What you were doing on September 11th

[Darth Viscera]

(it's Memorial Day here in the U.S., so I just feel like sharing some sober feelings. If you want to do likewise, go right ahead. This is my best recollection of the day's events.)

I woke up at about 7:45am EST on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. 12 minutes later, 7:57am, I was logged onto AIM, and doing my rounds. Charley was logged onto AIM, and I would chat with him extensively that day. I checked the Excite @Home webpage, mainly looking to see how my stocks were doing. While I was there, I noticed something in the Top News section, and clicked the link:



7:52 A.M.- A jetliner has crashed into the World Trade Center. More news to come.

I gave Charley that link and read over the vague paragraph maybe twice. I don't think that at that time I really comprehended the gravity of the situation. I logged off of AIM and played Return to Castle Wolfenstein for an hour, and logged back on at 8:55am.

Charley AIMed me. I don't recall what he said, but I turned on the TV and put it on CNN. He might have said that Tower 1 just collapsed. I went to the sharkyforum boards and saw something that a person had posted, that Osama bin Laden had been threatening to do something like this for the last 2 weeks, and quoted that to Charley.

Charley and I talked for a while on AIM, and he said that another 747 was headed towards D.C. . On CNN, there was another report that the Pentagon had been rammed by a 747. I got scared, and headed to my neighbors' house.

My neighbors are Jackie and her husband Dian, and Jackie's son Joel. Jackie is a 21 year old Nurse Practitioner, Dian is a 31 year old accountant, and Joel is 4 years old (from a previous boyfriend). I rang the doorbell, said something like "The World Trade Center has collapsed", when Jackie answered the door.

"Yeah, I know. We're just sitting here, being sad," she replied. "Want to come in?"

I answered yes and went in. We sat around their TV, watching footage that showed a man with a camera running from the WTC, and women screaming and crying as they stared at it, some running, hiding behind cars. I heard a sniffle, and Jackie was lying on the couch, under a thin blanket, crying softly. I looked at her somewhat bewildered. I was in more of a stoic mood, maybe awe and disbelief, a little angry. I wasn't in a crying mood.

A little later I went back home and watched live on CNN at around 10:30am as the second tower collapsed. A CNN anchor was standing in the foreground, and he sounded somewhat startled, like the reporter when the Hindenburg went down, but only 25% as frantic.

The townhouse rumbled a bit, followed by a loud noise. I went outside, and an F-16 Falcon was making a slow circle, angling left. Dian was outside too, watching. He said it was an F-15, but I saw that this plane had only one engine, so it was an F-16. It was maybe 2,1 kilometers up, flying at around 300 knots because the pilot was using his ailerons, and therefore not cruising. I didn't hear a sonic boom, and the interceptor made two long circles, patrolling twice, then moved on towards D.C. (five miles away to the southwest).

My mom came home then. Like me, she seemed stoic, seemed to be restraining her emotions. In response to the news that Palestinians were dancing in the streets, distributing candy, a female co-worker of my mom stopped her in the parking lot the next morning.

"Why are you wearing black?" she asked. "You should be dancing in the streets." my mom just ignored her. She was Iranian, not Palestinian. I don't thing the rude woman knew, or cared. She just focused on my mom's appearance.

Back to 9/11, I kept watching CNN all day. At around 11am I tried to call my dad on his cell phone (I really dislike him and don't want to talk to him, so this was a big thing for me), but basically all of the phones along the East Coast of the U.S. were jammed with calls, and I wasn't able to get through.

My brother John (who's 33 now and lives in Texas) was able to call me, and told me that my dad had called him from his cell phone just to say he was alright. John said that my dad said he wanted to just find a Palestinian and kick his ass. I was taken aback by that kind of attitude from my dad, which could lead to an ignorant person hurting my mother, as happened back in 1980 during the hostage crisis with my mom and her brother.

At night, I cried a little, and used a pen needle from a mathematical compass to scrawl some words into my wooden dresser (a touched up by PS picture of which is in the attached file-the words were too faint on my webcam, so I had to fill them in with a PS black paintbrush):

8:48am Tuesday
September 11th 2001 A.D.
Twin Towers, Pentagon
6,000 Americans dead

R.I.P.

[Kitssarri Reetissa]

Heh. I was at work when the first plane hit. A call came in, ironically enough from the US and i was talking to the client as the second plane hit the tower. The client was describing everything to me as it was happening. One of the hardest calls i've had to take...........

[Darth Viscera]

The client was in one of the WTC towers?

[Sith Ahnk]

I watched the second tower collapse before I had to go to school. No one in my first class knew it had happened but in my last class at 4 pm, everyone knew... and since it was socials class we spent it discussing it.

[Darth Viscera]

They made you go to school that day? :huh

[Gitane Van Derveld]

I'd stayed home sick and was channel surfing when I watched the first coverage of the first plane hitting. Then I watched the second plane hit and ran on here to post about it. A lot of people, I remember, were in total shock.

It hit me pretty hard, because I found out that one of my best friends was right outside the towers when first one started to collapse, and he lost a lot of the skin on his arm..

...After the first few weeks, though... Got sick of hearing about it.

[Kitssarri Reetissa]

No, not in the actual tower, although we had offices in one of them. I can't remember which. Luckily they all got out alive. For some I'm thinking they were 17th or 18th floor. The client though I was talking to was from upstate New York somewhere, Buffalo area if I do recall right

[Sumor Rayial]

I had class starting at 8:30 and for a change I had actually dragged my ass out of bed that morning. Anyway right after that I had another class in the same room so I don't bother going back to the dorm between. Anyway my prof came in and said that he was sorry to be late but he was listening to the radio and a plane had crashed into the WTC and pentagon. Anyway our prof always tries to hit us with a little something to make sure we're paying attention so we all thought he was joking.

Class went on and I returned to my rez room about 11:30 and well I don't think I moved from the front of the TV all day except to send updates via MSN to my mom who was at work without a TV.

[Master Yoghurt]

I was actually at a lecture shortly after it happened. At the end of it, he commented on the poor quality TV coverage of what happened in the US. I basically sat there looking like a question mark. So, when I got home I of course switched on TV to see what was going on, and there it was.. a huge cloud of smoke.. both the towers had fallen. I could not believe my eyes.

[Morgan Evanar]

I'm really tired of the Sept 11 crap. Remember it, move on.

[Drin Kizael]

I was woken up at 9:15am by a friend of mine calling me on the phone. Being a second-shift person, I was really annoyed. He said, in a very somber tone, "Turn on the TV."

Having no idea what he was talking about, but knowing it was important enough to warrent a 9 AM call, my adrenaline kicked in like it never had before as my mind went to my own personal worst case scenerio. I ran to the TV, praying I wasn't going to see a horrible car wreck or something with my girlfriend or my parents or something.

I remember thanking God that it wasn't. An ironic statement that I asked God to forgive when the reality of what I -was- watching sunk in.

[Dark Lord Dyzm]

I was asleep, it not evening being 7:00 a.m. One of my parents burst into my room and yelled "David! We are being attacked"

I paniced, in my mind's eye seeing missile after missile scream overhead, launching from some Chinese fighter plane. I swear, I thought we where attacked by China. I ran upstairs and just started watching live news coverage just when the second plane smashed into the building. We had to go to school. It was the worst school day I ever had. Everyone sitting around talking about the attack. I became paranoid, worried that Terrorist might try to crash a plane into Mt. Rainer, snapping the already weakened Ice Shelf and starting a mud flow big enough to make Mt. St. Helen's mud flow look like a trickle. Lahaars are what we call them. 50ft tall and traveling around 30-45 mph. A wall of mud. Able to wipe the town of Orting off the map in just half an hour.

[Ryla Relvinian]

I too was awakened by my dad, who knocked on my door and said "We are under terrorist attack!" My term hadn't started yet, so I pretty much spent the whole day watching the news in totally disbelief. I just remember going online and getting the videos of the planes sweeping around and then... dissapearing into the building like a mouse lost in a cathedral... they were so small compared to the towers. I've actually seen the towers IRL, when my choir went to perform in Carnegie Hall two years ago. An amazing skyline, such a representation of America... Gone. It's a really sobering thought.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

I'm in agree-ance with Morgan on. Got tired of hearing about it everywhere I turned after about a week. *shrugs*

Anyway, I was at school that day, and when we first heard about it, I was in second period (choristers) singing along when our principal said that a plane had ran into one of the WTC buildings. That was about 9:10ish in the morning. Next two periods I had a AP chemistry lab, and our teacher, Doc, told us that both towers were hit and the Pentagon as well. So, needless to say all of our class dispersed into different parts of the school to find a TV to watch the unfolding events. Me and my three lab partners went to one of the Social Studies rooms to watch. We were all in shock.

[Loki Ahmrah]

My thoughts echo Morgan's to be honest. We had a rememberence day six months after the day, now there's today, then we'll have another on the annual anniversary. This isn't remembering, I feel that we are dwelling on it and personally, I find it depressing.

[Darth Viscera]

It's memorial day. It's okay to be depressed.

[Dark Lord Dyzm]

Its kinda off topic of Memorial Day though. Memorial day is to remember the people who died in war. The people who fought for our Country. Which is why I get pissed off every time there are Memorial Day Sale Events. What better way to Honor the warriors of old then Buying a Chevy Truck to cruise around in?

[Taataani Meorrrei]

Well, Vis summed up most of where I was. It was before class on a tuesday, and I was getting ready to go across campus when he told me to turn on the TV. I saw it, and talked with him about it. I was pretty much in shock, cause I didn't really feel any particular way about it. I finished talking with Vis, and called my mom. And then I cried...and cried almost the entire day.

[Gitane Blesse]

I have to agree completely with Dyzm. Memorial Day isn't a day when we're supposed to be depressed, or to drag a thrice-dead horse through the mud. It's a day of honor. It's a day where we're supposed to be proud of who we are and of those who gave their lives fighting for us.

[Vinny Red]

What makes me angry, is how the towers are being edited out of everything now

[Gitane Blesse]

I'm hating the fact that people are getting upset about "The Two Towers" being the title for the second book in Lord of the Rings. I mean... It's idiotic to make a classic book that's been around for decades change it's name, when The Two Towers have nothing to do with The Twin Towers.

[Admiral Lebron]

I was in English class. Ironically, writing about the most scariest moment of my life. They office lady came in and told us to turn on the news. We watched the second crash happen live. Lottagirls cried. I was worried for my dad cause he sometimes works at the pentagon. Although, I wonder this...where the hell was the emergancy broadcast system? I mean, it interupts us through all our shows and you sit and watch wondering if you'll ever need its info....and september 11 was the day for it and it was nowhere to be seen. :verymad

[Telan Desaria]

I find it odd how after I post, nothing ahppens. But so be it, I shall speak my mind.

To all of you who do not believe that Memorial Day is something to be remembered and revered, who get 'tired' of hearing about the death on 11 September, to all those who think no servicemen died on that day, I have much news for you.

I am a man who wears a uniform, and damn proud of it. every time I am filled with pride, honor, and dedication to a cause and country. I would gladly lay down my life at the drop of a hat for any American and my country as a whole.

Getting tired of hearing about september iith. I dare you to stroll up to a survivor of Pearl habor after a lecture or service and say you're tired of hearing about japan, gwerm,any and that whole World War thing. I guarantee, even if he is a hundred years old, you get verbally reamed pout as if her were a young, spry drill instructor, and if' he's agile enough, hit! To all those who dare say that they are tired of hearing about that trgedy I have only two words/.

Treason

Sedition




Our livges are inconsequential when taken with the greater good, and if that means that a thousand lives, or a hundred thousand soldiers have to be lost in the glorious throes of honorable death to avenge what I witness that day, then so be it. And I gladly volunteer to assault the insurmountable bastion of time if that is what it takes to attain vengeance. All will be made tp pay, and kneel before the alter of Freedom and the nation banner of the United States.



Let me tell you all a story. On September 29th, I saw a group of young kids, my age-19ish. They were burning a flag of out country. I was with three of my on duty friends. I saw this and attacked them. I began to pummel the holder of the flag like forest gump, my rage boiling into axction. Only two of friends could subdue me and remove before the police arrived. I will not stand for disrespect to the United States, and if I ever see some ACLU-incited bastard burning a flag, I will be there, in riot gear, ready to do My duty to the legend of the United States.

And for those who think Memorial Day is only about those who perished in the line of duty, the fine. I only offer to you the following...

Robert C Ramerez, SGT, 28th Pennsylvania Infantry Division

Jon Stamond, PFC, 1st armored hell on wheels division.



250 Firefighters-some in the dress garb

50 Police officers.

I belive I've said my piece. nd if the staff chooses to dfelet this fine. But Ameica is a land of the free, brave, and glorious. If you don't want to commemroate who died for it and in it, then GET OUT!



matthew mcmullen
second Lieutenant, USAR

aka-Telan Desaria

[ReaperFett]

Telan, they're allowed to state their opinions

[Marcus Telcontar]

And not all here are Americans either.

Some of your allies are getting uneasy with whats being done in the name of Sept 11.

Bugger it, was wasting my breath with the rest of what I posted. Withdrawn

[Sith Ahnk]

Originally posted by Darth Viscera
They made you go to school that day? :huh

Yes, since I'm Canadian my parents did not fear me getting killed. Either that or just said they didn't fear it.

[imported_QuiGonJ]

Dyzm, the demolishing of the towers and the Pentagon and whereever that plane that went down in Pennsylvania was intended for was as an act of war. bin Laden had plans to inflame Muslims in the eastern parts of China and Russia as part of a plot to take over the world, which is as kooky a plot as a Bond villian could have come up with.

I woke up to the news that one plane had crashed into the Trade Tower, didn't think much of it, and headed for to work. Where I pick up my morning Coca Cola, I saw the plane had hit the Pentagon. I remember thinking that someone had declared war on us.

By the time I got to work, I heard about the other plane. Not knowing what else was to come, and since I work at a high-profile company on a direct flight path from Burbank airport to downtown Los Angeles, we were afraid my company would be a target.

At 9 or so, they shut us down for the day, and I stayed at a friend's house. We got his kids, and the younger son (about 9) told me about people jumping from the towers. I didn't want to believe him.

I spent the rest of the day looking after his kids while he did some errands. The kids were not allowed to watch tv, which I think was good for my nerves. I did maintenance on his computer and then played Super Smash Brothers with the kids for a bit, and helped one of them work on his Game Shark.

bin Laden has in fact cost America trillions, in light of all the new security measures we've installed nationwide because of his madness.

[Jedi Neo]

Me, I was in a political science class when the professor told us what happened, after that I was in the student union watching one of the towers collapse.

Of all places a political science lecture!! I find that funny, but thats just me. Anyways my post Sept 11 mind set is this, you really can't change things once they've happened, you just have to live with it.

[Darth Lynch]

It happened.

It was tragic.

It was horrible and something the world has never seen before and pray never does again.

But that being said it being dug up every so often does not help either.

But thats just my two cents.

[Nathaniel Nore]

I will never forget it, I was in 3rd period American Government class, when another teacher came in and told us to turn on the TV. We watched it all day and I remember my Gvt' Teacher starting to cry as the towers began collapsing.

Me and my schoolmates were in shock. We thought an all out war was being waged by the way the news kept chiming in with more bad news.

Horrible. RIP

[Seerrasseei Tsseerra]

I woke early that morning for school when I heard mom call my name from the other room. Curious, I headed out to the living room to see right that second footage of the first plane hitting the tower. After that, I spent a few hours in shock and crying a bit, thinking of all the people. Pretty much, I spent the rest of the day glued to the tv, watching the news and waiting for calls from my sister and dad who both work at bases at Camp Pendleton and Coranado, the main bases over here so definitely was worried about their safety. Heard from my dad at about 1, when they finally let people off the island and that he was coming home. My sis stayed at work since they didn't deem that teachers needed to go home but she assured me and my mother that she would be all right.

[Darius Van-Derveld]

We didnt get told at school...dunno why, but a kid did mention it to me...didnt believe him of course cause kids make that sort of stuff up all the time. Got told again by mum in the car on the way back home and spent the evening watching the same footage repeated over and over again on all 5 terrestrial channels.

Smiled later on as the Horse Guards band played 'Stars and Stripes' and her Majesty broke the protocol and sang along with the mourners.

We dont seem to be making much of it over here cause of the Jubilee but I expect it will get the coverage that it deserves on the day, wouldnt be surprised if it gets a mention at the opening ceremonies.

[Jedi Master Leia Solo]

Got up..turned the tv on and was in total shock when it was just one tower. Then the whole thing came undone. Yeah..I was freaking a lil have friends and family in NY. But OMG..just in general I was worried about the states! Especially after hearing all the other hijacked planes.

Made several phone calls..IF you could circuits were busy then down to NY. Panicked and just wanted to speak to Jas. I was so glad when we spoke.

The world will never be the same after that dreadful day! :(:(

[Kyle Deshere]

I was sitting in the middle of ROTC when my commander walks in, turns on the news, and says,

"Kids...this is history making today. But also know this...this is bull-DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR-. Complete and utter bull-DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR-."

We then watched in horror at men hurdling their bodies from buildings and gast flames emitting into the former world trade centers that were the center of so many stories and so much excitement for me.

Even more to my horror was the fact that two of my friends were in that tower that very day and are still yet to be uncovered from the wreckage. They had told me to turn on some channel and watch them, but I did not...and well...unfortunately I never got to say good bye.

We watched TV the rest of the day, pretty much skipping classes to watch what had happened, and my blood boiled with hatefilled rage for whomever had done it...immediately my thoughts turned to Usama bin-Laden...

When the USMC recruiters had come to my school I had signed myself up, eager to serve my country and bring home the kills of a few ragheads. Unfortunately they found out I was faking my age :P and did not let me go off to basic.

But even then, with all this pent up rage...I see NO reason for us to yield our ways of life for a few upset mothers. Change the name of the Two Towers? To hell with that, we will not yield anything for one tragedy, no matter how major.

Just because someone else has the same name as me and incites inquiries of the intelligence quotient of any who hold that name does not make me say, "Hey!!! Change your name it's giving me a bad image!" No...it is absolute philaciousness to even CONSIDER trying to force someone to change a classic for your grief.

It's selfish.

It's rude.

It's arrogant.

You should not give in to their plots and plans by bending over and giving them the satisfaction of major things being editted because of their actions. You want to live? You want to move on? Then do it and stop bitching about similarities.

[Daren Trevelan]

Damn I was the conversation killer that day wasn't I?

[Nikka DarkStorm]

I know it's way late to post here but I gotta say my piece in this.

I remember getting up and checking my email and I had like 20 messages from RP friends in my inbox about what happened. At first, I really didnt know this had happened until I switched on the television to ABC News. Of course, they were showing just like everyone else considering Good Morning America's studios is not far from the WTC and caught the footage of the first plane crashing into the tower... I thought for sure this was going to be the beginnings of World War 3...

I was shocked... I could not believe in my 24 years of being on this planet that I would see something so horrifying... I had that day off from work and well... it was my last day after seeing that happen. I didn't want to do anything else but stay home and be with my family.

That whole weekend after was spent going to candlelight vigils and services...

I just hope that nothing like this ever happens again.

Nikka~