Where were you Sept 11, 2001?

Question

Do you remember...
where you were?
who you were with?
how you heard about the attacks?
how you felt?
what really impacted you?

FYI (esper_d) I looked for a similar question on Yahoo Answers and didn't see one.

Answer 1

I was at home. In bed. Had a migraine. Heard my (ex) husband on the phone. He said, "So this means war, then." He sounded utterly serious.

I got up and ran into the room where he was. He would tell me nothing until he had finished his call.

I ran to grab my clock radio (we had no TV) and tuned to NPR.

I was in shock. Complete disbelief. I heard the reports as the second plane was crashed into the Trade Center. Then the Pentagon. The flight that crashed in PA.

I cried.

I called my family to see what they could make of it. I just wanted to speak to them.

What really impacted me was the utter senseless horror of it (like all terrorist acts). How innocent people, who had no idea what was happening, were killed, maimed and wounded to serve some fanatical cause.

The herosim of all who responded to wade into the crashing, burning debris in an attempt to rescue and save as many lives as they could.

The reports of support from other countries, who ordinarily enjoy "America-bashing," and took time off from it to offer aid and comfort.

Suddenly, I found myself feeling VERY patriotic, and VERY proud to be an American.

I felt, and still feel, a frightening new kinship with the people of Ireland, England, Israel, Palestine, and everywhere that these horrors happen, all the time.

By the way, anyone who wants to indict me as an insular, self-centered American (before 1999), go ahead. That is (pretty much) what I was.

I've come along a bit since then.

Answer 2

It's funny how people can remember exactly where they were when something tragic happens. It is called a flashbulb memory, and it is amazing.

I was in my second week as a freshman at college. I commuted from home into Boston, and that morning while I was brushing my teeth, I noticed a plane flying overhead that was flying a lot closer to the ground than most planes. I remember specifically having the thought, "I wonder if that plane is going to crash," and I have never regretted having such a thought more than at that moment.

On the bus on the way to the train station was where I first heard what had happened. At first I didn't understand that the crash was intentional. I thought the pilot had lost control of the plane and that's what caused him to crash. It wasn't until I was on the train and heard that the second tower had been crashed into, that I realized that we were under attack. At that point, the train going inbound toward boston was almost abandoned, but me being as naive as I was, I was afraid to miss my second week of classes. My heart felt sick as the four people in the train car were discussing what happened.

When I got to school, there were security guards and police all over campus, and immediately told me to go home. The train ride back was completely packed, and I remember trying to call my family to see where they were but my phone wasn't working. There were people running around the train stations, some were panicking and some were crying. I had never felt more alone. It was a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

Most of the ride home I listened to the radio, I'm not sure what it was, maybe Howard Stern, talking about what was going on. It became too much for me to take without bursting into tears, so I listened to a cd by Staind. Every time I hear the song Fade, I get chills and am reminded of this day. I got home, and my family seemed to act as though nothing happened. Thank God I didn't lose anyone close to me, but my heart reaches out to everyone that did.

Answer 3

Just leaving the firehouse from my shift. Indiana fireman. Heard about the attacks on the radio. got home planning on a trip to the east for a family reunion. Son had pulled an iron, cold and unplugged, off the ironing board and onto his head. We spent the morning in the ER with no TV. Then spent six hrs in the car traveling to the reunion. Only radio!!! again. We did not SEE anything until later that night.

Answer 4

I remember I had school classes, but because of the constant raining, they were canceled. I woke up and heard my parents TV with the volume very high. Icame in and there, they stood my brother and my twin sister. I thought they were seeing a movie or a fake documental but then they started telling me what has happened. I was really in shock and couldnt believe it! Later that day I chatted with my friends and we were all really scared, even though I live in Mexico, we were worried if these events could continue happening throughout the world, or if these was the start of a new war. I felt really sad for the people who lost their lives in such a brutal and inhuman way. I hope it doesnt repeat in history.

Answer 5

I was working for a very prestigus law firm in downtown Denver. I was on my way to work and on this paticular day, I was running late, and in a really pissy mood. All I wanted was to hear a song on the radio that I could blast and sing along to (to help improve my mood) Except, every station I turned to all I kept hearing was 'a plane crashed'. Being in the terrible mood I was in all I remember saying was 'ohh... too bad' then quickly switching the station, searching for something better. It wasn't until I got to work (on the 22nd floor) that I realized that it wasn't just 'a plane crash' it was actually a devastating terrorist attack.

At first, I was overwhelmed with sorrow and grief. I was shocked and appalled.
Then, I got angry.
After angry, I became thankful Thankful that this great country had the desire, capability, and freedoms to over come such a tragedy.
I'm still thankful. Thankfull that our Country has a great leader - a leader who has the courage to stand up and fight for what he believes in.

Answer 6

I was getting ready to go to bed the morning of 9/11. I had been up all night chatting online. I was living on the west end of Airway Heights, Washington right by Fairchild Air Force Base.
Just as I was about to head for bed, my buddy Mike called and said 'Dude! Turn on the TV!' I asked why, and what channel. He said 'It doesnt matter, I think it's on all of them! Hurry, a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center!" I rushed out to the living room just in time to watch the second plane hit.
I spent the next several hours talking to various friends, relatives and neigbours about what was happening, switching the TV between Headline News, CNN, BBC, DW, Fox News, and MSNBC and listening to my 3 scanners- one tuned to military frequencies, one to federal government, the other to the local/county/state police.
I was living with a client I took care of, I was paid by the state to care for him in his home.
I remember I wasnt really scared about it, after all I lived clear across the US from NYC. I was shocked, amazed, and a bit excited (thinking the US was about to start kicking some behind across the globe). I was a bit worried about the base being a target, Fairchild was the largest B-52 bomber base in North America during the cold war, now it's the largest refueling base. It also stores massive amounts of conventional weapons as well as nuclear weapons (and possibly still chemical/biological weapons). Even now, many of the B-2 bombers, F-117s, and other bombers pick up payloads at Fairchild. So many of the people living near the base worried it might be a target.
Shortly after the place hit the Pentagon, Fairchild put every plane they had up in the air, and kept them up for quite a long time. The National Guard and the Air Guard were also mobilized, and there were tanks, Humvees, APCs, trucks, and jeeps full of armed soldiers all over the place.

I think what really impacted me the most was how badly it impacted the day to day life of the average American. Nearly the entire country came to a halt. Businesses closed eary, government agencies and financial institutions were shut down, all planes were grounded, and everyone across the country was freaking out. I remember that for days after 9/11, the military was very mobile and visible in the area, and also groups of armed men formed militias and patrolled the streets in trucks and vans. Everyone I knew checked and loaded their guns, and a lot of people considered leaving town for awhile.

Answer 7

Yes, I remember well.....
I was at home by myself when someone knocked on my door. They asked what I thought about it and at the time I knew nothing about it. I then turned on the TV and saw it myself. Everywhere I went that day....the doctor's office, the school, etc.....it was on their TV or radio. My only son was 16 when the War on Terror began and he would have been there if he could have been. Ironically, he is now 20 and is in the Army stationed in Baghdad. He is due to come home Aug 5th. I will be SO glad. I think it is all pretty senseless, however, he believes in what he does.

Answer 8

I was driving my husband to work at 6:00am when I heard the horrific news on the radio. 2 months prior I had given birth to my son (now 5 yrs old). I had the worse case of postpardom depression. It didn't help that the terrorist attacks happened around the same time, because I couldn't bring myself to understand what ever posessed me to bring another life into this cruel world. It was really bad. It made me realize that us americans need to stick together regardless of the color of our skin. That day probably had the biggest impact on me ever!

Answer 9

I live in Canada and I was working in a coffee shop and my brother came in and told me about the WTC but we didn't know at the time that it was a terrorist attack. That morning we switched off the music and turned on the radio and the whole store was just silent while people listened to what was happening.

Answer 10

I was on the way to school to get some stuff done early in the library for a class, and i heard it over the radio and when i got into the school library i stood there watching TV and for most of my classes my teachers had the TV turned on to a news station.....