September 11, 2012 5:34 AM PDT
My daughter woke me up very early that morning,shouting abt whats on TV.I stumbled outta bed & watched as the news people were discussing what happened,like maybe it was an accident.Then another newscaster broke in sayin another plane was approaching, my daughter ran out of the room saying she didnt want to see it hit.Sure enough it did.
I worked for the Port Authority in Oakland,and called in to see if we were to come to work. My boss said yes,so I jumped on my motorcycle and rode in,in spite of my fears, we were the counterpart of the New Jersey Port Authority which worked out of the 76th floor in NYC. Part of my dutys at work was to correspond with my fellow port authority workers in NYC on a weekly basis,there was one lady in particular I was on a friendly basis with in NYC & we shared quite a few laughs, ovr the years, I worked in Oakland doing risk management work that facilitated projects we worked on jointly. Later I found out that she never made it out,along with a number of other people in her dept. They let us go home about 2 pm that day.We would have been sitting ducks if attacked by airplane since our building sat rite on the waterfront facing the bay.
We held a very moving tribute ceremony in their honor a few weeks after the attack,never understood why people liked bagpipes till tht day when I heard them play in their honor,still brings tears to my eyes whenever I hear them now,its like the sound of those pipes echoed the feelings of complete despair so many of us were feeling over this terrible attack on our country, and the loss of co workers in NYC.
I for one will never forget that terrible time and only hope the pain has lessened for those who lost loved ones!
September 11, 2012 6:25 AM PDT
I was in a training class for some updates on the software we sold at the time. We were all in the Manchester NH office. The instructor was from New Jersey office and kept getting phone calls. It seems the New Jersey office across the river from the World Trade Center was trying to account for all of the employees out of the building. Then we all got the news and moved down stairs to the lobby where there was a TV. Needless to say training was over and we all when home to spend it with loved ones. At that point only one tower had been hit.
On the way home I couldn’t contact home as the cell service was tied up in the Northeast. I got home and seen the second tower hit and the eventual collapse of both towers. Something I will never forget. As most folk we were in shock for a few days at what we had had just seen.
I now work in that office and every time I past that training center I remember what happen 11 years ago today.
September 11, 2012 7:38 AM PDT
Getting ready to head out the door,when I caught a glimpse of the second plane rounding the second tower...all I could do is scream, "We are under attack." I quickly got everybody out of showers,started making phone calls to reach my son who was in his first year of college.He didn't know anything except they had been told to go home and turn on the tv,no more class for the day.I'm sure it didn't help that his campus had the airstrip next door for Air Force One where they usually landed for The Western Whitehouse.Seems like just yesterday.
September 11, 2012 9:54 AM PDT
We had just started working for the day when my office manager ran out of the office screaming about one of the twin towers being hit by a plane. We went inside and I remember thinking damn wtf was that pilot thinking. We kept watching CNN and then were all shocked when the other plane flew into the other tower. RIP to all the victims and thoughts and prayers for all the first responders who are suffering from the effects of all the toxic debris.
September 13, 2012 2:17 AM PDT
I was in my classroom when an announcement was made over the PA system for all teachers to turn on their tvs in class. I as well as my students were in complete shock watching the second plane hit the towers. all of us thought it was a pilot's error or some freakish occurrance with the plane. How do you explain to 6th through 8th graders what they are watching? How do you explain the changes our nation will go through because of this action? for the first in my teaching career I couldn't or didn't have an answer for them.
September 13, 2012 2:36 AM PDT
I had jury duty that day. Left the house right after the first plane hit and it was all over the radio. dropped my daughter off at work and heard about the second plane at the courthouse. NYC was the only topic of conversation. A few minutes later we were all called in to the courtroom and they dismissed us for the day. Funny thing, though, it was another 30 minutes before anyone left. We had a huge prayer session right there in the courtroom.
September 13, 2012 2:43 AM PDT
I don't think anyone of us will ever forget where we were when we heard about this. I had just come home from the funeral of a friend's little girl (she was killed by a car when she ran out into the road and was only 7 - not the drivers fault). Feeling as though I needed some distractionwhen I got home, I put on the TV and saw the first tower smoking - so watched to find out why. I was still watching when the second tower got struck and effectively stayed glued to the TV most of the day - ringing friends and family who were mostly at work. My own two daughters were in Majorca at the time and - though it was as much to do with April's funeral as the atrocity that unfolded on my TV - I just had to ring them to hear their voices and know they were safe. They were watching on the TV's in the local bar and said that nobody spoke other than the occasional OMG. RIP to April and all the victims and thoughts still with all the families who have to live with those losses. Hugs x