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#1604 | Monday, August 26th 2002
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I was on my way into Center City (downtown Philadelphia) on the "El" train when someone got a call o ntheir cell phone and told us that the WTC had been hit by a plane....I got off at my stop, and turned my cell phone/radio on to listen to the news station. I listened to the whole thing on my way to the library. Trying to get home, tho, was an ordeal. Business and high-rises closed early, clogging the streets with massive amounts of traffic. I had to walk almost 2 miles back to the train from where I was. I spent the next few days trying to contact my NYC friends by e-mail. Thankfully, they were all OK.
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Mary | 21 | Pennsylvania
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#1575 | Tuesday, August 20th 2002
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at 845am, I was getting off the train in philadelphia, and walking to work. around 855am I stepped in to my office, and found everyone standing in the conference room watching the tv. I saw the second plane hit live on tv.
the day was a slow blur, I actually did work until about 1130, when it kinda sank in what was going on. official word went out that the mayor had ordered the city evacuated of all non-essential personel, the trains were either stopped, or running, depending on who you talked too. I made my way to a friends house in south philly. stayed there until the end of the day, when my Girl Friend came and got me in her car.
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duran | 24 | Pennsylvania
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#1559 | Saturday, August 17th 2002
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September 11 started out one of the most beautiful days in recent memory. Sunny and bright, barely a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was perfect. I'm not a morning person, but that day I couldn't help feeling a little energy boost as I emerged from the house and noticed how gorgeous it was outside. I was in my car, on my way from my home in Philadelphia, PA to Camden, NJ to see a client. I was just turning onto the approach to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, when I turned on the radio-- just in time to hear the DJs exclaim, "Oh my God, another plane just hit the other tower!" About a minute went by before I finally heard them say "World Trade Center," and when they did I started punching buttons to check other stations, thinking that it was just some really sick joke. I was stunned when I found that it was all too real. I stomped on the gas pedal and sped up, wanting to get to the client's offices so I could get to a computer and pull up some news sites. When I finally made it there, I tried to pull up CNN's web page and see what the hell was going on-- but it and many other news sites were crippled from millions of people simultaneously trying to do the same thing. We ended up finding and turning on a radio, and getting absolutely no work done as we stood around listening to KYW (the local news radio station) with increasing horror as the reports kept rolling in. Finally, someone managed to pull up MSNBC's main page on their computer, and then we all saw that unbelievable, unimaginable, nightmare image that will probably stick with us for the rest of our lives-- black smoke pouring from a giant gash in one of the twin towers, and the other engulfed in a tremendous fireball from the impact of the second plane and ignition of its full load of jet fuel.
Planes in the primary landing pattern to Philadelphia International Airport can be seen through the floor-to-ceiling front windows of the building I was in. After we heard of the FAA's nationwide aircraft-grounding order on the radio, we watched them coming in, one after the other. We held our collective breath for a moment each time, watching and waiting to see if the plane was really on final approach, or if it was going to veer off toward center city Philadelphia on some hijacker's insane suicide mission. People started to leave to pick up their kids from school and daycare as word spread that Philadelphia was essentially shutting down. I headed for home myself at about 11:20am, when rumors started flying that major area roads and the bridges over the Delaware River were going to be closed (they turned out to be just rumors). The ride home seemed to take forever, but finally I got there. I spent the rest of the day staring at CNN, barely able to accept what I was seeing. Reading the words in the special editions of the Philadelphia newspapers later that afternoon didn't make it any more real, either.
One month ago, I took my annual day-trip to New York for a computer trade show. It was still dark in the morning when I was on the train to the city, so my first look at the city in daylight finally came that afternoon, on the train home. Even after seeing the hole in the skyline with my own eyes, I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that those buildings are gone. I simply sat and stared out the window at the place where they should have been, until my line of sight was finally obscured as the train moved farther away.
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Michael | 29 | Pennsylvania
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#1520 | Sunday, August 4th 2002
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I had just refreshed myself ,after taking a shower. I am a RN and work the night shift, 7pm to 7am. I had just sat on the bed to watch the Today Show and during the interview about a book on Howard Hughes, Matt Lauer interrupted stating a fire at the WTC. I switched to CNN and much to my horror, I witnessed the attack on the second Tower. I then realized it was no accident. I could not sleep that day and had to report back to work @ 7pm.
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Eric | 48 | Pennsylvania
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#1507 | Monday, July 29th 2002
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I was sitting in my 2nd period Latin class and my teacher was late. We were all just talking and laughing. When the teacher came in she said that 2 planes hit the World Trade Towers. She added the planes were flying out of Boston and to L.A. I turned around and look at my friend who had his eyes closed and was praying. He had told me his dad was flying from Boston to LA that morning. Than I faced front and realized that my brother worked at the World Trade Towers. I felt a deep stomach ache and a burning in my ears. The teacher got pulled out of class and we heard another teacher say the Pentegon was hit. We all got up and turned the radio on. I could not believe it was all true. I just sat down trying to old back my fear, sadness and anger. It was heard to not hold back tears and I tried to hold them back for fear of being made fun of. My friend who was sitting behind was already crying, his Dad might have been on flight 11. I turned around and cried with him. He got a call about 15 mintues later, it was his mom. Thank God his Dad was not on the flight, his was leaving at 11:30am. That left me, i only wondered....
Next period, our headmaster came on the loudspeaker, for we all knew what was going on up the Jersey Turnpike and down Rt. 95, he said that his headmaster told them the bad knews when JFK was shot and killed. I just though Holy Shit, our President is dead!! He announced that the 1 trade tower collapsed and thousands and thousands were trapped. I prayed my brother was not one of them. 2 Minutes later my cell phone rings. I wasn't supposed to have it on, but i did for what was going on. I didn't recognize the number but i still answered. "David?? Are you there. Its Will, I am alright, I am on my way out of the city and i am gonna pick you up. I am fine. I got to work late, my battery is going dead, be there in 2 hours. I....." I heard a loud crash over the phone "Holy shit, another just collapsed. I gotta goet off now. I love you and call mom and tell her i am safe." Later that day i found out why my brother called me on my cell, all the other lines were busy. During this whole event i prayed more than i ever have, talked 2 God more than i ever have and cried more than i ever had. I thank God that my brother is safe, but i still hurt for others who are not. I have tried to remember out of bad things God will make good things.....and he has!!! GOD BLESS USA!!!
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David | 14 | Pennsylvania
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