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#985 | Tuesday, March 12th, 2002
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Living in Hawaii the morning of September 11 unfolded while we on the islands were sound asleep. I like many others was awoken out of bed around 4 a.m. by the ringing of the phone. My husband answered and I knew by his voice something was wrong. When he hung up he said it was my sister who had called and that the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon had been "bombed." He then rolled over and when back to sleep. It took me a minute to register what he had said and just to be clear I asked again what happened. To my horror he repeated the same story. In the dark I searched for the remote and turned on the television thinking I would find CNN or Fox News for what was happening. But, I didn't have to look that far it was on every channel. Horrible images of a plane slamming into the World Trade Center and fire billowing from the other tower. At first I thought it was a small commuter plane, but as I listened to the news I realized that was a jet airliner I saw. Within minutes of turning the television on I saw the first tower collapse before my eyes. I didn't look real, I felt like I was watching a movie. All I could say was "Oh My God," over and over. My husband hugged me for comfort but it didn't help all I could think of were the lives lost and I was a witness to it all.
It wasn't long until our phone was ringing constantly, my husband serves in the United States Navy and almost immediatly the military began working toward a defensive movement. In the days following September 11, I didn't know if my husband would come home each night. And, if he did come home I always feared with him he would bring news of deployment.
I think what amazed me most about the day was that we lived 5,000 miles away from the nearest point of devestation yet family and friends called to see if we were okay. Somehow that day people forgot about themselves and only worried that the ones they held dear in their heart were safe and okay.
September 11 is a day I won't too soon forget. None of us will.
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Jane | 26 | Hawaii
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#986 | Wednesday, March 13th, 2002
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Sept 11,2001 at 7:45 am I went to the bus stop to wait for the bus going down town Saint Paul to work. I got to work at 8:15 a.m. There were people standing by the copy machine talking about "some plane hit a building" Okay I was still tired and I wasn't paying attention to them, then more people started talking about how they saw the video of the plane hit the building. I remember commenting to myself as I walked back to my computer that I needed to watch the news more often. I didn't equate what they were saying with America because the word Terroism came up. I am 24 in my life the only thing in America that has been really equated with a terroist is a toddler. Terroism and America don't fit. At least not before 9/11. Okay so I got to my cubicle and turned on the country station and hear OH MY GOD OH MY GOD....some lady is screaming. Then the reports started flooding in one right after another. 2 planes hit the WTC, "this just in the pentagon has been bombed" and there are 4 planes still unaccounted for, wait a plane went down in a field in PA. May be unrelated. I was thinking Yeah Unrelated my ass. I was scared. I was almost crying, my phone rang and it was my mother. I am a sensitive person and she wanted to see if I was okay. I can't pin point the moment but sometime right after I heard the initial reports and before 9 am. central time I ran up to the security desk on the 3rd floor, they have a tv that is tuned to CNN, I didn't get to see much because there were so many people. I went back to my desk and sent the loan documents to the lender by 9:10 am. I hear as I am sending them that the sears tower and the Mall of America is being evacuated. I am really nervous now. My phone rings it is the lady that works in the next cubicle's son, I say anne is in training can I take a message, he tells me to get ahold of her asap because his sister from NY called, I gave him the trainer's direct number and Transferred him up there. Then I hear "Everyone can I have your attention, Turn off your Computer and GO Home now. Leave the downtown area. I was going why is a building in downtown Saint Paul MN being evacuated.(not like I wanted to stay at work) Then I realize the Mn trade center is only blocks away and the State capital bldg is less than a mile from us. I shut off my computer and went to the bus stop. I was so terrified of being downtown I took the first #8 I saw. As long as it got me out of downtown. I had a 10 Minute wait for the transferring bus and went directly to my childrens day care across the street from my apartment. I hugged my 1.5 year old and my other son was at his first day of school. I left him at daycare because he didn't need to be around the tension. As I came to the door my husband did. We turned on the TV and that was when for the first time we saw the plane hit the building. Then the tower collapsed and we saw people running. Then the dust covered streets. I said God David it looks like the opening sequence of Terminator 2 Judgement day. We sat and watched the news all day. I cried all day. Especially at night when they started showing the posters of the missing. I didn't sleep well that night. The next morning I went to work. All I could think of is gee I can throw the computer threw the window to get out. I was planning escape routes and scenarios in my head. I avoided the elevators and the skyway. Panic attacks led me to quit my job 9/18. I had a major Panic attack that Friday and got home in time to watch the Memorial service. I remember that on the bus ride home that day We passed by a red cross there was already a line to donate blood at 9:30 in the morning 10:30 NY time. I never did like George W. but that night I watched the statement he made and I liked him that night. God bless America. I will never forget.
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Heather | 24 | Minnesota
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#987 | Wednesday, March 13th, 2002
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I was sitting in my living room watching Good Morning America. Later that news shows title would only bring tears to my eyes. I had always felt very safe in this country, but I can no longer say that. Everyday I wait for the shoe to drop again. I fear for my children, granchildren, my husband and for all my fellow Americans. My son is in the Air Force and so I can feel for all mothers who have sons and daughters far away. I think we became too confident about our safety here. I don't think we should ever forget 9/11. We have to stand by one another and forever keep vigil of our homeland. Thank You Jean Ormond Bch, Fl
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Jean | 54 | Florida
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#988 | Wednesday, March 13th, 2002
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I was sleeping in my Mom's house in New Jersey when she came and work me up saying "great things are happening, planes just hit the twin towers, one of them is gone." I was kind of groggy so I looked out my window towards manhatten but of course I couldn't see anything because of the palisades blocking my view. I went downstairs (at this point only one of the towers had collapsed) and turned on the TV. only a couple of the channels worked because a lot of them broadcast from the tower. My first concern was that my dad lived only a few blocks from the towers, but my mom had gotten a call from him and he was picking up my sister from school (she went to school in Riverdale) and they were both coming to New Jersey. However our housekeeper who we had known for a long time was at my dad's house so I kept trying to call it. My mom was very upset and gave up but eventually I got through to her. She said "oh, everything's fine here, there's something wrong with the water though." She was 8 blocks from the towers and she didn't know they had been hit! So we told her to try to get out... she was fine and so was the house. In a little while a couple of my friends came by because the school had said "classes will continue but if parents want they can take their kids home" so they just left. That's my 9/11 story.
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Sam | 17 | New York
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#989 | Wednesday, March 13th, 2002
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I had a vacation day from work. I was in the shower at home. I heard the phone ring once, then twice, then again. I was wondering who would be bothering me already this morning. I got out of the shower to find messages from my mother and my fiancee. I turned on the television immediately. Then I called the school where my step children go to see if I should pick them up. I had so many things I was going to do that morning, but all I could do was sit and watch the television, dumbfounded. It was horrible. I called my job to see if any of our Technicians were away in New York. Thankfully, they were all home. I was horrified. I will never forget that aweful day.
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Jessica | 25 | New Jersey
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