9-11

[brewers255]

Where were you when 9-11 attacks happened? I was in 4th grade, the teachers never told us what happened, they just said something like "Something really bad happened" and that was all they said. But what were you doing when 9-11 happened? This is a day none of us should ever forget.

[jaybird2001wi]

I was sleeping in my dorm room at the Wells East 6th floor at UW-W my freshman year when it happened. It was ironically my 2nd week ever in college and I had my TV preset to ESPN and turned it on before I woke up at noon for my 12:30pm math class. Even ESPN had the breaking news on their channel. I then walked out of my dorm room to see two girls crying and a military reservist who was a freshman getting his fatigues ready because he was called into potential duty and had to report up to Fort McCoy in case. He only missed a week of class time.

[samwise]

In my senior year of high school. I was always late to my high school (it didn't matter) and I had gym first thing in the morning with our football coach. I rolled into gym about 45 minutes late to see everyone just standing by a TV that had been set up. I walked over and saw that no one was talking. It was so strange.

 

Another thing I remember was that night going to the gas station to fill up because everyone was saying that there would be an extreme gas shortage.

[patrickgpe]

i was in c++ lab. I was in the computer lab at the marquette engineering building until 745 am and of course the the second plane hit shortly after i logged out. My TA got a call around 930 to tell us what happened. It didn't occur to me what exactly was going on and how bad it was until i put on wtmj upon leaving lab.

[hawing]

I was at my workplace (same office as I'm in now). One of my co-workers came over a little after 8:00, looking white as a sheet, and said her father had called with the news. Since we were in a library, we started checking news websites, but soon found they were all overloaded and not responding. So we turned on a radio and didn't do a whole lot for the rest of the morning.

 

I got a lot more nervous when the Pentagon attack was reported. I remember thinking, "what if they go after all the capital cities? crap!" (since I both work and, at the time, lived within 8 blocks of Wisconsin's state capitol) Now, since that day, my S.O., whose background is in geography, has reminded me many a time that the capital of New York is Albany, not NYC. But it was a knee jerk reaction.

 

At midday I had a dental appointment. I really would have preferred to have lunch with the S.O. (in the way I think a lot of people wanted to be with their loved ones), but I'd already had to reschedule the appointment once, and I really did want to have my teeth cleaned - so I decided to go. I was hoping there'd be just muzak on in the dentist's office, but it was all terror news.

After the initial details got out, I didn't watch much TV coverage, though I'm sure if I'd been at home I wouldn't have been able to turn away.

I'd had my emotional fill by the time we got home for the night, and I remember being grateful to find TV Land showing regular programming.

 

The other thing I remember thinking throughout the course of that day was how incongruously beautiful the weather was - in Madison, at least. A lovely, warm, late-summer day; not at all the backdrop you'd expect for such a dreadful series of events.

 

Also - on the Friday following (the national day of mourning, or whatever it was), the UW had kind of a service on Library Mall that drew 20,000 people. The mall was completely packed. My co-workers and I watched from the balcony on our building - which was an interesting view, though I wouldn't have minded if the whole event had been unnecessary in the end.

[jaybird2001wi]

It is weird because every year at 9-11, when I attended college, they would swing the campus bell at 9:11am or 9:11pm that very day. It was really weird walking around campus that day because the whole student union was packed into the Commons where there was a TV and the Warhawk was filled with people huddled around the TVs. It was like the day stood still and most students didn't even show up for class.

[trwi7]

I was a freshman in high school going from my German class to my math class when it happened. I had no idea what was going on until some kids came in and said so but I didn't find out anything further until lunch because none of my teachers would let us watch what was going on.

[TooLiveBrew]

I was in my house (at the time) on Mifflin St., I'd skipped my morning class, and came out to turn on some CNN at about 9am central time. I never could've imagined what I was about to see, and I just remember sitting in complete silence and shock for what seemed like (and really was) hours on end. I remember that the 2d tower had just been hit around the time (honestly can't remember if it was shortly before or after I tuned in) I flipped on the TV. Even now as I type my heart just seems to slow and I have a surreal sensation. Simply unbelievable and unforgettable tragedy.

 

In some ways, I can't believe it's six years ago, and in others, it feels like eons since it happened. My gf was born & raised in NJ, and she's told me the drive across the bridge to the city will never be the same for her without the formerly familiar sight of the two towers. I'd really honestly hoped that I would never have an answer to a question like, "Where were you when Kennedy/King/Lennon was shot/Pearl Harbor was attacked..." Guess in retrospect that was pretty naive, but I suppose that's what being young will do to/for you.

 

 

http://www.911fsa.org/images/wtc_jw2_torn.jpg

[hawing]

"Where were you when Kennedy/King/Lennon was shot/Pearl Harbor was attacked..."

 

This triggers another memory I have of that day. The media were making the inevitable (and arguable) comparisons to the Pearl Harbor attack, and I remember wondering if the way we felt that day was at all similar to the Cuban Missile Crisis of the early 1960s. I thought one could make a case for that comparison because of the suspense/anxiety of wondering when things would escalate and how soon. Obviously, it was more like Pearl Harbor because there was an actual attack.

 

Since 9/11/2001, the question of "when will the other shoe drop" (i.e. the next big attack) has been on my mind. In that first year it was on my mind a lot; now it's more in the back of my mind - but it's always there.

[mothershipconnection]

I was getting ready for an Abnormal Psych test. My ex called home to tell me, and I quick flipped on the TV to see what happened. I figured my skipping the test wasn't gonna un-do anything, so I went, only to find out the test was canceled. That night I delivered Chinese food and it was surreal. Roads were empty except for people trying to get gas. Everyone wanted to stay glued to their TV, so we were extremely busy that night, with customers who looked expressionless.

[giffted1]

I was in 8th grade and was getting ready for school. For some reason I was watching Good Morning America that morning and saw the second plane hit live. I got to school and we watched the news reports all day.

[cweber39]

I was on my way to school. I had just turned on Bob & Brian and they were talking with Ted Perry which they normally did once a week. I was confused to what was happening because they were talking about an airplane flying into a building, then they went to news like ABC or something, and every radio station did the same thing.

[bacon06]

I was in 8th grade art class and I remember hearing nothing about it all that hour, but I had a weird feeling that something had happened cause near the end of the class it felt like people were talking about something. After that class got out and we were all walking the halls, everyone else in my middle school was saying stuff about it and we watched it on TV in my science class, but only until class started. We watched more of it in my English class. That day was supposed to be the first practice for the middle school soccer team, but we canceled it. My brother was also supposed to have a high school soccer game but that got canceled as well.

 

I can remember a week later going to my brother's soccer game, which was at night, and seeing a few planes fly and wondering in my mind if they would fly into something. Still to this day, every time I hear a plane while I'm in a building my mind wonders if it will crash into my building or not. Guess it's my way of always remembering 9/11.

[Paul77]

I was sleeping. My son was 4 at the time. I woke up when my girlfriend called me and said "Did you hear? A plane hit the WTC" I didn't believe her. I went out and turned on CNN and watched as the second tower was hit. I called my Dad and we just watched together in silence over the phone. I watched all day.

 

I've always been big on archives. I've got stacks and stacks of newspapers, VHS tapes, CD's & DVD's and after sitting in shock for a couple of minutes I pressed record on the tivo and grabbed a VHS tape. I wanted to have a record of that day that wouldn't be tainted by future biases. I figured that one day my kids will be learning about what happened and I'll let them watch.

[hammytime]

I feel kind of old, since so many who've posted were in school six years ago. I was getting ready for work, and heard bits and pieces on the radio that morning. It didn't totally sink in until I got to school, and my colleagues filled in some of the gaps, and I saw some of the early news coverage. It was tough to get through that day. That night, my husband and I watched a lot of the news coverage, and I talked to my dad on the phone; he was having a hard time dealing with the events, and I think it helped both of us to talk about it. I got to a point, though, that I needed a break from the news, so I put my copy of Disney's Aristocats in the VCR.

 

I think every generation has at least one event where people ask later, "Where were you when...?" For me, this is the second major event. The first was the Challenger disaster; I was in high school, and it was much the same thing as others have posted. TVs set up throughout the school, and more news watching than actual class work.

 

TooLiveBrew, the picture you posted is fantastic. Thank you for that.

[adamb100]

I was walking into History in 7th grade when I saw the TV on in the room with coverage of the attacks. Needless to say thats what we did in class that day.

[dadofandrew]

9/11 makes the Challenger disaster seem "minor", in my mind at least, though we know we lost heroes that day too. The difference being to me is, eventually, you're going to have an accident with space travel, that's just the way it is. 9/11 never had to happen, it just did.

 

I have little doubt 9/11 will be talked about just like Pearl Harbor is now in 60+ years. There's no minimizing the damage, lives lost, etc, especially if you live in the 3 state New York City region, everyone knows someone who perished.

 

My goodness, the company I worked for then even closed some stores in the eastern US, unheard of then, and since.

[JimH5]

I was working in Little Falls, NJ--about 15 miles from the WTC site. We were close enough that you could see the towers from the top level of our parking structure. It was shocking, frightening and very surreal.

 

We had clients who worked in the World Trade Center, and more than a few of my coworkers had friends who worked in Lower Manhattan. A peer of mine didn't know until late in the afternoon that her mom got out okay. There was a helpless feeling, combined with amazement, dread, horrific sadness, and resolve.

 

For days and weeks afterward, everyone was on edge, with this sinking feeling that there may be more attacks coming any time. There were lots of traffic tie-ups, with trucks being stopped and inspected on bridges. Nearby Paterson, NJ has a very large population of Arab immigrants, and there was a lot of police activity in that area.

 

We weren't really even that close. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to be right there.

 

Just horrible.

[gypcasino]

I had just turned on Bob & Brian and they were talking with Ted Perry which they normally did once a week.

I was at my desk at work (same job as I'm currently at) and also had B&B on the radio. I remember Ted Perry being on. And Steve Czaban's segment was on and they were talking sports. Czaban was talking about something and stopped and said "do you guys have CNN on? The whole top of the World Trade Center is on fire." Shortly after, the second plane hit and one of them said something like "well our show is now officially over." Then they went to the network feed and I listened to that. I wasn't so much surprised that planes flew into the building as I was totally shocked that the towers collapsed. I couldn't even fathom it.

[TheBwaz]

I was in my first year of law school at Dayton. I had Contracts at 9, 10 minutes after the first plane hit, so I didn't know anything going in. For the first time in weeks, I didn't surf during class and paid attention. I got out and went ot my usual library post to do some reading. Checking my mail, there was an email from one friend to another who worked in the airline ops jobs I had just left asking about a plane hitting in NY. Ulp, Dad was in Manhattan on buisness!

 

After 30 minutes or so at a payphone (remember those?) I got through to my Dad's assistant in Chicago who said she had heard from him since the strikes. Calling NYC was out, so thank heavens for good old fashioned 800 numbers and land lines.

 

They opened up the lawschool courtroom for folks to watch news and have a direct internet connection. For about an hour I followed the short emails from my friend at the airline to all of us as first they tracked down every plane in the sky and put it on the ground. A co-pilot buddy of mine emailed something that soon all would know, there was no way live airline pilots were at the controls.

 

About 11 they closed down the school so I went and watched news in my sister's dorm room. Hung out till about 4 taking it all in, when my girlfriend (now wife) got off work to pick me up. For those of you not in the know, Dayton has one of the larger airbases in the country, Wright Patterson. They keep a "Doomsday" 747 there; the plane that is basically the fallback command and control in case they get the Prez and VP. It was doing slow circles around town. Knowing that all other flights were grounded and seeing that big green beast in the air scared the hell out of me.

 

About 630, I decided it was a good night to be a little drunk, so I walked the 3 blocks over to the liquor store. On the way home there was a very loud window rattling BOOM, like a very large explosion. I ran back home and all of my neighbors were standing in the street confused. Yes, because hearing loud, unexplained booming sounds on 9-11-01 is a good reason to LEAVE YOUR HOUSE! About 2 minutes later, one of the Air Force press guys from the base got on local TV to tell everybody to relax. A flight of F-16s had just gone supersonic over the city after gassing up to go catch the Prez on his way back to DC.

 

One really bad day.

[brewcrewnation]

i was at work same job as now. didn'get much done that day

[zachlaka]

I was in my Junior year of HS in my first period class which was a teched class for freshman. I needed a easy class to fill that time slot so exploring tech ed was it. Are teacher had seen it on the news at home so he put on the tv in are class. There is only a handfull of classrooms with no tv. We watched it all unfold on CNN for the whole period. I went to my second hour and asked my English teacher to put the news on and she said no it was not important. Maybe I should have been more clear as to why I wanted the tv on. The school administration came on the tv's in the 5th inning to break the news to everyone who didn't know already.

 

I had known my dad was in New York City for a conference that he goes to yearly at this time. I just didn't know where lucky for me so I didn't panic or worry I thought he was nowere near the towers so he would be safe in his hotel room watching the news on tv some were up town from the towers. Turns out my dad was staying at the Marriot Trade Center hotel which is in between the towers. He was having breakfast with some colleagues before his daily meetings started. When the first plane hit everything shook and lights flickered on and off sorta like a earthquake. He ran outside to see what was going on and that's when he saw the first plane in the tower. He knew once the second plane hit and people where jumping from the first tower that he needed to get out so he went to the harbor and took a boat to NJ and got a hotel room at a Marriot there. Due to the no flying restrictions he didn't come home for about 4 more days. We went to Milwaukee to pick him up at the airport and it was unreal to see only a handfull of people and a ton of secerity. Usually the airport is packed but only people trying to get home who were stuck in other cities were flying that day.

[PlayerHader]

I was in the computer lab getting ready for my first hour Integrated Arts class. I was a junior in high school. I still can remember the students sitting around me and my teacher (Mr. Niskanen) walking into the room telling us to turn the TV on cuz his wife just called him telling him about a plane crashing into the WTC. That class was filled with debate over whether it was an accident or an attack, until the second plane hit. I remember being in my 2nd or 3rd hour class when the buildings came down.

 

I also remember my 4th hour English teacher being the only one who didn't let us watch the news. Her reasoning: "There's nothing we are going to do about it." That still kind of ticks me off to this day. Talk about the most startling and gripping learning experience one could have, and she totally ignored. The most useless hour of instruction of her life, I'm sure.

[craigharmann]

I was living in Portland, Oregon and it was my first year of teaching. About 2 weeks into the year, and on that Tuesday I was teaching ESL religion (it was at a private school) and band. The ESL class was my first class. I got up at 6, had my cereal, turned on the TV, and watched the 2nd plane fly into the WTC. I knew something was going on. So I had my radio on most of the time before school and I was trying to explain to my ESL students who were about 2 weeks into being in America, what was going on, when I didn't really know. It was a tough day and was one of the worst days in American history, but one of the best days for American heroism.

[bacon06]

MSNBC is replaying their news broadcast from 9/11 and wow. Only being 13 at the time, I didn't realize how little I actually understood about this until I started watching this.