Never Forget
The tragic attacks on September 11th, 2001, caught the entire country off guard. But what was even worse, was that after one building was hit, no one expected them to hit the second one as well.
While trying to set up their broadcasting of the first building on fire, ABC News was setting up their cameras, only to catch the plane crashing into the second building, before we see the camera man and broadcaster running for cover.
We lived in St. Petersburg FL at that time. It was 9AM and I was working from home, waiting for a daily conference call to begin when one of the early participants said "...something is happening in New York! Looks like an explosion at the World Trade Center!" I turned on the TV in time to see the second jet slam into the second tower. People continued to join the conference call, the normal chatter replaced with stunned silence. We ended the call to give the events of that morning our wrapt attention. We did not have another morning call for a week or so.
ReplyDeleteI came to learn shortly afterwards that we had a family member who would normally have been on that jet from Boston to La Guardia; she passed on going that morning. She can't talk about the anniversary to this day.
Need more proof there is no god? Consider this: On a day 23 years ago, three men's god said, "Hijack planes and fly them into the twin towers and the Pentagon and kill the infidel Americans!" And America's god said nothing and let it happen. And don't insult me by saying that god is testing us. What kind of test requires us to believe that slaughter of innocents is justified to prove a point? We've been set up to fail this test since the very first god was invented by a group of ignorant cretins who sought to enslave another group of ignorant people. Prove me wrong...
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ReplyDeleteI have seen several memes lately that use the Twin Towers as background, and/or the moment they were on fire, but in a sort of lighthearted way. Has anyone else noticed?
ReplyDeleteI haven't noticed those. I think I would be leaving some pretty nasty comments for whoever used them.
DeleteThere is a time and place for humor --- humor can help the grieving process but.....
Yes. I have thank you.
DeleteLeftField - I have not seen those.
DeleteThe world can not forget that tragedy. And even the world must not forget it. Henri.
ReplyDeleteA very horrific event. The 21st Century's Pearl Harbor. It should never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteMy buddy's short play about this will have two performances in NYC.
September 11 2001-
ReplyDeleteIn Southern California I had just turned on the tv in the morning and on the screen was a waterfront city with lots of smoke. I first I thought there was a catastrophic earthquake in San Francisco. The camera pulled back and you could see it was New York City, I thought NYC got hit with an earthquake ! Finally they showed the first World Trade Center Tower on fire and the news reporter describing a plane had slammed into it, a little later a passenger jet hit the second tower. All of it was shocking to see. The worst was to come, seeing frantic people on the top floors hoping for rescue and then others that jumped when the flames got to them. And finally the tower collapsing and then the other tower and with them several other buildings. Dismay, shock, tears and wishing to be there to try and help. The terrorists came for the most part from Saudi Arabia egged on by religious leaders and schools in Saudi Arabia that encourage extremism supported by that government to this day. It angers me to this day that Saudi Arabia has never been called to account for what they supported and aided on 9/11.
The Bush administration coddled and protected them due to the greedy politics of oil, arab Oil is worth more than American blood. That happens when you let commodities have more importance than human life. Since 9/11 we have gone to war with the wrong Mid-East countries when it should be Saudi Arabia held to account and made to compensate the families of people killed on 9/11 and reimbursing the USA for the trillions of dollars we spent in the Mid-East in wars because of Saudi Arabia since 9/11. -Rj
I was in the middle of nowhere northern Wisconsin on a work trip. I called into the office back home in Maine as I usually did first thing in the morning to check in. My boss said "turn on the TV!, crazy things are going on in NYC". I turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane hit live. That was the start of an absolutely surreal day onsite and a night glued to the TV unable to get to sleep. I was supposed to be in a good friend's wedding that Saturday, but I didn't make it home until Monday when the airlines started flying again. I ended up driving down to Minneapolis to get a direct flight to Boston as connections were very iffy with airplanes and crews scattered all over creation. It was also surreal being near the MN airport that weekend with NO airplanes flying other than the occasional military bird.
ReplyDeleteI will never forget that flight home. I'm a big guy, in my early 30s at the time, and I was in the first row of first class next to a guy just as big as me. The head flight attendant (very visibly shaken) came up to us and quietly asked if we would help if anything went down. We both said yes. And I meant it - I am no hero but I will take my chances tackling some asshole on an airplane vs. hitting the ground at 500mph.
I still think we should have rebuilt the towers exactly as they were as twin raised middle fingers to all the terrorist assholes in the world.
We were outside of Yosemite, after the worst argument of our new 32 year love affair. I thought I'd leaving the relationship after 9 years then. We'd spent an amazing vacation together until that time. Ass I showered my partner checked voice messages at home.
ReplyDeleteMy airline family members were scattered around the world. Delta, United, world, USAir. All okay. But we drove home to Seattle frightened, numb, and determined to continue our love.
Everyone - Thank you all for sharing your stories and your thoughts. It was a day I will not forget.
ReplyDeleteScott from Massachusetts said.
ReplyDeleteOh, I remember where I was and where I was going on that tragic day all so well. It's etched in my memory. I was headed up to Ogunquit Maine for a few days for vacation, (no it wasn't a fall day, like some report it was in magazines or places. ( I know it's a little detail, but it pisses me off you they can't remember it was a late summer day temps rather cool and one of the bluest skies I have ever seen. I stop to get my car washed before getting on the highway, the worker, that brushed the car, said did I hear about the plane that what into the tower, and I said I didn't, both of us thinking maybe a small aircraft that nicked the tower.
On the ride up, I noticed (still not knowing the gravity of the situation. how quiet the skies and whole atmosphere were, not one plane in the sky. I don't even think I was listening much to the radio but some music. Oh but little by little I got bits and pieces of what was happening.
I get up to Ogunquit, checked in my hotel room, really not knowing what the proper things I should be doing at a time like this. Just a very quiet eerie feeling. I went into a gift shop bought and American flag and went down to the beach. I placed the flag in the sand (like a few others did) sat for a while looked up to the sky and again not one plane.
When I went back to my room, and turned on the TV, that's when I really saw what was taking place. I was glued to the TV. I called my Mom, and told her I loved her, (though we are really close, we don't see that to each other that much.) Now I do, since we are older.
I did go to the bar the night and many of the patrons there, knew people that worked a Logan airport or who had friends that worked and lost their lives on the planes.
Just yesterday, the calendar we have, at a meeting I go to almost every day, had every holiday or special occasion written date on that date. But fucking on Sept 11, they had NOTHING!! I looked all over that calendar for a telephone # to call and was just going to say nicely, how come you have nothing down for Sept 11. Maybe just a simple mistake, that's what I was hoping, and not forgetting about what happen.
Thanks Rick, for letting my share, 23 years ago, and still like that blue sky, my mind is crystal clear on what I was doing.
Scott - Thanks to you, too.
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