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NFL Opening Day--Sept 11


Chief Dick
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  • 1 month later...

Hard to believe it's been 4 yrs; it sure doesn't go away.

I will never be able to forget...lthis feeling; Of the unprovoked attack on my innocent family.

 

It's still us or them. :usa:

 

May ALL these terrorist fatherless males feel this pain 1000X over.

 

I work construction 50 mi. from the city.

That morning at work ,we listened to the radio ... not believing what was happening.

Shortlyafter the first tower collapsed a passerby stopped to ask if we knew of the attack & to tell us to gather our children from the school.

Saw the pics on TV at midday...watched the horizon for smoke...so close to home.

I WILL NEVER FORGET>

Edited by Big John
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Hopefully Chief Dick doesn't get mad at my slightly different post...

 

I was like most of middle America on that day - shocked, scared, and saddened by the events in the greatest US city. I recall getting home from work, and my then-girlfriend was there; we talked a bit, watched the coverage, then went to bed and just held each other. I will never forget that day, or the feelings that went with it.

 

Last year I gave myself a good memory for that day - I gave my '01 girlfriend what she called "the best wedding ever."

 

So this day has both the yin and the yang for me.

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My life partner and I were sleeping in, phone rang, was a buddy. He said turn on the TV. I was half asleep, and turned on the Fair & Balanced channel, couldn't beleive what I was seeing, about 15 min after the first plane hit.

 

Was watching live TV when the 2nd plane hit, as the story unfolded, as the news came out, there were no words...

 

As the Towers burned, I looked over to my partner and said, "Those towers are gonna fall."

 

About 20 minutes later, on live TV I watched the first tower topple.

 

My timeline is messed up, but as the other two planes hit, one the pentagon, one ditching in the ground, no one knew what was going on.

 

I was very affected that day, and to this hour I know what had to be done.

 

The most I have been effected since then, was watching the National geographic channel and the show Inside 9/11, when they showed footage of a tour to WTC on 9/12, after a full night of rescue, and a basic shutdown of the city, how it was completely silent,........ save for the chirping of 240 some locators the firemen were wearing all chirping from those giant piles of rubble. Many whose mere body parts were never found.

 

I WILL NEVER FORGET. God Bless America, and God Bless George W. Bush.

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Living in Arizona, I was just getting up for work that morning when my girfriend at the time called me from Pittsburgh to tell me to turn on the TV. Both planes had hit by that time and I just remember my roomate and I sitting there staring at the TV in silence. My girlfriend worked in the tallest building in Pittsburgh and she was nervous that something may happen there. I guess that was a common feeling across the east coast that morning....where will the next one hit?

 

We finally decided to head to work and listened to the radio coverage on the way in. We usually listened to Stern on the commute, and we did so again for a little while that morning. It was so scary how they were broadcasting through all the chaos. It was almost more real than the news reporters on the other stations. Then I heard that a plane crashed in a rural area about 80 miles outside of Pittsburgh.....the exact distance of my parents house. There were no further details, and it was terrifying not to know. I found out it was outside of Somerset which is close, but they were safe. I felt good, but felt so sad for those on the plane, especially when you started hearing some of their cell phone calls to relatives & loved ones.

 

We had TV's on when we got to work and we were immediately advised that anyone that wanted to leave early should do so. I remember someone playing "God Bless the USA" on their computer, and everyone was just silent. That night, we just stared at the TV coverage again and threw back a few shots to try to ease the pain.

 

I was at the Cardinals/Broncos Sunday night game the following week, which was the first prime-time game after the tragedy. Sun Devil Stadium is in the pathway of the Phoenix airport, and it was quite unnerving when the planes were flying over. Everyone in the place was given a little flag which I still have to this day. We all held hands and sang "God Bless America" together. There was not a dry eye in the place.

 

It was not long after that when the World Series started between the Yankees and Diamondbacks. There was constant footage of Ground Zero and the rescue efforts even during the Series, but it did offer some release from the sadness. As much as I rooted for the Diamondbacks, my heart broke every time I saw the Yankee fans because I knew how much they could have used the win to raise their spirits. I never was more emotionally involved in a World Series than that year.

 

This was truly a tragic day that will live with me forever. I will never forget the events of that day, the loved ones that were lost, and the sacrifices that were made. God Bless America.

:usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::yay::yay:

Edited by Big John
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KICK A$$ BLASTER said:
That was a very sad day indeed.....

 

A Fitting Tribute

 

The above link is to a 9/11 tribute page. If you have dial-up, it will take forever to load....

:usa:

 

896785[/snapback]

 

 

 

I remember seeing that back when it first came out. It choked me up just as much today as it did back then.

 

I've lived in AZ most of my life, but I was born in NJ and lived just 15 minutes from Manhattan. All of my relatives lived there and I always went back to visit them a few times a year with my parents after we moved. I remember as a kid I was always in awe of New York City....especially the Twin Towers. I had been to the top of them many times growing up. Even now, I am always excited to go into the city when I go back to visit. I remember the first trip I had back after 9/11 was in April 2002. Going back and forth so much as a child, I never had a problem flying. It was the first flight I'd been on since the attacks and I was very nervous. The one moment I will always remember from that flight was as we were making our final approach into Newark Airport. As you are coming in for the landing, you have a perfect view of the NY skyline. As we were appoaching, all of my childhood memories of the city were running through my head as I began to see the city. Then, as the area where the World Trade Center once stood began to come into view, my jaw just dropped. I guess the reality of what happened set in at that very moment. My heart just dropped and the tears began to flow. A huge chunk of my childhood dreams was gone forever. I realized just how much I loved NYC and will always love it. It is and always will be the greatest city in the world. :usa:

Edited by Big John
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i didnt sleep for two after september 11, shortly after we had darn near every jet we had fully loaded and ready to go. Being that we were the only fighter squadron in western europe, much less germany that was able to provide suface to air protectiion for airplanes we sat alert for one month. id sit there by my airplane for 12 hours waiting...then go home and be glued to the TV untill i passed out.

 

i can remember going into to our support section to grab some tools when someone said what had happened. first thing to come to my mind was some idiot try to blow up a mountain with a firecracker again...then the phones started ringing and we soon realized through cnn.com what was really going on. tragic, lot of emotions flying around that day.

 

The germans had the fence by our front gate to the base loaded with flowers, candles, signs of support for almost a quarter mile. it was very tough to make the drive in seeing it, your mind was thinking about everything except the road.

 

it still sucks to hear about it, seems everywhere you go there is a reminder of september 11th, any time i find myself getting to full of myself or start taking things for granite...i only have to look one place to humble myself again.

 

thanks to everyone who has ever helped out someone else in a time of need...thats one of the biggest strengths of this country, and unfortunalty one of the most needed

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On September 11th, 2001, I was working the third shift as an aircraft mechanic. We completed all of our scheduled inspections for that night and brought our aircraft to gate not knowing this will be the last time these aircraft will fly for a while. I left work at 0600 and when I got home I usually went to sleep, so I could wake up around 2-3.

 

That night or I should say morning, I could not sleep at all. I tossed and turned during my sleep (that happens every once in a while when you work third shift...it sucks) and finally woke up at 11am and went out in the living room and turned on the T.V. I was watching the news reports on T.V. and really did not comprehend what was happening because I was still in a state of sleep unconsciousness. I thought I was having a bad dream. It wasn’t until about 1 pm or so I was actually awake. I like everybody else stayed glued to the TV for the 6 hours until I had to go to work.

 

The next few days and nights at work was when I felt many different emotions. Sad for all of the people who were directly affected by the terrorist attacks, Patriotic that our nation was unified and sometimes worried what the next day was going to bring. The day of the attacks, the FAA ordered all aircraft the land at their destination and to stay there until further notice. When I got to work that night, it was the eeriest feeling, the once vibrant Minneapolis airport was dead silent. The only thing that could be heard was the F-16’s from the Duluth reserves taking off every couple hours as they flew round the clock sorties for the week or so. It honestly felt like the Red Dawn.

 

I really can’t recall when the planes started flying, but I think it was Friday and Saturday, we started repositioning the aircraft for revenue flights. It was just a weird feeling, not knowing what the future was going to bring.

 

Also the FAA mandated temporarily reinforcing the flight deck doors until bullet proof indestructible doors could be designed. I was involved in the modifying about 8 aircraft. The crew members who lost their lives were always on my mind every time I modified a door.

 

Well, that is my story and my thoughts, It pales in comparison to some of the stories before.

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I remember that morning being woken up by my wife a little after 9 after she got the kids off to school. She turned on the TV in the bedroom and we watched in total shock as the towers were burning. I wasn't supposed to report to work until 4pm so I spent most of the day trying to find out if my mother who worked in the Traveler's Bldg close by was OK and if so would she also be able to get home that night. The way her office was evacuated they did not have time to get their personal belongings such as her cell phone and wallet so she had no money or any way to contact us. Later in the afternoon she was finally able to get thru on a co-workers cell to let us know she was ok and that they would eventually be able to get transportation out of the City later that evening.

 

I was finally able to get through to my work at 3pm and they advised that they were trying to contact me all morning. Apparently my shift was called in at 11am. When I got in we were sent to the Highlands area to assist in security for the ferries that were coming in. We were also to help divert traffic away from the downtown area so only emergency vehicles could get in and out of the terminal areas quicky with medical and food supplies needed to assist in the rescue effort.

 

I would have to say that after everything that happened that day there were two moments that occurred later will always remember. The following week when the Market re-opened I worked a few overtime details riding the Ferries back and forth to Manhattan for extra security. On one of the trips back I was looking at the front page of a local paper and they were doing a tribute for a fallen resident. As I scanned the page the bartender of the boat said that the person I was reading about "used to stand right where you are standing every morning" and read the same paper while he had his coffee. WOW all I could do was slightly smile turn away and take another walk around the boat. Talk about your heart skipping a few beats ... Later in the week my partner and I were on the top deck looking at Lower Manhattan still seeing the smoke pour into the sky from Ground Zero. I looked to my right and the gentleman 5 feet to my right happened to be Bruce Springsteen. Since most of the commuters had gotten off at pier 11 we were the only ones up top. Needless to say with everything that we were seeing I din't say a word to him. It was as if we were having our own moments of silence. Once the boat docked on 34th St he turned around said "take care guys" as he left the boat. I believe that was the night he did the benefit concert with Bon Jovi.

 

great thread! thank you for letting me reflect

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  • 11 months later...

I have nothing to add, i share many of the same feelings as most. I pray for all those who had their loved ones perish. I thank all those that sacrifice each day so i can live in freedom. I am proud to be an American.

 

 

 

 

God Bless us ALL and now that things are as normal as can be, :usa:  Let's get ready for some FOOTBALL!

Edited by Big John
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I was in New York on business the 10th and 11th od September that year. I would have been down at the World Financial Center the morning of September 11th, but my wife called me the night of the 10th and asked me to come home. My son, who was about 15 months old at the time had a grand mal seizure that night and my wife was obviously concerned and didn't want to be alone. So I checked out of the hotel around midnight and headed back to CT immediately. Got up the next morning and saw it all happen on TV along with the rest of America. I knew several people who died in the towers that day.

 

I don't believe in coincidences. My son's seizure happened to get me out of the city that night. Not that I necessarily would have been in harm's way at the WFC (it's across the West Side Highway from the WTC), but who knows.

 

On a lighter note, I'm ready for some football.

Edited by Vet
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Great thread.

 

Nice to read about other's experiences that day. I was at work when we heard and we all got on the internet and found a news site. We had a TV but it is in a small room that would not hold everyone. We spend the day pretending to work and watching the coverage. Got home and spent the rest of the day and most of the night watching TV.

 

It's hard to put into works my thoughts and feelings about all that happened. My son has just gotten out of the Army and had a 9 month old daugther he was raising alone as his wife had just died a couple of months earlier. I think it hit him harder knowling the loss the relatives were feeling. My thought was please don't let him be recalled and leave Alexis without either parent. I take great pride in my country and all those who serve in the military but being a mother kick in a little bit there.

 

Too bad part of the pride of being an American has dropped down some. Was good to see the flags flying and the American Spirit come together.

 

God Bless to all those who serve in the armed forces, the police, the firemen and the family and friends of those who perished.

 

:usa::usa::lol::lol::brew::woot::brow::pop::lol:

 

Always take the time to say I love you you never know when it will be the last time you get to.

Edited by Big John
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My buddy and I are both letter carriers for the USPS. My mail sorting case was right next to the break room, where there was always a TV on. I don't remember the exact time but he comes running over to my case and says, "Mark, you gotta see this!". So I see the news coverage and my first thought(and I'm ashamed of this) is that some moron crashed a plane into the WTC. So we're watching the coverage when all of a sudden

another explosion. The plane came from the opposite angle of the TV coverage so we couldn't see the plane, just the enormous explosion. Just then I was filled with anger first as I knew we had just been attacked. I then looked over at my friend, and there were tears rolling down his eyes. He was from New York

and this was very personal. Watching him, my thoughts turned from anger to sadness and I too shed a few tears. My emotions went crazy that day. From anger back to sadness and back again. I wasn't able to watch the rest of the coverage as we had our routes to run. I didn't want to work after seeing that. I was on my route when a lady told me that one of the towers fell. I said"you mean the top of the tower fell?" she said no, that the whole thing came down. I walked my route in shock the rest of the day and like 99.9% of Americans was glued to the TV when I got home. :brew::D:woot::D:lol:

 

January brings us a new year, along with new hopes and dreams for the coming year.

February is a time for love and a time to be with your loved ones.

April/May is when winter gasps its last breath and spring arrives.

June is the start of summer fun.

In July we celebrate our nation's independence.

August signifies the end of summer is near. Family vacations abound.

With October comes the changing of the leaves and the World Series.

November brings us back to our families to give thanks and praise for what we have.

December starts the madness of the holiday season. But I celebrate it for what it is. Jesus' birthday.

 

If you noticed I omitted September. Not because I want to forget, but because I want to remember. I will always remember as will everyone who was of age to know what was happening on 9/11. I think those of us with little ones should teach our children about what happened so they too will always remember. Perhaps there should be a national holiday of rememberance. We already have a Memorial Day, but this means so much more. Perhaps we should change Memorial Day to September 11th. I will, however, always remember,

with or without a holiday. God bless America, and those who died so we can live in freedom.

 

:lol:

 

I too lost a friend on 9/11. But we as a country lost so much more. We will prevail!

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More than once in the weeks after the attack, I contemplated signing up for the reserves. I was absolutely incensed. Still am. In fact, I still think of signing up for the reserves, just a lot less frequently.

 

On that day, I walked in the office a little late and one of our analysts told me the news about the first plane.

 

I told him, "You know, I think we were being attacked by someone that doesn't like what America was about. Who it is, I don't know. What I do know is that the thing they most want is to destroy everything that makes America great, and that we should focus on doing whatever we could to keep that from happening. You're not in the military, you're not in security. You're in the investments business. So today, after you find out that your family is safe, you need to do your job better than you've ever done it before, sort of as a big FU to whomever it was that bombed us. Today, be a capitalist."

 

...then, I went to work taking care of our clients...

 

The economic impact was pretty obvious to me, but it wasn't until that night that I got home and watched the coverage (with my then 2yr old daughter in my lap), that I became painfully aware of all the dads and moms in NYC that would never get to hold their kids or spouses again.

 

It was then, that night that I started singing patriotic songs to my daughter at bedtime. God Bless America ... America the Beautiful ... National Anthem ... etc ... She's seven now, so bedtime is more about reading stories, etc, but occasionally we still break out those songs.

 

Fast forward to September 11, 2002 ... my daughter is now three years old ... and is at "mothers day out" at a local pre-school. At one of the outdoor play periods, without having ANY idea that it was the 1st anniversary of the attack, she stands on top of one of the picnic tables and sings "God Bless America" and the staff wept.

 

What a kid!

 

What a country!

Edited by muck
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The morning of September 11th, I was driving in to work when the local news just before the top of the hour reported that a plane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers. I called my wife on the cell phone to tell her the news and suggest that she turn on the television. I arrived at work, said my good mornings, and turned on a television just in time to see that the second plane had hit. After that, things were surreal, at first trying to rationalize sticking to the daily routine vs. catching the coverage, followed by disbelief when the Pentagon was hit and the WTC towers collapsed, and addressing important work issues of the day. Should the TV's be on in classrooms (yes 7-12, no K-6), would we dismiss early (no), would we cancel after school activities (yes), and fielding many calls from parents concerned about their children's safety, even though we are a suburban district in Wisconsin.

 

Getting home that evening, my wife and I watched some of the coverage mostly after our daughter (almost 3 at the time) went to bed and I tried to establish that my close friends in the NYC area were OK. None worked or lived in lower Manhattan, but I wanted to make sure they or their spouses didn't have business there that morning. Fortunately, none did. An acquaintance from college worked for Cantor Fitzgerald and was lost, leaving behind his wife (who I also knew from college) and a young son. He was a fine person and a good family man. Before we moved out to Wisconsin and I used to be a teacher and administrator in a district with a large military populaton, so I spent the next few days checking to see if any of my old students or families that I had worked closely with had suffered losses at the Pentagon.

 

The next several weeks were a time of great anger and sorrow for me. And it felt strange to be in Wisconsin when so many people that I knew well were in the New York area dealing with the ruin that had been inflicted on their city. I felt a loss of innocence in recognizing that we in the United States could no longer consider a mass attack against civilians an impossibility.

 

So, every September 11th, I pray especially for those that perished or suffered injury on that awful day five years ago, and their loved ones. And I pray also that God will give our great nation the strength to endure, as it has endured since its founding, and that we will continue to uphold our values and our heritage of freedom.

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  • 11 months later...

Time is coming again where we will reflect on this day. At this point my thoughts and prayers are with our men and women who are fighting for our country so I can have my freedom. No matter your politics, those brave soldiers all deserve our respect and admiration, and a big thank you from us for their sacrifices.

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Time is coming again where we will reflect on this day. At this point my thoughts and prayers are with our men and women who are fighting for our country so I can have my freedom. No matter your politics, those brave soldiers all deserve our respect and admiration, and a big thank you from us for their sacrifices.

 

 

well said, good bump CD.

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