Chief Dick Posted September 9, 2008 Author Share Posted September 9, 2008 I'm not trying to make this sound negative in any way but why was this 9/11 thread bumped on 9/9? I started this thread because the games that year were on Sunday the 11th. It gets bumped every year as a remembrance of that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahawk37 Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I started this thread because the games that year were on Sunday the 11th. It gets bumped every year as a remembrance of that day. What do you mean Sunday the 11th? Sept 11th was on a tuesday and there was no football going on..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outshined Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 Not exactly sure how to start, First I am in the New york Air National Guard. I actually saw the second plane hit on cnn, I was sleeping because I work nights. My wife actually woke me up, anyone that's been in the military knows what to do, You make sure your bags are packed and your ready for what ever is needed. We got recalled and were actually the first Airplane(Military Cargo plane C-130) in the sky that night, We flew into Stewart AFB and were bused to Randlls Island.(http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/units/fire_academy/fa_index.shtml)Check Link-Memorials and Honors. The ironic thing is the death of the firefighters and us being sent to Randall's, so even before I arrived at ground zero I was exposed to the tragedy without even stepping foot into the ashes. Now I want you all to know I never spent a day on the "Pile" I am a Civil Engineer"Generator Mechanic" I did security at check points with New york Cities finest. Yes we all spent time on ground zero, I fueled light carts and did what ever was asked. But what I will take with me for the rest of my life is....Everyone did......From the rescuers to the volunteers who fed us. We spent about 6 weeks all together at ground zero and the one thing I tell everyone is......When you saw it on the news it was one dimensional but when you were there..........words cannot describe what I saw standing in ashes and debris on the the corner of Fraklin St., Yours eyes burnt and throat was soar and the smell will be with me like a nightmare that never goes away! So when I had the opportunity to go to Iraq and serve my country I did without fail as those did that very day. I love my country and anyone who serves to protect it. Weather it be in a domestic role or in combat in Iraq/Afganistan deserves our thoughts and prayers. Remember a soldier with his country is never lonely....We do as were told without fail. God Bless America....... Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i_am_the_swammi Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 What do you mean Sunday the 11th? Sept 11th was on a tuesday and there was no football going on..... check your calendar....9/11/05 was a Sunday. Three years later (one of which was a leap year), and this year its a Thursday. BTW....God Bless America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nibiyabi Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I was just getting to work that morning and went through my routine. Read the paper, get into the office, turn the radio on, etc. Now the radio station that I listen to hardly ever cuts in with news of any kind. I often joked that a tornado could rip right through our office and we wouldn't hear about it until after we left work. But on this day, they came on with the news about the plane hitting the first WTC building as soon as it happened. All the announcers were reporting it as some type of accident. I immediately went downstairs and into a barber shop that has a tv. I saw the crumpled mess of the first hit and saw the second plane circle come into view on the tv screen. I had a very unsettling feeling about that second plane. A few seconds later, I saw it hit the second WTC building. What a horrible sight! Now at the time of this tragedy, I didn't really have any hard feelings towards any Arab people that I would see. There are always quite a few Arabs around town where I work as they travel hear to visit the Mayo Clinic. When these Arabs come to town, the first thing they do is take out tons of money at the bank. The bank tellers always comment that they give out huge amounts of money one day, and they see it coming back after they spend it the next day. They love to shop for jewelry, clothes, or anything else that they want. They've spent tens of thousands of dollars at our stores quite frequently. So with that experience with them, a give them a little pass for being just a little different than the rest of us. Like the lack of showering or treating women like second class citizens or believing that they are superior to us local people. As of now, most Arabs have difficulty in getting visas for short periods of time so I don's see them around as often. Now what they do is have our doctors travel overseas to visit them. In fact, one doctor traveled over there and returned with 8 or 9 Persian rugs. Doctors used to make house calls for chickens. Now it's persian rugs. But how could anybody even think of doing something like this to anybody else that they don't even know? So some stupid arse somewhere says he doesn't like Americans and everyone else around him is supposed to go along with it? Yes the tragedy hit me like it did everyone else. It makes you feel vulnerable, angry, and makes you wonder about other people. I remember that I went to a Vikings game a month or two later and the scalpers weren't coming out so good then. I was able to get tickets at the 50 yard line for around $20-25. We were playing the Lions and they said that both teams weren't hot right then and that the WTC had had a hugh effect on their business. I know this was over three years ago, but . . . damn. Racist much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 I was working for a national park and heard it on the radio. Obviously everyone went home, the park shut down and watched it on tv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted September 11, 2008 Author Share Posted September 11, 2008 (edited) What do you mean Sunday the 11th? Sept 11th was on a tuesday and there was no football going on..... If you would read the opening sentence of this thread you might be able to figure it out. Edited September 11, 2008 by Chief Dick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tally Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Wow, I can't believe 7 years have passed already, it feels like it happened yesterday. Thanks for the post Chief! I was in Great Neck, LI about 20 miles outside NYC and what I remember most (besides the shock as I watched it unfold on TV from my office) was all the frantic phone calls I made to my friends and family working and living in the city and everyone I spoke with was either walking across the Brooklyn Bridge or the 59th Sreet bridge, getting the hell out of there. I was very lucky; I didn't lose anyone in my immediate circle..... God bless the families that did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted September 10, 2009 Author Share Posted September 10, 2009 Bump for Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL Fan Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 This needs to be bumped every year, lest we get complacent and become an easy target again. All of us lost something that day, but this is a special shout out to those of you who experienced the loss on a deeply personal level, like Wolf. I know there are others here as well, but your story stuck with me, dude. Wolf and everyone else, I hope you and yours and all those affected by the senseless carnage of 9/11 have acheived at least some level of peace over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizkit34 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) I think this ia nice tribute. its done to U2's "peace on earth" GOD BLESS AMERICA ! Edited September 11, 2009 by bizkit34 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Well, it's 9-11 now. For my part, especially after working in the recovery effort, I am healed up, and went on with life. No more nightmares about body parts. Wish I could say the same for my nephew (if you read my earlier post for background)... he is isloated, angry, depressed and you can't even talk to him. Of the FDNY WTC survivors, he is amoung about 13 FDNY vets who are still in the department. The "qulaifaction" for that medal is that a fireman had to be in one of the two WTC buildings during or after the attack before they collapsed, but survived. I think there were about 85 who got that medal. Most retired, some quit. My nephew? Well he drove a motorcycle off a cliff in Tennessee a couple years ago, and barely lived thru that. They called it an accident... I cal it a death wish, but the FDNY did not terminate him, mostly because of his WTC survivor status. He is back on ''''light" duty, but it's unlikely he will ever fight a fire again. So, since he has an apt in my house, the baggage of Sept 11 is still very much with me in every day life, aside from rememberances. It's like dealing with a Vietnam vet with major PTS. He can just go off... or totally isolate.... or intentionally do stuff to P me off. Then get confrontational. Too much info? Maybe.... but it's what 9-11 did to my life in the long term, and it's far from over for me. I don't think it will ever be in the rear view mirror for my nephew. Bless our soldiers... and God speed be with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valhalla Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Wow, so much to say. When it happened, I worked for a company that refurbished POS equipment then re-sold it. After logging in, I would drive this dock truck to a satellite location where they had a special contract set up, work there all day then haul whatever they needed back to their HQ. On the way there every morning I would listen to KQRS out of the Twin Cities. I heard Tom Bernard of KQRS commenting about the first plane, and remember him and his morning cronies were doubtful it was an accident. Then the 2nd plane hit and all hell broke loose. They said we were under attack and I was literally in a state of shock and heightened senses from that moment on. When I got to the location, I turned on the radio and was just trying to absorb as much as I could while trying to do some menial tasks. Then I heard about the Pentagon and another one that had gone missing. We were released from work by noon and I was just...beside myself in anger, grief, fear of the unknown that ended up turning into enormous pride (with a sprinkle of revenge) in the corresponding weeks. This really was a turning point in my life and I didn't realize it. I'm in the military so you can imagine how it's affected me and my organization (to this day). We went from weekend warriors to op tempo fighting machines in combat environments. I still work with Soldiers today and their tinnitus, PTSD, TBI, anxiety, shoulder, knee, back etc. etc. pains that 9/11 was a catalyst of. I also remember the first drill after the attacks. I had never seen a more motivated group of Soldiers ready to jump at a little taste of payback. Whatever they were asked to do they would have done. One of our first missions was providing some extra security at some Nuc power plants and we had enough volunteers for several weeks in less than 2 mins. Everyone wanted to do something. I have to say though that nothing brings more pride to me than the passengers of United Flight 93 and what they did. There is no greater selfless act of absolute %100 courage than their acts that fateful day. Needless to say there were many hero's that day, but Flight 93 was special in many ways. I think they are the the epitome of courage and what being an "American" is all about. I will always remember not only 9/11, but the corresponding weeks and the lessons it taught me about our country - good and bad. Just like the old WWII adage went, we are a "sleeping giant"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 Well, it's 9-11 now. For my part, especially after working in the recovery effort, I am healed up, and went on with life. No more nightmares about body parts. Wish I could say the same for my nephew (if you read my earlier post for background)... he is isloated, angry, depressed and you can't even talk to him. Of the FDNY WTC survivors, he is amoung about 13 FDNY vets who are still in the department. The "qulaifaction" for that medal is that a fireman had to be in one of the two WTC buildings during or after the attack before they collapsed, but survived. I think there were about 85 who got that medal. Most retired, some quit. My nephew? Well he drove a motorcycle off a cliff in Tennessee a couple years ago, and barely lived thru that. They called it an accident... I cal it a death wish, but the FDNY did not terminate him, mostly because of his WTC survivor status. He is back on ''''light" duty, but it's unlikely he will ever fight a fire again. So, since he has an apt in my house, the baggage of Sept 11 is still very much with me in every day life, aside from rememberances. It's like dealing with a Vietnam vet with major PTS. He can just go off... or totally isolate.... or intentionally do stuff to P me off. Then get confrontational. Too much info? Maybe.... but it's what 9-11 did to my life in the long term, and it's far from over for me. I don't think it will ever be in the rear view mirror for my nephew. Bless our soldiers... and God speed be with them. Man, this just breaks my heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kryptonite Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) As the chaplain to the fire department, today was a difficult day.... Although in Middleton, Wisconsin, the brotherhood / fraternity of fire fighters / ems / police, etc...these men and women stood in their Class A uniforms from 0700 until 0845, with all trucks on display, they stood at Parade Rest...they have done this since 2001....they will not forget....they will never forget.... Gave message. Each name was then read. The bells / sirens sounded. Then amazing grace on bag pipe. It was one of the more difficult messages I have delivered.... The last 7 years of my military career as a chaplain, my time as a hospital chaplain, and even as a pastor, I have been around this subject, today, however, serving them, seeing their eyes...I feel that I am rambling, I apologize, I did not expect to see this thread.... Land of the FREE because of the BRAVE..... Edited September 11, 2009 by kryptonite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted September 10, 2010 Author Share Posted September 10, 2010 I will never forget that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 (edited) Chief Dick said: I will never forget that day. I better not! ... it also happens to be mine and Scooby's anniversary 9/11/2001 I still get creeped out at airports especially when they are coming in for a landing. Edited September 11, 2019 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted September 10, 2010 Author Share Posted September 10, 2010 I better not! ... it also happens to be mine and Scooby's anniversary 9/11/2001 Wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nogohawk Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 (edited) I was already planning on changing my avatar, thanks for the reminder and God bless the USA! Never forget 9/11. Edited September 11, 2019 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddahj Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 (edited) Edited September 11, 2019 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 I beleive the best way to remember that day is to never live in fear. Back then people were afraid to fly, go to a sporting event, etc. I never changed how I lived or what I did. That is how you fight terrorism. I will resist saying anything about that mosque, not in this thread, but I have some pretty strong feelings about that particular topic, I can tell you. I will dedicate my thoughts and prayers to our soldiers and to the survivors who still bear the physical and mental scars of that day. To this day, I would gladly give my life to stop terrorists from another such "victory". Too bad they are allowed to build a monument to that victory on hallowed ground. I'd better stop there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted September 11, 2010 Author Share Posted September 11, 2010 (edited) Edited September 11, 2019 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchico Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 (edited) Edited September 11, 2019 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcmast Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 (edited) Still get choked up reading some of these posts and thinking about that day. Edited September 11, 2019 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flemingd Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 (edited) Edited September 11, 2019 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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