Center on the verge of collapse. 20,000 body bags ordered. Many times I cried as the screen flickered with images of family members desperately seeking loved ones presumably buried under the tons of concrete, metal and soot.

 

At 4 p.m. the doctors broke my wife's water. An hour later, there still was no further dilation. Finally, at 5:15 p.m. the decision was made to perform a Caesarean section.

 

At 6:11 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 13, Ryan Jacob Croisdale -- all 6 pounds, 11 ounces of him -- was born into the world. Only a little over 57 hours had passed since the first jumbo jet had flown into the World Trade Center tower.

 

As I held him for the first time, I contemplated the uncertainty of the world, which his mother and I had brought him into. A world that had just seen thousands of people senselessly murdered by unfeeling assassins cloaked in the shadows. It is also a world, however, that saw hundreds of brave police and fire personnel sacrifice their own lives to try to save others trapped in the burning towers. It is a world that most likely saw a group of passengers on United Flight 93, from Newark, over-power hijackers and crash the airplane into an abandoned field in Western Pennsylvania -- saving thousands of lives at the White House. It is a world that saw people from around the nation stand in line for hours to give blood to aid the Red Cross. And, most importantly, it is a world that saw billions of its citizens speak up -- in town squares and prayer circles -- about their resolve never to let the agents of darkness force the light from their souls.

 

In my head, Dylan's lyrics were supplanted by those of another 1960's icon, John Lennon:

 

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one."

 

When all of the retaliatory bombing and carnage is over, the truest response we can offer to this attack on our nation will come at the personal level. Ryan Jacob's mother and I will fight by empowering him with the concepts of compassion and tolerance. We'll teach him of the principles of freedom and democracy that this great country was founded upon. We'll make sure that he fully understands the storied history of the millions of brave men and women that have died in countless wars defending certain truths that we proudly hold to be self-evident -- among them, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

 

We'll also make sure that his spirit echoes those of the thousands of rescue volunteers that have bravely given of themselves to save their fellow Americans.

 

We'll do these things -- and many more -- to help ensure that the world that our son will one day introduce his own children into, will be a kinder, gentler and safer one than he met today.

 

https://niagarafallsreporter.com/croisdale26.html

Edited September 11, 2020 by ChevyVanMiller

[Chandler#81]

27 minutes ago, Wacka said:

Living in CA then (SF area).  Alarm goes off at 6 (9 AM eastern). Firtd thing I hear on the radio is that possibly a small plane hit the twin towers. Ran to the living room yo turn on the TV.  Within 30 seconds  I see the second plane hit. Just stood there repeating "Holy F***" Both towers fell  before  I left for work .

 

Our company had a  facility in Jersey and several people would travel back and forth.  At noon we were alll in the lunchroom watching the TV.  One of the people who regularly traveled  back and forth comes in carrying something with an ashen face. He would get tickets for several flights in case he got done earlier than expected or have to be delayed and then get refunds.  He had flown back on 9/10. What he had  in his hand was a ticket for Flight 93. the one that crashed in PA.

Wow! Incredible.

[LewPort71]

I read about this tragedy here  on TBD while at work.  Then went down stairs to the conference room where we watched

the news the rest of the day.

Never   forget.

[Guffalo]

This is what I posted here on TBD the following morning, I still can't believe it is 19 years from that day. 

I almost feel ashamed looking at this board, since football is far from my
mind right now, but my home page is TBD...

When I was on my way to work yesterday, I was on the #1 express from Penn
down to WTC, at 14th a couple got on and said they saw a plane hit the trade
center, I figured it was a light plane, and continued on. There was an
announcement by the conductor that said "Due to a fire at WTC there will be
no service to Cortland ave (in the wtc), I got out at chambers street and
started walking..as I turned around to face the north tower I saw people
just staring up in awe..there was a hole in the tower with smoke and flames,
I asked some guy what happened and he said, he saw the plane go in.. and
then he said 15 minutes later the other tower exploded.. (we were on the
north side so he didn't see the 2nd plane , only the impact)

I tried my cell phone (no good) so I tried to find a pay phone , I thought
of my wife wondering if I was in there, and just the worry that the rest of
the family would have when they heard..I was able to get through to her
voice mail, and then I called our office on 36th st ( I am a consultant
assigned to 4 WTC since last September). The office wanted me to try to
locate another employee, and we started using my cell phone with the two way
radio feature.

I started looping around to the east of the buildings, trying to find my
co-worker, as I walked near the post office, I saw debris and broken
concrete, small puddles of blood, shoes ,lots of shoes and I picked up a
warm hunk of metal ( I have no idea why) it was almost hot and it was heavy
and it was oily or greasy... I dropped it when I saw a wheel or turbine that
was 20 feet away, high density aluminum about 6 feet wide....

Using my radio to my boss, I kept chatter back and forth and kept moving
towards where I figured Marcia would be (we went through the bombing in 93
and had always said, head for the water by the Seaport).

Police were busy on Church so I moved to Broadway by J&R Music and continued
the radio chatter with my boss, he said Marcia had not checked in yet, keep
looking, he also told me he saw video of the 2nd plane as it went in, he
said it had been hijacked as well as the first one, he also told be about
the Pentagon being hit.

I had worked my way to Nassau street, a pedestrian mall about 3 blocks east
of the towers. My radio was quirky, sometimes the frequency was jammed,
sometimes you could get through, so I told my boss I was going to keep it on
once I get a signal. As I was walking up Nassau I left the center of the
street and stayed along the storefronts, I was talking to Doug and he heard
me say "Oh @#$%^! something's happening, oh my God something went off", and
he could hear the rumbling as the first tower went down, I felt a shock wave
and wind rush as I ducked into a doorway (from the narrow street you could
not see the tower) I knew that one of them had fallen and I assumed it had
toppled over like a domino, not the gentle slide that I saw later.

The dust and debris cloud came next as I peered out of the doorway the cloud
came east towards the Nassau area, I started sprinting north and got one
block, as I looked over my left shoulder I saw a huge cloud of debris/dust
coming our way, as we ran I saw a woman fall, someone slowed down to help
and they were trampled ( I know I should have stopped, but I was thinking
about wife, kids etc, and she went down pretty hard) As I rounded the corner
near Beekman Hospital emergency personnel were waving us away I zigged
through the waiting stretchers, and headed to the Seaport, I slowed down to
catch my breath....
The smoke/debris cloud was covering us with something that was making me
choke and burning my eyes, it looked like snow... I started towards the
Brooklyn Bridge, but I was afraid that if the other tower went it may drop
towards us, so I started to go towards Chinatown. As I was walking I
remembered my radio.. the (last transmission I sent was Oh my God and the
rumbling in the background) when I finally got through my boss was excited,
he thought I was a goner.

A woman stopped be and asked to borrow the phone, I told her there were no
calls in or out, she then started wandering back towards the site and I
stopped her and asked what she was doing, "I have to get my pocketbook" I
said that would not be a great idea, and I asked her where she lives, we
were going the same way and started walking together, we saw a cab (empty)
so we got in and the driver said "I'm only going north" (well hello....that
was an understatement, who the hell wants to go back there!!!)

In the cab, Doug (boss) confirmed that the tower had fallen, we looked back
and saw the new skyline with just one tower standing up. A short time later
Doug asked where we were, I told him in a cab, and he told us the second
tower just went down, we looked out the back window of the cab as the debris
and smoke filled the air in the distance.

We were up to the village, and I saw the Empire State building looming in
the distance.. I told the driver to stop and let me out, the girl (Valerie)
said why get out now??? I pointed to the building/target and said"what would
be the next landmark to get hit??

I got out and gave the girl some money for the cab , she insisted on paying
me back and made me give her my card ( amazing at a time like this the
etiquette thing still remains in some people).

I started west to avoid the Empire State Building and went around it to get
to our office located 2 blocks north of the ESB. I got upstairs and changed,
called the wife ( she heard my voice cracking on the messages and she cried
every time she heard news of my progress)

We watched the news as others straggled in (Marcia had gotten up there too).
Once they opened the Long Island Rail Road, I left and got on and headed
home..

I never figured out whose shoes those were..

I am home now, and I suggest the following:
Don't complain about doing your kids homework.
Say I love you whenever possible
Try to keep in touch with your loved ones,
Whatever you think is very important today, may seem like a pimple on the
ass of an elephant tomorrow.

God Bless us all

Guff

[BillsFanNC]

 

[zevo]

12 minutes ago, BillsFanNC said:

 

Thank you. I never saw this story... a true hero. God Bless him and everyone affected by this horrific day in our history.

[Beerball]

I'm poor with words, but that day & the ones that followed proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are a community.  Thanks to SDS for continuing to give us a place to come together.

 

Never forget.

[LB3]

I see this story every year. I weep every time.

 

[BillsFan4]

2 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

God be with the families of those who died that terrible day

👍

 

And all the families of the first responders who have lost their life since that day due to the health consequences of being at ground zero. I think it’s important that we don’t forget them (not saying you did or anything).

[oldmanfan]

4 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

👍

 

And all the families of the first responders who have lost their life since that day due to the health consequences of being at ground zero. I think it’s important that we don’t forget them (not saying you did or anything).

Absolutely

[sherpa]

I was flying a 767 at the time it happened. I was a check captain checking out a new first officer. Left San Francisco at 6 local.

I had just finished the level off PA announcement, the "keep your seatbelts fastened" PA.

Got a message on the data link printer from the company. I'll never forget what it said:

"Numerous cockpit incursions. do not allow any cockpit entry."

A few minutes later, got another one.

"Suggest lock down the cockpit. Defend at all cost. Suggest divert."

Went back to San Francisco at max mach and landed, followed down the runway by about twenty vehicles chasing us.

Arriving at the gate, about ten guys standing outside on the ramp with automatic weapons.

Got in the terminal and KGO camera crew was running down the concourse at me as I tried to get to a phone to call my wife and tell her I was OK, since all she knew was that I would be flying transcons all week checking out new guys from NY to the west coast.

Told the camera guys to get the f'in camera out of my face, which they did.

 

Very long story, on a very long day, but having flown American 77 for the two years prior to this, I knew I'd know the folks on that airplane that hit the Pentagon.

 

Worst day of my life.

[Punching Bag]

I worked for DISA the day the plane hit the pentagon.  At work they were told to do a roll call and ensure no one was working at the pentagon that day since a number of people went back and forth.  I was missing from roll call and people started making checks to see if I was there.  I had already scheduled the day off and evidently this was not passed down but eventually I was contacted at home and told them I was safe.

 

Following day I went to work and there is a bus stop right outside. When I left there were two enlisted were waiting for bus to pentagon.   I told them bus schedule was disrupted but In could drop them off at pentagon or any other near by metro station.  One heard my voice and said "Oh you are no longer driving the Cadillac, sure we will take a ride but you need to drop us off at alternate location.  I dropped them off although I had to follow a detour.

 

What really bothers me is that there are companies which looked at it and still do as marketing opportunities.   One actually had an ad using 9-11 like they do holidays as opportunity to sell services. It was too much in one company and they got a lot of internal complaints; they pulled the ad even though they spent a lot of money on campaign.

[teef]

1 hour ago, LB3 said:

I see this story every year. I weep every time.

 

i graduated with him.  great guy until the end.

[shrader]

19 years already.  Wow.

[Seasons1992]

1 hour ago, sherpa said:

I was flying a 767 at the time it happened. I was a check captain checking out a new first officer. Left San Francisco at 6 local.

I had just finished the level off PA announcement, the "keep your seatbelts fastened" PA.

Got a message on the data link printer from the company. I'll never forget what it said:

"Numerous cockpit incursions. do not allow any cockpit entry."

A few minutes later, got another one.

"Suggest lock down the cockpit. Defend at all cost. Suggest divert."

Went back to San Francisco at max mach and landed, followed down the runway by about twenty vehicles chasing us.

Arriving at the gate, about ten guys standing outside on the ramp with automatic weapons.

Got in the terminal and KGO camera crew was running down the concourse at me as I tried to get to a phone to call my wife and tell her I was OK, since all she knew was that I would be flying transcons all week checking out new guys from NY to the west coast.

Told the camera guys to get the f'in camera out of my face, which they did.

 

Very long story, on a very long day, but having flown American 77 for the two years prior to this, I knew I'd know the folks on that airplane that hit the Pentagon.

 

Worst day of my life.

 

Damn dude, I'm sorry. I know you're a pilot; thanks for helping us move around the country safely.