First off, I’d like to thank Milwaukee Guy for starting this 9/11 remembrance thread. So much of what concerns the readers and posters at FR can be directly traced back to that infamous day. I’ve read up to post 401 of this thread. Every single word — and I’ve been riveted the entire time. Much like I was on September 11th 2001...
I remember rolling out of bed and heading to the kitchen to start the morning coffee as usual. Once the pot was cooking, I went out to my office (we run our own business from home) and fired up the computer, the radio, and a cigarette. Just like a thousand other days.
While I’m waiting for the computer to load up, I begin to notice that something is different about the normal flow of morning talk radio. I still haven’t had my first cup of coffee yet, so things aren’t all that focused for me, but still, it sounds like some sort of breaking news going on.
I get up and cross the room to turn up the broadcast just a bit. Something about the tone of the voices alone, is pinging my warning radar. It’s at that point, that I first hear that a plane has gone into one of the WTC towers in New York City. Processing that information almost negates my need for coffee and brings me almost fully into present time.
I dash into the house and wake my wife. “Honey, wake up! A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center!” She’s up and heading to the office in an instant. I follow her and grab my first cup on the way. The information on the radio is now coming hot and heavy, and the emotional tone of the announcers seems to have ratcheted up a notch. I can’t take it any more and head to the house to turn on the television.
The images I saw that morning are forever etched in my mind, as I’m sure they are for everyone here, and all across America. I didn’t need a talking head to tell me that we were under attack. I can remember turning to my wife and saying something to the same effect, and that someone was going to pay dearly for this act of war - and soon.
I seem to remember that the pot was cold by the time I finally went to get my second cup of coffee. My wife and I realized that we had clients and a schedule to attend to and got on the phones. After the first couple of calls, we realized that the world had stopped that day. Business was effectively canceled for the day, and we spent the next 48 hours or more glued to the television coverage on FNC. I think it was perhaps four days later that my wife finally asked me if we should open the shop again.
I can remember driving to my first client after 9/11 and noticing all of the American flags on all the cars. I had been carrying an American flag decal in my clipboard for weeks and hadn’t gotten around to sticking it on the window of my truck. I remember that I purposely made a stop before getting to my first client, just so I could get that sticker on my window. After 9/11 it just did not seem right for it to not be there. It’s faded and cracking now, but it still says “I Love America” to everyone who sees me.
One other thing — a lot of folks have commented on what a beautiful day that was. That is one of the other things that stuck in my mind about 9/11. It was one of the prettiest days I had seen in a very long time in SoCal. That one thing stands out as such a strange counter-point to the events of that day.
I’ve been moved by all of the posts I’ve read tonight. I’ve often wondered too, why everyone in America does not take the time to truly honor and remember that day, and those who perished at the hands of our psychotic enemy. I do, and am happy to be in the company of other like-minded patriots.
I was in my midtown office at a meeting with a full view of the towers when the first plane struck. Someone said, “holy h$t” and we all moved to the window. A colleague of mine was on the phone with his sister who worked at Cantor when his phone went dead.
We quietly stared at the towers when there came a second explosion.
At this point things get very confusing. I remember our managers telling us there was a terrorist attack and we have to move to our uptown disaster recovery location. As we walked through the streets, I noticed that people were not talking and were acting like zombies, wandering aimlessly.
At our DR location, senior management were talking about recovering tapes and other supplies and getting them to our facility in Jersey. I remember mentioning to them that our tapes are stored in the sub-basement of the WTC and even if we can get them, how will we get to Jersey. They looked at me like I had two heads. A little while later, most of us were sent home, although no one knew how to get home.
Someone mentioned that Citicorp center was having a blood drive so I went there. I waited for an hour or so and then they stopped asking for donors. I went down to the river to see if I could get a ferry out and there was an emergency aid station set up. I asked if I can help and they told me no injured were coming in.
There was a ferry goingto Jersey City and after several hours, I managed to get a ride to Jersey. The ferry service was asking if anyone was within 10 blocks of ground zero and those people were to get offthe ferry first. Turns out there was a decontamination station setup.
There was one train leaving Jersey City for points west. Newark Penn was closed. I got a ride out to Short Hills where I hitched a ride to the Hilton. My wife came and got me a couple of hours later. It was now midnight.
The next day I went to get my car which was parked in a garage of a bus line. There was a chalk mark on my tire. Getting into my car the attendant said, “welcome home.” At that point I finally comprehended what took place the last 24 hours and broke down.
I will never forget.