#902 | Monday, March 11th 2002
I can still remember the second I first heard. My boss just yelled from his office that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I thought it must be a small little plane with an inexperienced pilot that just had a poor error in judgement. Then I heard it was a jet, and I thought, how could a commercial pilot not see the tower in front of him and avoid it somehow. I thought there must have been something horribly wrong with the plane. But when I heard that another plane had struck the South tower, the hair on the back of my neck just stood on end. This isn’t an accident…this is deliberate, this was something someone wanted to happen, but why? I couldn’t even begin to digest what had just happened when the radio blasted the news that a plane had just crashed into the Pentagon. That’s when I realized we were under attack. But by whom and why? Why would someone target buildings full of innocent people? What warped crazed mind had planned such an act of destruction? I just remember being glued to the radio, and when they said that a plane had crashed in the hills of Pennsylvania, well that was just more than I could comprehend. I just sat there, tears streaming down my face thinking about the people trapped above the explosion in the WTC, and wondering how on earth would they ever rescue those people. The came the horrible news that Tower 2 had collapsed to the ground. All 110 stories, gone. How could anyone survive? The death toll must be staggering. Then the North tower collapsed and I just felt so helpless…how could this be….I must be dreaming. This is America! I was glued to my TV all evening, just staring in disbelief what had transpired throughout the day. Then I thought of my friend’s husband Jay, a New York firefighter, husband and father of two. Had he been working that day? Was he still alive? It wasn’t until 4 days later that I found out he had survived. He had, however been witness to the horror that was 9/11. He had been guiding people out of the building along with a fellow firefighter and close friend. The other guy was only a few yards away, when a jumper landed on him and killed him instantly. It was a scene I am sure, will be with him the rest of his life. I pray he is strong enough to deal with what he witnessed that horrible day.
The only positive thing that has come from this horrible event is I have witnessed acts of kindness like I have never seen before. This entire country has bonded together so strongly that in no way will cowardly, lunatics like Osama Bin Laden ever break, or weaken that bond. I just hope and pray that sick bastard will someday have to answer for his actions. He may be a martyr to the total wackjobs he represents, but to us he is just a coward who attacks then runs and hides. Come out of your cave, you rat, and show your face. Be a man, you coward!

Lin | 42 | Connecticut

#734 | Thursday, February 7th 2002
i woke up to leave for school (i was in boston) and noticed that i'd left the television on all night. all i saw on the screen was chaos. only one tower had been hit at that point.

all i know is that people are being absolutely phony about this monumental occurance. i hear plenty of people grieving about how this has spiritually effected them, etc., but they're still the same assholes that cut people off and make fun of people via stereotyping. what will it really take for everyone to fucking wake up? probably nuclear holocaust.

mark | 21 | Connecticut

#705 | Thursday, January 31st 2002
I had just sat down the morning of September 11th, in my first class of the day. The principal came on the intercom. "Two commercial airliners have just crashed into the WTC." I'm a pilot that flys small airplanes. When the message was over, there was a long eerie silence. My teacher ran to the radio, and turned it on. The town I live in is only 70 miles north of downtown New York City. Around 20 minutes later reporters from the radio station started yelling and screaming. At this time the first tower collapsed. Minutes later the next tower.

We will all remember the day of
September 11th, 2001
God Bless America



Tim | 13 | Connecticut

#635 | Wednesday, January 16th 2002
I remember these events like they just happened yesterday...I was in my 2nd period English Class around, A person (A staff member i'm guessing) was outside of our room, my teaher went to see what the person wanted, After, my teacher came back into the room quickly and put the TV on.I thought it as going to be something we were studying at the time, the oddysey for example, But i was totally wrong,I saw a building smoking on TV i noticed it was the Twin Towers. I was there to see only the first one hit which already crashed into the tower. Everyone in my class was silent...everyone thought it was probably an acident...Including the teacher. I went to my third period class and the tv was on...that when i saw that there was another crash. I thought to myself this is def. not an accident. I was thinking about my family and how they were dealing with this. All throughout the school day phones were ringing in my classrooms, kids would be called in for early dismisals...and all we did was watch the news the whole day. In Math i found out the pentagon was hit too. I couldn't wait to get home to see my mom and see how she was doing, she was fine and so was the rest of my family. Some of my football games that i cheerlead for was canceled because a kid in the football team had a father that worked in the trade centers was missing. There were like 4 other people in my school that were facing the same troubles.I found out a week ago that only 1 of those four kids parents died. God Bless them. My high school is said to have had most people related to this tradgedy in CT...God bless america and all those who helped in this tragic situation...and God bless all those who are suffering from lost family members or friends.
Amanda | 14 | Connecticut

#570 | Sunday, December 23rd 2001
I was at work in a college bookstore - a little after 9am a student called to ask if we had a certain title - there was a lot of noise in the background and he told me that a plane had hit one of the towers. Shortly after someone came into the store and said that the second tower had been hit and that the pentagon had been hit. I was so stunned I couldn't even talk, I just sat there trembling. The college closed a bit later and the first thing I did when I got home was turn on the television (even though I didn't want to)- that's when I learned that the towers had collapsed. I started crying - I think I've been crying ever since.
For weeks after I would see the towers collapsing in my mind like a film and suddenly I would remeber that it wasn't a film, but real - every time that happened I felt I had been hit hard in the stomach and heart. It still doesn't seem real - I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and the towers will be there (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way). But there is one thisg to remember - one very important thing - and that is that over 30,000 people survived Sept. 11th in New York City - and countless thousands in Washington, DC (I forget how may thousands work at the pentagon - but it's a lot).
Have I become more patriotic? No. I was always very patriotic, always proud to be an American - when people ask me what nationality I am - I alway say American. I've always worn the flag with pride and always cried at the rising of the flag - and the singing of God Bless America and other patriotic songs. The only difference is now I cry more - and more openly.
Then, of course there's New York City - the city of my heart. I literally swell with pride every time I see how wonderfully people have come together to help (financially and emptionally) the city the rest of the country loves to hate. And what a wonderful example of courage under fire the people of New York City are. "New York's Finest" and "New York's Bravest" are no longer slogans they are the truth (they always have been - but now the rest of the world knows that also) - those Bravest and Finest have shown us what real heros are. And Mayor Guiliani has showed us what a mayor - and leader - is, and should be. As I write this Time magazine has named him "Man of the Year" - which is just recognizing what has been true since Sept. 11th.
The times I've been to the pentagon always made me feel proud - especailly the Hall of Flags. Unfortuately I never made it to the observation deck of the Towers - the winds were too hich or a storm was coming in everytime I went there.
I'm proud of my country and of the people who have come together like never before - at least in my lifetime.
There's so much more to be said - but it could be summed up in 6 words -
I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Katie | 50 | Connecticut

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