[Poohbah]

I was in a meeting about two miles away from the Pentagon. When the news hit, we all were in a sort of shock; we could see the smoke rising right outside.

That night, I was in a hotel in Crystal City, across the Jefferson Davis Highway from Reagan National Airport. It was the weirdest experience--it was way too quiet.

I wound up driving cross-country from Washington to San Diego to get home.

[skeeter]

I heard about the first WTC crash shortly after getting out of bed, and the second as I was leaving the house for work. I spent the rest of the morning watching the coverage, together with hundreds of others, at the Stanford Medical Center blood bank.

[Spyder]

My brother-in-law called and woke me up a little before 5 a.m. My husband had flown back to Korea the day before but was still up (it being around midnight there when we talked). I waited till the kids got up on their own to tell them. I still get shivers thinking about it, couldn't believe the images on the TV screen when I flicked it on (the towers had collapsed by the time he called).

[wimpycat]

I was working when my co-worker came in and told me to log on to the internet. "This is bigger than the Hindenberg!" he said. This was after the first plane hit, but before the second. I looked at the still photo on CNN's website, but my mind was on something else at the time. I thought it may have been deliberate, but was reserving judgement. Then someone in my office, I don't know who, mentioned a second plane had hit---then I knew. I couldn't log on to any of the news sites, they were all bogged down, so I kept refreshing Free Republic's threads for the running commentary. Then my co-worker told me about the Pentagon getting hit, and I thought it was a wild rumor; I didn't believe it--then when I found out it had, in fact, been hit, that's when I started to feel sick on my stomach. One of my co-workers had the TV in her office and we were all watching after the first collapse, but I had just walked down the hall when I heard a collective gasp and moan coming from the office where the TV was. I ran back and discovered that the second tower had collapsed. I went to lunch, and saw an SUV with one of those little American flags sticking out the driver's side window, and I knew this country would react properly.

I called my husband at work after lunch, and he was so upset that he left work early. When I got home, he'd already hung out our flag. We were, of course, glued to the TV, and listening to the Congressmen singing "God Bless America" on the Capitol steps, and Bush's speech that night about getting the terrorists "and those who harbor them", really let me know that this country and this President would react to these attacks the way we should, once and for all.

On Election Night 2000, I didn't get one wink of sleep. Strangely enough, on September 11, we had no trouble falling asleep that night.

[Romulus]

Where were you then?

I was at work.

Where are you now?

I'm at work right now.

How have you changed?

Not sure. Still think giving myself "permission to grieve" is a stupid therapy-culture slogan.

[Constitution Day]

BTTT for later reading

[Billthedrill]

I heard about it from a hand-held radio while awaiting my bus ride to work. Thought the first one was an accident - the world's lousiest pilot, I remember saying. When the second one hit there wasn't really much doubt.

I'm no different, but I have noticed some people who were borderline multiculturalists hardened their own attitudes considerably. The durnedest people are buying guns. The durnedest people are waving flags still, a year later. I expected the whole thing to have died down by now, I guess, 15 minutes of fame and on to the next sensation. It hasn't. It won't. And international Islam is still too ignorant and too self-righteous to see the ramifications, and if it keeps talking is going to wind up on the wrong end of a level of anger they seem to think only they have a right to.

[BlessedAmerican]

I had gone by daughter's early and was waiting for stores to open. I had a bit of last minute shopping to do for a trip to China on September 13. Her husband called and said turn on the TV. The first plane had just hit the first tower. We were sure it was a terrible accident and then we saw the 2nd hit. That one sent me to my knees litrally and spiritually, I have chills now just writing it. What an awful morning that was and days to follow were so numbing.

How am I different? I am more thankful for my county than ever before and a day never goes by that I do not thank God for it and ask Him to watch over us and especially those who serve to protect us. I am much more aware of who the real heroes are in our country. I look at police and fireman and recue personal so much differently. I appreciate them and respect them like never before. I was always close to my family but 9/11 has brought a new urgency to say I love you and to make time to call, write and visit.

[lonestar]

A friend called and told me to turn on TV. Right after I did, the second plane hit. We were both speechless. It was so obvious it was intentional.

I don't care how far geographically I was from NYC, the Pentagon, or a field in Pennsylvania, on 9/11 my heart was there.

I still miss Barbara Olson.

I still feel that things aren't and never will be quite the same as before that day. Right now and 24/7, they are plotting against us.

We better not become complacent.

[AUsome Joy]

I was at home when my son called frantically and told me to turn on the TV. The first plane had just hit the North Tower. My daughter's group had just moved to the WTC and we didn't know which tower she was in or which floor. As we talked the second plane hit. After that I was completely shaken. When the towers fell I just knew that our daughter was gone. I couldn't watch. My friend called and prayed with me. Her son was on a plane from Newark to San Francisco, but she didn't know which flight. (His plane was grounded.)It wasn't until 11:30 am that I finally got in touch with my son-in-law and discovered that my daughter was OK.

Since I live in NJ we began to hear the heartbreaking stories of those who were missing. The loss of all the people and the loss of the buildings has caused a grief that goes very deep. It feels like your heart hurts. Even though I still worry about my daughter having to go in to NYC every day, I have lost a lot of my personal fear of flying and traveling and carrying on life as usual. (Our mail goes through the postal service that had anthrax also.) So I now have the attitude that 1.God is in control and He is Sovereign. 2. Live life to the fullest.

[Sunshine Sister]

Sept 7th - grandbaby born
Sept 8th - brother died
Sept 11 - four airplanes crashed into fields and buildings - thousands dead
Sept 12th - found out about brother
Highest of highs, lowest of lows all in a matter of days

[austingirl]

I was driving to my health club to work out when I heard about the first plane hitting the WTC. I immediately thought it was terrorists - they like those towers. When I got inside I asked the kid at the desk if it was terrorists or an accident. He looked at me like I was crazy, "An accident."

I saw the second plane hit live on the TV over the treadmills. I screamed at the stupid CNN announcer who wondered if there was something wrong with Air Traffic Control, "Say the T word, it's terrorism!"

I tried to finish working out, but when the Pentagon was hit, I truly lost it. How could they get the Pentagon? I went home and got there in time to see the WTC towers fall.

I fell to my knees and asked God to save our country.

With the apologists and peaceniks running rampant less than one year later, I am sickened that so many have forgotten. I never will.

[McLynnan]

I was at home on the computer reading FR with the tv on Fox News and saw the first reports. Sat in absolute shock for a few minutes then called my husband. After the second plane hit, I did the most irrational thing -- I took my car and filled the gas tank. To this day I don't know what possessed me to do that. Later in the day I ran the freshman high school carpool and brought home a group of kids who had spent the day watching news coverage at school. Their reaction is when it really hit me. They asked me if we were going to war. I told them yes, something like this can't go unanswered. For the first time in their innocent lives they realized their world was not a safe place. I was an early teen in Dallas when JFK was killed, and remember the horror and sorrow. I think their reaction to 9/11 was similar, only more fearful because this time there is a real enemy who intends all of us harm.

Today I sit in McLennan County, Texas, not many miles from the President's ranch. Everytime the President visits we are reminded the danger is still there by the presence of F-16s patrolling our skies 24 hours a day. The pride the children in this area felt over living near the President has been replaced by an underlying fear when the F-16s return. The younger ones aren't sure they are safe anymore.

I still feel an incredible sadness over the loss of life on 9/11, and my anger has not abated. At the same time, I am heartened by this administration, by our country's pull together reaction to the attacks, I know that difficult times lie ahead, but feel that we are in good hands.

[Ditter]

We were in bed drinking coffee like we do every morning, watching the first building burn. Terrible accident, we thought. Then we saw the second plane hit the second building & I felt like I was watching a movie, like it wasn't real, but I knew it was. Strange feeling. Feeling shocked & stunned all day but also there was a bit of "I told you so" going thru my head, because I felt something awful would happen sooner or later. We, as a nation, had so many warnings the last 8 years. It was terrible but I am glad it was not nuclear.

[gunshy]

I'm still hiding in the basement. Is it safe to come out yet. Thank god for all that Y2K food and water.

[pt17]

I was in my office working when my daughter called from her cell phone saying a plane (the first one) had hit WTC. I rushed down to the building's exercise room to watch the TV and saw the second one hit.

Since it was the only thing on everyone's mind, I let my entire staff off around 11 am. The company followed suit and let everyone go shortly after noon. Over the longer term, our family got directly involved in helping a 9/11 family whose loss was especially difficult.

[ExSoldier]

I was in my classroom waiting for the tardy bell when the first kids came running in asking me if I'd heard. My first thought was some dummy in a Cessna on his first solo flight.

As soon as I got to the Social Studies Office and saw the TV (my portable classroom doesn't have a TV...to easy to break into and steal) I knew we were in a war and it might be fought on our home soil for the first time since the War of 1812 (not counting the War of Northern Aggression).

Then I thought of my few remaining buddies on active duty who were now senior officers and wondered if they could help me get my commission back. Within days I had long letters of recommendation from two full colonels, one lieutenant colonel, one congresscritter and the Governor of Florida. And the US Army said "no thanks." Then I remembered that war is an experience that belongs to the young....now isn't that sad?

This year on September the 11th I'll still be in an inner city high school classroom and I'll STILL have to watch what I say so as not to "offend" anybody and I'll tell the truth and pray they won't start hunting me for my job because I won't push the liberal agenda.....which will be the same situation I have experienced every day for the last fourteen years that I have taught in the public schools.

[RoseofTexas]

I was going to type MY 9-11 experience, but after reading every post, I'm sitting in front of the puter crying my eyes out! I for one WILL NEVER EVER FORGET the terroism our beautiful country experienced that day...NEVER! GOD BLESS AMERICA AND GOD GIVE US THE VICTORY TO CONQUER THOSE DEMON EVIL ISLAMIC B***ARDS!!

[Wolfstar]

Thank you for this post, mhking, and for the opportunity to share my own small story with other FReepers. I was born and raised in New Jersey (East Orange, Jersey City, Union City). My father's whole family had settled in New York City after emigrating from Italy, and my dad is buried in a cemetary on the Brooklyn-Queens border near the BQE. I rented an apartment upstairs from my Uncle Al in Flushing, Queens from 1971-1976. So my roots go deep there, even though I moved to L.A. in Oct. 1976 and have never been back east since.

As a youngster with a growing interest in photography, I used to go down to the Jersey City docks and take pics of the NYC skyline. Still have several I took of the WTC as it was being built. I have one shot in particular that now means a great deal to me. It was taken in 1970 from the Empire State Building observation deck at sunset looking south to the twin towers, which were then under construction. The lights of the city were coming on as evening fell. The lights, plus the glow from the sunset, cast a magical warmth on the scene.

9/11/01: I set my clock radio for 5:45a.m. That morning, it didn't quite wake me up, so I was still dozing here in L.A. when the urgency in the voice of someone on the radio saying, "This is huge," suddenly shocked me awake. I didn't know what the radio guy was saying, but there was sheer terror in his voice. I turned on the TV to see the twin towers in flames. To say that I was stunned doesn't begin to describe it. Like the rest of the nation, I sat glued to the TV, frantically switching channels trying to get as much news as I could. After the 2nd tower fell and the news from Washington and Pennsylvania didn't seem to be getting any worse, I dressed and went to work.

I thought it was very odd that no businesses closed that day. Unlike when Kennedy was shot, the nation pretty much stayed open for business on 9/11/01, except for air traffic, New York and DC. I still think that was odd. Anyway, I spent the rest of the day watching grainy TV at work along with most of my coworkers. I wanted to sit in my cubicle and read posts on FR while listening to the radio, but my cubicle mate nastily complained about having the radio on (for which I have never forgiven him).

It was the first, and only time since I moved from NYC that I wanted to be back there, because I wanted to help in some way. Any way.

That night, people in my locality spontaneously took flags and candles and went to the biggest commercial street here (Hawthorne Blvd.), and spent hours screaming "USA, USA, USA," waving the flags, getting motorists to honk their horns. Whenever a cop or fire truck went by, we cheered as loud as we could, and they would turn on their sirens in response. Big rig drivers would sound their deep-voiced horns. On the corner were I was, there's a Spires Restaurant. The restaurant people could't leave their jobs, so I took a candle they gave me out to represent them. As horrible as the day was, that night spent with others spontaneously defying the terrorists on our particular piece of American real estate was one of the best nights of my life.

How has 9/11 changed me? I don't know the full extent. I find myself much more willing to seek out and enjoy fluff like that silly American Idol series on Fox this summer. I find I want to do something different with my life, but haven't found what, yet. I find that family means more to me than ever. And that includes my dogs, with whom I've walked more this year. I find that material things don't mean as much, and I wish with all my heart there was some way to just drop out of the rat race. I am sadder, lonelier, full of anger at radical Islamists. I have less patience for the mindlessness of the political Left, and even less for the foolish intramural squabbling of my brothers and sisters who are anywhere right of center on the political spectrum.

I believe that the political right in this country may very well be the last bulwark against the very real and present danger radical Islam poses to our country and our way of life. I believe that President Bush knew immediately that morning that this issue trumps all others in importance. Overall, I think he's done a very good job. But I think he and the administration made one big mistake: they failed to engage the country in civil defense activities. There should have been an effort made to mobilize people in a way similar to civil defense during WWII. Coast watchers, airport perimeter watchers, sky watchers, watchers around the perimeter of potential targets like refineries, nuclear power plants, dams and the like. I don't agree the country should have been told to just go on about its business like nothing had happened.

We haven't been attacked in nearly a year. That's to the administration's credit. But I believe with all my heart that we will be attacked again. The nation needs to understand the danger.

[Militiaman7]

I was visiting my cousin just outside of Copenhagen, Denmark. We were watching the CNN (Europe) when it came on. Everyone was glued to the TV.

Back home now. Still pissed off. Wanting the US to Kick A$$ and Take Names.

More vigilant, more suspicious of Middle Eastern people (I think its alright to profile).