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#98 | Wednesday, September 19th, 2001
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I was coming out a courthouse in Kettering, ohio. I was upset thaat iI had to obtain a lawyer and the money I was going to spend to do so. I felt sick that I was so concerned about something so small when I found out what happened. It really put a lot of things into perspective for me.
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chris | 21 | Ohio
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#99 | Wednesday, September 19th, 2001
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I was walking out my door to work when I saw the aftermath of the first plane impact on television. The trade center was damaged and burning, although from the angle shown on TV it didn't look as catastrophic as it turned out to be.
My mother immediately thought it was an act of terrorism, but I dismissed that theory.. I remember saying that usually it's the simplest explanation. I said it was either an accident or somebody committing suicide. I recalled a story about a Colorado Air Force pilot who stole an A-10 warthog and crashed into the side of a mountain.
As I drove to work, I tuned into News radio 88 out of New York. I was startled to hear eyewitness reports that it wasn't a small plane, but rather a jetliner.. Still I thought the eye witnesses must have been mistaken. How could they identify an aircraft after seeing it for just a split second?
Then the shocking news came across on the radio. The newscaster said 'wait a minute, was that another explosion?' And at that instant an eye witness who was being interviewed a few moments earlier broke in and said, 'NO IT'S ANOTHER AIRLINER. I JUST SAW IT FLY OVER MY APARTMENT AND IMPACT INTO THE OTHER TOWER!' The shear terror in that man's voice frightened me... I just passed the stop light just before my office. I was in total shock and disbelief. At that moment I realized our world was about to change dramatically.
My first question was how did these guys get these planes? I figured they must have leased them or something along those lines. The thought of hijacking a commercial airliner didn't even cross my mind.
All I could do throughout the day was listen to the radio and attempt to connect to the internet news media. I heard the news of the first tower collapse over the radio. I just couldn't imagine the destruction that was taking place both in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.. To be honest I was expecting to hear about more crashes and destroyed buildings.
I went through the rest of the day in disbelief.. How could they destroy the trade center? How could so many planes at so many different airports become compromised? Why didn't our government with its multibillion dollar intelligence gathering systems know about this? How could our airports be so insecure?
All I wanted to do was help, yet there was nothing I could do.
I didn't see the towers collapse until the later part of the evening when I came home from work. I was ANGRY.. Angry at the animals who planned and executed this, angry at our government for failing to stop a widespread and coordinated attack, and furious at our airlines for the farce they call security.
I then thought of the thousands of innocent people who probably lost their lives, and said a prayer for their families. I've lost friends to car accidents, but could not imagine losing a close loved one so suddenly at the hands of another group of people.
As we move forward from this terrible moment in history, I pray for those who lost their lives or their loved ones, and ask G-d to help us all get through these troubling times ahead. Hopefully we will not see more innocent bloodshed on either side.
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Lon | 24 | Connecticut
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#100 | Wednesday, September 19th, 2001
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I woke up with a start at 8:30 AM. I was running late to pick up my friend Tammy at work and I was speeding on my way to her workplace. I hadn't been on the road for very long when the DJ on the radio broke through to announce that a passenger plane had crashed into the World Trade Center, one of the twin towers. I was shocked, I almost drove right off the road... I slowed down, and I began to think of how I had visited New York in March... Then I heard the other tower had been hit... And I started crying... And turned on the news. And when I watched various parts of footage on TV, I couldn't believe my eyes. It all seemed so unreal. To see places destroyed where I had seen in person... Very unnerving.
I now hope that whoever is responsible for this is punished. I don't want him or her to be killed outright, I would like to see him suffer. I am not a person who harbors hate easily... But this person has ruined many people's very lives, torn apart families, and thrown an entire nation into turmoil... This person needs to suffer like we all will for years to come.
What this criminal has not done was count on our entire nation pulling together in our time of need. We shall overcome... We shall not allow this nation to fall apart. We are strong.
I want to offer my sincere sympaties for all those directly or indirectly involved with this horrendous attack on our fine nation. *hugs*
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Andy | 23 | Connecticut
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#101 | Wednesday, September 19th, 2001
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Sitting at work getting ready to head home I got a call from a co-worker. He said" 2 planes just hit the WTC". And told me that I should drive over to other office and watch the TV. Thinking that it was 2 small light aircraft I thought that it was going to be a small item. once I found out that it was 2 767's I became numb. I could not belive that something like this could happen. I mean who would do such a thing. That whole day I dont think I left the TV. Im still a bit numb, and now knowing the world will never be the same. Now may thoughts are spend wondering how big is this war going to be, and will I have to fight.
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Josh | 21 | Washington
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#102 | Wednesday, September 19th, 2001
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Wednesday, September 12, 2001 8:13:37 AM
Its not been a night for sleep. Not unusual for me... I'm always up most the night. I have been going out to look down on the wreckage and ruin. All through the night one image sticks out in my mind. As I look out on the smoke pouring out of what was The World Trade Center, and now called ground zero the klieg lights creating an eerie white glow underlighting the cloud. The jagged tops of blackened buildings glimpsed through casual breaks in the blanket of smoke as the wind continues to carry the dust and smoke east over lower Manhattan. Each time I look my eye would be drawn to the clearer end of the site where a few buildings still stand around Battery Park (the section of the financial district designed by my friends Vaughan, and Anne Marie - who is from Chicopee by the way). Glad to see their work still standing I'm sure the area has sustained much more damage than meets the eye. Still something more remarkable standing there in plain view kept clear by prevailing winds just to the west of Ground Zero. I feel like Francis Scott Key when I see her standing tall in her tarnished green gown holding high her torch as if her light might guide the rescue workers as they hope to find victims. Or more to the point to give guiding light to all the many souls traveling homeward. I see even from here her slightly bowed head and her concerned and caring expression and I feel her heart. Though I see her pain and respect her solemnity I can't help but notice her strength and her pride as she seems now to stand ever taller... ever stronger. A true mother of Liberty mourning the sudden and unexpected death of her children while she looks directly into the epicenter of the catastrophe and exclaims to the world "The Children of Liberty, the meek and the mild, may have been smitten before my eyes but The Family of Liberty lives strong!" Inspired by her torch held high I placed two tall prayer candles together to replace the light from the two towers ripped from our beloved skyline. Lighting them in honor of the victims of this monstrous and senseless act of murder I noticed an immediate effect on my psyche. I then photographed them burning in my window overlooking the smoldering cloud of dust and ash rising from "ground zero". I printed it out as a flyer which I put up around town and posted on the web as a memorial called Twin Lights. After learning that I was blessed to have known about one third of the WTC MIA in happier times I was completely crushed. Finding solace under a tree near the pond in Central Park a melody came to my head inspiring me to write a song titled "Two Towers" providing both strength and inspiration to get through it all. Brian Pride
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Brian | 39 | New York
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