Where Were You On 9/11? Tell us your story!

Personal ^ | Monday September 11, 2007 | Milwaukee_Guy

[Exit148]

"~~~~~and remember those towers being built~~~~~~~"

It was interesting to see the progress floor by floor. We know the engineer who was in charge of the foundation. As the building grew higher he used to joke that he hoped the foundation would hold! I've never asked him how he felt on that terrible day.

I used to have my breath taken away whenever we went into the city by the Holland tunnel. You come out and there they were! The first time we went in the city after they were gone, I couldn't do anything but have tears. I just couldn't look up. I understand how you feel about the bridge.

[ntnychik]

An excellent article by Debra Burlingame in today’s papers:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2007/09/11/2007-09-11_we_must_always_remember.html?ref=rss

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Some Of The WTC Steel Will Be Comin' Home Soon~~~ USS New York: A Special Ship By Mary Reed Despite geographical distance, a strong link connects the destroyed World Trade Center in New York City and the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (NGSS) shipyard in Avondale, La., which, like nearby New Orleans, was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The bond between them is the U.S. Navy ship currently under construction in Avondale, for the vessel’s bow stem was cast from steel salvaged from the ruins of the World Trade Center. Cleanup efforts after 9/11 included removal of approximately 200,000 tons (181,437 t) of steel, much of which was sold worldwide to be reused for various purposes. However, an I-beam was retained to be recast for the Navy vessel’s bow stem, the most forward part of a ship. The role of the bow stem is to forge a path through the water, leading the ship to its mission. Brought by truck to the Amite Foundry and Machine Inc. in Amite, La., the WTC steel was stored apart from other loads of metal to avoid accidental mixing. The WTC steel was smelted and cast at the Amite Foundry on Sept. 9, 2003. It was the first pouring for the ship, which will be christened USS New York. During a ceremony marking the occasion, Dotty England, wife of Gordon England, the then secretary of the Navy, pulled a lever sending molten WTC steel into the bow-stem mold. Among those present were company, shipyard, foundry, state, and federal officials as well a number of sailors from New York. England is the sponsor of the ship and during her speech stated, “For all those who will build and those who will serve aboard the USS New York and for all who suffered from the attacks of 9/11 … let us never forget.” The vessel was already at the design stage but still without a name on Sept. 11, 2001. George Pataki, then governor of New York, requested the Navy name the ship New York in honor of the victims of 9/11 and their rescuers. There had already been six ships named after New York, as well as a nuclear submarine that retired from service in 1997. A keel-laying ceremony for LPD 21, the official Navy designation for the ship until she is commissioned, was held on Sept. 10, 2004, at Northrop Grumman’s Avondale shipyard. Gordon and Dotty England were in attendance, along with other dignitaries including Rear Admiral Charles Hamilton of the U.S. Navy and Lt. Gen. Dennis McCarthy of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, as well as Northrop Grumman Ship Systems officials. On this occasion England had her initials ceremoniously welded by an Avondale shipyard welder into a steel plate, which will be displayed on the ship, and she then declared the keel “formally and fairly laid.” Katrina Delays Construction Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, headquartered in Pascagoula, Miss., is part of global defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation, based in Los Angeles, Calif. Construction of the New York began in 2004 at Northrop Grumman’s Avondale facility, but Hurricane Katrina caused all the ships being built by Ship Systems to be thrown off schedule by several months. However, since post-Katrina schedule adjustments were made New York has remained on target for its estimated delivery date in late 2008. According to the company, Katrina did tremendous damage to its Pascagoula shipyard and Gulfport facility, both of which are on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, with a devastating storm surge that knocked out buildings and all infrastructure. The Pascagoula yard alone suffered several millions dollars of destruction. However, the Avondale shipyard had serious wind damage, but it had no surge or flooding and was operational again a few weeks after the storm. The biggest problem faced was dealing with the destruction of their facilities, the community, housing, and, primarily, the loss of workers whose homes were destroyed and who therefore could not come back to work. More workers for the yards are still needed, and the ongoing problem of sufficient housing availability remains. Construction of New York resumed a few weeks after the hurricane passed, when increasingly more employees were able to return to work. More than 200 workers were temporarily housed at Avondale in dormitory style living quarters dubbed Kamp Katrina. They were to remain there for months following Katrina, although, as of May, only approximately 30 were still in residence. Currently, the ship is approximately 58 percent complete. The ship is nearly completely unit-erected, except for the aft composite mast. England will christen the ship during a ceremony scheduled later this year. Several hundred employees are working on the ship, although at peak production it was well over a thousand workers. Emotional Response to WTC Steel There has been great emotional response to the WTC steel among the shipyard workers at Avondale. Tony Quaglino, crane superintendent of NGSS, was one of those evacuated from the area and acknowledged that it was only with the help of other communities that local residents were able to begin rebuilding their lives. He had worked for NGSS for more than 40 years and was due to retire in October 2004. “But when I found out that the LPD 21 was to be named New York, in homage of the victims and heroes who died in the vicious and cowardly attack of 9/11, I felt compelled to stay and work on this fitting memorial and tribute,” he said. “I was then and am still honored to have worked on this ship.” Noting that the motto of the ship is “Never Forget,” he said he believes America must never forget it is one nation. “What happens in New York, New Orleans, or Oklahoma City, happens to us all. I believe this ship, the New York, is an icon attesting to the determined and united spirit of America to persevere and protect the future of our children against our enemies and that is why I wanted to make this my last ship. “Most all of us considered the bow stem containing the WTC steel very special. Many of us working on the ship, including myself, felt a need to touch it and try to experience and understand the grief of those who died and the loss of all who loved them and had to go on,” he continued. “It was then and is still now our only way to personally connect to the tragic events of 9/11. I felt that in many ways this was as brutal and devastating an attack on our nation as was Pearl Harbor, when I was a child.” The bow section of the New York was placed by crane on March 14, 2006. “The two cranes making the bow stem lift were Am-Clydes. Their capacity is 200 short tons each,” Quaglino said. “Although the complete modular unit, which also included the bow stem with the World Trade Center steel, totaled out at 93 tons, I still used two cranes to lift it, with one on the forward end and one on the aft for better control as we were positioning it for the ship fitters.” Quaglino retired on June 1, 2007, and Michael Norman succeeded him as crane superintendent. “When that bow stem containing the World Trade Center steel got to our New Orleans shipyard, everyone just wanted to look at it and touch it, everyone was drawn to it, like some kind of magnet,” Norman recalled. “You can’t really explain what you are feeling, but you know what it represents, and for that reason, it was special. We are all very proud to be building this great ship.” Randy Edwards, assistant to the LPD 21 ship superintendent, agreed. “Everyone saw the horror of 9/11 on TV, and there wasn’t anything we could do about it at the time. But when that WTC steel got here, and we found out it was going to be a part of a ship named New York, it touched a lot of people. Made us feel like now we can do something in response to 9/11,” he said. “It provided us with a way to show support for all those people in New York, for all that they suffered through. I believe everyone working on this ship thinks about that every day, and they don’t complain about working in the heat or cold or rain like they usually do. It is a special ship.” The yard workers’ feeling of kinship with the people of New York was underlined by Glenn Clement, superintendent of the paint department. “It’s important to me and the rest of the workers to be a part of this ship, especially with the tangible reminder of the World Trade Center steel as a part of it,” he noted. “What happened to us with Katrina added to that emphasis. We felt a bind, a kindred spirit, with the people of New York, for having gone through a disaster like them. It hit home for us because of all the trials and tribulations we were going through after Katrina, we could identify and feel their loss even more.” In summing up, Ed Winter, communications site manager of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ Avondale Operations, also spoke of the close ties between New York and the Louisiana shipyard workers. “Our men and women are very proud and honored to have the privilege of building such a special ship for the Navy not only because it will be used in defense of our nation, but also because it honors the memory of the heroes and victims of the 9/11 attacks on New York,” he said. About the USS New York The USS New York is the fifth in a multi-ship Navy program that began with the award of the first ship to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in 1996. This new class of Navy warships is 684 ft. (208.4 m) long, 105 ft. (31.9 m) wide, and displaces approximately 25,000 tons (22,676 t), most of which is the weight of the steel used to construct them. They are the second-largest warships in the U.S. Navy 21st Century Expeditionary Strike Force. Known as amphibious transport dock vessels, they will be used to transport, launch and recover amphibious landing craft as well as providing takeoff and landing facilities for helicopters and rotary-wing aircraft. The USS San Antonio (LPD 17), the first ship in this class to be built, was delivered to the Navy in 2005 and commissioned the following year. The USS New York will be crewed by 360 Navy personnel and have the capacity to carry approximately 700 Marines, or as many as 800 if necessary. Its home port will be Newport, Va. Other ships to be constructed under this contract will carry names also commemorating events of 9/11, including the Arlington, where the Pentagon is located, and the Somerset, the rural Pennsylvania county where United Flight 93 crashed after passengers overcame the hijackers. CEG http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu5cBGedGeSEA59pXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTExY3JtOGZhBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNARjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkAwRsA1dTMQ--/SIG=148v1gc3m/EXP=1189636737/**http%3a//www.constructionequipmentguide.com/story.asp%3fstory=8785%26headline=USS%2bNew%2bYork%3a%2bA%2bSpecial%2bShip

[Hawk1976]

I would have been at the Pentagon.

As fate would have it, I was helping prepare my wife for her interview. I remember walking into the living room, tuning into Fox News. I stood in shock looking at one tower, I had a sinking feeling. Then the second plane hit. I must have been in shock, I remember telling my wife to look at the TV.

Then the shock gave way. I am still not convinced that we shouldn’t have just leveled the Mideast and started over.

[Popman]

n my personal reflections today, the most profound thing that distressed me thinking about 9/11 was the fact I have two grandchildren born since that day and realized that they will never know what this country was like without the evil specter of Islamic terrorism hanging over it.

I imagine how difficult it will be for my daughter or her husband to sit their children down and explain why we face this evil when they are old enough to understand

[Salem]

I rolled up to work at about 05:30 West coast time and the guys in the warehouse were listening to the radio. They told me a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I was thinking it was a small plane. I didn't see the first video until a few hours later in a client's office. It was jaw-dropping.

The shock and grief for the murdered and injured quickly translated into anger, which was unproductive, so I set to studying Islam, Middle East history and Arab culture, with a lot of other people out here who give a damn. FREE REPUBLIC was the hub, because I am still getting great book suggestions and resources through here, as can anyone else who follows the news at FR.

Still, some of the greatest memories were the pictures of the U.S. Navy destroyers and guided missile cruisers on the high seas heading for Afghanistan right afterwards. Once the Bush Administration decided to set up camp right in the heart of "Jihadistan" and we invaded Iraq, the aerial video of two U.S. M1A1 Abrams tanks, side by side on a bridge somewhere in country furiously engaging targets on both sides, represented somebody finally standing up and trying to do something with this 22 country cultural car wreck which is contemporary Islam and the Middle East/Arab world.

God bless and direct our fallible and gullible leaders in this monumental task ... bless and protect our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm’s way around the world, and their families. We are forever in their debt.

---

AMERICA AT WAR
At Salem the Soldier's Homepage ~
Islam, a Religion of Peace®? Some links...  by backhoe
Translated Pre-War IRAQ Documents  by jveritas
Mohammed, The Mad Poet Quoted....  by PsyOp
"PLAES DO NOT TOCH THE WAR"  by AnnaZ
The Clash of Ideologies - A Review

"...It's time we recognized the nature of the conflict. It's total war and we are all involved. Nobody on our side is exempted because of age, gender, or handicap. The Islamofacists have stolen childhood from the world." [FReeper Retief]

"...That the totalitarian force pitted against freedom wears a religious makes this civil war among mankind all the more difficult to engage. Loving freedom as we do, it seems reprehensible to deliberate against a religion. But this is no ordinary religion as it demands absolute obedience of all to their religion at the cost of freedom itself." [FReeper Backtothestreets]

[PsyOp]

More here:

Where Were You On 9-11-2001?

[PsyOp]

More here:

Where Were You On 9-11-2001?

[Billthedrill]

I was waiting for a bus to work at at stop in Seattle. My friend had a radio on, I was reading. He looked up and told me that a plane had hit a tower in NYC and I recall saying something like "that's the worst navigator in the world." A few minutes later he got this really sick look on his face and I asked him what was wrong. "A second plane just hit the next tower." We just looked at one another silently because we realized that the world had just changed.

As soon as I got to work I was on FR and my colleagues were asking me what was going on. Absolutely nothing got done that day and absolutely no one cared. By the time I got home that evening the television news programs were just catching up to what I'd been reading here hours before.

[wtc911]

Grandchildren...I have one, born @ a year before the attack. He lives with us. He knows this...

The terrorists (muslim) tried to kill Grandpa in 1993 (I got rocked by that one).

Then they tried to kill Grandma, his uncle and two of Grandpa's brothers on 9-11 (all down there for different reasons). They also tried to kill his friend Rog's mom that day. And Dylan's dad. He knows that the bronze statue in the park is that of Jon Ileppi, FDNY, who was killed that day. In the past six years of his young life he has met at least a dozen friends and family whom the terrorists tried to kill that day.

He has seen the pictures taken by a free lancer of me and my son working the Pit on the 12th.

IOW...it is a very real thing to my grandson. I hope it is never as real for yours.

[RDTF]

you’re an old fart! :)

[RDTF]

Pop, what a wonderful kid. Wow. Thanks for sharing that.

[securityMama]

I thank God for men such as your husband who give all. God bless you and your beautiful family.

[AnnaZ]

It still hurts so much to remember that day. I can't thank the people who are bringing it back to those who support the ridiculous "cause" that brought that hell here. I take some solace everytime some jihadi douchebag gets blown up in the desert or some mountain cave. It's a start.

Amen, brother.

Thank you for taking the time to write that all down. It's amazing how stark the memories of that day still are (and will probably always be).

Love you.

[GRRRRR]

9/11 is my birthday. It will never be a happy day anymore.
To think of all my birthdays when I was growing up, not knowing what it was going to be...

I was in the car just getting to work.
The radio was going with the first reports.
I logged onto FR at work an turned on my radio.
In minutes, my office was filled with people.
I got MSNBC streaming while getting FR reports.
That was the whole day.

My wife and daughter were traveling with GMa and GPa...in Europe.

It was a lonely horrible night, watching the video.
Lacrimose day. Every since then, I’ve found myself more prone to tears and sorrow when thinking of that day and what might I have done faced with the same choices.

Jump or burn?

The hatred for these Islamofascists is endless. I hate them all and what the demonrats are doing to our country. It’s sickening where we are today because of these islamic mongrels.

[2A_Martian]

I also remember that planes were quickly grounded, and all I heard for weeks were gunboats patrolling the nearby river and fighter jets patrolling the sky.

I knew intuitively it was Al-Qaeda. I was furious when the media announced intelligence had picked up cell phone chatter and located Bin Laden. Had they kept that secret, I truly believe we would have captured him early on.

This morning I read that a group of young Muslims are publicly announcing they are apostates and renouncing their Islamic religion—knowing that it means they could be put to death if caught by the wrong people. In Islamic countries, there is no freedom of religion—because Islam is a government and a culture—it is not a religion as we understand that term in the West. It is analogous to the Spanish Inquisition in many respects.

I am committed to ending faith-based funding, school vouchers, other tools Muslims are legally using to obtain U.S. tax dollars for their schools and social services that indoctrinate kids and people in their darkest hour. It’s especially important, since the Supreme Court ruled that the Salvation Army could hire and fire based on belief for workers to distribute faith-based services paid for by taxpayers. Since that extends to Muslims, we must bring it to an end.

[No Left Turn]

I was in midtown Manhattan dialing over and over my wife’s phone number in WTC 7. Finally got in touch with her around 2 p.m. — She managed to ping my cell phone from a payphone off the FDR drive.

When it happened, she was getting coffee on the 45th floor. She heard the thud of plane one and saw debris falling. She headed straight for the exits and a walk down 45 floors. Once on the street, she wouldn’t look at the towers. A friend she met at the exit told her not to because bodies were falling.

I remember my office mate telling me it was terrorism after the first plane hit. I told him he was nuts — then the second plane hit.

[Milwaukee_Guy]

I just wanted to thank -everyone- for a truly memorable 9/11 thread!

Thanks to all Freepers who donated their very personal and very emotional thoughts from a very dark day in our history.

I haven’t heard or seen anything today that matches the outpouring I have seen on this thread.

Outstanding work Freepers, Never Forget!