It’s been 10 years since the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. 10 years since we lost more than 3,000 people to radical Islamic murderers. 10 years of memories, memorials, and healing. 10 years of not forgetting what happened or who was responsible for it.
In the days which followed the September 11th 2001 attacks, Americans came together only to separate again – but for a few days anyway, Americans were united in the knowledge of who perpetrated this attack and the belief that we needed to go and get them no matter where they were hiding, no matter how long it would take.
It was al Qaeda. Radical Islam. An ideology not a religion. They had been at war with us for years but we had not accepted that stance; and instead, passed off their aggression as isolated attacks, a matter for law enforcement rather than for the military. We had been wrong in that tact and on September 11th 2001, we paid for it.
Everybody remembers where they were and what they were doing when the first news came that we had indeed been attacked. I have asked friends, through social media, to briefly recount their stories of that moment.
Rhonda Nappier Haynes – On 9-11, I was on my way to work, had a meeting that day…It was awful…had the radio on and it happened…got to work and everyone was in tears…Went to the meeting, another plane hit the Pentagon…People left the meeting and went home to be with family. I would have but someone had to stay at work…the store was empty, customers were at home. I said a prayer for all the people and for AMERICA. When I got home, I looked at my flag in my yard and got on my knees and cried…so proud to be an AMERICAN…GOD BLESS US ALL.
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Ian Waxler – In August of 2001, my wife & I made a 2-week vacation trip to Europe, and on our return to the USA, we spent a few days stopover in NYC. Of course my wife being from Romania, I wanted to show her some of the sights.. The Statue Of Liberty, Ellis 
Island….and though it was a Sunday, so we saw the building looked empty… we parked almost across the street from the WTT!
The Twin Towers.. were truly a magnificent shot.. and virtually all the photos we took on Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.. well, in the background of them all you see the WTTs… They WERE the NYC skyline! As surely the dominating feature as would be the Golden Gate Bridge in SF!
It was a short FIVE days later back in LA, when getting up about 6:30am in LA, we turned on the news… and the TV screen was filled with the smoke billowing out of the 2nd tower that was fully engulfed.. We burst into tears to see the carnage.. the scenes of Armageddon were simply horrific but we couldn’t stop!
The only event in my lifetime of such impact up to that point, was the death of JFK! It was profound. It was life changing. It steeled me to realize we were in the war of our lifetime with people who were disjointed in their collective efforts..But no less deadly and diabolical, in the same genre as sociopaths who murder without hesitation man, woman, and child. The fiends who were snuff out the life of an innocent child or cut the throats of an entire family and then go have lunch!
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Kevin W. – I was at work, listening to the local talk radio station when they broke in with the new. They did not allow us to watch any of the news feeds on the web, so I went out to my van to see if I could get any new on the TV. They already had video on the air, of the first plane hitting the towers. The original reports said that the plane that crashed into the building was small commuter plane or jet. It wasn’t until you saw the video that you could tell that it was a jumbo jet of some sort.
It wasn’t until after I got back into the office that I heard about the second plane hitting the towers.
Needless to say, not much work got done that day, because everyone was talking about it.
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Jennifer Stephens – On 9-11 I was a Marine on active duty. I was in San Diego, so it was early for us, when the planes hit. I was living in the Barracks. Across from the Barracks was a recreation building that had a massively over-sized TV and a glass front, so I 
could see the TV. That morning I saw the TV as I came down from my room, and assumed it was Armageddon, or some other such disaster movie. The thought that it was live – was real – didn’t enter my mind.
Someone asked, “Did you see the TV?”
“Yeah. They’re watching Armageddon again.”
“No. That’s LIVE! That’s live in New York!”
I turned back to the TV and watched the replays that were going. The planes hitting the towers. It seemed so unreal. This had to be some movie. This couldn’t be live TV. The Twins couldn’t be burning. But they were still standing. At least the Twins were still standing. Of course, that did last…
We all started hurrying to work. As the corner of the Barracks we got word the Pentagon had been hit.
I turned to my friend and said, “Someone just declared war on us.” Others were voicing the same thought.
The usual morning formation was brief and tense. Security was already tightening up around Base. We were wondering if the West Coast would be hit next. We knew that we’d end up going somewhere to avenge this. There was a lot of anger that the enemy – whoever it was – had gone right past the military and hit civilians. We’d signed up for the risk, they hadn’t. Someone was going to pay. At least the attack on Pearl Harbor had been a military target, not civilian.
There was also many saying that this is why we’d signed up. Not to sit in the Barracks, or on a beach in San Diego, but to fight for our Country when needed. And we knew that, as Marines, we’d be among the first ones in. I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of ‘my boys’. These 19-20 year olds who loved to joke, play, drink, and goof off were now showing their maturity. Showing the love of this Country that had driven them to become Marines. Play time was over. If the enemy wanted a fight, we’d make damn sure they got one.
All planes were grounded. A short while later the Major came out and said he wanted every live air-to-air missile on the flight line – now. People scrambled. It was perhaps the one day no one wanted to be a Pilot. We knew that the only planes left up there were civilian planes, and no one wanted to be the Pilot that shot one down, even to save more lives. Thankfully, every missile we sent up came back down and went back to storage. Though, when we heard about Pennsylvania, we did wonder if our boys had been forced to shoot it down. That was… hard. It was a relief to learn the truth, and know it hadn’t been shot down.
I think it was good that we had to be busy. We couldn’t just sit and watch the TV. We had work to do. This was why we were Marines – to take action when our Country needed us. Our only wish was that there was more we could do.
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Charles Brey – I was working, driving to my next work-site in Kenosha, Wisconsin, listening to Mancow in the Morning out of Chicago. He stopped his regular schtick and started reporting on this, but at first I thought it was a joke in incredibly bad taste. I tuned to other stations, but there was nothing being said at all. I tuned back and listened to the blow-by-blow reports and realized
that there was no typical aircraft traffic or con-trails. I saw several commercial aircraft in a loitering orbit, stacked up… very atypical and downright surreal. What I saw, but didn’t hear anywhere else lended credibility to what Mancow was saying.
When I arrived at the work site they had a TV on in the break room with news coverage of the event. The buildings I used to see every morning when I was stationed in NYC were burning. I had seen fires there before and was actually on duty and put on alert when they tried to blow them up with the truck bomb in 1993. I never dreamed that this act of war would fell the two biggest trees in the American forest of commerce.
I don’t exactly remember what I was doing or where I was when the 2nd tower was hit, but I remember what I was thinking… “The world has just changed. Is this what it felt like on December 7th, 1941?”
When I got home I hugged my family and wondered if and when they would call me out of retirement. They never did because of medical considerations and a huge increase in enlistments.
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Dana – On the morning of 9/11, I was in the throes of remodeling our new home. In fact, I was in the process of removing a set of kitchen cabinets and appliances from another job to take to our new home. The individual from whom I purchased the cabinets and appliances came in and made the announcement! We had no television at the time and could only listen on the radio! Needless to say, when we finished removing the cabinets and appliances we made a bee line to the house where we could take in the reports on television. As you might expect, our day was turned upside down as was everyone’s!
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James Murphy – On the Morning of 9/11 I was preparing to conduct a Forensics Animation Class that was to take place the following day at our Animation and Graphics Facility.
Most Forensics Animators are in Law Enforcement so the makeup of that particular class included first responders. I wasn’t aware of the 1st plane hit until I got a phone call from a client that was supposed to fly in for our class that evening. He was at a crash site downtown NY City doing a survey when the first plane went in. He told me to turn on the TV. I had him on the Cell Phone while I was watching TV.
The Second Plane Hit the other Tower Live on TV! What still puts the hair up on the back of my head is that I could hear the crowd gasp in the background live when it happened as both my client and I were watching that 2nd plane hit. He on the street on his cell phone to me and me, talking to him watching it on TV. I will Never Forget That Moment of Sight and Live Sound!
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As for me, September 11th 2001, started, as it did for everyone, as a normal day. I was the co-host of the morning show on KFRX radio in Lincoln,, Nebraska and we were doing what we always did. KFRX was a top 40 station and we were playing music and having fun, making jokes and carrying on.
It was just after 7:30 am our time when the board op on one of our sister stations poked his head in our studio and told me that a plane had just hit the WTC. Brandon was a joker and my initial response was…”Yeah, sure.” Brandon said, “No, really, it’s on the TV…Come see for yourself.”
We were in a song so, rather reluctantly, I walked into his studio next to ours and there, on the TV monitor, I could see smoke pouring out of one of the towers.
“Wow. What kind of plane was it?” Brandon said that they were reporting it was a small commuter plane. That puzzled me because I knew how small commuter planes were and I told him that, “That hole looks pretty big for a commuter.”
By then, I had to get back to our studio and after a few minutes on the air, I went back to Brandon’s studio. As he and I watched, I saw a plane flying in from the right side of the screen. I’ll never forget what happened next.
My words, half tongue in cheek…”Hey look, here comes another one.”
There was a fireball. Neither one of us said a word.
Finally, I said, “That plane didn’t fly past the tower did it?”
Silence from Brandon.
I said, “That plane hit the tower. That’s not a replay is it? That’s 2 planes that hit the towers isn’t it?”
Brandon said “Yeah, I think so.”
That’s when I knew…That’s when I said it…
“This is on purpose. We’re being attacked.”
With that, I bolted back into our studio and when we went back on the air seconds later, I reported what I had just seen.
“A second plane just hit the second World Trade Center tower. It looked to me like a passenger jet and there was a huge explosion. This makes 2 planes hitting the World Trade Center just minutes apart. Folks, this can NOT be an accident. This is serious. New York is being attacked. We’re under attack.”
Dawson, the host of our show, didn’t “get” it and wanted to continue with our regular show. He kept playing music and I continued to give reports. I called my wife Susan at home and told her, “Just listen, I don’t have time to talk…New York is being attacked…2 planes have been flown into the Twin Towers. Grab my Sony Watchman and bring it to me now…I want that thing in my hands in 10 minutes.”
I knew full well it took 20 minutes to drive from our house to the radio station but she made it in 10. With an ear bud in one ear and my headphones covering the other so I could monitor both the TV coverage and our own station, every time a song or commercial break ended, I provided updates to our listeners.
Things were happening so fast. I reported that the planes had been hijacked. Off the air I told Dawson to stop the show and take the live ABC News feed which he declined to do. The Pentagon was on fire. Again I told him to take the feed and again he insisted on trying to continue our top 40 format. The Pentagon had been hit by a jet. TAKE THE FEED…He didn’t. 1st tower collapsed…gone…GO TO ABC!!! No…second tower…Pennsylvania…
Finally, with commercials playing on our air, I told Dawson, in no uncertain terms, “Listen you idiot, OUR COUNTRY IS UNDER ATTACK…THIS COULD BE THE START OF WWIII…GO TO THE ABC FEED AND LEAVE IT THERE OR I’M COMING OVER THIS COUNTER AND I WILL BEAT YOU FEATURELESS!!!
Finally, with only minutes to go on our show, he took the feed.
As soon as I was off the air, I got on the phone and called the Lincoln Blood Bank. I told them to get ready because we were coming the next morning to do a drive for victims in New York. We didn’t know at that moment there wouldn’t be any needing blood.
I knew by that time that no planes would be flying and collecting blood in Lincoln Nebraska for people half a country away was going to pose a unique problem. My next call was to Lt. Kevin Haines at the Nebraska Air National Guard. After telling Kevin of the plan for the next morning, I’ll never forget his words.
“Craig…you get the blood and we’ll get it to New York.”
I discovered later that the first shipment of blood to arrive there from outside the state of New York, came from Lincoln, Nebraska.
September 11th 2001 is a day we will never forget. We remember where we were and what we were doing. We remember the sights we watched and the sounds we heard. We remember, too, those who were lost and the families and friends they left behind.
In New York, on this important day, the 10th anniversary, those who are more concerned with political correctness than with true remembrance have set guidelines excluding, of all people, the first responders and clergy. There is no time for prayers at the official ceremony they say and no room for first responders.
More than 300 first responders lost their lives in New York that day and the first body actually identified was that of a priest – but there is no room and no time for these heroes?
A steel I-beam in the shape of a cross left standing in the rubble where people gathered that day and in the days after to pray is now an artifact some are trying to keep out of the 9-11 museum. Why? Because they say it would violate the “separation” of church and state.
The White House has released talking points for officials both abroad and here at home and have made it known that any talk of al Quaeda should be kept to the barest minimum in any event on 9-11.
Those who oppose such remembrances and oppose the inclusion of those heroes who ran toward the devastation 10 years ago are wrong and should be ashamed. Those who try to water down the events of that day or try to hush hush the name of the organization or ideology responsible for it should likewise be ashamed.
Patriots, true Patriots, know who the heroes were that day whether they wore the uniforms of first responders, were members of the clergy, were citizens who helped save lives or look for the dead or passengers on a plane over a field in PA. Patriots, true patriots, also know who was responsible for the death and destruction that day. Radical Islam and al Quaeda were responsible.
Those who seek to exclude or diminish the true history of that day, September 11th 2001 are only fooling themselves as they cannot now, nor ever, erase the facts from the hearts and minds of true Patriots.
We Will Never Forget.
We Remember
To watch the 9-11 Tribute Video, please click here.
I am from Staten Island~one of the boroughs that make up the City Of NY~ we can see the towers from here~ when this happened we all tried to get into Manhattan to help but they had closed off all the bridges and tunnels to anyone that was not considered a first responder~ we were left to stay where we were and we all tried to give blood~ so many ppl volunteered to give blood that the hospitals ran out of bags~ it didn’t matter though because there wasn’t many survivors~The phones~TVs and radios were out temporarily~The smoke was horrible as was the fire that burned well into NOV~ on Nov 11 there was another plane crash in the Boro of Queens which most ppl in NYC feel was also a terrorist attack the govt refuses to acknowledge~AND the SMELL ~~ I can’t begin to describe~~ It blew over ALL of the Boros of NYC~~ I believe there are many ppl that were NOT first responders that will die from inhaling that “SOUP” of mercury~glass~asbestos~ etc~which the powers that be SWORE to be safe~~
I made a quick trip into town to go get a cup of coffee, that morning. While driving home, turning onto our dirt road, I heard that a ‘small plane’ hit the WTC. I remember thinking, “WHAT THE HECK?” I thought ‘that’s impossible!’ and I KNEW in my gut that something was ‘WRONG!’. When I pulled up the driveway at the ranch, My sons, ages 20 and 18, came running out…”MOM! a plane hit the trade center!” We ran inside and were watching the reports as they came in -watching people jump from the burning buildings, watched while the 2nd plane hit- I remember that sinking, helpless feeling! I started to pray for America, and for what we were about to hear.
I got on the phone to call my girls in CA… woke up the first one- who had a 2 yr. old son, told her to turn on the tv, that we’d been attacked- I felt helpless that I was so far away. Next, I woke my older daughter up and she told me she had to get ready to go to the airport- to fly to Chicago… I told her she wasn’t going anywhere- begging her to stay home. She argued that she had to go to work… No sooner, did the announcement come that ‘ALL FLIGHTS CANCELLED!”, Thank God, she was staying home, with her young boys!
My sons and I watched in horror, as reports came in about the Pentagon being hit, and the flight going down in Shanksville. I remember just breaking down in disbelief, and heartache as we watched people’s lives end in their last jump to escape the burning buildings. For me there was a fear as to ‘what’s next?’ In anger and unison I remember BOTH of the boys saying..”WE’RE GOING! WE’RE GOING NOW!” “We are going after them!” “You understand we HAVE to, don’t you, Mom?” and they put calls in to their recruiter- (both boys had already enlisted in the Marines on the delayed program until they finished school later in May). Of course, it wasn’t that simple…but they were determined to ‘get going’ in the fight!
We listened to Pres. GW Bush give a remarkable speech about the events, and that we would FIND those who did this! My boys vowed they would do their ‘duty’…and as soon as they were allowed in May and June 2002, they did…and they are!
Today, I found out from my nephew, that my sister (we haven’t spoken in years) still has her paper ticket from that day. She and her boyfriend were scheduled to be on Flight 11 that day, but because her boyfriend was having heart problems, they were delayed at my nephew’s for an extra day. It was chilling hearing this on the 10th anniversary.
May GOD bless all who died that day, and all our troops who have fought/died in the name of FREEDOM for these United States!
Craig, thank you for this fine article and for providing a way to share rembrances of that terrible morning September 11, 2001. I was at my computer as I have been every early morning since 9/11 to this day. Suddenly my husband came to the door of my computer room, urgency in his voice, telling me to come to the television in the living room. He said, “You’re not going to believe this.” I was stunned to see the images of the World Trade Center with billowing smoke after an airliner had crashed into a tower. It was shocking and even more so when the second tower was struck by yet another airliner. It was unbelievable, as others felt, also! “Not in America!” “How could this happen?” “Why?!” With the second plane especially it was clear that this was deliberate.
My husband was on the original contruction engineering team as a PhD. soils and foundations specialist. 10 of those killed in the towers that day were old friends and associates from when they built the World Trade Center. For him, it was the destruction of “his baby” as he’s referred to the towers, and simply unbelievable that they could have been taken down in a matter of minutes–he said no one ever expected a commercial aircraft to be deliberately flown into the building, which the blueprints would have shown the terrorists would fall only as a result of the intense heat from the explosion and fuel, weakening the four outer corners holding each floor successively. As the metal supports weakened at the top from the heat, they bent away enough to allow the top floor to drop, and from there the weight upon each successive floor all the way down was inevitable. Even the elevator shaft was in the center of the floors, the only support: the construction of the walls and the 4 corners holding each floor.
It was a terrible television sight, and oh so terrible for all those who perished and their families and friends suddenly, so drastly without there loved ones. God bless them all. We must Never Forget….
I work as a nurse at the Utah State Hospital. On 9/11/01, I remember hearing the news and feeling numb. My co-workers all shared in the chaos and we were left to encourage one another.
The main thing that struck me later that morning was, in trying to alleviate each others fears, we almost forgot what news like that must be to the type of clients we work with. Many of our patients have schizophrenia and deal with paranoia and fear every day of their lives. Even though they are, at times, caught up in their own human experience, many expressed all the same emotions we felt that morning. Processing the event with them was in a very special way, healing for all of us.
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It was my only day off in over 4 years, I was awakened by the sound of the phone that wouldn’t stop ringing, by this time the first plane had already struck the first tower. As I went to read who had called me, I turned on the TV right as the second plane struck. I was truly stunned and knew that this was a terrible travesty. I watched the news, glued to my sofa for hours upon hours, crying my eyes out. I still to this day, ten years later cannot even listen to them read the names or watch them scroll as the tears start to stream down. My heart breaks for those who lost their loved ones. There is no one in this world that could ever force me to remove this day from my head and heart. There is no bandaid big enough to cover this gaping wound caused by terrorists. I pray they are with my precious Lord and Savior, and I hope that one day this will be clearer when we meet HIM face to face.
Thank you Craig.
We were building our house, out in the country and unplugged from everything. I phoned the electrical contractor to find out about some fixtures and he said something like, “My GOSH! Where are you? Don’t you know what has happened???”
We had to find the box with the TV and unpack it to plug it in.
We will never forget…
In Feb., 2000, my 19yo twin sons & I were in Manhattan asguests of The Sally Show. This was the boys 1st trip to NYC, so naturally they wanted to take in all the sights…Madison Square Garden, Times Square, MTV studio, Empire State Building, & of course, the World Trade Center. The very last photo Brian took from the limo was of the Twin Towers gleaming in the distance. On the morning of 9/11, I was in my bedroom reading a book when Brian burst into the house screaming, “MOM! A HUGE plane just flew into the World Trade Center!!” I turned on the tv to see what was going on, then lo & behold, there was another plane hitting the 2nd tower. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. Brian had left to go to a friend’s, leaving me there alone….time stood still, just as it had when I was in 3rd grade, the day they announced over the speakers @ school that President Kennedy had been killed…a feeling that, once experienced, is never forgotten. I didn’t want to be alone, so I drove to my fiend, Dr. Miller’s office, had them turn on the tv in the break room, & we all watched in stunned silence as the news recalled the events of the morning. About all any of us could do was watch & pray. My mind kept going back to those lovely people we’d met in NY the year before, wondering about them & their families. I knew that the world as we knew it had forever changed from that moment on, that we’d never be able to take our freedom & security for granted anymore! My children had just gained a whole new perspective of life beyond their usual petty little dramas. Two of their buddies joined the military (1 Navy, 1 Marines), proudly serving their tours in this “war on terror”. A young man I knew from the market in Wellsville, KS, where my folks lived, was the 1st US casualty overseas. Some of my brothers friends, who worked in the World Trade Center, were killed when the towers fell. No, nobody in my family was injured or died, but YES, Osama bin Laden had reached out & touched me right here in Iowa! And, for that, I’ll be forever grateful to the Navy Seals who reached out & touched him back! May God bless America, & have mercy on us for the wickedness we’ve allowed within our midst. My prayers & gratitude go out to all the brave men & women who selflessly serve to protect our freedom. We civilians must do our part, as well, to make sure they do not fight in vain!
I had looked forward to leaving the military and starting med school. But now, I was about to regret it.
Sept 11, 2001 was the 3rd day of my first semester of my first year when I first attempted to learn to become a doctor. I had just finished two years of reserve duty (while finishing my bachelors) and 12 yrs of active duty as a Navy Corpsman with the Marines, and Navy earlier in my career.
I still remember we had just finished an Anatomy lecture, and my professor, Dr Davis – himself a retired Navy CAPT (equivalent to a Colonel) and presidential physician to Gerald Ford – came back from break and said “some plane hit the World Trade Center (bldg)”. No one saw the TV reports, including him. So, there was no panic nor concern at first. Word just slowly and quietly spread down to all 210 of us in the darkened lecture theater.
Most of us imagined it was some Piper Cab that got lost in the fog just like what happened to the Empire State bldg a long time ago. We then continued another hour or so of lecture. As soon as we got out of lecture, reality hit us. We were all stunned. It was like having a nightmare that you cannot control and just will not stop.
The first instinct was to call my reserve unit to come back. But, as proud as they were of me to get accepted into medical school when they gave me a going away party just two months before, they quickly rejected my request to come back and said I would be “more useful (to them) as a doctor”. None of the other services were in hurry (yet) to get people in. And as soon as they learned what I was doing, they all assured me that they had “enough combat medics” and that they would gladly take me back in “as a doctor, since (they) will need trauma surgeons”.
I argued with them, frustrated that “this thing will be over in 6 months!!! I still have at least FOUR YEARS to go!!”. No joy. They “have it under control”. Of course, it turned out we would not send troops to Iraq until 2003, and the War on Terror is still going on 10 years later. My best friend in pre-med who came with me did not return for the 2nd semester. He was able to get back to his Special Forces unit (Army Green Beret) to do recon in Baghdad.
My concentration was totally off that semester, and the following semesters. Medical school, which I had long looked forward to, became my enemy. So many years in, family and parental health issues and my father’s death interrupted and I had a long break.
In 2010, I re-started my education and in a few months, I will finally get my MD – putting an end to what I had started 10 years ago. Many years have passed but I still vividly remember feeling so helpless watching people die and not being able to do anything. I had so much anger but did not know who to direct it to. I guess my long journey has been book- ended by 9/11 and its 10- year anniversary.
Many people’s lives had been on hold in those 10 years. I can relate.
(ps- My friend never did return to med school. But he has served our nation in three tours of Iraq and Afghanistan. 9/11 changed both our lives. And we will always be friends).
I remember that morning well. I awoke as usual at 4 am for my job. That day I woke with a terrible Migraine Headache. My head was spinning and I was seeing colors and my ears were ringing. So I called my boss, leaving a message that I wouldn’t be in that day, popped some meds and laid back down on the couch to rest. A couple of hours passed before I awoke to a phone call from a buddy of mine Shane. He said, “Jared, turn on the TV, you’re not gonna believe this BS”. I turned on the TV in horror, saw smoke and fire coming from the first tower. Realizing a plane had hit the World Trade Center!!! My initial reaction was, “How could an accident like this have happened”?!?!? Was there fog, or was there some mechanical or other type of malfunction?? I felt so badly for the folks who certainly had perished. Never thinking that the Trade Center would soon be a pile of rubble and thousands would lose their lives!!! Seeing the first plane had hit, I didn’t even consider it was an act of Terror!! Why would ANYONE IN HIS / HER RIGHT MIND DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS ON PURPOSE??? What type of person would kill so many innocent folks??? And then I saw the 2nd plane hit, and immediately the RAGE FILLED MY HEART. I KNEW THIS WAS AN ACT OF TERROR AND WAR!! Things like this DIDN’T JUST HAPPEN TWICE. This WAS A COLD, CALCULATED, ACT OF COWARDICE BY ISLAMIC TERRORISTS. I watched FOXNEWS in Total Disbelief, just couldn’t fathom the EVIL that WOULD CAUSE ANYONE TO KILL SO MANY INNOCENT CIVILIANS!! WHO AND WHAT WOULD CAUSE ANYONE TO COMMIT THESE ATROCIOUS ACTS??? I watched as the fires consumed the buildings and watched as some of our fellow Americans jumped out of the burning buildings, preferring to fall to their deaths as opposed to burning to death!!! I was in a total state of shock watching these events unfold, and tears filled my eyes as I saw my brothers and sisters dying NEEDLESSLY and as the Buildings fell. Then I was further sickened to hear the news of the attacks on the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. The tears of sadness turned into anger. NOW I WAS GETTING PISSED. I remember seeing the Images of people in the Middle East, jumping, singing and dancing at our Suffering!! Some of the same THE US had LIBERATED!!! This just INFURIATED ME. This was so UNCALLED FOR!! I hit my knees and prayed to God, begging that our WHITE HOUSE and other Key Structures in DC and NY would be Protected, that these Evil Men wouldn’t be able to Cause Any more Deaths and Damage to our Sacred Cities. I prayed for the victims and their families and friends. I prayed that the First Responders would be able to find and save as Many as possible!!! I prayed for our Nation and for our Commander in Chief. For his Safety and that he would be inspired and guided, that he would know what to do, and how to lead us and protect America during these times of turmoil. Exhausted, I finally fell back asleep. I awoke a short time later with this terrible recurring nightmare, a dream that the “US had been attacked!!” I turned the TV on and REALIZED it WASN’T A MOVIE, DREAM OR NIGHTMARE, IT WAS REAL. I SAT THERE CRYING AGAIN IN MY BEDROOM TEARS FALLING DOWN MY CHEEKS. As the days passed, I was so grateful and proud to be an AMERICAN!! So filled with LOVE for my Country, and for my Fellow Americans. As I watched our allies show their love and respect, and saw they were with us, it brought many tears of joy to my eyes. I KNEW AMERICA WOULD SURVIVE AND WE WOULD BE OK!!! It was touching to see the Allies play our National Anthem and Wearing American Flags in Our Honor!!! I was so proud of the leadership that GWB SHOWED AS POTUS, his Character and Strength!! So grateful that I had voted for him!! I loved what he said to the Firemen!! I loved his speech to Congress where he vowed to destroy this Enemy, at ANY and ALL Costs. I was also amazed at Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s poise and clear thinking during such a terrible time. These men showed amazing Courage and Honor, I still feel a great love for them!! 9/11/01 will forever be a Day of Infamy, a Day WE MUST NEVER FORGET. It is OUR Generation’s PEARL HARBOR Moment!! WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. I THANK GOD FOR OUR TROOPS, for their Sacrifice and Courage. GOD BLESS THEM! FREEDOM ISN’T FREE, WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER IT HAS A COST!
like our parent’s generation with the assassination of JFK, those of us who were old enough to remember 9-11-01- the memory of that day and all that happened and where each of us were and what we were doing, will be emblazoned in our memory banks forever…..It not only does not seem possible that it has been 10 years since that day, but it is also hard to fathom the direction in which the world has turned since then
I was on vacation that week. Had a GREAT day of golf on Monday. That Tues AM, I was sitting with my wife, enjoying some morning chitchat before she left for work. We were watching GMA and just before they signed off they mentioned a plane had struck the WTC. I live in Buffalo NY, about 7 hours from NYC. I looked outside, brilliant sunshine. Assumed it must have been foggy or rainy in NYC, because the weather on the other side of the state can be totally different. Then as we all know, things got worse. What was supposed to be a great vacation (planned so that the kids would be in school and the weather was still summer-like…I like golf!) ended up with me watching TV and not even leaving my house again until Friday. The ONLY good thing that came from this tragedy is that it was the launching point for my up-scaled political concerns. I knew we were a different country from that morning, and I needed to be a better citizen. I am positive that my upgraded Conservatism has made me a better husband, father and citizen. GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
My heart breaks for all of them. Dear Lord – please help those who have lost loved ones – now and forever. God Bless – WE WILL NEVER FORGET !!!
My cousin, Joey Marcello, FDNY Chief and survivor at Tower 2.
My thoughts on today. Today for me was a new starting point. Instead of wrestling with sadness anger, hurt, fear..I wrote about it and I will share with you some life lessons I took from The 10 years after 9-11-01. Its called.
We Remember, 9-11.
Most of us who hadn’t lost a friend or family member on 9-11-01, all felt the call to stand up and be counted after September 11, 2001. Some joined or re-enlisted and Served in The United States Armed Services, some volunteered at any capacity or opportunity to help their fellow man in other recent National tragedies, some found solace in memorializing the losses, by changing directions, careers, decided to get their priorities right, get married, have a family…but no matter how 9-11 changed you, We hold the victims and families of 9-11 in high esteem. We learned that, we still have to look over our shoulder too, because there is a real enemy to confront. The truth is these enemies are among us and within our countries borders, towns, neighborhoods, even online who want to see harm come to us. I dunno when this country became the most hated, but I don’t understand the enemy within either. I for one understand, If you remain focused on goals and achieve more and leave your corner of the world a little better, than maybe you have served your purpose when your time has arrived and we pass on, you did what you were called to do and served your divine purpose with the help of Godly instruction.
There is a place for honor today, Its starts within your own homes and familie, neighborhoods, churches, relationships with your children, relatives and marriage/life partners. Its my hope that it happens in my own life, as I too struggle with the reality of alot of my own personal shortfalls as well.
It’s too easy to think about what’s gone wrong in your own life, especially if your someone like me who has to be in the know almost all the time. I work online all day and work at my own pace in Broadcast Journalism as an Independent freelance Writer, so my take on things can be slanted and bias too.
I have learned, that I too can spend time trying to understand the nefarious plans of those who oppose me, but its far too confusing to unravel, I just know what one persons idea of “doing the right thing” may not fit into my idea of how one helps someone. All I know, there are a lot of people who can make life very tough, if you allow it. There’s alot of emphasis on death, tragedy, losses, divorces, break-up, heartaches, Its not hard to imagine, most of us have, are or will experience a tragedy in our lifetime, that is personally changed your world, positively and or negatively. I hope today, after the ceremonies are over and We go back to our lives, despite any anonymosity you might hold towards someone, whether they test your patience, get under your skin, someone you would rather avoid, you have ill-will towards, Someone you have come to dislike, disrespect, an unwelcomed guest..try learning their one good quality for starters and focus on that; watch that change the way you see someone; hold eachother and others in a better light and I will show you, your life will change for the better I guarantee it.
Or just go back to doing what you always have done. Otherwise, for me, its about getting it right daily.
My dad once said, “One foot in Yesterday and one foot in tommorrow; you miss out on today.”
Learn something invaluable about others. You may find a treasure in the amid your travels, it suddenly becomes yours. No matter what life situations can steal from you, the things you come to love, remain. There are time we find something or someone hard to accept, but once you’ve moved beyond it, there’s resolve.
9-11 has taught me that. The wounds do heal. The gaping hole left by the Towers, now is replaced with a footprint and calming waterfalls cascading into a reflecting pool. How amazing that is, that even in a tragedy as bad as 9-11 was, there’s something beautiful coming back to life there again, as well as an amazing Memorial Wall in Shanksville, Pa and a beautiful park with 184 benches at the Pentagon. Its a good reminder of those precious lives that were stolen.
We can find a lot reasons to continue to hate what our enemy has done, Naturally. BUT The best revenge is, living well.
I can find peace in that.
Note: find a secret place and come to terms with whatever it is your struggling with. I offer to you my solution: I find it in the Good Book in Proverb in the KJV Bible.
Naturally, I find when things get too difficult, I escape to that or a walk by the lake, creek or river and allow that to consume my thought-life instead. My problems will be there, I can retreat and revisit it another time.
ACCEPTANCE: its the road to the street of dreams to a narrow alley of strength. I was in Joplin, Missouri days after the EF5 Tornado that desimated and leveled the town of Joplin, Missouri in May 2011, there wasn’t much hope in that tragedy, but after my duty on debris detail, I walked down a narrow alley, I now call “Strength”. I felt stronger, knowing I pushed myself physically in 105 degree heat and I was apart of that Recovery. It was and will always be one of the great simple lessons in neighbor helping neighbor. I found great comfort in the hugs of strangers in Joplin who were so grateful for help, they were not the type of people to reach out in their time of need the people of Joplin are self-sufficient as most of are and were very vulnerable to the elements and circumstances around. I know when I’m uncomfortable, I find that a nice small or large body of Water has always help calm me and helps offer peace of mind! I’ve come to learn to accept situations better when I make a concious decision to accept it, I will and I can, If I choose too.
As our world gets smaller via the internet, you still can unplug it and escape. Thank God.
Our world needs a lot more Hope and that can only Change, if you see it through., successfully. If it doesn’t fit into your world, it maybe the lesson God is trying to teach you. Life is about lessons, learning too. If your eager like so many, try to always remain teachable. Its never good to know it all, unless you are God himself, that I am not; count me out!
Everytime, I think I discovered something new better or different, someone comes along to prove me different. I never claimed to know it all either. I hope I don’t claim to know it all.
Can we be too smart or dumb for our own good?
The Answer: Yes!
Keep in mind and get it straight in your head, don’t second-guess yourself, you were probably right about someone in first moments of a conversation with them.
Keep it real, maintain a healthy-handle on your own life and maintain a simple perspective.
Your handle on the day to day stuff that can consume you, if you let it. Its a lesson I’m getting better aquainted with too.
On our downtime, reward yourself and take it easy!
-Put your best foot forward and do better. Keep your perspective in tact. Know that, out of every tragedy there’s joy in suffering; a strange but beautiful peace. Seek others highest good, in that, you’ll come to see the goodness in Gods handywork.
There will be people unchanged by current event though..Pay them no mind, I learned, your either headed into a storm, going through one or coming out of a storm in life.
“With God in our hearts, can we hurdle this storm…just remeber, its okay…”
Out of every situation, a person will come along who will have helped you come to understand yours or their human fraility. We may find a situation withg people who wronged you or an individual you have a troubled-past with, but even in that; there’s still better moments ahead, despite their or your indifferences, move on and accept that maybe you can’t fix it, just leave it be, instead. We gain a different understanding and find compassion in it, somehow, someday. It can require something challenging, but you’ll find your life and overall attitude will improve overall. It will make for you a better you. You may find that, there’s more results in saying nothing; much can be said, when you say nothing at all. (Not all the the time, just when its necessary, remain silent til you think what it is you need to say through..
We need more good quality people who hold discussions respectfully, teach and mentor, whatever, just so that your sphere of influence improves as well as your quality of life.
It doesn’t hurt to rediscover your best hidden qualities. Those healthy qualities and chartacteristics are helpful, all the time, every time. Gaining an understanding, helps make us more aware, whether we like it or not. Understanding our humanity, makes our human; a thoughtful and sensitive enough to hold one in a better light. The natural man (or woman) tends to reads actions, behaviors, but has yet to understand the human soul is quite a lesson in itself, but its good. You know what it is you need to learn, the holes in the story helps unravel the great mysteries in life, but still a lot holes in the stories of 9-11 that will always hold a mystery. With a new vision, you will have the foresight to know those who suffered great on 9-11 continue to educate us ( WTC Tribute Ctr in Lower Manhattan) you will gain a new respect for those you typically wouldnt. I dont know what that lesson will be, but it can only better you as a human being and bring harmony rather than heartache to someone, you would much rather ignore or dismiss. The real tragedy is even after 9-11, America still needs to learn to slow down, take in God’s many simple treasures, a star-lit night, a moon beam bouncing off your window and into your world, the sound of a morning bird; all of nature’s ambient sounds can really be calming. We can get back to simple, just by appreciating this and the people who try hard to earn your respect.
In spite of ourselves, we can and will do better. Its a matter of choice. Its not a matter of “I can’t, its do I want to”. We are called to do better and we infact will gain more in life with a different approach.
Don’t hold ill-will, if its not necessary. I learned this over and over again, it proves very little in the end.
Despite it all though, no matter what different opinions we have with others, outside of violent murderers and hateful criminals that harm our country, or assault babies/children, or cause great harm, America needs to get back to doing what America does best…a beacon of hope in the midst of darkness..that We can do and it starts with you. Making America great again, starts with taking a risk and or challenge and see it through..
We Remeber 9-11.
Our lives have moved forward since 9-11-2001 but every time the year roles around to August we anxiously await the date of September 11. We know in the distance from one year to the next and no matter where we are that that date will forever be a stab in the heart and a punch to the gut. The country, and possibly the world, stops for that day and goes right back to all of the feelings and emotions. Not to be cruel to always remind the families of the pain and loss but to reunite with our brother and sisters in this great country. We need to go back and be united because it’s a cruel world but like a home coming we bring it back and get comforted and energized to face the year ahead of us… FREEDOM is not free and it can be taken away from us. Going back home every September 11 is an act we must do. WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!!!
Craig, outstanding work. Thank you. That morning ten years ago I was driving to the bank. The dj on the station I had on the radio said a plane had just hit one of the towers. I thought it was a single engine plane, since people were always trying crazy stunts with the towers. Then he said, “Another plane has hit the second tower. Folks, I’m not kidding; this isn’t a joke.” I immediately thought we were being attacked. Inside the bank, CNN was on the tv’s. I stood and watched the replay of both planes slamming into the towers and about went to my knees. I had a hair appointment later and while I was there the report of the Pentagon being hit came over the air. Time stopped, we all just looked at one another and everyone said, what is happening!! I remember watching the towers crumple, the massive black cloud covering lower Manhattan and thousands running for their lives, Rudy Guiliani among them. Whenever I hear the phrase, “grace under pressure,” I think of Rudy, President Bush, the NY fire department, the NYPD, the NY transit police and all the civilian heroes of that day. God bless ’em all.
Paul Simon’s “Sounds of Silence” at 9/11 Memorial was so moving! It was a perfet tribute! God Bless America – we must remain strong!
My moment of silence will not happen this year…No! I will instead fill this day with my anger for these cowards. Any society that straps explosives onto their young, and sends them in to do their dirty work are cowards! This movement that they call “religion” is a political movement to take our country down. For them, the towers and the killing of our innocent Americans was just the beginning! They are our enemies, folks. You should be pissed off today. You should be angry. They want you dominated or dead! This is war, America. Wake up!
Early this morning I posted a video on my Facebook Wall. It is just over a minute and it is an original poem I wrote in the days immediately following days the 9/11 attack. You can also find it posted on my website http://www.PoetWithAPoint.com
I think it contains a strong message that should be shared with both friends and enemies of our great country.
If you agree, repost it.
Thanks.
God Bless America
P.S. If you want to friend me on Facebook, please reference this post. (The National Patriot or the Tea Party) If you search for Jim Keenan I will be the guy in the photo with the cropped head shot. (only shows from top of my upper lip to my gray haired head)
Today I remember where I was on this day ten years ago. I remember the way I hurt for the families and my Country and thought what do we do and how can I help.
Today I have the answer to my question from 10 years ago. We join together and fight to keep our Country safe and secure the safety of all Americans.
We must let these enemies of the USA win we must fight to keep the American people free.
Gos Bless the USA and the families of all those who have lost a loved one.
Gerri McDaniel
Myrtle Beach Tea Party (SC)
Great artical Craig , . I was working that day in a house in Binghamton N Y. All of a sudden the door flew open and the home owner came barging in hollering turn the TV on ,quick. It came on just in time to see the second plane hit and I remember that I didn’t seem like it was real. The more I watched, the more reality kicked in. In the fowling days I know I got madder and madder . The only thing I could think of was we have to get them now. Well, as we all know , That didn’t happen. It has been ten years and they are growing all over the world and I don’t see any way of stopping them now. Every country on earth would have to band together and I* don’t see that happening.. I fear a lot more coming and it is getting harder to stop every day and I feel this country has it’s priorities all screwed up . It’s a shame. Joe