Today is 9/11 - Page 3

Onizuka · 2004-09-11, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by Jekz

Ran protect us.

Wouldn't the cross mean that God blew them up?

sick.

Jekz · 2004-09-11, 02:10 PM

Du bist klug?

EarlyDawn · 2004-09-11, 02:32 PM

My story:

I was in 8th grade at the time, when it was reported over the PA that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. The report was extremely vague, and they never really made the scale of the situation clear. Like many probably did when they heard word of this begin to circulate, I expected to see something rediclious like a turboprop plane sticking out of the side of one of the buildings on the 8'oclock news, and wondering what idiot did that.

Anybody who had family who worked there were told to come to the office. I don't have anybody who works there, although my parents had left for London the day before. Needless to say, I was a tad bit concerned, so I went to the office to contact them. Logically, I had figured out that they wern't even in the country, but I wanted to make sure everything was alright, and I partially just wanted to figure out what was going on. Very few in the school were even talking about it in the hall. It was just a regular day.

When I got to the office and was asked what my circumstances were, I was relegated to a low-priority call and told my parents were probably fine and in London, which sat logically with me, so regarding personal + family saftey, I was fairly reassured.

I was going to sit down (Office TV being on, of course), when somebody said something to one of the other staff and nodded to me. They obviously didn't want hysteria, so when one of them went to move me elsewhere, I... did something. I don't even remember what it was (Little details get lost in memory), but regardless, I wasn't forced to leave.

That was right about when the second plane hit. It was televised, so I naturally thought the whole thing was a replay. But everyone got real quiet. The first thing, and one of the most prominent things I remember from the day was the realization that anyone on that plane did not survive. Such simple concepts are shocking under such conditions. I asked, once people seemed to start wondering about what, exactly, we had just seen, if it was a replay. I had asked the question very generally to nobody in particular, so I didn't recieve an answer. Everyone was shocked. When I specifically got one teacher's attention, and asked "Was that a replay?", he told me he didn't know.

Just managed to get into my guidance councelor's office. Of everyone, I really felt bad for her. Her son worked in the building (I don't remember what floor, except that it was under 50. Be damned if I remember which tower), and she wanted desperately to call him, but the school was in crisis control mode, so students got priority. When I asked her what was going on, she told me that the repercussions of this wold echo for some time, and that just about everyone would know someone effected.

It's terrible to hear such things from an adult, but I understood it to be better then most of the bullshit "Everything will be fine" reports given from the rest of the staff.

I spent the rest of my time (Which was about five minutes) in the office reassuring one kid, who had seen the same things on TV as I that I was sure that his relative who worked in the tower (Father, I think?) would be fine, which did absolutely nothing for his morale, but freed up adults to talk to other people so I guess I helped, if only a little. Then I just went to lunch with my friends and told them what was happening. Even halfway through the day, the VAST majority of people had absolutely no idea of the magnitide of events that had happened.

Most were probably suprised, as I was, when their parents came to pick them up early, as mine did. (Grandparents)

Sorry, I just had to put that somewhere. Never really told anybody about what my experiences were on the day.

Triggar · 2004-09-11, 02:41 PM

I think it's interesting, and good for us to talk about our experiences on that day. I personally am glad that you guys are posting your stories. In a strange way, it makes it that much more real. That it wasn't just a bad dream of mine.

Infernus · 2004-09-11, 02:44 PM

All in all the biggest thing I remember was when they let us out of school... ...I had tried to hold it all in... but I remember running to my mom and just crying... I didn't have family on the Trade Center or anything... no one on the planes... I just lost control and cried...

EarlyDawn · 2004-09-11, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Triggar

I think it's interesting, and good for us to talk about our experiences on that day. I personally am glad that you guys are posting your stories. In a strange way, it makes it that much more real. That it wasn't just a bad dream of mine.

Yeah, I agree.

I think the most deep-reaching thing about that day was it went from so normal to so surreal so fast. We'd been influenced to think we were invincible. Pearl Harbor would never happen again.

No warning, for civillians, and very little for local air defense. Everything just went so wrong so fast.

Hamorad · 2004-09-11, 02:49 PM

My imediate reaction:

My future reaction:

My reaction now:

Sputty · 2004-09-11, 02:55 PM

I remember a few things, one being that military planes and helicopters were far more common around, and that civilian helicopters were replacing important plane flights.

SDM · 2004-09-11, 03:28 PM

I was watching it live on NBC. When the first hit, they thought it was an accident. It was surreal.

MrShooter · 2004-09-11, 03:58 PM

Download the Cortona virtual reality plugin here, then go to the below link. (ONLY IF YOU HAVE A GOOD COMPUTER)

Virtual reality WTC tribute

MattxMosh · 2004-09-11, 04:27 PM

On September 11th, I was on my second day of training to be a 411 operator for 3 cellphone companies.

Normally you go tthrough 2 weeks of training, learning how to search the multiple databases, and use the other functions, and listen in on other operators to learn what to do. Too bad thats not how it went for me.

after the first plane hit, the phones lit up, thousands and thousands in lay in wait. Nobody knew why at first, and they threw the trainies on the phone. I don't think I knew anyone personally that died, friends of friends and such, but that day an dteh next, I worked 45 straight hours. Some people may say Im an inconsiderate ass hole, but those who do didn't know me before that day. The sound of terror, panic, fear, grief sadness, the balls out screaming crying, from all those people forever changed me. I'm not in the mood for detail on this, but my third call of that day was from inside the first tower that was hit, and it didn't occur to me much later, but I may have been the last person to ever talk to that man. And how I wish I wrote down the phone number, so I could have informed someone. It still eats me up inside.

So I guess, despite teh tragedy, and how mental draining it was on me, Im glad I was there to give every effort to help that I could.

My heart goes out to everyone that lost someone.

Kam · 2004-09-11, 05:00 PM

I was in school on 9/11, when it happened we were called out of class to watch it in the Community Hall. Honestly, I have to say I wasn't that shocked by it, more like surprised. I knew something like that was going to happen, what with the FBI and CIA reports that were being released lately. I knew no one I knew was there, so I guess my calm reaction was one of relief. Later at home the magnitude of the attack revealed itself to me while I was watching the home movies of it on the internet. I did not make me sad, more like angry. It really made me want to go to the middle east and kill terrorists, now it really doesn't sturr any reaction from me. I did not even know today was 9/11 until I saw this posts title.

Zodiac · 2004-09-11, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by SDM

I was watching it live on NBC. When the first hit, they thought it was an accident. It was surreal.

Ditto. Kinda wish I hadn't been. Seeing the footage of the second plane hit, the towers collapse, the people getting covered by a wave of debris, peoppe jumping out of windows while holding hands, said people hitting the ground. Sad sad day.

OfaLoaf · 2004-09-11, 05:08 PM

It never really hit me hard... I knew no-one in the whole state of New York, my parents had maybe a few friends in the state, and I was 11. It just seemed like a big screwy disaster. I never felt for them. It worries me.

I do remember my teacher, Mr. Nickel, just about weeping though. Never found out if it was personal or just the whole humanity of the disaster.

and of course the obligatory

JetRaiden · 2004-09-11, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by MrShooter

Download the Cortona virtual reality plugin here, then go to the below link. (ONLY IF YOU HAVE A GOOD COMPUTER)

Virtual reality WTC tribute

thats fuckin incredible. I havent been there in so long Ive almost forgotten what it was like...