Sept 11th

[Stig / Major Tom]

I was shooting drywall screws, constructing a new office when the radio in a nearby state case worker's cubicle announced the first building was hit.
Idiot on radio said "Cleveland has been hit" as well, "looks like they're hitting every major US city!"
Local gas station tripled his price. Gas lines were around the block that evening, I gave up trying.
One scary 24hrs.

Next morning is was gas-up as usual on the way to work.

Where were you?

Stig

[DanH]

Where were you?

Commuting to work on the 805 North in San Diego - at El Cajon Blvd - heard it on the radio.

[klaviator]

I was going to school at the time.  I had just sat down in the classroom for my first class of the day when someone walked in and said that a Cessna had crashed into the world trade center.  The classroom had a big TV so we turned it on and watched CNN.  It was quickly obvious that that was no Cessna.  Then we watched as events unfolded for the next few hours before they cancelled classes for the rest of the day.

The school I was attending was the U.S. Air Force War College.  Not too long before this the subject of terrorism had been discussed and how it was just a matter of when, not if a major terrorist attack happened. 

After 9/11 I was in the perfect place to really get some insight into what happened and why.

[CROSSBOLT]

Just had arrived at Porter-Cable facility, Jackson, TN, made my way to cafeteria for coffee when all TV's flashed live video of one tower smoking, the second tower about to be hit by the second airliner. I watched, transfixed the second plane crashed into the building leaving a gaping outline of the doomed ship. Flaming engines penetrated the building and arced towards the streets below. More workers gathered as the situation was explained as much as possible. Everyone was a little late to stations that morning, most in a trance, probably like when the news hit 7 December 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor. Went to the recruiting station that afternoon and was turned away because I was too old. Over 50 Marines from the surrounding area showed up to re-up and were turned away. The next largest bunch were Navy, followed by the rest of the services.

[scooterfan]

I was on my back home on a motorcyle that day. My daughter was a student in a town about 190 km away, and I went by car earlier that morning to bring her home. Didn’t plan to buy the motorcycle, but stumbled across a bargain and bought the bike.

We went back home late that afternoon. My daughter was driving the car back home, and I was riding the motorcycle. I stopped for fuel at a fuel station not far from home, and my daughter also stopped. She immediately jumped out of the car, and started running towards me. While she was driving, she heard about the attacks on the radio. So she told me about “a major terrorist attack in America”, and mentioned that “planes are crashing into buildings in America”.

I couldn’t beleive what I was hearing. We rushed home, and I immediately rushed to our Tv - hoping I would be able to see what was going on. The summer time difference between the US and South Africa is 7 hours .It already was  about 8.30 PM in South Africa. I immediately switched the tv on, and the first image I got was of the plane which smashed into the 2nd tower. I was totally shocked, and could’nt beleive what I was seeing.
I never slept that night. All other programs on our national TV was cancelled, and we got full coverage as this tragedy was unfolding. We got full CNN coverage right through that night.
 I only later realized what we saw on Tv were recorded images of what happened in the US while 9/11 was was almost gone for ever in our country.

A date and day I will never forget.

[JJJoseph]

The day before, it was a Sunday, I had dropped my daughter off at the airport for a red-eye flight to New York where she was to attend a meeting at the World Trade Center in the next day (Monday).  Her connecting flight was in Chicago but was cancelled while she was making the connection.  She was stuck in Chicago with every other connecting passenger, and we were so happy that she missed her connection and was stranded in a strange city with no hotel.  A week later, she was back home again, thanks to Greyhound. 

[Stig / Major Tom]

The day before, it was a Sunday, I had dropped my daughter off at the airport for a red-eye flight to New York where she was to attend a meeting at the World Trade Center in the next day (Monday).  Her connecting flight was in Chicago but was cancelled while she was making the connection.  She was stuck in Chicago with every other connecting passenger, and we were so happy that she missed her connection and was stranded in a strange city with no hotel.  A week later, she was back home again, thanks to Greyhound. 

There is a new book out, "The Only Plane In The Sky", which is centered around these kind of happenings.. ..if my info is correct.  I have reserved it from our library.
I, too, know someone who should have been there, save for a missed ride across town.
Stig

[klaviator]

I have never been to the Twin Towers but a month or so before 9/11 I spent a day at the Pentagon.  The room where I spent most of the day ended up be right where the plane hit.  The guy who set our our briefings that day was killed.

Many things in our lives are just a matter of timing.....

[monkeybongos]

The Falling Man is a fascinating and erie look into the identity of a jumper that day.

[fishcutter44]

Remember this day like it was a month ago.  Mate onboard MSC contract ship; I knew we were in for a long haul after this attack.  My fiancé and I flew to Italy two weeks later (figured it would be safest time to travel, right?)