9-11... Where were you?

[Draft Crazy]

I have been watching a lot of shows about 9-11 this week and last week. Every night I get home I find myself flipping through the channels and one pops up and I ended up getting hooked to the show what seems to be all night.

With the 15 Year Anniversary coming up. Where were you when it happened?

I will never forget the night before we all watched our Broncos vs Giants on Monday Night Football. Ed McCaffrey's gruesome broken leg. I was staying at my grandparents place that night because my grandpa had recently had his leg amputated and needed extra help so for a about a month I would spend the night at their place over night to assist. I remember waking up like a normal day, the caregiver for my grandparents had arrived so I went on my way and headed back to my parents house. As always the first thing I did back then when I arrived home was not to turn on the TV but rather get on the computer, check my sports news, get on AIM to chat with friends and to check out KFFL (our old forum). As I logged onto AIM a friend of mine from KFFL (KFFLERS should remember the name) CHEMICAL X asked me if I had seen what happened... I said, no! He told me to turn on the TV and I thought holy crap a plane hit the trade center. Kinda spooky, I continued to watch as I see the second plane hit the towers. That is when you knew something very very bad was happening.

I don't know know how much time you all have when you go home, but I would highly recommend checking out some of these shows on the history channel, A&E, and other networks. Last night I was watching the voices of 911. The victims who had phoned home and the families who had saved their final goodbyes. Many of which thought things were going to be ok, they were either in the other tower or below the impact zone who ended up not making it out alive because of the second plane that hit... Then there were many from victims above the impact zone in which knew they weren't getting out alive when they called their families. Then their were the survivors who lived to talk about it. I also watched a movie the other night on the plane that was taken down by passengers in Pennsylvania headed for the White House (many believe). That was pretty intense. There was a guy who died from near my hometown (Anamosa, IA) in the pentagon plane crash.

These stories are always very sad but always worth listening to. It seems every year more and more things are dug up from what happened, the families involved and the victims. It's hard to believe it was 15 years ago the world stop. Sports stopped and suddenly for the first time in my life something was more important then sports to me.

 

[MrDoc420]

I remember being on the phone in my office and just hearing a bunch of women squealing and crying from our break room down the hall. At first, I really thought they were all laughing, but quickly realized it was bad news when they collectively screamed as the 2nd plane hit. Our boss immediately walked through the office and told everyone to go get their kids from school and go home. I just remember sitting there all afternoon at home watching the terror unfold and then being pretty much glued to the TV the next 3 days or so as all the details started to emerge. I distinctly remember how freaked out people were to even leave their houses for the first week or so after. Everybody thought another attack was coming and being right near Disney World there was all this talk about how it could be the next target. Absolutely insane times, and even to this day it's hard for me to believe something like that happened.

 

[cdumler7]

I was a freshman in high school. My first class of the day was Current Events and was the only classroom with cable. So when I walked in the first plane had just hit a few minutes earlier. So we as a class were watching live when the 2nd plane hit and I just remember the entire class began screaming uncontrollably. Then after a few minutes the class went silent the rest of the class. I don't remember hearing a single word spoken by a student for a good hour. The rest of the day walking down the hallway it was so silent you could literally hear a pin drop. Nobody knew what to say or do. Still to this day it just doesn't feel like those events were real. I feel like that was the day my eyes were opened to the evil that can be in this world.

And Scott I have been watching some of those same shows. My wife finally after a while told me she either had to walk out of the room or I needed to change the channel because she couldn't handle another story of a family member calling their family to tell them they were not going to make it.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Carl, At times it can be very hard to watch.

It just continues to remind me how fragile life can be and how much impact it had on people, not just us as American citizens but especially the families who have lost loved ones.

More and more information keeps coming out about what happened on that day, and while it is very sad it is also very interesting as more information is told. For instance, I had no clue that on that day another flight was diverted back to an airport soon after takeoff, as soon as that plane landed a bunch of middle eastern men took off sprinting leaving their luggage behind. It is also frustrating when you remember that the South tower was never evacuated after tower 1 was hit first. Everyone was told to stay put and don't leave the building. In my mind I am telling myself. If something that big happened and the tower next to me was burning I would get the hell out of there and not risk it, but so much was happening at that moment.

 

[SpiritOf77]

The Friday before the 11th ( that would have been the 8th, exactly 15 years ago ) I remember going to get my hair cut and telling the girl how excited I was because I was going into Manhattan to meet my girlfriend and some of her friends . . . . When I got into New York City, something felt off - I remember driving thru the streets with everyone in the car with this weird feeling - I kept saying "something doesn't feel right" ... I think my girlfriend took this the wrong way, as did her friends ...

I did my best to reiterate that it wasn't their company, and I usually love NYC, but I just felt the looming sense of dread ...

That actually turned out to be our last date - I had been seeing her for 6 months ...

That Monday, I remember getting a call from my sister - she was sobbing and said "They took down the World Trade Center" - I usually don't watch any TV or anything before going to work, and I always just listen to music on the ride there - I had no idea .....

As the day went on, I could actually see clouds of the smoke ...... We later learned that one of our customers at the shop - Mr Skidmore RIP - was in the building and died ..... There had really been nothing in my lifetime to compare to this event, and as horrifying as it is, when you find out that someone you know has died, it hits just a little deeper .... I could just see him standing across the desk from me, and us talking about cars and joking ...

Later that day, I called my girlfriend - she lived in Queens and was OK ... I was very relieved and she was understandably shaken, but, we never saw each other after that ...

 

[cdumler7]

Carl, At times it can be very hard to watch.

It just continues to remind me how fragile life can be and how much impact it had on people, not just us as American citizens but especially the families who have lost loved ones.

More and more information keeps coming out about what happened on that day, and while it is very sad it is also very interesting as more information is told. For instance, I had no clue that on that day another flight was diverted back to an airport soon after takeoff, as soon as that plane landed a bunch of middle eastern men took off sprinting leaving their luggage behind. It is also frustrating when you remember that the South tower was never evacuated after tower 1 was hit first. Everyone was told to stay put and don't leave the building. In my mind I am telling myself. If something that big happened and the tower next to me was burning I would get the hell out of there and not risk it, but so much was happening at that moment.

Oh I agree we can learn a lot from that day and nothing more important than that today could be the last so we need to make it count. In the story I posted earlier from the interview with Elway he said that just 3 days before the bombing in France happened with the Semi he was standing right where it happened. Just 3 days later and Elway could have been caught up in that mess.

With my line of work I am the one that the police come get when somebody in our community has passed away and the family does not know. So I have seen the pain and suffering first hand that happens when we lose a loved one. Those images of those families still keep me up some nights.

 

[Broncosr0k]

I was a sophomore in high school. I remember an art teacher walking into my drafting class and telling my teacher to turn on the TV to the news. We got the TV on just in time to see the second hit. It was a very morose day of school.

 

[Judge Fudge]

At home. I was 16 at the time.

My grandparents (moms side) were taking my family and my aunt and uncle's family on a Cruise to Disneyland that was suppose to leave on September 13th. It was about 6:30ish. When my Mom got a call from my Grandpa to ask if we are watching the TV. My mom tells me to turn it on. I can't remember if it was on CNN before or I changed it to CNN. The 1st memory i have of the whole thing was Aaron Brown on top of a building. I was basically ready almost for school so while my mom took my brothers to band, i sat down and watched till it was time for me to go.

My 1st class of the day was Social Studies 10. My teacher said something about witnessing history today (not in the good kind of course) and made us watch it on tape.

In the afternoon. The principal came over the PA and asked everyone to evacuate the school because of a low flying plane (Air Canada if i am not mistaken) flying over the school.

I Remember my mom picking us up and we always listened to a popular Vancouver Island Classic Rock Station. No Music. Just the Morning staff still on the air at 3pm.

My dad was Canadian Military( Retired this year). They would allow him to leave the base without Someone else(my dad used to bike to work in the summer) so my mom had to pick him up.

This was the only time that i could count that the Times Colonist(local newspaper) did a Special edition

 

[Draft Crazy]

I use to feel so young at KFFL. At SportsHoopla I am starting to feel old with these younger guys around.

 

[DownSetHutch]

The Friday before the 11th ( that would have been the 8th, exactly 15 years ago ) I remember going to get my hair cut and telling the girl how excited I was because I was going into Manhattan to meet my girlfriend and some of her friends . . . . When I got into New York City, something felt off - I remember driving thru the streets with everyone in the car with this weird feeling - I kept saying "something doesn't feel right" ... I think my girlfriend took this the wrong way, as did her friends ...

I did my best to reiterate that it wasn't their company, and I usually love NYC, but I just felt the looming sense of dread ...

That actually turned out to be our last date - I had been seeing her for 6 months ...

That Monday, I remember getting a call from my sister - she was sobbing and said "They took down the World Trade Center" - I usually don't watch any TV or anything before going to work, and I always just listen to music on the ride there - I had no idea .....

As the day went on, I could actually see clouds of the smoke ...... We later learned that one of our customers at the shop - Mr Skidmore RIP - was in the building and died ..... There had really been nothing in my lifetime to compare to this event, and as horrifying as it is, when you find out that someone you know has died, it hits just a little deeper .... I could just see him standing across the desk from me, and us talking about cars and joking ...

Later that day, I called my girlfriend - she lived in Queens and was OK ... I was very relieved and she was understandably shaken, but, we never saw each other after that ...

Wow Spirit, your story has an extra layer of sadness and surreality. So many people were directly affected or know someone who was. It's amazing how much and how many different ways that event impacted us.

 

[DownSetHutch]

Oh I agree we can learn a lot from that day and nothing more important than that today could be the last so we need to make it count. In the story I posted earlier from the interview with Elway he said that just 3 days before the bombing in France happened with the Semi he was standing right where it happened. Just 3 days later and Elway could have been caught up in that mess.

With my line of work I am the one that the police come get when somebody in our community has passed away and the family does not know. So I have seen the pain and suffering first hand that happens when we lose a loved one. Those images of those families still keep me up some nights.

I cannot imagine how difficult that must be to have to do. I know it would take a lot of inner strength and you would have to be very well-centered. My hat is off to you for what you do.

 

[Judge Fudge]

I use to feel so young at KFFL. At SportsHoopla I am starting to feel old with these younger guys around.

Im 32. Wasted my Youth with Work and while trying to find the right program in BC for people with disabilities to go to post secondary school.

Lucky i found one and started to take control at 28.

Should start thinking about that more because this is my final year

 

[Judge Fudge]

Oh I agree we can learn a lot from that day and nothing more important than that today could be the last so we need to make it count. In the story I posted earlier from the interview with Elway he said that just 3 days before the bombing in France happened with the Semi he was standing right where it happened. Just 3 days later and Elway could have been caught up in that mess.

With my line of work I am the one that the police come get when somebody in our community has passed away and the family does not know. So I have seen the pain and suffering first hand that happens when we lose a loved one. Those images of those families still keep me up some nights.

There should be more people like you in this world

 

[MileHigh64]

9-11 has certainly been front and center in the last week or two.

I was on a flight from Seattle to Denver that fateful morning. Somewhere over Idaho, the pilot slowly turned the plane around without telling the passengers anything. Once people started asking, the pilot made a brief announcement about terrorism on the East Coast and that all flights across the country are grounded. We returned to Seattle and it was surreal to see all those flights landing one after another. Needless to say, my fellow passengers were quite freaked out until we landed.

Once in the terminal, police rushed everyone done to baggage as fast as they could. Bags were streaming down every carousel and someone else took my bag (no change of clothing for the next 4 days). I rushed to a rental counter and got the last car. I was finally able to get through to my wife on the phone and she was in tears and distraught, since they had been saying on the TV for hours that many flights were still missing and she knew that I was in the air.

I spent a week in Seattle since all airports were closed. Eventually, I drove home to Denver. Three days after getting home, I was back on a flight. You could have heard a pin drop on that flight, as everyone was still extremely nervous.

Ironically, I'm traveling this week and I'm back in Seattle. I fly home to Denver this coming Sunday. Yes. Flight from Seattle to Denver on 9/11.......fifteen years later.

 

[DownSetHutch]

On 9/11, 2001, I was working in an office, so work didn't start until 10:00 PST. My wife started work earlier that day, so I was awake a little earlier than I otherwise would have been. I didn't normally turn on the TV before work, but that day for some reason I did. When I turned it on, the 1st plane had hit the WTC, and as I was watching and digesting what happened, the 2nd plane hit the other tower. I remember thinking immediately, "This is an act of war". It was very surreal, and really to this day, it still remains surreal.

I don't recall if I called work and they said to come on in, or if I just went in anyway. At work we only stayed an hour or two, talking about what was going on. The office manager was an older guy from New York, so it was actually good having him there to give a little perspective on what was going on. Everything after that is pretty much a blur of talking to different people for weeks about 9/11. I later found out that my cousin was working at the Pentagon at that time. Fortunately, she was nowhere near where the plane hit.

I used to watch the shows on 9/11, but I still get sad and angry when I do, so I haven't watched any in quite a few years. It's something that will impact us all, in various ways, for the rest of our lives.

God bless America, fellas.

 

[MileHigh64]

I used to watch the shows on 9/11, but I still get sad and angry when I do, so I haven't watched any in quite a few years. It's something that will impact us all, in various ways, for the rest of our lives.

God bless America, fellas.

Well said Hutch. I feel the same way.

 

[Broncos6482]

I was just beginning my freshman year of college. I had classes first and second hour (8 and 9) that morning, and then we had chapel third hour (10). Usually chapel began with a hymn, but when the bell rang instead of the song leader walking to the podium, one of the deans came up and addressed the students. He basically told us that there had been a terrorist attack on our country. He didn't go into a lot of details, and I wasn't really paying a lot of attention, so I didn't really grasp the seriousness of it.

After chapel ended, I found my buddy from Colorado to talk to him about the Broncos game the night before. He hadn't had class that morning so he knew the extant of what was going on, so he obviously didn't want to talk about the game. That was when I began to understand.

I went to the common area where they had the news on. I didn't have class the rest of the day, and I don't think I moved from my spot in front of the tv for hours. I just watched the aftermath unfold, completely slack jawed.

The 9/11 attacks are such a major line of demarcation in my life. The timing of it, with me having just began college and moving away from home, really separate my childhood from my adulthood for me.

 

[DownSetHutch]

9-11 has certainly been front and center in the last week or two.

I was on a flight from Seattle to Denver that fateful morning. Somewhere over Idaho, the pilot slowly turned the plane around without telling the passengers anything. Once people started asking, the pilot made a brief announcement about terrorism on the East Coast and that all flights across the country are grounded. We returned to Seattle and it was surreal to see all those flights landing one after another. Needless to say, my fellow passengers were quite freaked out until we landed.

Once in the terminal, police rushed everyone done to baggage as fast as they could. Bags were streaming down every carousel and someone else took my bag (no change of clothing for the next 4 days). I rushed to a rental counter and got the last car. I was finally able to get through to my wife on the phone and she was in tears and distraught, since they had been saying on the TV for hours that many flights were still missing and she knew that I was in the air.

I spent a week in Seattle since all airports were closed. Eventually, I drove home to Denver. Three days after getting home, I was back on a flight. You could have heard a pin drop on that flight, as everyone was still extremely nervous.

Ironically, I'm traveling this week and I'm back in Seattle. I fly home to Denver this coming Sunday. Yes. Flight from Seattle to Denver on 9/11.......fifteen years later.

Wow, I can imagine that the memories have been coming back recently, and on Sunday they will even more so. There should be some interesting stories in that airport.

 

[cdumler7]

I cannot imagine how difficult that must be to have to do. I know it would take a lot of inner strength and you would have to be very well-centered. My hat is off to you for what you do.

There should be more people like you in this world

Appreciate it fellas. Honestly that is part of why I love this group. This is a place I can come and really shut some of that down and just enjoy some great conversations with some great people about the game I love.

And I appreciate reading all of these stories. That definitely will be a day that sticks with us for the rest of our lives. I just wish our country would not be so forgetting about such things and could work to better unite like during that year after such an event. Hate that it takes something like 9/11 to bring people together.

 

[iknowftbll]

I worked nights at MCRD, San Diego. I worked at Receiving Company where new recruits would come in and begin processing for training. I'd pick up new recruits at the airport, take accountability, and load them onto the bus. The bus would drive from the airport over to the depot and chaos would ensue.

All flights were cancelled that week and we had nothing to do after Monday because we couldn't receive any recruits. The drill instructors all broke the news to the recruits who did make it to boot camp. Imagine being one of those recruits. Join the Marines in peace time and on your first day of training a war starts.

After the attacks, a lot of us in support assignments rushed to the admin offices to get our transfer requests in to units that would be going into the fight. It actually took me until 2009 to get into a deploying unit. A short time after the attacks I was selected for a commissioning program and in August of 2002 started college. After commissioning I spun my wheels in a mechanized battalion on a staff position. Thankfully I was able to work a deal to get orders to an infantry battalion. In 2009 we did helo-borne insert into a Taliban stronghold in central Helmand Province, Afghanistan. When I joined the Marines our instructors at our various entry level or "pipeline" training assured us we'd see combat in our time. That was before the attacks, and I shrugged it off thinking "they're supposed to tell us that." Sure enough, just a few short years later we were at war.