#1155 | Friday, April 5th 2002
On the morning September 11th, 2001, I was sleeping. In Colorado it was just after 8:00 a.m. and my wife hadn’t wakened to drive the kids to school yet. I felt her lay down next to me, lying right up against me like couples do, and she said,”John wake up.” She repeated herself a couple of times until my responses were coherent. Then, she said, “are you sure you’re awake?” I answered, “yes”. She said, “Some one is bombing us.” “You’re just yanking me”, I laughed. “No I’m not”, she replied, then she told me how the plane had hit the WTC towers and now they were getting reports that the pentagon had been hit too. After hearing all the details she had I knew it was true, but couldn’t believe it. I took the kids to school and spent the rest of the day glued to the TV and talking to my friends and my wife who had a small TV at work.
I remember feeling how terrible this was. At the time we thought that the death toll alone was going to reach 6,000. I remember the shock. It seemed awful to keep watching the scenes like it was some sort of sick entertainment, but it was necessary to fully comprehend or even believe what had just happened.
That evening and the days that followed I went to church and prayed for those killed and their families. I guess just being together and talking about it with my family and friends is what helped most.
I had always loved my country and been proud to be an American but the fact that we all went through this together seemed to intensify and rub off It really brought us together as a country. I was so proud when people went out to get flags. I was surprised that so many people didn’t have flags but I was glad they everyone was getting one now.
I remember discussing with my father (who is a WWII vet) how pearl harbor had been the worst attack on America until now. He said the feelings at that time were much the same but after its over and years go by you never think that something like that could happen again. It makes you wonder what might happen when we are 70 years old.
I think President Bush and his staff, really everyone in the country, handled everything perfectly, and I was empresses and proud of all the celebrities who donated time and talent and money to the telethon. In fact I have it on DVD. I guess there is only one way to describe what happened. It was horrific and terrifying, and an unforgettable part of history. It brought us together as family, neighbors, and countrymen and as a world community.

John | 32 | Colorado

#1134 | Friday, March 29th 2002
I was in Las Vegas on the day of the attacks with some friends. What a strange sight to be in a very busy noisy casino and hear an announcement over the entire area to stop and have a few moments of silence for all who had been involved. The entire street became as silent as being in an underground cave. Having been through that awful day of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, all I could think of the repercussions which were to occur and how many of our people would become involved in the military and how many more lives would be lost this time? May God bless America.
Mildred | 76 | Colorado

#1113 | Tuesday, March 26th 2002
I was sleeping befor the first plain hit. I got up for work and turned on the news to get a traffic report, like i did every morning, and found that a plain hit the twin towers. Then while watching more I saw the second plain hit I was suprized I never thought this would ever happen to NY or at least the USA. then the rest of the day and for 2 days longer I sat glued to the tv watching all the events hoping there was no one I knew or grew up with. I am a 30 year vet of NY. I still wonder if there was anyone I ever knew there that died. God Bless all the familys of NY and of the victims of the sdad moment.
M. | 36 | Colorado

#1101 | Sunday, March 24th 2002
I awoke to a far to frequent vibrating of my two-way pager. God, it was early and there were people trying to get in touch with me. There were messages to read and listen to. There were calls to return. What was going on? I sat up in my hotel room bed and turned on the TV. The second plane had hit the World Trade Center. What?!
I took my shower and put on my slip, still grogy. I sat on my bed, wondering about my pending flight. I got dressed in my airline uniform and went down to the front desk.
"You're not going anywhere. Go back to your room," said the front desk clerk. I obeyed.I was morbidly dazed, barely breathing with shoulders slummped. By then both buildings had collapsed. I let my United dress fall to the floor and I laid back in my bed, under the shield of covers. I looked outside to see the American flag being lowered. The TV was on, my pager was going off and the phone was ringing yet there was a deafening silence. I had never seen the flag actually being lowered. And it pained me as it decended. After I felt I could return calls without a crack in my voice, I reassured my mom, my dad, my friends that; "No I am not at home. I am on a layover on the West Coast. I'm safe." After that sentence, we cried.
The next time I would pin my wings to my uniform, there would be a black ribbon underneath.

E. | 27 | Colorado

#1075 | Tuesday, March 19th 2002
It was exactly a week after my 1st visit to New York City. I usually caught the first 10-15 min. of the Today show before leaving for work, but that day I'd left a little early. I wish I hadn't as I never would've left the house. While listening to a radio talk show, it was cut in by a news story about the first tower - I was a little confused about what was going on as this station did not usually discuss such serious matter. When I got to work, we all gathered around the radios as we didn't have TVs at our disposal. I called my brother in CA and left him a message - it was still quite early there and they most likely wouldn't have the TV on. I was in shock but couldn't hold back the tears as I listened in horror about the attacks on our country, wondering what would happen next.

After 3 hours of listening to the radio, our CEO came on the loudspeaker and announced that we'd had a bomb threat and should all leave the building. I wasn't worried about the threat - I was just glad that I could leave and get to a TV. Going down the stairwells, I imagined what it was like trying to escape the towers. My 5 floors times 20. I don't think I have ever gone through so much stress nor shed so many tears in one week as I took in all the devestation.

I'd been so excited about my NYC trip that I'd brought in my film to get developed over that previous weekend. The pictures were ready on Monday but I hadn't picked them up. I didn't pick them up until Friday and I was a little afraid to look at them. I knew I had several pictures of the city skyline, taken on Sept. 3, and in particular one of myself with the towers in the background. It was bittersweet to view them, but the city was beautiful and I'll always remember it that way.

Gaela | 37 | Colorado

<< | < | showing 16-20 of 43 | >| >>
search again

welcome
view / browse
search
about


link us



website: wherewereyou.org
All entries are copyright their original authors.