As it Happened: Real-Time 9-11 Coverage on Free Republic

Free Republic ^ | September 11, 2001 | FReepers

[Starrgaizr]

At 7:52am EDT, under the innocuous title "World Trade Center," Oldeconomybuyer posted the first thread, writing: CNBC reports a plane has hit the World Trade Center in NY. No details...

At 8:04-8:05am EDT on September 11, 2001, the following comments, among many others, appeared on several threads:

Holy Cow!! Another plane just hit!! / Another plane just flew into the building! / OMG!!!! Huge explosion out the side!!! / A SECOND PLANE JUST NOW FLEW INTO THE SECOND TOWER!!! / 2 ND EXPLOSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW / Another plane flew into the second tower. / TERRORISTS!!!! / O' the humanities! What the Hell! Another plane. I'm dreaming or what? / Dear God! They just hit the other tower. / Jesus, another one just flew into it. / A SECOND plane just flew into the tower. This IS DELIBERATE! / Second explosion. Just heard it in Brooklyn. IN the OTHER Tower. That seemed like a BOMB!!!! / I just saw a second plane hit the other tower-- looks like an attack. / Oh my goodness! / Just saw the second plane hit the other tower / Second impact on the other building !!!!! / This is unbelievable!!!!! / Most definitely terrorism / Oh MY Gosh! Another Plane just flew into the 2nd tower! / ANOTHER PLANE CRASHES !!!! UNBELIEVABLE !!!! / HOLY CRAP Another plane just slammed into the tower!!!!!!!! / SECOND PLANE FLIES INTO OTHER TOWER! /

At 8:08am EDT HalfIrish wrote: It takes a lot of cash to smash two jets, don't you think? Can you say Osama bin-Laden?

At 8:09am EDT, on another thread, Catspaw wrote: Osama bin Ladin.

The morning just got worse. At 8:44-8:45:

Fire in the Pentagon WWIII / Explosion in Pentagon, too!!! / WHITE HOUSE BEING EVACUATED !

We all know how things ended.

At 8:51: ALL AIRPORTS IN NATION SHUT DOWN BY FAA !

At 9:02-03: I just saw from my window. TOP OF THE World Trade Center just collapsed!! OH MY GOD! PEOPLE ARE CRYING HERE! / OH MY GOD...THE WHOLE BUILDING JUST COLLAPSED! oh sweet Jesus...look with kindness and mercy upon our dead / Does this mean that we're going to war? No, we are AT war!

Then: Second Tower just went!!! HELP US! / What parts of the Pentagon has been hit? My brother is there.

For all of the gut-wrenching real-time coverage on Free Republic, follow this link to the Remembrance Archive: Free Republic Threads From 9-11-01

NEVER FORGET. STAY ANGRY.

[Humidston]

Thanks for the ping, MAF. Such sadness, so many memories...

[ellery]

"I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."
-Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, upon learning of the success of the attack on Pearl Harbor

Today we may say aloud before an awe-struck world: "We are still masters of our fate. We are still captain of our souls."
-Winston Churchill

[xp38]

Thanks...I don't have the link but it was a riveting read.

[doug from upland]

God rest the souls of our friends Barbara Olson and Batallion Commander Moran and all the rest of those who died in one of history's most evil acts.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Thank you for this thread.

Never forget. Stay angry, INDEED!!!

We canNOT let the left in this country destroy it. Pray people, pray hard...and work just as hard. If each of us can turn the hearts of one person, just one, think of the impact we could have.

God Bless America. Thank you to our servicemen and women and their families for their sacrifice to America. Pray for President Bush, pray for America, pray for Israel.

[Humidston]

>>Will this generation maintain its focus until the war is won?<<

Brings to mind a thought I had the other day... So many of our youngsters have absorbed this new way of life and taken it in stride, that I don't know if they really comprehend how we elders miss the "good old days" and how much simpler things were on Sept. 10th.

I know I told my 19 yr old granddaughter, "Your life has now forever changed." I'm afraid they just take it for granted....

[kayak]

[tubavil]

This guy knew who it was 1 hour later. The account is banned.

To: hellinahandcart

Time for the Arabs to feel the might of the United States. I suggest we take out Medina and Mecca.

21 posted on 09/11/2001 6:10 AM PDT by abwehr

[tubavil]

fyi

[rintense]

I'll never forget that day. I was at work, and a co-worker who was working at home send me an IM saying a plane hit the WTC. She said they thought it was an accident. I sent the following email to my team members:

FYI- A commercial 737 plane has crashed into Tower One of the World Trade Center in NYC, taking out three floors. Damage is severe and they don't expect many survivors... story is still developing.

I went to CNN right away and saw the picture and then called her at home. She gave me the description of what she was seeing on TV. She was also watching her 5 yr old Granddaughter. As we were chatting, she said, 'Oh my God! Another plane just hit the other building!' And I replied, 'No way, you are making this up! This isn't happening.' All she could say was, 'Oh my God... I've gotta go.' The Granddaughter saw it with her.

I called our HR person right away and told her what was going on and we scrambled to find a tv that would get reception in our building. We then headed across the street to the healthclub to watch their tv. When we ot there only a few people were watching the news. NBC was on, and as we were watching, the thrid plane hit the Pentagon. I remember Jim Miklazecski (sp) reporting live from there as he wasn't too far from the crash. We just stood there in shock. What got me is that people who were coming into the healthclub, saw what was happening, and continued on with their workout!

A team member called and said the tv was working, so we headed back to the office. When I got there, I immediately went to FR.com, and relayed the latest news to everyone who was watching- and it was our entire office. They kept asking me, 'how do you know so much before the news even says it?' I gave credit to the wonderful freepers. The best example of this is the crash in Pennsylvania. I told everyone about it, and then 10 minutes later, it was reported on tv.

We sat there and watched everything, all in shock. We saw the first tower fall... and then the second. I walked back to my desk and sent the following email: I then I sent out another email out to our team who had a group of trainees onsite- some from the East coast:

Yes, It was terrorists. Two planes hit the World Trade Center. The second plane is confirmed to have been hijacked from Boston's airport and subsequently hit the second tower. That tower is now GONE. It totally collapsed. They showed footage on tv... I am in complete and total shock. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Every federal building in DC has been evacuated, including the white house...

At my desk, I posted this on FR.com:

Amen. No matter what our politics are, we are all Americans, first and foremost.

I am sick and tired...

I am sick and tired of our country playing nice.

I am sick and tired of our country being played as fools.

I am sick and tired of our country being used as negotiators in peace treaties that ultimately make us targets.

I am sick and tired of the perception that our country is weak.

I am sick for all the families and loved ones who have suffered today.

I am sick for all the Americans who have watched this frame by frame, moment-by-moment on television.

Yet, I know this country will unite behind this attack.

I know that all Americans will not tolerate this kind of treachery.

I know that all Americans will want justice.

And I know that President Bush will do the right thing.

Like all other FReepers, today, my emotions have run the gamut from sadness, to anger, to such inspired patriotism, that I only hope the thugs and cowards that did this will realize that we may be down, but we ain't out.

And we are coming to get you.

I then put my head on my desk and cried.

I remember everything about that day; what I was wearing; every world that was spoke; getting my tank filled up at lunch becuase we knew the gas stations would panic (and they did). But what I remember most of all was walking outside later that day, the sky seemed less blue, the grass less green, and for the first time in my life, I felt completely vulnerable and insecure about living in America.

I don't feel that way anymore, thanks to President Bush.

Never forget.

[rintense]

every word that was spoke... sorry, kinda early still.

[Trust but Verify]

It was unreal, like a movie. I was at a loss for words.

I know exactly what you mean. I was in the shower (true!) when the first plane hit. My phones were ringing off the hook with people from my office and two of my sisters telling me to turn on the TV. Just when I did, the second plane came into view and I watched in disbelief as it crashed into the second tower. My sister later told me I was screaming into the phone. I don't remember saying anything.

[uglybiker]

They kept asking me, 'how do you know so much before the news even says it?' I gave credit to the wonderful freepers.

I remember getting off of night shift, heading home and trying to log on to FR. The server was already in meltown mode.

I had the TV on in one room, the radio on in another, and was still beating my head on the dexk because it was taking 5 minutes to load a page.

[Starrgaizr]

Here is a compilation of photos contributed by kayak:

http://sept-11th-patriot-day.sterlins.com/Archive.html

[Starrgaizr]

[Pete'sWife]

I was at home doing paperwork. The phone rang at nine. It was my militant atheist / socialist mother-in-law telling me to turn on the TV to channel 2 (WCBS NY) as it was the only broadcast channel on the air at the moment.

I hung up the phone, and tuned in. About one minute later, plane #2 struck.

The rest of the day is a blur. I know what I did but, for the life of me, I cannot remember the sequence in which I did things.

My wife works about 10 miles west of Midtown Manhattan. She is frequently in NYC. Downtown. For the longest time, we had a morning routine - I'd ask her where she'd be today.

On 9/11/01 I forgot to ask.

I dialed her office number. The phones were dead. I dialed her cell phone. They were dead, too. I kept trying but failed to get through.

Finally, I thought to send an email:

Phone lines to your office are out.

Please reply ASAP so I know you're OK.

Within five minutes: No I'm fine. Have been dialing you for an hour with no luck. I called
the school and asked them to bring Nicky a note that I am NOT in New
York and am okay.

(Until today, I forgot how long I waited to learn of my wife's situation.)

My reply:

Phones are out here, too. I can't even reach my parents.

I'm sure you're as up to date as I am re: this.

Your mom got through about 10 minutes after the first plane hit wondering
where you are.

I'll email her to tell her you're OK.

Again, Thank God.

It was at this point, I believe that the first tower fell. Then,the second.

(To this day, I can accept the notion of airplanes hitting the towers, but I cannot accept the concept of them crumbling, collapsing, and falling. It is still unreal to me.)

Now, it was time to collect myself...

I know that I visited my son's school. I just wanted him to hear, directly from me, that his Mom was OK and not in NYC. He appeared in the hallway with his backpack, trumpet, etc. He thought I was there to take him home! Sorry, no day off today!

Next, I think I visited our local hospital and drained a pint.

Then, I visited my parents. Their phone was out most of the day.

I wanted to SEE my loved ones.

About 15 minutes after I arrived home, my wife called from her car. They closed their office and all were headed home.

She pulled into the driveway, an had tears streaming down her face. On her way home, she made a mental list of all the people she'd ever met, known, or talked to who worked at the WTC. She knew many who worked at Kantor-Fitzgerald, and we now know how many of them perished on 9/11.

We spent the rest of the day with the TV.

9/11/01 is, and forever will be, vivid in my memory.

[Valin]

Will this generation maintain its focus until the war is won?

YES!!
But then I am an optimist. Failure is not an option.
It also begs the question, how will we know we've won?

[Prof Engineer]

I didn't know about Free Republic back then.

I hadn't logged in yet, but spent that day GLUED to my computer. Had a T1 line thankfully.

I was on the way to a meeting just as the first hit occured. An hour later, on the way back to my office, I was struck at how quiet it was. The skies of downtown Dallas are never quiet.

[Exit148]

I was working for the Bret Schundler campaign in NJ. We were all watching television, in shock. One of the volunteers, whose Brother-in-law worked in the South tower, had called home to report that he was OK. He never made it out.

Those hours are imbedded, yet they seemed so unreal.

[calvin sun]

Here are three threads that I know about:

www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/520255/posts


www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/520260/posts

www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/520262/posts

There's at least one more, with the title "Second plane flies into the other tower!" but I don't have that URL.

Eerie observation: Out of curiosity, I looked at the other "nearby" threads that day (which would have included 520256, 520257 etc.) None of them have more than a single reply.