9/11, where were you?

[headsnap]

I was right here, reading the planet. I saw a thread about it, then a friend called and I went to the TV


where were you?

[Archie Bunker]

I was in my apartment in Springfield when my mom called and told me to turn on the TV. I turned it on and ran to wake up my buddy. We spent the rest of the day and night staring at the TV.

[StcChief]

Sitting in traffic on the way to work when 1st tower hit.
At work when 2nd tower hit.

[Aries Walker]

I was at work. I left early so I could find my mother, who on that very day was booked on a plane to London, leaving out of Dulles. Needless to say, when I heard that a Dulles plane crashed into the Pentagon, I was concerned. It turns out she never even got near the plane, but we didn't know for a while because of the chaos.

A really close friend of mine was one of the people running down the street, covered in white dust, that you see on the news. I'm super glad she made it out okay.

[kepp]

I was on the couch in my apartment in Malibu, CA watching it unfold live...speechless. I wouldn't let my wife go into work that day because she worked at Cedars-Sinai hospital at the time. Its a totally Jewish-run place and I was convinced L.A. would be a target too.

[Dartgod]

Quite a few of us were right here:

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=19782

What's interesting re-reading that thread is some of the misinformation that came out early. Someone *coughphobiacough* even reported that Mall of America had been hit by a hijacked plane.

[jspchief]

You know, it's funny. When I was younger I'd hear people talk about remembering where they were/what they were doing during things like the Kennedy assasination. I always thought it was odd that peopl had such vivid recollections.

But I remember every detail of that morning. I remember them interrupting the morning sports radio program to talk about it and i remember what stretch of road I was on at the time, within a mile or so. I remember the jobsite i went to and what I did that morning. And I remember that when they said the first building collapsed, I packed up me gear and went home and watched it on TV the rest of the day.

I also remember my wife coming home from work that day and having a lack of interest that I found appalling.

[jidar]

I was the Network Administrator for a small ISP/Radio Shack in Parsons KS. I was in the basement dicking around on a messageboard when the first plane hit.

When it happened for some reason I couldn't get my mind around the fact that someone would do that on purpose, and I posted to the board that some air traffic controller somewhere must have really ****ed up.

I went upstairs into the store and tuned the TV display into the news report. People coming by the store would stop in to watch, sometimes we would have a small crowd. They mostly just stood and watched in stunned silence. I watched the people. I wish I could remember what I was thinking.

[HemiEd]

Setting right here, in my office. Wife called and told me a plane hit the WTC. Then she called back and said another one hit it. My first thoughts were, the Air Traffic Controllers need new equipment, they work with antique stuff. I know, I am and idiot.
Anybody else watching that 2 part thing on ABC? Pretty good, seems odd to have no commercials on Network TV.

[DaFace]

It is really weird how you remember those things. I was on the way back from class, driving on 15th street here in Emporia, near Rural street. I heard it on the radio. I went home, told the roommates, and watched the whole thing on TV for the next couple hours. I remember just about every detail.

[TrickyNicky]

I was in my Senior year, sitting in Civics class trying to catch a nap. A teacher comes in and whispers something to the Civics teacher and then he announces that the U.S. is under attack. The WTC buildings, and the Pentagon have been hit and the White House is next. Then he told us to stay there while he figured out what the f*** was happening. Spent the rest of the day watching TV in every class.

[Megbert]

I took the day off to get DirecTV installed - for Sunday Ticket. Then the installer had the nerve to show up late because of the 9/11 attacks.

Man I was pissed! /end sarcasm

So it has been 5 years since I made the switch to DirecTV!!

[Aries Walker]

Quite a few of us were right here:

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=19782

What's interesting re-reading that thread is some of the misinformation that came out early. Someone *coughphobiacough* even reported that Mall of America had been hit by a hijacked plane.
I remember all the misinformation. At first, they said it was a little plane, like a Piper Cub, that hit the Towers, and that a helicopter hit the Pentagon. Then, there were reports of a car bomb at the State Department, and that the Gannett Building in (just over the river) Rosslyn, Virginia, was on fire; neither were true.

That thread is gripping, but very unnerving. It's bringing me back, which might not be such a good thing, but I can't stop reading.

[2bikemike]

I remember I was laying in bed waiting for the knock on my bedroom door from my daughter telling me it was time to take her to school. Only she knocked and told us to turn on the tv a plane hit the WTC, We watched the 2nd hit. She didn't go to school that day we sat and watched the tv in complete shock.

[DMAC]

I remember the lines for gasoline. It was very strange and "end of days" ish.

[siberian khatru]

I had just dropped the kids off at school and turned on the radio, to the Lex and Terry syndicated show. They were talking about a plane having hit the WTC and the first thing that entered my mind was it was an accident similar to when the B-25 hit the Empire State Building back in 1945 or whenever it was.

Then about 5 minutes later they said another plane hit the 2nd tower, and they -- and I -- instantly knew these weren't accidents, but attacks. And they got deadly serious, and one of them said "I think it's time the U.S. left its calling card somewhere, to remind the world who we are."

I got to work and ran into a co-worker at the top of our parking garage. I mentioned the attacks to him, something like "we're gonna have a busy day today" (he was a news editor at the paper, I was an editorial writer) and he was completely unaware of the situation. So I filled him in and he calmly said "OK."

The rest of the day I kept running back and forth between the TV in the newsroom and the computer in my office, following it on the Internet. I remember expecting more and more attacks across the country, particularly on the West Coast.

Here's what I wrote that morning, on the fly:

http://old.savannahnow.com/stories/091201/OPEDwar.shtml

[Saulbadguy]

You know, it's funny. When I was younger I'd hear people talk about remembering where they were/what they were doing during things like the Kennedy assasination. I always thought it was odd that peopl had such vivid recollections.

It's called "flashbulb memory".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashbulb_memory

[Simplex3]

It was my first day at a new company. There were 11 of us, about half of them former military. A former tank commander came in and said one of the towers had been hit by a plane and I remember first thought was that some tool had hit the towers in a Cessna while sight seeing. Man, I wish that had been the case.

[Halfcan]

I was at home-I think Price is Right was on or something like that-they cut in the broadcaste just after the first plane hit.

Nobody seemed to know what was goinng on, then right there on the air the 2nd hit. I was pretty much in shock that terroist could pull this off. Then the Towers came down and I just had this numb, sick feeling. I took the day off.

[morphius]

Pulling into the parking lot at work listening to Dare when they interupted the station to announce that one of the towers had been hit.

[Aries Walker]

I remember how eerie it was for days with no airplanes in the sky anywhere, and every radio station played a lot of REM's "Everybody Hurts".

My class reunion was the next weekend, and I also remember seeing President Bush come on the TV in the bar where we got together afterwards, calling for Osama bin Laden, "dead or alive".

It was a tough time. Some people starting experiencing Post Traumatic Stress just from watching all the endless coverage.

[ChiTown]

Getting into my rental car after flying to Chicago, and listening to Sports Radio 820. I heard that a small comuter plane had hit the WTC. By the time I got to our office, I couldn't believe my eyes. I ended up driving from Chicago back to Wichita a day later.

I couldn't wait to get home and be with my family.

[the Talking Can]

I was watching the towers burn from across the east river in New York.

[Iowanian]

I was sitting in this same chair, logged on to see what was happening on Chiefsplanet....when I learned what those motherless c@cksuckers did.

I pulled a tv into the lobby so we could keep up the rest of the day.

I woke up pretty angry about it today.

[Nzoner]

I live above my offices and rarely have a tv or radio on when getting ready for work and that paticular day was no different.I walked downstairs to go to my office and my secretary asked if I'd heard the news.

[rageeumr]

I woke up (late) for class. Decided to skip the first class when I saw the TV.

That was followed by a bunch of semi-frantic phone calls. My dad is in the military and was scheduled to be at the Pentagon that day. The meeting he was going for had been cancelled, however.

[PastorMikH]

I had been building a utility trailer out in the garage. Having nothing at the office pressing, I went out to the garage that morning and started to work on the trailer. I turned on the radio and heard the news. I didn't believe it but I rushed inside and turned on the TV. Sure enough, every channel was talking about it. I sat there and watched to 5-10 minutes and then saw the second plane hit.

What I was doing is seared into my mind just like people who were alive when Kenedy was shot had said about that event.

[burt]

I was in North Carolin, doing Finance training. I was "up" next to do my presentation, in front of the class, and have it video taped....very nerve racking.

I was having a quick smoke to calm my nerves...when another student came out and told me the WTC was "bombed"...I thought he was f'ing with me. We watched the second plane hit, on TV, in the conference room. They canceled class for the rest of the day.

Thankfully, since 9/11 is my birthday, my Mrs. had sent me some Crown. I drank the bottle the rest of the day and watched the depressing coverage.

Three days later I was to fly back to KC...that was a bizarre experience...talk about surreal!!!....

[Otter]

Fell asleep on my couch after flying back from KC to watch the opening day loss against the ra1ders. Had the day off to recover, turned on the TV and was clobbered just like the rest of America.

[kcfan88]

I was archery elk hunting back in the mountains here in Idaho, i'm active duty USAF, Co-workers were sent to find us as they instated a re-call. They fired three shots (distress signal) so we headed down the mountain and back to camp where we were given the news. quickly wadded up the tent and threw all of our stuff in the truck bed. Listened to the radio all the way down the mountain, got home, showered and got to work ASAP. everyone was in the breakroom watching the events unfold. 11 days later (Sept 22nd) was in diego garcia loading bombs that were being dropped in Afghanistan.

[InChiefsHeaven]

I was on my way to work. The radio mentioned that a plane had hit one of the WTC towers. I remember laughing, thinking it was some dumbass in a piper cub who was probably drunk. I went into the office (its a probation office, nobody listens to the radio) and asked one of the guys if they had heard a plane hit the towers. He said no, and we went into the conference room and turned on the TV. I quit taking it so lightly when I saw all the smoke. More people came in to see what was going on...and plane number 2 hit.

It took my brain a good 30 seconds. Seems embarassing to have been so slow, but I just don't think I could comprehend it. I saw the 2nd plane, and I instantly thought, wow, they have video of this thing? Then, Peter Jennings (I think that's who it was, it was ABC news) said "It appears that another plane has hit the other tower of the WTC..." I felt sick to my stomach...and knew that shit would never be the same again.

The rest of the day was spent on the phone with my father to get filled in on the cable news coverage...then the Pentagon got hit. I have a friend stationed there, and that sucked ass. Turns out he was OK, but I didn't hear from him for 2 days.

I remember being extremely sad, then angry, then hatefull and bigoted. That last part seems to have faded for the most part, but it took a loooong time.

That thread was interesting to read. Brought back alot of memories.

God Bless America.

[Fire Me Boy!]

At the newspaper I worked at... damn busy morning after that, too.

[luv]

Driving through a McD's to grab breakfast on my way to my grandpa's memorial service. It came on the radio. After the service, family went to my uncles house and watched it on tv.

[Bearcat]

In Maryville... about to leave for a 9:30 class when I saw it on TV. The second one hit a minute or so after I turned it on, and obviously all the talk went from being an accident... went to class and everyone spent the hour on news sites. The teacher ran the class as normal, so I'm not even sure if he knew what was going on.

[Over-Head]

I had been running al night from GA to NYC and was on my way to Charlotte.I didn’t know what happened until I called Landstar dispatch and found out.
I had a new CD changer installed in the Freightliner and had NOT heard anything but my CD collection for 18hours or so.
Heck I even had my CB radio turned off.

12 miles north of Charlotte NC is where I heard the news, and the Petro Truck stop is where I stayed for 2 days.

Not a real good feeling when they close the border and you live on the OTHER SIDE.
You think that Tom Hanks movie "Terminal" was a joke?
I lived the fu@king reality.

[BigOlChiefsfan]

I was right here, taking it all REAL personal. Still do.

Confusion to our enemies.

[Postal_clone]

I was home just watching tv when It all started. Stayed in front of tv all day and most of night. September 11th is also My wedding anniversary.

[ImAWalkingCorpse]

I was on a plane from Orlando back to Kansas City, we had to land in memphis. It was the scariest damn thing I have ever dealt with. I guess they didn't announce flight humbers right away, because I was flying United and had about 15 messages from my mom and my girlfriend on my cell phone worried and hoping it wasn't my plane that hit the tower.

[InChiefsHeaven]

I made the mistake of watching Flight 93 on A&E on Saturday night...I just wanted to get into a fight...I don't want to forget, but I'm amazed at how complacent I've become, and that even a freak like me needs to be reminded what that day was really like...

[Hoover]

Phobia said this "Mall of America got hit, too. I don't have any details, though." Talk about fore shadowing of Phobia's current position with the office of mis information....

just giving you a hard time Phobia

[RP_McMurphy]

Had just started writing all the E-5 mid term evaluations for my division (18 evals at the time). I was the senior E-6 and it was my responsibility to write these evaluations and I took that responsibilty very seriously as it was my job to ensure that my juniors received quality input on their growth and I prepared them to move up in their Navy careers (a side bar here....two of those 18 people just made E-7 so I did something right). As I litteraly shut the door to the office so I could have quiet thought and concentrate on the evaulations. In popped one of the E-5's (one of the one's that made E-7 this year) and I immediately shot him a not now look and told him please the door. Well he then said "You might want to know about this". He told me about the twin towers and I stopped typing on the evaluations and immediately went to the office next door and was angry, shocked and saddened all at the same time. I watched both Towers fall and saw the Pentagon crash. Sadly I lost two shipmates in the Pentagon who I had served with onboard the Gettysburg and Elmer Montgomery. Later that afternoon I called my mother to see how she was and I found out that my younger brother had been at the Marriot next to the World Trade Center that morning and had been awaken by the blast. Here is his story.....

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/us/archives/2001/09/13/102880


The same E-5 I talked about earlier provided me with the most sobering point in my Navy career 5 months later in February of 2002. He re-enlisted at Ground Zero at the family viewing stand. It was there for the first time reading a young childs lament to her father about missing Christmas. That I understood the pain and anguish that the families felt on that day. To this day that firefighters name is scared into my memory and will remain with me until the day I die. Wearing our Navy uniforms that day we were lucky enough to run into a New York State enviromental unit. It was lead by a former Marine who knew about Amphibious ships and he lead us into the pit right down as far as you could go at that time (a few weeks later where we walked they recovered more bodies of fireman). It was sobering to see floors with mere inches between and there was still the smell. Walking out of the pit I went past the fireman raking the ruble and I passed no more than 2 feet from them and I saw one of the young firefighters with the most far away looks I have ever seen in a human being.

To this day I am angry to my core that those SOB's would do this to us. If I were the President I would give every last terroist a trial and then shot them. I would grind their bodies into a pulp and mix them in with pig's feed and let them be feed to the pigs. They deserve no human respect or dignity nor will they get any from me.

[Bugeater]

I was home, I usually got up when my wife left for work at 7:30 and turned the news on, but that day she was running late and by the time she woke me up both planes had already hit.

I ended up going to work later that morning, I was working on a exterior of a house in southwest Omaha and I'm fairly certain I saw Air Force One on it's descent to Offutt AFB.

[InChiefsHeaven]

I was home, I usually got up when my wife left for work at 7:30 and turned the news on, but that day she was running late and by the time she woke me up both planes had already hit.

I ended up going to work later that morning, I was working on a exterior of a house in southwest Omaha and I'm fairly certain I saw Air Force One on it's descent to Offutt AFB.

I'm here in Omaha as well, but I work over in Council Bluffs. My sister lives right on the flight path that AF One flew in on. Oddly enough, the plane could be heard for like miles because it was soooo quiet. She said it was the strangest sound, given all the circumstances.

[Hoover]

I don't usually get to the office till 9 am. I got up late that day and turned on the TV then jumped in the shower. The Today Show was on, and they were reporting that a small plane had hit the World Trade Center, after my shower I just stood there watching the TV and then the 2nd plane hit. I've never, ever felt fear like that in my life.

I went to the office and didn't do much the rest of that morning. I had a major meeting with a client that afternoon that wasn't called off. I remember how I just wanted to go home, but instead I was in a meeting on the top floor of one of the tallest buildings in Des Moines. It was wierd. I couldn't focus in the meeting, I didn't really give a shit about what type of negative campaign ads we should run in a Republican primary. When the meeting was over my the car we were traveling in was on E. The lines for gas went on for blocks. We finally got gas, I think it was a $1.63 or something.

On the ride home I just sat there staring out the window. The one thing I wall always remember on the ride home is 2 little kids, out in a field along I-80 waving the American flag.

[Bugeater]

I'm here in Omaha as well, but I work over in Council Bluffs. My sister lives right on the flight path that AF One flew in on. Oddly enough, the plane could be heard for like miles because it was soooo quiet. She said it was the strangest sound, given all the circumstances.
Yeah, it was strange. It's not like I really ever notice aircraft noise, but it did seem unusually quiet that morning. The sound got my attention right away.

[big nasty kcnut]

I felt sick to my stomachwatching today it's raining here. I sad to see the towers fall and people falling. I hope the lord blessed those who died that day. Then give the killers the worst punishment for their crimes.

[Dartgod]

...I was in a meeting on the top floor of one of the tallest buildings in Des Moines.
What was that, three, maybe four stories?

[ChiefFan31]

Good thread, and good responses.

I was sleeping (still brooding over the Chiefs -Raiders game I was at) It was about three weeks before I moved to San Diego, I was in KC...

Anyways...got the call around 9 am from my girl to get up. Both of the towers had been hit, and I think the first tower had just collapsed. I remember watching the second one collapse on TV. I was just in shock, unbelievable...

I went into work later that day, for a couple of hours but my manager let me go home. I spent the whole day watching it on TV.

and I do remember seeing the gas station across the street from my work. It was surreal, and bullshit..Price Gouging at its worst...

[ChiefsCountry]

I remember sitting in computers class and we actually turned the tv on for no reason and it was on. Strangest thing ever but I still remember all the details.

[QuikSsurfer]

i was a freshman in college.. in english composition

[chiefsfan987]

Like most people on the left coast I was sound asleep. I don't wake up until 7am.

[2112]

in a meeting at work..all cell phones would not work for a while..and several TV stations were out of commision..

I could not believe it, until I actually saw it..

[NJ Chief Fan]

i was in walkin into study hall, and my teacher said that a plane hit one of the twin towers, a few minutes later another teacher came in and said the second tower was hit, few minutes later the principal was on the PA telling the school our country was under attack, i then got up and left school with a couple of friend and we went to a mountain overviewing NYC were all we saw was a big cloud of smoke were the towers once were

[chefsos]

I was working, stocking our snack cake display at a grocery store. The deli clerk right behind us was on the phone with the store manager, who was at home watching TV and giving her updates. Both planes had hit the WTC already, but overhearing the clerk relaying the info to co-workers was the first I'd heard about the whole thing. We didn't have the radio on in the truck that morning.

Everything- the planes hitting the WTC and Pentagon, the towers falling, the PA crash- happened while we were at that store. Didn't know what else to do after we left there, so we just kept working the rest of the day (with the radio, obviously, on now). I didn't see a bit of footage 'til I got to my other job at my friend's gym in the evening, and there is where I just stood in front of the TV watching replay after replay, the stuff many people had been seeing all day long.

Weird thing is, we'd just left the Dover AFB Commissary when everything started. Still don't know if they would've immediately kicked us out when they locked it down, or kept us there all day.

[Rain Man]

I got a call from my father as I was getting ready for work, and thought he was exaggerating. Then I turned on the TV.

My first view was from a helicopter camera that was circling the area. It must've been upwind, because I had a clear view of the North Tower burning, and I remember saying out loud a couple of times, "Where's the other tower?" More so than the big fire, that was what was disturbing about it - it was obvious that one was gone, but I couldn't fathom that concept.

I was annoyed at my wife, because she was upstairs getting ready, and I kept saying, "You have to get down here. You have to see this." and she wouldn't come down. I was relaying the information to her as I was hearing it, and she asked how they attacked. I remember barely being able to say the words, "They hijacked planes and flew them into the buildings." I was just sick for the poor people on those planes.

I'd been watching for probably less than five minutes when the last tower went down. I was again yelling for my wife to come in, and I think I finally got her attention when I said "The whole World Trade Center is collapsing RIGHT NOW!"

That was a horrific sight and a horrific day.

Like others have said, I think one of the more enduring memories for me is not just the day itself, but the utter silence in the skies over the next weeks. I wouldn't have thought that planes made that much everyday noise, but their absence was noticeable. It was a week or more before I heard my first plane after that, and it was a military jet, most likely an F-16 from the local Guard base. Hearing that one plane really struck home to me how much of an impact that day had.

To this day, hearing a low-flying plane gives me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

[eChief]

I was working onsite in West Virginia. The plant had no radios allowed on the working floor. I finished the programming and called home to let my wife know I was heading home that evening.

She told me what was happening and I almost threw up. I began making arrangements to steal the rental car to drive back to KC. The company I worked for didn't much like the idea, I had a desperate need to get back to my family.

[leviw]

I was in art class and one kid, who was always late, walked into class and we were all gathered around looking at a painting my teacher had done, and the kid said he had been at home watching TV and plane hit the World Trade Center and another one flew in and hit the other tower just minutes after that.

My first thought was that it was a foggy day in NYC or something and the planes got off track and couldn't see where they were going. Word of mouth spread and details started to come together. I remember walking by my favorite teacher --a history teacher-- and still not quite understanding the magnitude of everything but saying: "Sounds like our country is in a bit of trouble."

I always liked him because he was always level-headed and rarely stretched his emotions or the truth, so when he looked me in the eye and said, "It's not good. It's not good at all." I knew it was something major.

I had computer class the next hour, and I spent 30 of the 45 minutes trying to log onto CNN.com. Once I got there the headline read something to the effect of "World Trade Center Collapses" with a picture next to it. I looked over to a kid sitting next to me and said, "Wait. The towers are gone?" He just nodded.

Being September and not being out for a fall sport, I always liked to go home and lay on our big trampoline in the back yard, just cooling down from the day and looking at the sky. I liked to watch the planes fly over thousands of feet in the air and not hearing the noise from their engines until they were already almost out of site over the trees. I remember it being so bizaare laying out there the next few days, including the afternoon of 9/11 and not seeing or hearing a single plane.

I remember my younger sister sitting on my stepmom's lap that evening as my stepmom explained what happened. They both cried. I remember the gas station across the street jacking gas prices up to over $2.00 and the line still being two blocks long (though if they got it to $2.00 today, they'd probbaly line up that way again).

What a day. So many emotions.

[JBucc]

Eating breakfast. A bowl of honeycombs cereal.

[Raiderhater]

It's kind of weird, the day before the Chiefs had just opened the season at home with a new HC and a loss......


I was at home in KC. I'd slept in because I was off that day and starting to come down sick. I was in the shower when my grandma entered the bathroom to tell me about the terrorist attacks. I was initially more concerned about the Pentagon being hit, and then I saw the difference in devistation on tv when I got downstairs. I spent most of the rest of the day listening to the tv and reading the Planet.

[Adept Havelock]

I got a call from my father as I was getting ready for work, and thought he was exaggerating. Then I turned on the TV.

My first view was from a helicopter camera that was circling the area. It must've been upwind, because I had a clear view of the North Tower burning, and I remember saying out loud a couple of times, "Where's the other tower?" More so than the big fire, that was what was disturbing about it - it was obvious that one was gone, but I couldn't fathom that concept.


Except for the fact it was a friend who called me and told me to turn on the TV, I had the same experience.

[siberian khatru]

I was in the shower when my grandma entered the bathroom to tell me about the terrorist attacks. I was initially more concerned about the Pentagon being hit


I would've initially been concerned that my grandma was about to see me naked.

[Calcountry]

I was sound asleep, and was awakened to the "single" tower, that is on fire.

[Raiderhater]

I would've initially been concerned that my grandma was about to see me naked.



That was my overall initial concern. My initial concern in regards to the specific subject of the attacks was the Pentagon. ;)

[Rausch]

Same place I am now watching the same $#it I was then...

[Bruiser]

bump

[Hootie]

I was a freaking sophomore in high school.

[Steron]

Was at home in bed. I was unemployed at the time. My wife (ex-wife now) worked overnights at the Pentagon. Our alarm clock went off and it was set to Howard Stern on WJFK, IIRC. He was talking about the first tower being hit and was on air live when the second one was hit. It was the first time I could remember ever hearing silence on the Stern show.

My wife didn't got to work that day. We sat in the basement of our Ashburn, VA townhouse and watched TV all day. Everyone in the world called us that day to make sure she was OK.

It's funny how vivid that memory is after all this time has passed.

[Simply Red]

I was in bed, I'd waited tables the night before - I woke up to the answering machine w/ my boy Chis leaving a message. Eerie day.

[JakeLV]

I was in high school.

Remember coming down stairs and seeing my Mom in tears, and then seeing the second plane crash.

Crazy. One of those flashbulb memories.

[Radar Chief]

Same place I am now watching the same $#it I was then...

Sitting at my desk listening to 810 sports talk, can’t even remember what Whitlock was going on about, when they announced the first plane hit. They spent the next several minutes speculating, hoping, that it was an out of control cargo plane. Then the second one hit.
Whitlock let out an exasperated “Oh my god” and they switched to the national news feed.
I spent the rest of the morning at my desk stunned at what I was listening too.

[Sandy Vagina]

I was well offshore.. on a boat in the Gulf when the news broke. We shut the job down.. all sat around watching the news coverage for hours.. pulled out the secret stash of booze.. and drank to the fallen. :(

[Three7s]

I was a freaking sophomore in high school.
You're the same age as me then. I was sitting in my home-room watching it in high school.

[Strongside]

I was a sophomore in High School. I remember being in photography class and another teacher coming into our room and telling us to turn on the TV. We were watching live when the 2nd plane hit. Being that age and thinking that your country is going to war, you don't know what to think. We were all speculating that they'd bring the draft back. It was a scary time.

[Cheater5]

I was in Vicenza, Italy (Caserma Ederle), the U.S. Army garrison for the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and SETAF. We were in a fairly boring new equipment fielding meeting at our Battalion HQs with a small group of people when an NCO knocked on the door and said he just saw on the news that an airliner crashed into the WTC. It was almost 3pm Italy time- and I remember thinking "broad daylight? even in bad weather that's kinda strange..." He came back a few minutes later and said another one just hit the second tower.

We were crowded around the TV for about an hour watching, and I remember turning to my Battalion Executive Officer and saying, "Sir, we're at war."

I saw my wife once in the next three days, and I lived about a half mile from Post.

[blaise]

I was at a meeting in South East NY state, about 2 1/2 hours from NYC. A guy came in and told us what happened. I thought he was joking at first, but he wasn't. By that time the 2nd plane had hit. He started talking again like he was just going to continue and I just told him I was leaving.
I drove home to PA and I remember seeing those programmable signs on the sides of the road that said, "ALL ROADS TO NYC CLOSED." People were driving like 95 mph and I saw cops not bother to pull them over.
I remember an FM radio station was doing a blood drive but the guy on remote was still doing that cornball FM DJ voice and they had a poppy music bed under his voice. It was making me angry.
My brother in law was in NYC and it took us a day to reach him, the phones were out or too busy. When we finally reached his apartment his roommate answered - he was a foreign guy - maybe Iranian or Indian, I can't remember for sure. But he said, "The whole city is sad. The cars and buildings are sad. Everything is sad."
I remember my brother in law saying he walked from his office in Manhattan back to Queens and the people walking near him barely said anything.

[scho63]

I was sleeping in bed in Mountain View CA when my mom, who has since passed, called me from New Jersey to tell me to turn on the TV.

The second plane then hit the second tower about 15 minutes after our call began.

It was a surreal and horrible day......

[scho63]

Was at home in bed. I was unemployed at the time. My wife (ex-wife now) worked overnights at the Pentagon. Our alarm clock went off and it was set to Howard Stern on WJFK, IIRC. He was talking about the first tower being hit and was on air live when the second one was hit. It was the first time I could remember ever hearing silence on the Stern show.

My wife didn't got to work that day. We sat in the basement of our Ashburn, VA townhouse and watched TV all day. Everyone in the world called us that day to make sure she was OK.

It's funny how vivid that memory is after all this time has passed.

SENT YOU A PM

[Coyote]

Pentagon.

[hometeam]

I woke up approximately 5pm and went to watch cable tv.. at first I flipped through a few channels without even really paying attention to what was on, but I stopped when I went to MTV and found that IT was broadcasting the same thing as every single cable channel.. I started watching and soon was caught up with what happened. I woke everyone in the house and we all kind of sat around dumbfounded. We had went to sleep maybe 30 or 45 minutes before the first plane hit.

[kcjayhawks5]

7th grade. 2nd Period, Science. Had no idea what was going on but teachers were freaking the fuck out

[KC native]

I was a sophomore in college. I was partying the night before just because. I lived next to the reserve base and remember being annoyed because jets and helicopters were flying constantly all day and I was trying to sleep.

I got out of bed at 2 PM and turned on the TV and saw the replay.

Small world story, my wife's dad worked in the World Trade Center at the time and was running late to work that day which according to my wife has only happened a handful of times in his entire life (he is a very punctual person). If he hadn't have been running late that day then he would have been in the towers when the plane hit.

[Donger]

Pentagon.

I think you win the thread.

What was it like? Were people panicked?

[Steron]

I think you win the thread.

What was it like? Were people panicked?

My ex-wife worked overnights there. Just missed it. Luck is a wonderful thing.

[Omaha]

I was in Topeka, KS working at a client's office. I heard the news report that a small plane crashed into the WTC as I was checking out of my hotel. By the time I got to the client's office, their staff was going nuts. We watched everything happen on TV. We didn't get much work done that day.

[otherstar]

I was working at a Catholic University Library in Houston. My boss was from NY and was devastated. School cancelled classes and I drove home. I had to drive by the big airport North of Houston and was stunned by how oddly still the skies were. The planes had been grounded by that point and there are usually ALWAYS planes taking off and landing at that airport. I didn't get to see any video until I got home and got to watch it on TV with my wife and then 2 month old daughter (she's 13 now, and has 3 sisters).

[Coyote]

I think you win the thread.

What was it like? Were people panicked?

Or lose it. Not a crazy amount of "panic." I just started there (3 weeks earlier) as the junior Military Assistant (MA) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. I had never been to the building before that tour. Felt the impact on the opposite side of the building. I left a meeting to see what it was. Took several minutes to figure it out. I remember a couple of weird points that we subsequently corrected in our procedures, as this process became one of my projects as a MA and we (MAs) had it in our lane for action:
1) The building was being renovated so normal spaces were isolated. We had to re-route folks during evacuation all over.
2) There was no building wide 1MC (PA system) that functioned.
3) The gazzillion civilians did not have a viable personnel reporting system or evacuation process-accountability was a mess for a week afterwards and particularly since I was new and didn't know all the folks.
4) Folks left in a hurry and then got to the parking lot with no prior plan so thier car keys and cell phones were inside the building that they could not return to. It took forever to get people home and the cell networks became overwhelmed if you had a phone.
5) No Division rally points upon egressing the building. so people just naturally went to thier cars or car pool sites or began walking.
6) Everybody was fantastic about trying to help people once they were aware of the need. The volunteers and first responders were absolutely amazing in thier efforts, and selflessness.
7) I remember the first anniversary ceremony at the Pentagon and the feeling that we (the nation as well as us MAs) had come a long way and learned many lessons about our enemy in a year. Not sure how that applies today.
8) I get a note/text/call (did this morning) which reminded me, from my daughter every year, as she was a new Freshman in High School and had just moved from SoCal. Her story matchs most people of her age group and those on this board, except she was worried about me directly. That bugged me more than the rest of it as the rest was "professional" for my billett. I believe the Pentagon is a legitimate target if you are declaring war on the U.S. so my perspective is a bit weird, I know.

[rolltide2014]

I was in 4th grade. I remember the first plane hitting right before leaving for school and the second hitting while we were watching the coverage in class before school started. I have a terrible memory and can hardly remember anything that happened last week, but this is one of the few times that I can remember everything about that day. I think I'm probably at the age too where there aren't too many people younger than me that actually have a good recollection of everything that was going on at the time.

[98 SR20]

At home in San Diego, sleeping. When I woke up I think only one tower had been hit. I just remember thinking at the time someone had bombed the WTC again. Then that second plane hit. :eek:

[The Franchise]

I was in 4th grade. I remember the first plane hitting right before leaving for school and the second hitting while we were watching the coverage in class before school started. I have a terrible memory and can hardly remember anything that happened last week, but this is one of the few times that I can remember everything about that day. I think I'm probably at the age too where there aren't too many people younger than me that actually have a good recollection of everything that was going on at the time.

:spock:

[Rausch]

Got in the shower right after the first plane hit.

Got out and watched the rewind of the 2nd plane going in.

Once the Pentagon got hit I started calling people...

[ChiTown]

Same as today. Traveling via plane to Chicago. I see to always be flying somewhere on 9-11

[Discuss Thrower]

7th Grade second hour.. I think it was English class.

[ThaVirus]

7th grade art class.

I don't remember too much about that day. Not many people seemed to be too shaken up about it, including teachers.

As far as I'm aware, I've never known anyone that was personally affected by the tragedy.

[Bufkin]

That's unbelievable that the thread is still around on CP for 9/11/2001. For somebody who's been lurking since 2008, it's hard to fathom that this place has been sturdy since Y2K. I'm eager to read through it right now.

As for me, I was on my way to work, listening to the Howard Stern Show. Literally all of my information came from that episode. I called in sick after the initial attack, pulled into a burger king, ordered a coffee, and listened for 3 hours in my parked car. I didn't have a cell phone or anything, so that was literally it for me. One of the most significant mornings of my life, and I didn't do anything at all.

[Donger]

WTF is this? Lord of the Flies?

[Donger]

My wife was in Kauai, very pregnant with our son. I was alone at home and went down to work. Tried to access the innerwebs and noticed that it was slow so I turned on the TV.

[Sully]

I was at Longview Community College, taking a test in Philosophy class. I finish tests really quickly, so I was just sitting and waiting for the rest of the class to finish so we could be dismissed. The prof was a little odd, and he had a video playing with Sumo wrestling.
I began to notice at the door, a kid running in and out of the empty room across the hall, and thought it was odd. When we left class, he ran out and told us all that the Russians had attacked us, and he was watching a TV in the empty room.

[Frosty]

I was at work. At first, our local crack news team made it sound like a Cessna or something had hit the tower. When it finally became clear what was going on, we all went home and I ended up watching the news on TV with my wife for the rest of the day.


As an aside, I was looking outside earlier today and thought "Why are the flags on Main Street out?" :facepalm: It's still July, right?

[Why Not?]

Helping a friend move from Atlanta to Phoenix. I had gotten to listen to Monday night football so she had radio control all night into the morning. Finally, she stopped to use the bathroom and I switched the radio to ESPN. Right as the second tower was coming down. So surreal. I will say the drive back across the country three days later was amazing. Patriotism and friendliness everywhere. I would gladly have traded it for the lives lost, but it was a cool experience.

[jallmon]

In the VA hospital on the hill above Pitt's old stadium. Just had a "rectal prostate exam" by my 30-year old female primary care person. Was slinking out of the hospital, headed back to work.

Walking past the X-ray Dept's glassed-in waiting room and noticed everyone was looking at the TV above the door. Opened door and looked up. Saw the Tower burning and asked what happened. Just then a second plane come crashing into the other tower.

Headed out of there, got on I-376 east and through the Squirrel Hill tunnels just before they closed them.

When those brave folks took Flight 93 down in Shanksville, everyone thought it was headed to Pittsburgh.

Never thought a "finger wave" would be the high point of my day.

"Thanks" to the many brave people out there protecting us today and everyday.

[Buehler445]

High School senior government class.

Weightlifting when the second one hit.

Interestingly, a guy in town, took the opportunity to fly his cub around the county during the no-fly.

He was met at the airport by police with guns, even here in bumfucknowhereville.

[notorious]

Going to Stillwater for my first day as a Flight Instructor at OSU.



The attack changed my life dramatically.

[notorious]

High School senior government class.

Weightlifting when the second one hit.

Interestingly, a guy in town, took the opportunity to fly his cub around the county during the no-fly.

He was met at the airport by police with guns, even here in bum****nowhereville.

The dude that's missing a thumb/finger and had that same super cub taken away from him for illegal hunting?


Ya, Chuck told me all about him. LMAO

[Buehler445]

The dude that's missing a thumb/finger and had that same super cub taken away from him for illegal hunting?


Ya, Chuck told me all about him. LMAO

Ummm.....Yes.

Unfortunately, he committed suicide a couple years ago.

[notorious]

Ummm.....Yes.

Unfortunately, he committed suicide a couple years ago.

Holy shit.


I heard he was a nice guy, just boastful and obviously didn't give a shit about rules.

[Buehler445]

Holy shit.


I heard he was a nice guy, just boastful and obviously didn't give a shit about rules.

Eh. He was a wild cowboy, but he did get a lot done.

One time my grandpa was hauling some cows to Oakley and his pickup that he hauled with (at a max of 40 MPH usually) broke down. This dude shows up and asks if he needs help and then tows him back at like 70 with his suburban.

Grandpa was freaking out back there. It may have been the fastest those wheels have turned, maybe ever. ROFL

['Hamas' Jenkins]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tVM3O6zOhIU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Al Bundy]

Flying back from Orlando. Got grounded in Memphis.

[Dayze]

At work. I had been out of he navy for 1yr to the day. Thought I was going to get called back.

[Donger]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bo1ZtpKqlYw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Oregon chief]

In Germany. I was two years deep of a four year army commitment. Crazy day, everything changed.

[BWillie]

High school, English class.

[digger]

Was at work when plane two hit. They turned on a TV in the building and we saw the first tower fall.

[phisherman]

I was sitting at my desk at Sprint. I'd been working there for about a year at that point. Our ticket dispatchers called us and told us. I think we spent the rest of the day in the lounge watching the coverage on local news.

[Mr_Tomahawk]

High School Senior.

Physics.

[jallmon]

I was the Network Administrator for a small ISP/Radio Shack in Parsons KS. I was in the basement dicking around on a messageboard when the first plane hit.

When it happened for some reason I couldn't get my mind around the fact that someone would do that on purpose, and I posted to the board that some air traffic controller somewhere must have really ****ed up.

I went upstairs into the store and tuned the TV display into the news report. People coming by the store would stop in to watch, sometimes we would have a small crowd. They mostly just stood and watched in stunned silence. I watched the people. I wish I could remember what I was thinking.

I'm from Parsons, too. The couple who own the RS were friends with my mom. I want to say his name is Dennis, but just can't remember. They, or at least the wife, worked with mom at the state hospital. They used to live on 26th St, just South of Main IIRC. We lived at the North end of 26th.

I was there the day he got his ISP up to 8 MB/sec. That was the fastest download I had ever seen. My family and I were customers when it was just a computer store...my Dad, brother and I bought computers there.

I was the first person to get a Network Administrator AAS degree at LCC.


Small world!

[PhillyChiefFan]

Kansas St, walking into my college algebra class. A couple people were sitting around crying and pretty much everyone skipped class and went to the student union to watch the coverage.

[B_Razz]

7th grade, in PE class. Had no idea what was going on.

[Steron]

It just makes me feel old to see people posting in this thread that were in freakin' middle school and elementary school 13 years ago.

GET OFF MY LAWN!

[Buehler445]

It just makes me feel old to see people posting in this thread that were in freakin' middle school and elementary school 13 years ago.

GET OFF MY LAWN!

Yep. And I thought I was a young pup.

[notorious]

It just makes me feel old to see people posting in this thread that were in freakin' middle school and elementary school 13 years ago.

GET OFF MY LAWN!

This along with finding out that Ryan Leaf is 38.

[B_Razz]

This along with finding out that Ryan Leaf is 38.


whos ryan leaf? :)

[bigjosh]

It just makes me feel old to see people posting in this thread that were in freakin' middle school and elementary school 13 years ago.

GET OFF MY LAWN!


Lmao. I was in 7 the grade as well. World history class. They didn't show us any videos but our teacher was explaining what happened. I remember him saying something to the tune of "this day will be taught to students in this class in coming years." I didn't really get the seriousness of it all in school. When I got home from school I went in the house and grabbed my skateboard and my mother was freaking out. She said "your not going outside right now." I said something like " mom this is Rhode Island, that doesn't happen here." Then I left with my skateboard. Didn't realize how serious this was until I skated to my friends house, and all the streets were empty. Streets that were normally gridlocked a 4pm were empty. So I went home and started watching the news.

Fuck those cowards.

[notorious]

whos ryan leaf? :)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HMYyXX8WDck/UYo1TCZfR-I/AAAAAAAALso/8bUa_RNxtlA/s1600/danny-devito.gif

[B_Razz]

^^
haha who's that guy?? ok im done :D

[listopencil]

I was just waking up on my second day of vacation. I had planned a trip to visit my dying grandfather. I had a cross country flight purchased and was supposed to leave on a red eye from California to Virginia that night. If it had happened one day later I would have been driving a rental car through Washington DC, and would have been stuck in Virginia indefinitely.

[Aries Walker]

I was at work that morning, like any other, along with Eric, Ty, Brad, Dewey, Lee, and Steve - the usual gang. We first heard that a plane had hit the building, and it reminded many of us of the one that hit the Empire State Building back in the 50's. When the second one hit, we all looked at each other because as we realized that it was no accident. The questionable reports started coming in - a fire in Rosslyn, a bomb at the Pentagon - so we didn't know whether to believe that some fighter jets were trailing another 747 in Pennsylvania. When the towers fell down, the pretty red-haired Deadhead in platemaking - Leslie, maybe? - was crying but she didn't want anyone to see. I remember talking to Curt and Kelly about it all in the stairwell. People were still working, but not very hard; it was difficult to concentrate.

As it happened, my mother was scheduled to fly out of Dulles that day to a vacation in England with friends. I knew that she was going, but didn't write down the time or number of her flight out - I mean, planes are super-safe, right? When the news came through that a plane from Dulles had crashed into the Pentagon, I started calling, but couldn't find her. Phones were down. I ended up freaking out quite a bit (though I tried to downplay it) and heading home; by the time I got there, she had left a message and said her flight wasn't until late that afternoon. She was in the car on her way to the airport when she heard, after which she turned around and went home. All was fine.

So in addition to all of the other things happening that day, it also spurred me to get a cell phone, which I will now always have.

[New World Order]

Algebra 2, sophomore year.

[DaFace]

That's unbelievable that the thread is still around on CP for 9/11/2001. For somebody who's been lurking since 2008, it's hard to fathom that this place has been sturdy since Y2K. I'm eager to read through it right now.

As for me, I was on my way to work, listening to the Howard Stern Show. Literally all of my information came from that episode. I called in sick after the initial attack, pulled into a burger king, ordered a coffee, and listened for 3 hours in my parked car. I didn't have a cell phone or anything, so that was literally it for me. One of the most significant mornings of my life, and I didn't do anything at all.

When CP was started, people were largely browsing with Internet Explorer 5 and Netscape Navigator 6. It's crazy when you realize that there are more than a handful of people who have literally been posting on ChiefsPlanet for a majority of their lives.

[BigRedChief]

This is one of my favorite games at Arrowhead. The crowd cheering for the Giants first game post 9/11 .

[BillSelfsTrophycase]

This along with finding out that Ryan Leaf is 38.

I remember the endless Leaf vs Manning coverage on ESPN leading up to draft day

All you fuckers get off my lawn

[PHOG]

I got a call from the wife that woke me, as I worked the afternoon shift, and said turn on the TV, an American Airlines plane just hit a skyscraper in NY!

I turned on the TV trying to make out what I am seeing, and then the second plane, a 757, blasts into the other tower.

I was home, to answer the question. American Airline Mechanic.

[Bruiser]

Hendricks is junk

[PHOG]

Hendricks is junk
wrong thread? I'm pretty sure?

[Bruiser]

wrong thread? I'm pretty sure?

opps

[CoMoChief]

I was in HS, 2nd hr chemistry. Teacher had the class TV on.

immediately thought it was an inside job.

looks like I was right.

[InChiefsHeaven]

I was in HS, 2nd hr chemistry. Teacher had the class TV on.

immediately thought it was an inside job.

looks like I was right.

:spock:

[Marcellus]

:spock:

He is just proving he has been dumb since high school.

[Aries Walker]

I also remember that almost everything was cancelled for a few days - every TV show was pre-empted by constant coverage, there were no planes in the air save fighter jets, the movies opening that week (Big Trouble and Collateral Damage) were bumped for months.

Sports events were cancelled as well, with one major exception - to their credit, the WWE put on their Thursday night show in (I think it was) Houston, with lots of flags and cheering and middle fingers for the terrorists. Vignettes from each of the wrestlers ranged from sadness to concern to JBL's unvarnished rage. Vince McMahon came right out and said they were doing this to show that we were not beaten, and we would not cower. Say what you want about the sport, but I do remember them going way up in my estimation after that. It took balls and it showed solidarity.

[notorious]

I took my CFII (Instrument Instructor) checkride not too long after 9/11. I had the hood on, right seat shooting approaches into TUL when the check airman told me,"You better not mess this up." I asked him why, and he said,"Look up".


I pulled my hood up and saw 4 F-16's on the ramp ready to go. LMAO


I passed, BTW.

[Bowser]

I was on vacation. Walked downstairs to see the wife just staring at the TV. Asked her what was wrong and she said "Someone attacked the World Trade Centers", to which I responded "What, again?" thinking of the '93 bombings. I remained glued to the TV the remainder of that vacation.