The day America changed

It’s been 23 years since we lost loved ones and family (can’t believe it’s been that long already) in the 911 terrorist attacks.

Do you remember what you were doing the morning of September 11th, 2001?

I was sitting at my desk watching CNBC when the report came in and thought this is some kind of joke. But it wasn’t and as Americans our lives changed forever that day. Thoughts and prayers to those that were lost :pray:

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I was in a Real Estate office waiting for the Tuesday morning sales meeting to begin. I remember a feeling a deep sadness and anxiety. Sadness for the obvious tragedy and anxiety knowing America and the world would never be the same. Years later I visited the memorial in NY and the people there were the warmest, kind and helpful folks you could imagine. A testimony to their resilience. God bless all who were struck by this tragedy. I wish peace and comfort for each of you.

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This is on my bucket list Brian.

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Do it like I did, it’s the total tourist package. I had never been to NYC. We drive two SUVs from Georgia, eleven people from 2 years to 78, to the Staten Island Ferry. From there I depended on strangers to guide us in via public transportation. It worked out beautifully. We met great people, watched fantastic street talent and ate the best tasting but unhealthiest food in America. It’s on my bucket list to return for the monument was not 100 percent complete at the time.

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Love it, especially the “unhealthiest food in America”. You only live once, soak it in, be happy, and treat others with respect. Good stuff Brian!

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I was running late for work, I was driving south on RT 208 and there’s a point on that road where there’s a downhill curve and you get a view of the Manhattan skyline.

I was almost to that spot, I heard Howard Stern say “I just heard an airplane hit one of the towers”. He then went on an joked a bit about the guy drinking or something, I don’t recall exactly.

I round the curve and see what looks like an enormous smokestack and thinking that was no small plane!

I got to work, a few minutes later, one of the mechanics was saying “They hit us again! It’s an attack, we’re under attack!!”

Not long after the CEO told us “go do what you need to do, you can stay, go, whatever you need to do.” She(the CEO) also had this ex-military consultant there(unrelated to any tragedy, just happened to be there), tell us that Manhattan would probably be emptying out in the next few days. Go stock up on food if you haven’t already and avoid bridges, tunnels and anything near Manhattan. If you plan to leave Jersey, go north through NY, well west of the city, Bridges may be the next targets, avoid all the big ones.

I went home to my town up in the mountains, 40 miles away. As I was driving back well in excess of the posted speed limit, cops were passing me, at 100+ in the other direction.

The town I lived in is on top of a mountain and there are 3 roads in and out. K-rails appeared on the side each road the next day and were there for at least 6 months. One would assume they were put there in case the zombie hordes started migrating west.

It was a very strange day. I spent the next few days splitting firewood, laying in supplies.

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Who doesnt? Anyone old enough will remember that day for the rest of their lives. I was getting ready for work, CO is 2 hours behind Eastern, and I remember watching the news that morning before leaving the house.
I remember listening to the radio while on my way to work, and some idiot called in probably around the time the second plane hit, and asked “when are you going to start playing music again”? I remember the radio host handing his ass to him for that one.

I also remember how eerily quiet it was the rest of the day, with every plane in the country grounded.

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Yup, that fits into the idiot category. Good stuff Daniel!

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To actually see it would have been something. I was limited to news coverage. Still a sad day for all…

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Oh yea, I remember that. I live under a main intersection of planes at 33,000 ft. You don’t notice background noise where you live, till it’s not there. My whole body felt weird from the quiet.

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I’ll never forget. I was on an inspection. Later that day I predicted the U.S. would use the event to attack Iran, a country that had no hand in 911. My prediction came true, but I got the innocent country wrong.

Terrible day.
Dishonorable response.
Hefty $9 trillion dollar bill given to our kids and grandkids.

A lose-lose-lose event.

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Horrible.

And don’t forget that New Yorkers suffered for years afterwards from the toxicity of the event. So it’s more like 5,000 U.S. casualties.

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I worked for GEAE (General Electric Aircraft Engines) at the time as a customer support engineer, I had taken the day off because I had a job interview within the company for another job that afternoon.

I was watching the news when the breaking news came on about an aircraft hitting the trade center in New York. At the time the reports were that it was a small plane, and because of the size of the building, when I saw it on TV, I thought the same thing. The first thing I thought of was the airplane that flew into the Empire State Building back in 1945. But then realized that it was a perfectly clear day, so I figured either a mechanical malfunction or a suicide pilot. Then when as I was watching a reporter, with the smoking tower behind her, I saw the second plane coming around, then I saw the explosion as it hit the other tower, and the reporter didn’t even realize it and kept on talking, then shortly thereafter, she stated that it appeared that the second tower was struck. At that point I knew we were under attack and the day went downhill from there, I called and cancelled my interview, then called my brother, who was in the Navy stationed in Hawaii, and woke him up, told him we were under attack and that I thought we would be going to war. I remember he asked me what channel it was on, and I told him all of them.

The bastards attacked us using all Boeing Aircraft with GE or Pratt engines. One of the tasks of job I had an interview for that day would have been monitoring the American Airlines flight 11 that hit the first tower, as it had GE engines installed on it, a friend of mine was a monitor and got the alerts about a catastrophic failure with both engines.

I remember that night going outside and realizing how quite it was with no aircraft flying overhead, I then broke down thinking about all the innocent people who died that day, just going to work and living their lives.

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I lived in Staten Island NY. at the time. I was doing electrical work near the Staten Island ferry. The company owner called me and said " a plane hit the World Trade Center building". The house we were working in had the TV on. Just as I got to the TV the second plane hit the other tower. It was surreal. We stopped working and watched from the Staten Island side.

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I remember this as well, living about 25 miles from Memphis International. Definitely surreal…

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I had forgotten about that. I live near Atlanta airport, which is known to be the busiest in the world. It was eerie.

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There are some that don’t know the day before…

True that Jeffrey! So many movie scenes with the towers. Wish I could have visited before 9/11 to experience American ingenuity in action…

In the mid 90s I worked for a computer company called AMC computers at 129 w 27th street and was dispatched all over Manhattan including around Wall and water and although I never had a job in the Towers I walked past them quite a lot. I stopped working in Manhattan in 1999.

They definite dominated the area but frankly, they were sorta boring and plain. I mean, they were a very bold statement because of the size, but down at street level just looked plain and shabby. Definitely best viewed from Brooklyn or Hoboken.

Interesting aside, in 1997, I worked for a company called Technical Insight, a division of John Wiley and Sons. We were at the end of a lease and we had an option to move. The director suggested back in Manhattan, probably downtown, and I said “Too big of a risk of terrorism”. It elicited a healthy chuckle around the meeting table.

After 9/11, several of the other managers called me and said “You were right, how did you know?”. I knew some “spooks” from my CompuServe days and I was in a couple forums with them still at the time. They all said essentially :“Manhattan continues to be a target, but nothing specific”. It wasn’t reading a crystal ball or anything, it was just simply that the 1993 bombing wasn’t big enough and “they” wanted another shot. I decided I wanted to be no where near “the shooting range” when the next shot occurred, as it did on 9/11.

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