9-11 Where were you?

[Rimbaud]

Living in NYC. Was in Philly when first plane hit. Stuck for 3 days. Wife was pregnant and first kid was born a few weeks after. We could see towers from top floor of townhouse. Our garden was filled w debris. Amtrak finally reopened and will never forget getting on that empty trade, and the sorrow and anger felt seeing the WTC still smoking. For weeks, people posted signs all over the city looking for loved ones who never made it back.

 

[Dudders]

I was in Gisburn cattle market in Lancashire. We worked out of there as part of the foot and mouth outbreak in the Uk. We had come back to the office to see what work they had for us in the afternoon. There was a small television in the corner of the office that was used to keep track of local news. As we came into the office everyone in there was stood watching that small tv. We spent the next couple of hours in disbelief at what we had just witnessed happening.

 

[WAB]

I was getting ready to leave for work. I was leading the refinery and terminal system that fueled Elmendorf AFB and Eielson AFB in Alaska. Once we realized what was going on we got to work ASAP. Things became very interesting with all the military planes in the air pulling our tanks down. Security protocols changed dramatically in the days and weeks following.

One thing many don’t realize is that it was moose season in Alaska. Many of our folks were in the bush and general aviation was grounded. Some of my guys, not having a clue what was up, were forced to the ground by a fighter out of Eielson as they attempted to get home after their hunt. General aviation was released in Alaska well in advance of the lower 48 due to its critical role in the rural community. It was a strange sensation, hearing no light aircraft in the sky during that time.

 

[JES Adventures]

Hard to believe 18 years has passed.

I was at home with my three small children getting ready to leave for work. My wife had flown out early that morning for a meeting and I immediately started calling her cell phone. She landed at DFW and saw the televisions in horror. She went straight to Avis and got a car then called me and said she was driving home. Once back with the family, she wrote her resignation letter and decided to become stay home and be a full time mother.

America changed forever that day, we were no longer as safe as we always thought we were.

God rest the soles who senselessly lost their lives that day.

On another note, a few days after flights resumed I got a call from my old friend Bert Klineburger. He had some clients booked on a full bag safari with Pasanisi in Tanzania for late September that cancelled - all daily rates paid and he was trying to find someone that would take the hunt. I wouldn’t leave my family at that time and in fact I don’t think he ever filled the dates.

 

[Rob404]

The Food Service Company I worked for had Toro in Minneapolis for an account, I was a Floating Chef so I was helping out in the kitchen. Our Client had invited all of their dealers to come to Minneapolis for a celebration and to show them next years models and prototypes. With the grounding of all flights the event was cancelled.
MSP airport was shut down, I remember walking out of the building and how quiet it was.The only thing I saw in the air was a Military Jet out of Duluth on Patrol

 

[Foxi]

I was on my way to the stable (near Munich) to ride my horse in the late afternoon.
Then my wife called me from her office and asked me "if I knew more about who was bombing USA ?".
"such nonsense "I gave the answer. " no one dares to attack America......................"

 

[Brent in Az]

I spent the day staring at the television.......being consumed by sadness for those that perished, and dark thoughts of revenge against those that did it.

 

[VAHunter]

I was in an underground data center when the first tower was hit. I left work immediately and retrieved my twins from their school and had everyone safe at home before the Pentagon was hit. Unfortunately, I was due to leave for Gander Newfoundland on 9/15 for a caribou hunt. If you recall, most of the planes in the eastern USA airspace were diverted to Gander. We made it in OK, but even after a week long hunt we were delayed almost 18 hours getting out and back into the US.

 

[Voodooracer]

I was in 6th grade, social studies class. I remember an announcement being made and the teacher turned on the tv in the room. I remember my mom coming to get my from school and my mom, dad, and I were glued to the tv. At that age I could have cared less about politics, but watching that day unfold changed me and moved me beyond words, even if I couldn’t fully grasp it at the time. Even to this day I can’t watch the tv programs or the old news footage from that day without getting choked up. I’ll also never forget how everyone came together on September 12th, no politics, social status, anything, we were all Americans. My deepest sympathy and profound gratitude to all those lost on that day as well as the first responders.

 

[Tra3]

Law school in Minneapolis. All the buildings downtown were evacuated and people sent home. The sky was clear and absent of planes, so quiet.
My then girlfriend had just visited me. She lived in Manhattan. I had already scheduled a trip to visit her, so I went to NYC not long after. The smell in the air was unique, the mood somber. We drank heavily on that trip. She and her friends were in shock still, trying to cope with a bottle. It was a dark time, the alcohol made it hard to get a sense of one’s emotions.

 

[flat8]

Living in NYC and working downtown 4 blocks away on Wall Street. Walked home to my apartment through the ash and debris. Attended several funerals where there was nothing to bury.

 

[K-man]

Was at work with only a radio.... absolutely tragic the loss of life. I also remember 9/12 when there were flags flying everywhere, and no one was kneeling. We were a united country for a while.

 

[DieJager]

I was still a child then, 13 years old. Was playing outside when a kid I knew said that a plane flew in a skyscraper in America. The news was first saying they were thinking it was an accident. When I got home I turned the TV on and saw the second plane hit the other tower, really affected me.

These attacks and the assissination of Pim Fortuyn, a half year later, were life changing moments that changed my perspective of a lot of things back then and still does today.

Prayers for everyone that lost a loved one in the attack and those who never recovered from the events..

 

[Hogpatrol]

Hours after the attack, I went to the airport where my plane was based, thirty miles southwest of Philly Int'l and ten southwest of Wilmington. As others have posted, it was curious how quiet it was with no aircraft noise. IIRC, even the state police helos were grounded. As a few of us stood around the hangars discussing what happened, and looking to see if we could see any aircraft, a mature bald eagle was spotted overhead. I'll never forget that day or that sight.

 

[dobber]

Had friends from the US bear hunting with me, we had just retrieved a bear that was shot the previous night and went for breakfast at the local restaurant and watched in pure horror as the planes hit. My friends ended up having to stay a couple of extra days due to the back ups at the borders

 

[adgunner]

Watched from my home at an Army training base in Eastern Canada, ordered off leave and was placed on standby to deploy (Air Defence Artillery) to Ottawa. Up until then we never deployed inside the country, after we practiced routinely.

 

[kevin masters]

I was wiring a local library with my brother and an uncle. one of the younger guys on the job had headphones on and let us know about the first plane.
When we went to get a pop at break time, The second plane hit while we were in the store. When I got home I played with my four year old for a short while and then started
watching the news . I watched all night never pulling myself away from the tv. Its a little embarrassing to admit this but I think I could count on my hands the number of times I
had cried before that night. Now I am teary eyed typing this. Something very profoundly changed me that night.I am easy to get emotional now, never really was that way growing up.
Thank you to all the gentlemen and ladies on this site that have and those that are serving this great country! We all owe you a debt of gratitude!!!!

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I was working in a high rise building in downtown New Orleans. It was a crystal clear morning, very similar to the scene in NYC. A secretary stuck her head in my office and said, "You need to come see this." Another employee had a live stream of CNN on their computer and a group had gathered around. The second plane had already hit and I just remember thinking, this wasn't any accident. When the third plane hit the Pentagon, I knew we were under attack and and going to war.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[kgesch]

I was getting ready for another day of teaching when the secretary told me to hook the tv up and check out a plane crash crash in NY. I was running behind so I ignored her until she kind of yelled to get the tv set up. We only had cable in two rooms at that time so I set one up - and there went the rest of the day. Very difficult but obvious teaching moments.