As a 9/11 tribute...

[old fashioned]

The purpose of this thread is to give tribute and rememberance to that fateful day, the victims, our troops and all their families. Everyone is invited here to share your thoughts, memories, etc as a memorial

(so please, please, please...nevermind your views on religion, politics, war, etc...keep your personal differing 'opinions' to yourself & keep it as intended-a tribute as this is NOT the place to slam anyone or get this thread locked)





I was checking out YouTube for some Christian music videos and found this. As I watched & listened, it hit home why our troops are there. Please watch it & remember......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbRGksthTHQ

Can you remember 'where you were' 10 years ago as we were being attacked?

I had gotten up to get DH off to work that am and snuggled with DS12 (2yo at the time) on the couch while DS10 (2 months) was sleeping in his crib with the local news on the tv. The reporters were saying that 'something' was happening at the first tower but nobody knew yet just what it was. Then the station kept jumping from local news to the national news as they were all speculating about what had happened. As I watched, the second plane was coming into view and then hit the second tower as live broadcast. All the blood drained & I slid off the couch to the floor in shock. The reporters were stunned and was saying it was definately an attack. After several minutes, they were talking with the correspondent at the Pentagon about such happenings & the possibilities it all meant. Then the poor guy at the Pentagon jumped as books & papers started flying & the room he was in started shaking..........the third plane had hit the Pentagon just down the hall from him. Then as National Security and top officials were scrambling with what to do and getting all air traffic grounded, the news was talking about the 4th plane that wasn't responding to commands to land & was outside of it's flight plan and the crash.
DH had come home early that day, by 10am. He normally wasn't due home until around 6pm. His boss sent everyone home to be with their families.
I was terrified and didn't leave the house for 3 days. I could hardly believe what had happened and that my worse fears had played out before my very eyes. I had always known the Middle East hatred of US and the very possibility of some sort of clash happening.



& hugs & prayers to everyone on this day.

 

[colowyo0809]

*retracted by poster before getting in trouble* *sigh*

 

[old fashioned]

Colowyo0809....I do respect yours and everyones opinions, I only asked for the same in return. To respect this thread as intended, a memorial tribute on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, it's victims, our troops and all their families.

 

[framing fowl]

Foxnews is doing a replay of their newscast on that day.

They are currently reporting that the price of oil is shooting sky high to $36/barrel. They're also starting to put out the call for blood donations and asking anyone with medical expertise to help volunteer at the hospitals.

 

[Windyhillfarms]

I worked in a surgeon's office in Pennsylvania when the unthinkable happened. I remember the surgeon come running into the office in full scrub gear (he had just gotten out of surgery) and running to the back room to turn on the TV. We watched as the second plane hit the towers and the hospital went on full alert, the plans to get buses and transport doctors, nurses and support personnel being put into place. The buses arrived, but as we were getting onto the bus, my pager went off. There was nobody to help, nobody to triage, nobody to treat, they were just all gone. The silence as people got off the bus was palpable as we all moved shell shocked back into the hospital to watch the TV in the ER waiting room. The only noise were those of people using the phones trying to find their loved ones that may be working in those towers. I personally lost five dear friends that day, in an instant, and going over to their houses that night, waiting in vain for them to walk through the door (all were friends, all commuted daily to NY), it just never happened... That day is probably the most traumatic day of my entire life and I hope and pray that nobody ever has to go through that ever again.

 

[savingdogs]

repost from OFG's thread......

But here is my 9/11 story....
I was working from home here in WA state as a transcriptionist, with me were my three children (hubby at work) who were 19, 9 and 5 at the time, all sleeping. My main transcription account was an Armenian-American chiropractor who had four offices in the New York area, one in Manhattan, who did independent medical examinations and I typed up his finished reports and made them pretty. I got all my work electronically, via internet and I didn't even know my doctor's address, as I actually was an independent contractor working for the intermediary transcription pool, but he was my main account and my main source of income, which at the time was really good. Life was good. Hubby made great money and we had our pretty house and I was working from home. Hurrah!

But on the morning of 9/11, we were behind the times being on the west coast. I awoke to a phone call from my mother, who sounded very strange, kind of strangled, and I had to ask her right away what was wrong, like who died? She said "War has started...." and I said, "What?" and she said, "just go turn on your TV" and I said I'd call her back.

I went and turned on the TV and immediately saw footage of the second airplane hitting the second tower. It was actually a re-run of the actual event which had happened awhile earlier, but I didn't realize that. I screamed and ran and awoke my 19-year-old daughter, who came and joined me at the TV, and we held each other and cried as we watched the events unfold. My sons woke up and came out to see the two of us already emotional wrecks and I tried to somehow explain the unexplainable.

As the days slipped by, we went through the gamut of emotions and were happy at least to see the national pride erupt, because that was something that had ALWAYS been a part of my family, a very strong belief in this country, and also for Hubby (who is a nationalized citizen who had to take the test and make the oath). But I began to worry because I did not hear from my Armenian chiropractor/employer. I began to worry that his building had been too close and tried to figure out from my paperwork which office he would have been at that day and my worry began to mount. The intermediary company called and left messages without response, so I began to worry that my doctor had perished or something very bad had happened. It was a very odd feeling, not knowing where your boss is or even WHO he really is, or where he was, but I had worked for him about seven years.

Finally, one day as I turned on my equipment, I hear his voice, kind of gruff and scratchy, starting his report, "This is Doctor ....." and I burst into tears, I was so relieved for him. I actually sent an attachment to the report, telling his office staff who downloaded his reports to please tell the good doctor that I was very happy that he and his office survived. He never did get busy again though. I never got back the volume of work, eventually had to stop doing transcription and felt because of my increasing hearing issues, I should try a different field (which was a good thing), and started working part time for the veterinarian, which cut my pay to about half of what I made before. The direction of my life did change, and here I was, someone living several thousand miles away from where the terrorists hit.

What effects the USA effects me is the lesson I learned. While I've always bled red, white and blue when cut, I have forever been awed by the sacrifice and bravery of the people in this country, the firemen, the soldiers, the Seals. While I've had my own way to volunteer I've stuck with, so many did things so much more brave, more noble, and so many paid the ultimate price. I have a friend who lost her son to a bomb in Afghanistan so I can clearly see how we still are involved in the repercussions of 9/11. I just have to take off my hat in respect and this morning I sang along with my rusty voice as the memorials were played on television.

colowyo0809 WTH?????????????????

 

[Wannabefree]

My life was very different ten years ago. I wouldn't even meet DH until 5 months later.

I was awakened to the TV blaring. Mom had just had lung surgery and I was living with them working a second shift job and paying their bills while she recovered. I stumbled into the living room bleary eyed as Breaking News came across about the first tower. I was fixing a bowl of cereal as the second plane hit the second tower and remember the sudden loss of appetite as it suddenly sunk in that this was no tragic accident, but that there was purpose and intent with what was happening. That whole day was quiet, as everyone around me at home and work were reflecting on the gravity of the situation and wondering what would happen next, how we as a nation would cope, how to rebuild, and how to fight letting them take over everything we as Americans had ever known. I did not personally know any of the victims, but they will never be forgotten.

 

[Neko-chan]

...

 

[AL]

I was a freshman in high school.

Quite personally, I was annoyed as hell. ..............They said everything stopped. Tell that to my parents, and all the people who got up and went to work that day, and to me and my brother and all the kids who went to school that day as well.

Sounds like a freshman response (notice the smileys, not being arugmentative)
Millions of Americans got up and went to work that day. I worked 2 jobs. Saying everything stopped is saying that the era of being safe in America came to a screeching halt. For that moment, watching the planes intentionally fly into occupied buildings, it seemed like reality was suspended too.

 

[hillfarm]

I took my kids to school and turned on the tv when I got in to get ready for work, Saw the first tower on the news and just had a gut instinct, something was wrong, very wrong.
Called my ex and told him to turn on the tv. Then the second tower was hit. I cried out, I knew this was an invasion, an attack, war or something like it.

I went to the school and picked up my girls from school early, went to the bank and pulled out all my cash, stopped at the store and bought several emergency things. Went home and held my kids and tried to behave normally.

My current husband left New Jersey after the murders, he just couldnt feel safe. A man was arrested in his building for terrorism shortly after 9-11.

Had it not been for this, I would of never met my current husband. I find that a blessing. I do think out of horror, can come good. I know many of us, were just going about life and never understood the improtance and value of our military, our fireman and our police. I believe we all grew up a bit and I know I did. I felt patriotism, that I dont think I ever really had before. I educated myself about religion, politics and race after this in ways I hadnt before.