9/11 - where were you on the day that changed history?

[RobbRiddick]

Not sure if this is allowed here, I'm sure the mods will move it for me if not.

 

As it is almost 20 whole years since that day, and since I'm fascinated by the whole thing, I wondered what people here (at least those who were alive/old enough to remember) where they were and what they were doing when they heard about the attacks or saw them unfolding on TV.

 

I had taken the day off work and was doing some work around the house. I put the radio on to listen to some music while I worked and soon after the breaking news came on. I spent the rest of the day in front of the TV in a strange sort of shock, like the whole thing wasn't really happening. People saying certain experiences feel like dreams can be a little cliched but that's one of the few times when I experienced that feeling.

 

Oh, and I haven't asked this question to cause a political debate on what happened after. There will be lots of threads in the other forum for that. I'm just interested in hearing how you experienced that day, wherever you happened to be.

 

And on an NFL note, if you haven't seen it I'd recommend the NFL Timeline documentary about the whole debate that went on that week around whether the weekend's games should be cancelled. 

[Patrick Duffy]

I was on the way to court to plea not guilty

[LeviF]

 

[Gugny]

I was working nights at the time (4pm - 12:30am).  

 

My then-wife woke me up to tell me a plane crashed into the WTC.  I immediately got up and started watching the events unfold.

 

As I'm writing this, I'm feeling anger and sadness ... so I'll stop writing.   Looking forward to others' stories and hoping any a-holes will stay away from the thread altogether.

[Marv's Neighbor]

We were in bed, because we were on the west coast, and normally worked an afternoon shift.

[The Avenger]

Fist day back in the office after attending the Bills home opener. Because I live in MA I had taken Monday off to drive back from WNY and 9/11 was a Tuesday - absolutely stunning sunny early fall day - not a cloud in the sky. I had been traveling to a client site in Pittsburgh pretty much every week but not that week because of my day off. 

 

Heard reports of a plane crash on the radio as I was driving to work. Then more news once I got into the office. Then things got really crazy and websites crashed due to volume and it was hard to get news. I called my wife who was at home and watching on TV and she told me one of the buildings collapsed - I couldn't fathom that. Just 2 years earlier we had moved from NYC and I was frequently working with financial clients in and around WTC - I was in that area all the time. Each of those buildings covered a huge city block and were over 100 stories tall - hard to describe how massive they were. Spent lots of time at 7 WTC where we had a client - couldn't understand how that building collapsed.

 

People started calling me after flight 93 crashed - knowing I was flying to PA every week they wanted to make sure I was OK. Again, lucky I wasn't traveling that week or I would have been stuck in Pittsburgh (or wherever my morning flight would have been grounded).

 

What I remember most was the silence -   everyone was so stunned nobody could speak - everyone walked around like a zombie for days. I would come home and my wife and I wouldn't speak - we were so dazed and there was nothing to say. Absolutely horrible.

[Metal Man]

I was at work listening to Howard Stern on the radio at my desk.

 

I remember he was telling a story about possibly having a chance to hook up with Pam Anderson and one of his staff interrupted about a plane hitting the world trade. They didn't think much of it at first thinking it was just a small accident so he continued with his story. However shortly after someone else came into the studio and mentioned being able to see smoke.

 

At this point I mentioned it to my cube neighbor, (who on a side not happened to be Tim Russert's sister), and she brought up CNN which already had a photo of the first plane hitting on the main page.

 

I went back to the radio and believe it or not Howard actually did a really good job of covering all the developments until well past his usual sign off time of 10 or 11am.

 

I don't think much work got done that day though I didn't leave early. Watched a lot of the coverage when I got home and recall just a strange mix of emotions ranging from anger, fear, and patriotism. 

[RobbRiddick]

24 minutes ago, The Avenger said:

Fist day back in the office after attending the Bills home opener. Because I live in MA I had taken Monday off to drive back from WNY and 9/11 was a Tuesday - absolutely stunning sunny early fall day - not a cloud in the sky. I had been traveling to a client site in Pittsburgh pretty much every week but not that week because of my day off. 

 

Heard reports of a plane crash on the radio as I was driving to work. Then more news once I got into the office. Then things got really crazy and websites crashed due to volume and it was hard to get news. I called my wife who was at home and watching on TV and she told me one of the buildings collapsed - I couldn't fathom that. Just 2 years earlier we had moved from NYC and I was frequently working with financial clients in and around WTC - I was in that area all the time. Each of those buildings covered a huge city block and were over 100 stories tall - hard to describe how massive they were. Spent lots of time at 7 WTC where we had a client - couldn't understand how that building collapsed.

 

People started calling me after flight 93 crashed - knowing I was flying to PA every week they wanted to make sure I was OK. Again, lucky I wasn't traveling that week or I would have been stuck in Pittsburgh (or wherever my morning flight would have been grounded).

 

What I remember most was the silence -   everyone was so stunned nobody could speak - everyone walked around like a zombie for days. I would come home and my wife and I wouldn't speak - we were so dazed and there was nothing to say. Absolutely horrible.

 

Incredible recollections, thanks for posting that. 

26 minutes ago, Metal Man said:

I was at work listening to Howard Stern on the radio at my desk.

 

I remember he was telling a story about possibly having a chance to hook up with Pam Anderson and one of his staff interrupted about a plane hitting the world trade. They didn't think much of it at first thinking it was just a small accident so he continued with his story. However shortly after someone else came into the studio and mentioned being able to see smoke.

 

At this point I mentioned it to my cube neighbor, (who on a side not happened to be Tim Russert's sister), and she brought up CNN which already had a photo of the first plane hitting on the main page.

 

I went back to the radio and believe it or not Howard actually did a really good job of covering all the developments until well past his usual sign off time of 10 or 11am.

 

I don't think much work got done that day though I didn't leave early. Watched a lot of the coverage when I got home and recall just a strange mix of emotions ranging from anger, fear, and patriotism. 

 

I've heard bits of that broadcast and the documentary they made about it a few years ago. They were saying how different to the news stations it was, as Howard was just saying what he thought without having to remain impartial 

[DD4Bills]

I happened to be in midtown Manhattan attending a conference. As word started to filter through that a plane had hit a tower, most thought "that's weird...it's a beautiful day...pilot must have had a medical issue" and assumed it was a small private plane. Obviously, things progressed quickly from there as the scope of the events became apparent. Impressions from that day include:

 

- Furiously trying to get a hold of my wife back in Chicago and battling congested cell service

- standing on Broadway and looking south towards a smoke-filled sky

- Eerie silence as the day progressed and all traffic (except for emergency vehicles) ceased on the streets

- A unique "disaster camaraderie" that engulfed the people staying in the hotel. Only guests were allowed on the property and the bar was the main gathering spot

 

Ultimately, I was able to get off on Manhattan the next day, working my way north to an office my company had in CT. From there was able to rent a car and drive back to Chicago.

 

Even though I was not that close to the World Trade Center, just being in NYC that day has definitely affected me. To this day, I cannot watch 9-11 documentaries or retrospectives.

[nucci]

I was at Phiily airport working for USAir. My wife a FA who flew to Madrid the night before. Received a call from the tower to shut down operations and get everyone inside. Cell phones and messaging apps not as advanced back then  so could not get through to her to tell her what was happening. She was in Madrid for a week before she was able to fly home. Scary time for us

[The Avenger]

1 minute ago, nucci said:

I was at Phiily airport working for USAir. My wife a FA who flew to Madrid the night before. Received a call from the tower to shut down operations and get everyone inside. Cell phones and messaging apps not as advanced back then  so could not get through to her to tell her what was happening. She was in Madrid for a week before she was able to fly home. Scary time for us

Normal airport logistics are an incredible feat, but what happened on 9/11 and the ability to quickly shut everything down was amazing - being a part of that industry and undertaking must have been quite the experience. 

[sherpa]

I was a 767 check captain. In that position you train new captains and first officers and certify them on regular passenger flights before they start actually flying schedules. I left New York the afternoon prior and was in San Francisco. We left San Francisco on the return leg at 6am.

 

I had just finished the mandatory “seat belt” announcement when you reach cruise altitude, and were just east of Fallon Nevada. I saw the printer start printing a message. The company communicates in flight through a data link system that prints their messages. The message said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Do not allow the door to be opened.” Pretty strange message, so I read it and put it away without saying anything to the new co-pilot I was with.

A few minutes later, I got another message that said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Defend the cockpit at all cost. Suggest divert.”

 

I had been based in San Francisco my years as a first officer, and one of my old friends was going to NY so I told him to come up when we hit cruise so I could check up on old friends. He had just arrived and was sitting in the jumpseat. I told him something is going on, and asked him to listen to an AM station. The airplane has the ability to hear the am freq range. He told me that they were saying there had been multiple hijackings and suicide hits on the World Trade Center, and  they thought there were more to come. 767’s and 757’s, the two planes I was a check captain on.

There is a way to get all the flight attendants on the phone at the same time, so I  did that and explained the situation and had them block the cockpit door with service carts and two males guard the area, jumpseater behind me with the crash axe and fire extinguisher to get anyone trying to get in.

 

Told air traffic that we needed to divert to San Francisco, turned the thing around and started back. Fortunately, I was a west coast Navy pilot while in the military, so I knew all the bases and airports available in case something happened. Pushed the airplane up to max speed, .85 mach and started back.

Absolutely nothing from air traffic control. In fact the only other airplane I heard was a TWA who was heading back to Sacramento.

 

There was an undercast that day, so when we got under it I made an announcement to the passengers, who clearly knew something was up that we were over the Sacrament Valley returning to SFO, there was nothing wrong with the airplane and an agent would explain once we landed.

 

During this twenty five mins or so, I received a bunch of messages from the company verifying it was actually me flying the airplane, including one where they asked for a password I had no idea they had knowledge of. I finally sent them a message saying I was too busy to respond anymore. There is a lot of stuff involved in a wide body diversion. Lots of flight guidance inputs to change routes and destination. With a co-pilot on his first flight in the 767, I was basically solo.

 

Anyway, got to San Francisco approach control and they cleared me for the usual noise abatement approach, an arrival longer than necessary as it avoids high population, noise sensitive communities in the East Bay. I told them I wasn’t flying that arrival, that I was going to point the thing directly at the end of runway 28L and land. I also added that if anybody comes through our door I was going to put it in the Bay. They said “OK.”

 

Came over the San Mateo Bridge and noticed what looked like 30 emergency/police vehicles on the parallel taxiway. I landed, they all chased me to the gate and a bunch of them with weapons drawn were below us on the ramp.

Got to the hotel and found out that along with the other three crashes, American 77, Dulles to LA, a trip that I had flown for two years just prior to taking the check airman position had hit the Pentagon. Knew all of them.

Got a call from the FBI in the early afternoon asking me if I saw any unusual passengers as they de-planed. I told them I wasn’t watching.

A true horror story.

Edited September 2, 2021 by sherpa

[nucci]

24 minutes ago, The Avenger said:

Normal airport logistics are an incredible feat, but what happened on 9/11 and the ability to quickly shut everything down was amazing - being a part of that industry and undertaking must have been quite the experience. 

it was amazing how quickly it happened. 10am was a busy time for departures at that time. I was driving around checking on things and the quiet was very errie

[ExiledInIllinois]

Loading the car up with my pregnant wife, and 3 year old son in South Cheektowaga,  neighbor came out and said the buildings were crashed into.  Boy, that was a surreal drive back to Illinois!

[RobbRiddick]

46 minutes ago, sherpa said:

I was a 767 check captain. In that position you train new captains and first officers and certify them on regular passenger flights before they start actually flying schedules. I left New York the afternoon prior and was in San Francisco. We left San Francisco on the return leg at 6am.

 

I had just finished the mandatory “seat belt” announcement when you reach cruise altitude, and were just east of Fallon Nevada. I saw the printer start printing a message. The company communicates in flight through a data link system that prints their messages. The message said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Do not allow the door to be opened.” Pretty strange message, so I read it and put it away without saying anything to the new co-pilot I was with.

A few minutes later, I got another message that said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Defend the cockpit at all cost. Suggest divert.”

 

I had been based in San Francisco my years as a first officer, and one of my old friends was going to NY so I told him to come up when we hit cruise so I could check up on old friends. He had just arrived and was sitting in the jumpseat. I told him something is going on, and asked him to listen to an AM station. The airplane has the ability to hear the am freq range. He told me that they were saying there had been multiple hijackings and suicide hits on the World Trade Center, and  they thought there were more to come. 767’s and 757’s, the two planes I was a check captain on.

There is a way to get all the flight attendants on the phone at the same time, so I  did that and explained the situation and had them block the cockpit door with service carts and two males guard the area, jumpseater behind me with the crash axe and fire extinguisher to get anyone trying to get in.

 

Told air traffic that we needed to divert to San Francisco, turned the thing around and started back. Fortunately, I was a west coast Navy pilot while in the military, so I knew all the bases and airports available in case something happened. Pushed the airplane up to max speed, .85 mach and started back.

Absolutely nothing from air traffic control. In fact the only other airplane I heard was a TWA who was heading back to Sacramento.

 

There was an undercast that day, so when we got under it I made an announcement to the passengers, who clearly knew something was up that we were over the Sacrament Valley returning to SFO, there was nothing wrong with the airplane and an agent would explain once we landed.

 

During this twenty five mins or so, I received a bunch of messages from the company verifying it was actually me flying the airplane, including one where they asked for a password I had no idea they had knowledge of. I finally sent them a message saying I was too busy to respond anymore. There is a lot of stuff involved in a wide body diversion. Lots of flight guidance inputs to change routes and destination. With a co-pilot on his first flight in the 767, I was basically solo.

 

Anyway, got to San Francisco approach control and they cleared me for the usual noise abatement approach, an arrival longer than necessary as it avoids high population, noise sensitive communities in the East Bay. I told them I wasn’t flying that arrival, that I was going to point the thing directly at the end of runway 28L and land. I also added that if anybody comes through our door I was going to put it in the Bay. They said “OK.”

 

Came over the San Mateo Bridge and noticed what looked like 30 emergency/police vehicles on the parallel taxiway. I landed, they all chased me to the gate and a bunch of them with weapons drawn were below us on the ramp.

Got to the hotel and found out that along with the other three crashes, American 77, Dulles to LA, a trip that I had flown for two years just prior to taking the check airman position had hit the Pentagon. Knew all of them.

Got a call from the FBI in the early afternoon asking me if I saw any unusual passengers as they de-planed. I told them I wasn’t watching.

A true horror story.

 

Wow, this is an incredible read. The part about attendants blocking the door with carts is pretty chilling. 

 

My nephew who was just a kid back then, asked me at the time why they didn't have locks on the doors and I said people just didn't comprehend that people could do that sort of thing. I read an article that said up until 9/11 crew were always ordered to never try and stop a hijacking as a vast majority of them would end without civilian casualties. 

 

You'd obviously know more about that than I do

 

 

[sherpa]

5 minutes ago, RobbRiddick said:

 

Wow, this is an incredible read. The part about attendants blocking the door with carts is pretty chilling. 

 

My nephew who was just a kid back then, asked me at the time why they didn't have locks on the doors and I said people just didn't comprehend that people could do that sort of thing. I read an article that said up until 9/11 crew were always ordered to never try and stop a hijacking as a vast majority of them would end without civilian casualties. 

 

You'd obviously know more about that than I do

 

 

 

They did have locks on the cockpit door, and they were always locked in flight.

The doors were designed to be able to open with about 50 pounds of force. Not a lot.

This was done to ensure that if a mishap occurred, people could get in without super effort.

Things are vastly different now.

 

The way entry was made varies in each of the four instances.

There were no "orders" on how to handle attempted hijackings.

There were protocols but it is at the discretion of the captain.

[The Avenger]

1 hour ago, sherpa said:

I was a 767 check captain. In that position you train new captains and first officers and certify them on regular passenger flights before they start actually flying schedules. I left New York the afternoon prior and was in San Francisco. We left San Francisco on the return leg at 6am.

 

I had just finished the mandatory “seat belt” announcement when you reach cruise altitude, and were just east of Fallon Nevada. I saw the printer start printing a message. The company communicates in flight through a data link system that prints their messages. The message said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Do not allow the door to be opened.” Pretty strange message, so I read it and put it away without saying anything to the new co-pilot I was with.

A few minutes later, I got another message that said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Defend the cockpit at all cost. Suggest divert.”

 

I had been based in San Francisco my years as a first officer, and one of my old friends was going to NY so I told him to come up when we hit cruise so I could check up on old friends. He had just arrived and was sitting in the jumpseat. I told him something is going on, and asked him to listen to an AM station. The airplane has the ability to hear the am freq range. He told me that they were saying there had been multiple hijackings and suicide hits on the World Trade Center, and  they thought there were more to come. 767’s and 757’s, the two planes I was a check captain on.

There is a way to get all the flight attendants on the phone at the same time, so I  did that and explained the situation and had them block the cockpit door with service carts and two males guard the area, jumpseater behind me with the crash axe and fire extinguisher to get anyone trying to get in.

 

Told air traffic that we needed to divert to San Francisco, turned the thing around and started back. Fortunately, I was a west coast Navy pilot while in the military, so I knew all the bases and airports available in case something happened. Pushed the airplane up to max speed, .85 mach and started back.

Absolutely nothing from air traffic control. In fact the only other airplane I heard was a TWA who was heading back to Sacramento.

 

There was an undercast that day, so when we got under it I made an announcement to the passengers, who clearly knew something was up that we were over the Sacrament Valley returning to SFO, there was nothing wrong with the airplane and an agent would explain once we landed.

 

During this twenty five mins or so, I received a bunch of messages from the company verifying it was actually me flying the airplane, including one where they asked for a password I had no idea they had knowledge of. I finally sent them a message saying I was too busy to respond anymore. There is a lot of stuff involved in a wide body diversion. Lots of flight guidance inputs to change routes and destination. With a co-pilot on his first flight in the 767, I was basically solo.

 

Anyway, got to San Francisco approach control and they cleared me for the usual noise abatement approach, an arrival longer than necessary as it avoids high population, noise sensitive communities in the East Bay. I told them I wasn’t flying that arrival, that I was going to point the thing directly at the end of runway 28L and land. I also added that if anybody comes through our door I was going to put it in the Bay. They said “OK.”

 

Came over the San Mateo Bridge and noticed what looked like 30 emergency/police vehicles on the parallel taxiway. I landed, they all chased me to the gate and a bunch of them with weapons drawn were below us on the ramp.

Got to the hotel and found out that along with the other three crashes, American 77, Dulles to LA, a trip that I had flown for two years just prior to taking the check airman position had hit the Pentagon. Knew all of them.

Got a call from the FBI in the early afternoon asking me if I saw any unusual passengers as they de-planed. I told them I wasn’t watching.

A true horror story.

Wow - this is an amazing story - to hear from someone in a position such as yours on that day is incredible - thanks for sharing!

[Patrick Duffy]

1 hour ago, sherpa said:

I was a 767 check captain. In that position you train new captains and first officers and certify them on regular passenger flights before they start actually flying schedules. I left New York the afternoon prior and was in San Francisco. We left San Francisco on the return leg at 6am.

 

I had just finished the mandatory “seat belt” announcement when you reach cruise altitude, and were just east of Fallon Nevada. I saw the printer start printing a message. The company communicates in flight through a data link system that prints their messages. The message said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Do not allow the door to be opened.” Pretty strange message, so I read it and put it away without saying anything to the new co-pilot I was with.

A few minutes later, I got another message that said: “Numerous cockpit incursions. Defend the cockpit at all cost. Suggest divert.”

 

I had been based in San Francisco my years as a first officer, and one of my old friends was going to NY so I told him to come up when we hit cruise so I could check up on old friends. He had just arrived and was sitting in the jumpseat. I told him something is going on, and asked him to listen to an AM station. The airplane has the ability to hear the am freq range. He told me that they were saying there had been multiple hijackings and suicide hits on the World Trade Center, and  they thought there were more to come. 767’s and 757’s, the two planes I was a check captain on.

There is a way to get all the flight attendants on the phone at the same time, so I  did that and explained the situation and had them block the cockpit door with service carts and two males guard the area, jumpseater behind me with the crash axe and fire extinguisher to get anyone trying to get in.

 

Told air traffic that we needed to divert to San Francisco, turned the thing around and started back. Fortunately, I was a west coast Navy pilot while in the military, so I knew all the bases and airports available in case something happened. Pushed the airplane up to max speed, .85 mach and started back.

Absolutely nothing from air traffic control. In fact the only other airplane I heard was a TWA who was heading back to Sacramento.

 

There was an undercast that day, so when we got under it I made an announcement to the passengers, who clearly knew something was up that we were over the Sacrament Valley returning to SFO, there was nothing wrong with the airplane and an agent would explain once we landed.

 

During this twenty five mins or so, I received a bunch of messages from the company verifying it was actually me flying the airplane, including one where they asked for a password I had no idea they had knowledge of. I finally sent them a message saying I was too busy to respond anymore. There is a lot of stuff involved in a wide body diversion. Lots of flight guidance inputs to change routes and destination. With a co-pilot on his first flight in the 767, I was basically solo.

 

Anyway, got to San Francisco approach control and they cleared me for the usual noise abatement approach, an arrival longer than necessary as it avoids high population, noise sensitive communities in the East Bay. I told them I wasn’t flying that arrival, that I was going to point the thing directly at the end of runway 28L and land. I also added that if anybody comes through our door I was going to put it in the Bay. They said “OK.”

 

Came over the San Mateo Bridge and noticed what looked like 30 emergency/police vehicles on the parallel taxiway. I landed, they all chased me to the gate and a bunch of them with weapons drawn were below us on the ramp.

Got to the hotel and found out that along with the other three crashes, American 77, Dulles to LA, a trip that I had flown for two years just prior to taking the check airman position had hit the Pentagon. Knew all of them.

Got a call from the FBI in the early afternoon asking me if I saw any unusual passengers as they de-planed. I told them I wasn’t watching.

A true horror story.

 

Yeah I imagine it was pretty intense. You were basically in the thick of everything. I'm sure in your mind you thought for a very long time how it could have easily been you and your plane. 

[BuffaloBud]

Was working for Square D / Schneider Electric in Raleigh NC.  Normal day - big multi-plant operations review going on.  Heard the news from someone walking by my desk.  Switched over to TBD and WGR radio.  The plant leadership team hustled to get a couple of vans rented and they drove back to Columbia / Seneca SC, Ashville NC and Louisville KY.  Sent text to wife to fill car up with gas.  Nothing got done past noon - left early.  First thing I did was put my flag up.

 

Still remember the individual that was a frequent poster on TBD and his account of leaving the area and of getting home.

[ExiledInIllinois]

4 minutes ago, BuffaloBud said:

Was working for Square D / Schneider Electric in Raleigh NC.  Normal day - big multi-plant operations review going on.  Heard the news from someone walking by my desk.  Switched over to TBD and WGR radio.  The plant leadership team hustled to get a couple of vans rented and they drove back to Columbia / Seneca SC, Ashville NC and Louisville KY.  Sent text to wife to fill car up with gas.  Nothing got done past noon - left early.  First thing I did was put my flag up.

 

Still remember the individual that was a frequent poster on TBD and his account of leaving the area and of getting home.

SideBar: Is Square D manufacturing still made in the US 🇺🇸?

[Captain Caveman]

I was living with my parents, had graduated College in May and bounced around a couple bad jobs, and was off for a week before starting my next one, working selling TVs at an electronics store.  I woke up late and watched news coverage until around Noon, tried calling to check on some friends who lived in the city (some who worked downtown) but couldn't reach anyone.  Late morning or early afternoon I drove into the store where I was about to start working to check in and remember watching so much terrible stuff on a giant wall of TVs.  I finally heard from my friend who worked downtown the next day via email, he had walked home about 15 miles to the southern tip of Brooklyn.  I moved to the city a few months later, and met so many people who were really forever changed by it.

[dhg]

I worked second shift and was home with my young children. I remember listening to WGR and them mentioning a plane hitting one of the towers, but didn't think a lot of it, assuming from the way they were saying that it, it was a small plane that hit. Then the reports of a commercial plane hitting it so I rushed to turn on the TV. I called my wife at work and was describing to her what was happening. It was surreal.

 

Also, want to add that I lived right by the Buffalo airport and was used to hearing planes takeoff and land all the time. With all flights grounded for several days (maybe a week or so?) the silence was eerie not to hear that. 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Working in Boca.   
 

2 blocks from where that little newspaper place got “gassed” with some bio agent 

[sherpa]

2 minutes ago, dhg said:

 With all flights grounded for several days (maybe a week or so?) the silence was eerie not to hear that. 

 

Four days.

I got out of San Francisco to LA and the all nighter to Dulles on Friday night/Sat morning.

Sat next to Mike Wilbon, (Pardon the Interruption), from LA to Dulles.

Not impressed with his view of the magnitude of this.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Was a senior in college.  Woke up at around 11am after a long night at the bar.  Walked out in the hall of my dorm to head to the shower and saw people sobbing in the hallway.  Didn’t think much about it in my hung-over state until I got to the cafeteria for lunch and realized what had happened.  Crazy.

[Just Jack]

I was working for the county doing computer support. Our office was across the hall from the Emergency Operations Center. The EOC director came over and told us a plane had hit the WTC and did we want to see. We walk over and right as we walk into his office I see the second plane hit. But I can't comprehend what I'm seeing, since at that point is was an accident. Spent the next several hours between his office, my office, and the EOC. Phones ringing off the hook, Directors, Supervisors coming down, even increased security. We were in such a remote location and everyone knew everyone that was supposed to work there that we weren't bothering to wear ID badges. It was primary day that day, and I remember wishing the mayor good luck, he told me they'd probably stop the voting that day. Saw several live reports done that day with the County Exec, the Mayor, and others done. The rest of the week was spent in a daze.

 

2 hours ago, BuffaloBud said:

Still remember the individual that was a frequent poster on TBD and his account of leaving the area and of getting home.

 

That was @Guffalo.  If you follow the link @LeviF posted early in the thread, you'll find it there. He may post it again.  

 

1 hour ago, dhg said:

Also, want to add that I lived right by the Buffalo airport and was used to hearing planes takeoff and land all the time. With all flights grounded for several days (maybe a week or so?) the silence was eerie not to hear that. 

 

I lived by the Syracuse airport.  The only planes I heard for days was the Air National Guard taking off.  

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

At work we were locking all kinds of boats as usual...  Including petrol-Chem that would make Lebanon 🇱🇧  2020 look like a fire cracker... Business as usual. ...

 

...Till MSO (Marine Safety Office) Chicago shut us down on Wednesday 9/12... 😆 

 

Driving home,  hearing all the ports were shut down, I expected we would be too.  I guess we fell through the cracks of the system. Inland Waterway was business as usual.

 

FWIW... That was the weekend of the Bills Home Opener (9/9/01) vs. Saints.  Gregg Williams' first game.   Coming back from that debacle.  I still have the ticket w/his dirty mug on it.  Anybody want to buy it?  50 bucks.   😆 

 

 

[DefenseWins]

I would normally have been at work but had taken the day off to have some new furniture delivered. I was watching things unfold on my big screen TV via CNN as it happened...

[Just Joshin']

I was on day 2 of a new job - walked into a production meeting and heard the news.  Will never forget my start date.

 

The week before I flew into DC to get my connection back to ROC.  Came right down the river and thought how close all the buildings were to the flight path.  Never thought people would crash planes on purpose into buildings.

[Augie]

1 hour ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

Was a senior in college.  Woke up at around 11am after a long night at the bar.  Walked out in the hall of my dorm to head to the shower and saw people sobbing in the hallway.  Didn’t think much about it in my hung-over state until I got to the cafeteria for lunch and realized what had happened.  Crazy.

 

 

Ahh, college - home of the late Monday night out at the bar!   

 

I was on my way to the office listening to Mike & Mike while Greeny was trying to hold it together. Being the NYC guy he is he was really struggling, but as he asked, what else are you going to do besides keep going with the show?

 

Facts were slim when I got to the office. I had assumed the first one was a small plane and “just an accident”.  As I passed by a buddies office I stuck my head in just in time to see the second plane hit on his small TV, and it was NOT a small plane, nor was it an accident. Stunned silence. We were only about a mile from where President Bush was visiting an elementary school, and things around the school and the airport quickly got shut down. 

 

We were scheduled to take the kids from Sarasota, FL to NYC the first week in November. It seems odd now in retrospect, but we didn’t know if we should cancel. So much was unknown! We ended up going and made a lot of memories, but I’ll never forget visiting Ground Zero which was still madness sat the time. Very emotional. 

 

Speaking of emotional, shortly thereafter a new kid showed up and made our son’s traveling soccer team. Nice kid and a good little player. They had just moved from NYC where his dad worked in the WTC. He had another appointment that morning and was working from home, but the mom was in the tower about an hour before the first hit. He watched the hits and the collapse from their home. Most of the people he worked with died that day, and they decided they needed a permanent change of scenery and moved to Florida.

 

The guy two doors down from us also technically worked from the WTC and lost most of the people he worked with. We were friendly with them, and that changed him. He treated himself to a VERY fancy new car and a place at the beach after that.  Enjoy life while you can, I guess. Counting how many people died that day is just the tip of the iceberg compared to how many lives were impacted. 

 

One positive thing that comes of tragedy is seeing how people rally together. I don’t care if it’s a hurricane or wildfires or blizzards. People are often at their very best in the face of adversity. I think 9/11 was that on steroids because it brought out the patriotism in people. It wasn’t wildfires out west or a hurricane down in the Gulf, this hit everyone. 

[Wacka]

Lived in the SF area. My alarm clock went off at 6 AM and the first thing I hear is a plane hut the WTC. No details. They thought maybe a cessna.  I immediately walk in the living rom and turn on the TV. Maybe 5-10 seconds later the second plane hit. Was standing in my BVDs saying "Holy F'n S for about 5 minutes.  Watched as both came dpwn and made my way to work about 8:30 AM.  Of course everybody is in and out of the lunchroom all day. At around noon, a co-worker comes in and says"look what I found in my desk". 

We had a branch in Jersey and he would travel back and forth a lot, He would get tickets for two or three days around  the expected date of coming back and then turn in the unused used ones for a refund or credit. The tickets were the blue computer cards then  and he shows us one for flight 93 for that day. He had got done early and flew back the evening before. He could have been on that flight and was one of those empty seats on that flight.

Two people on flight 93 were  from the SF area.  

I remember going to the WTC in Sept 1991. I look for my pictures and found them. My Kodak put the date on the photos. I had visited it on 9/10/91

Edited September 2, 2021 by Wacka

[Punching Bag]

 

I had taken the day off work but evidently word had not been passed.

I worked at DISA HQ very close to the pentagon. 

Sometimes I'd give rides to pentagon so people did need to wait for shuttle bus.

When they did head count they did not find me so they called emergency contact and got me.

I confirmed I was safe to caller.

 

Less than half hour later my wife called and said I might want to not go to work today.

While I was scheduled off I frequently was off but would go to work when I got an alert.

 

When I went to work next day many were still shook with some taking time off. 

Many there worked at pentagon some days.

There were a lot of people at shuttle bus stop next day; a lot of parking was eliminated.

I stopped out of gate and said I'd take as many as I could to metro station if they were taking metro.

[Talley56]

In class.  I was at a Community College at the time.  The class lasted pretty much throughout the whole time that everything was going on.  I had no idea.  Then, when our class was moving to the computer lab, I saw a large group of students and professors gathered intently watching something on the TVs that were in the cafeteria.  When I looked up at the TVs, all I saw was a tall building on fire along with some caption about the World Trade Center collapsing.  When our class got to the computer lab, we all pretty much went online to see what on earth was going on and we found out little by little the horrors that had been going on that morning.

[BillsPride12]

A lot of very fascinating yet tragic stories in here, thank you to everybody sharing them.  It really hits home reading some of the accounts from people who were closer to this situation on here than I would've guessed.  

[Richmond_Bills]

I was on an early morning flight from Richmond to Portland, ME, with a connection in Logan.  Landed in Logan some time around 830.  Had a bit of a layover, so walked around with some co-workers to get some breakfast.  Got back to the gate and they made an announcement that the flight to Portland was delayed.  Everyone was like "oh great, of course...".  A little while later another announcement - a longer delay.  Nobody knew what was happening.  I called the lady in Portland that we were going to see and she said "oh is it because of the plane hitting the building?".  I had no idea what she was talking about about.  

 

Finally - the last announcement - "The airport is closed.  Please head to baggage claim to collect your belongings.  Get out of the airport immediately".  Holy crap - what is going on.  We started hearing words of the crash, etc.  We go down to baggage claim and suitcases literally stacked floor to ceiling.  Luckily we spotted ours quickly and went to the Hertz kiosk outside the airport.  Waited for a loooong time and literally got one of the last cars.  

 

Consult with my dad who was a trucker/bus driver his whole life for best route back to Richmond - didn't want to drive through NYC/DC.  Decided to go East on 90 into NYS and pick up 81 to go south.  Here's the rub - it's total grid lock getting out of Boston.  Literally traffic jam for hours.  Finally get to Natick, MA (Doug Flutie's hometown) about 6 p.m.  Stop at a Dunkin - get some food and see the images for the first time on TV.  Push on and decide to drive as far as we can.  End up getting to Carlisle, PA some time around midnight or later.  Check into some cheap hotel.  Sleep for about 5-6 hours.  Get up and leave for the rest of the drive.  Was back in Richmond late morning.  Craziest day of my life.

 

My wife was at home with a 7 month old, scared out of her mind.  A day that I will never, ever forget.  

[snafu]

That day was my eighth wedding anniversary.  
I was supposed to be about a block away from the World Trade Center at 9:00 that morning, but put off the meeting until 4:00 because I had to stay home with my 3 year old until 9:00 when our sitter showed up.  I got in my car and it was a perfect weather morning. I had the radio on and heard about the first plane and then the second and I kept driving like a zombie from my house in LI to my office in Brooklyn. Traffic was bad on the Long Island Expressway and I remember the ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks heading toward the scene. There where lots of them. Lots.  People made way for them and I sometimes think about the men and women who rushed to the scene and didn’t make it back. I kept trying to call my wife, who was at work in a federal office building in Queens, but the phone lines were jammed up and I couldn’t get through to her. 

 

When I got close to my office, I could see both buildings smoldering. I don’t know why I kept driving.  It was like I was on auto pilot while I listened to the radio. I came over the Greenpoint Avenue bridge and both buildings were right in front of me, so close. They looked like candles that had been just blown out, the smoke was blowing to the east  I turned down a side street just as they were broadcasting that the first building went down.  The reporter’s voice just conveyed shock and a bit of panic. I finally made  it to work and everyone on the street was silent and stunned.  A couple co-workers and I walked down toward the river to see what we could see.  The second building was down. I’m glad I didn’t see either of them go down, but I felt it with sadness. We saw a couple fighters fly over our heads and just walked back to the office and didn’t get a damn thing done. 
 

I walked to the flower shop that was supposed to deliver roses to my wife and brought them home to her. Our anniversaries have never been quite the same ever since. 2001 is always in the background of our minds. So many people lost so much. 
 

I’ve got two weeks worth of NYTimes from the 12th through the 25th wrapped up in a bundle in my attic.  I don’t know if I’ll ever go back and look at them, but I’ll never throw them out.  

 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Was in grad school and saw a people on their cell phones (the few who had them) in a panic trying to call loved ones in NYC. The prof was an old guy and clueless and was angrily trying to get everyone to their seats. 
 

I think we had class— but i still remember the one classmate on his phone in a panic, who said his brother was in NYC. 

[Simon]

8 hours ago, sherpa said:

 I finally sent them a message saying I was too busy to respond anymore. There is a lot of stuff involved in a wide body diversion. Lots of flight guidance inputs to change routes and destination. With a co-pilot on his first flight in the 767, I was basically solo.

 

Anyway, got to San Francisco approach control and they cleared me for the usual noise abatement approach, an arrival longer than necessary as it avoids high population, noise sensitive communities in the East Bay. I told them I wasn’t flying that arrival, that I was going to point the thing directly at the end of runway 28L and land. I also added that if anybody comes through our door I was going to put it in the Bay. They said “OK.”

 

You the man, Sherp..... 👊

[Johnnycage46]

I was in the Coast Guard in a training and we all got dismissed without knowing what was going on but I remember the officers split FAST and I remembee thinking it seemed odd but all made sense soon enough unfortunately.

 

Sad day in world history.  I still think about all those poor souls on that day.  Awful.

[billsherd]

I was in school library room with the class. We had the TV on and it was live. One of the student said something stupid after the first plane hit the tower. He was sent to the office and later suspended. This was in Toronto.

Edited September 3, 2021 by billsherd