Let's take a moment of silence and reflect on 911, do you recall your feelings?

[cunbed10]

I was at worked that morning, and I remember thinking that this was a movie, never could I imagine, in my wildest dreams, that something like this would happen to this great country. 3ADownlow lets reflect back and tell everyone your feelings and whereabouts on this sad day, that change the world and brought the US together for a brief moment, I want 100% participation from the whole 3ADownlow family, so pass the word about this post to everyone.......September 11, 2001, a day to remember, but one not to forget.

<small>[ September 11, 2003, 09:16 AM: Message edited by: cunbed10 ]</small>

[Compudyne]

Signing in, Compudyne

[BrahmaMom]

My husband and I were in Houston, just getting out of an appointment with a neurosurgeon with good news. We heard on the radio about the Twin Towers, we were in shock. The we heard about the crash in PA and the Pentagon. My favorite uncle works in the Pentagon, and we knew he was in the section close to where it hit. Nobody could get in touch with him, of course, or my aunt. I was hysterical as I drove home from Houston. Finally, my mother called and said, yes, it had hit his section, but that he had called my aunt and he was not hurt. He stayed as a volunteer to help rescue people. When they realized the heat was too extreme for survivors, they asked for volunteers to help remove body bags and he continued to stay. His office was in all the videos on the news, he was that close. He has always been a hero in my eyes, more so because of the choices he made that day. It brought out the best in humanity after suffering the worst humanity has to offer. I e-mailed him this morning, at the Pentagon, to let him know how glad I was he made it out. That one day affected so many lives, none of us will ever be the same. I am proud of America and the fact that we are not going to allow such actions to go unanswered. God Bless America!

[sphinx1906]

That day will forever be in my mind. It angers me when citizens of this country do not support our efforts to stand up for our freedoms and rights as God loving people. I like the Toby Keith approach and will stand with Americans everywhere that share this feeling. Thank God that I live in Texas where the majority of this great state will stand together and defend this country at all costs.

[Compudyne]

Signing in, Compudyne

[Chief Woodman]

Was at home watching on TV, When the first tower fell, even before they commented on it on TV, I told my wife that at least 100 firemen just died. From highrise training we knew that FDNY sends 110 fiemen to the towers on the fist alarm. I knew one of the men off of the HAZMAT team. Abolutely made me sick.

I met Bob while we committe members for the NFPA Hazmat response procedures team. In many meetings around the nation, Bob was always a very nice guy, not your typical Yankee. Living in the Bronx he is of course a big Yankee fan. A big man at 6'3" and around 270, he is all muscle mixed with incredible intelligence. Happy ending in part though, Bob ended up living just because he was fetching equipment from the truck. Sadly, his entire crew perished.

[St. Ivender]

I was at work and it was very busy, I didn't get to see the first pictures until I got home that evening. As the ordeal was playing out and the rumors of more attacks were running rampant I remember a sadness and an anger and just wanting to fight somebody. The same emotions come back every time I see the images.

Sphinx I second your sentiments.

[crzyjournalist03]

High School that day was strange...everybody walked around like zombies...nobody did any classwork all day, and the teachers didn't care...we were glued to the television...I remember thinking all sorts of things...my journalism class didn't have a tv, so we went and watched the tv in the Life Skills Class (the class for students with severe disabilities) and sat and watched it with them...none of them really understood what was happening, but they knew it was something bad, and they were crying. One of them just kept telling me "That not nice", and I was truly touched and awed by their realizations. It was a complex event of unbelievable proportions, yet even the so called "simple-minded" or "retarted" people were tremendously affected. The whole day seemed like a never-ending dream that just went on and on. The reactions from my fellow students, from my teachers, and from the news anchors will remain in my mind as long as I live.

May God continue to bless America!

[pirate4state]

I was driving to Dallas to move all my stuff back to Sinton & a friend called to ask where I was & had I heard the news that we were being attacked. I didn't have the radio on so I didn't know. By the time I turned on the radio they were reporting that a plane had gone down in PA & that 2 planes had struck the World Trade Towers & the Pentagon. I couldn't believe it, I couldn't stand not being near a TV so I finally stopped in Seguin to watch it unfold. It was all so sad & still is.

[Mad Dawg 20/20]

A fellow teacher came into my class and told me to turn on my television. I just stood there in shock with tears rolling down my face. When I realized that I was about to lose it, all I could think of is that I've got to pull myself together and be strong for my students. I just continued to Pray all day.

[Rabbit'93]

I was off of work and had just woken up to turned the TV on, and I saw the first tower smoking. About ten minutes later I sat and watched in horror as another plane hit the second tower. I thought the world was coming to an end. I couldn't understand who or why someone would do something like this. I still don't. I do think this has soften my heart and made me appreciate my country more. I also realize that a hero isn't someone who totes a ball around and gets paid a million dollars.

[Bandera YaYa]

I was home sick that day and a co-worker called and said to turn on the TV..I turned it on minutes before the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower..I sat there in complete shock and total horror..and cried. It was like a dream, a really terrible dream, that didn't even seem real days later. I do not know how they(New York) bore such grief, you gotta give them alot of respect for making it thru that. Don't know if I could have.

[Old Green]

Iwas at work and had just finished our emergency system check of our plant. I came into the break room just as the second plane hit the other tower.
The pain ,hurt. and the outrage that someone had the audacity to kill innocent people really set me off.

[sinton66]

I was at work when a retired man I know called me and told me about the first plane. My boss and I turned on the TV in his office and watched the entire ordeal unfold. He has a sister that works in an adjacent building to the towers. It was almost ten hours later when he finally heard from her. She was fine. We watched the news of the plane that crashed in PA, and knew instantly that something remarkable had taken place on that plane. I understood and totally agreed with the airflight shutdown. I would have done exactly the same. It is only during times of extreme tumult and distress when we realize what a true hero really is. The policemen and firemen that died that day wouldn't have had it any other way. They were used to putting their lives on the line every day. They all knew it could come at any time, yet never shyed away from their sworn duty to protect and serve us.

I have heard several versions of the plans the attackers made and how ingenious they were and such. I know where the plans came from. When the very first attack on the Trade Center was made by truck bomb years before, one of NY's Port Authority Engineering people was interviewed by Barbara Walters on national TV. She asked if the towers were ever in any danger from this attack and he said no. She pressed about what it would have taken to bring them down and he laid out a plan that exactly matched the one the terrorists used detail for detail. When asked if he was worried about them adopting and using this plan, he replied he had high hopes there were sufficient safeguards to stop this plan during several critical stages, there weren't. I'm telling you he covered every single detail, from sending people to flight school here in this country to hijacking trans-continental flights because they would have a full load of fuel, even to having them strike the towers about two-thirds of the way up. Where did they get this ingenious plan? They watched it on TV the same as I did. I think we as a nation need to ask ourselves, just how NAIVE are we?

The tragedy that unfolded that day only really strikes home when you realize that it could have been prevented. I will never forget the brave men and women that gave their lives in rescue attempts. I will never forget the innocent victims of people so filled with sheer hate that they could perform such a hideous act. I'm even willing to forgive former government officials for not paying enough attention to prevent this. I will NOT however, ever let them forget their failure to do so.

"Always remember and never forget" has a different meaning to me now.

[SintonFan]

I was home and had been studying late the night before. I got a call from my brother right after the 1st tower hit. I turned on the TV and saw the 1st tower on fire. Almost like something out of the corner of your eye, the second plane hit. I saw what happened, but it didn't seem real. It was all too surreal. When the 2nd tower fell, I just remember being shocked and enraged. My daughter was three and looked at me and started crying. She had seen some of what was transpiring. I grabbed her, gave her a huge hug and couldn't let go of her. I told her over and over again, "Don't worry sweetie, I'll protect you." She eventially calmed down as my anxiety of the event grew. I remember eventally thinking, with great sadness, My god, what kind of world were my children born in?
Lots of us at our apartment complex met each other the first time that night. We talked and had an instant moment to bond.
As was said before...
Many of these politikos who run down our president because of politics show their true colors! They are yellow cowards who deserve to live with the likes of cockroaches and CRAP!!!
And they do this for a political purpose?
MAY THEY ALL ROT IN HE!! :mad: !!!!!!!!!!
.
.
I remember allright....

[BrahmaMom]

There is an incredible article on the msn homepage about the Pentagon Victims Struggle to Recover (sorry, I have no clue how to do that link thing so many of you are good at). Talk about your heroes. The survivors' past two years, their families' past two years, make my heart break. These stories, and so many like them, show America and Americans at their best.
May our country take this horrible atrocity, dig deep, and make good come from it. And may we never forget.

[Pudlugger]

I saw the second plane hit the tower just before my son and I left for an interview at Rice. It was the most intense and emotional experience of my life. It was the culmination of a weak foreign policy and political posturing that encouraged Al Queda to do this. And now two years latter we have Nanci Polosi with her bad facelift, and others, telling us we should retreat from these SOBleeps and spend tax money on more jobs. It is weak and pitiful and will only encourage more attacks. Remember, after they push Isreal into the Mediterranean we are next. We need to take this War seriously, it is not just another intervention, we are in this for our very survival. Radical Islam's goal is to enforce Sharia Law throughout the world. 911 was a wake up call, let's roll!

[cunbed10]

Hey! thanks everyone for sharing your whereabouts and feelings on this topic.

[crimson blood]

we shut down the school, held prayer vigils, counselled kids, parents, whomever.
for the first time in my life i actually felt the patriotism i had spoken of many times before.
i love my country and our president. i hate politics and any outside government that opposes us.

it is not by coincidence that the most religiously free nation on earth is also the strongest. neither is it happenstance that judao-christian beliefs foster freedom, prosperity, education and a system that sees the most impoverished rise to prominence every day.

[keep_it_real]

I was on my way to school and i turned on the radio and heard the news. That day at school we didnt have class all we did was go to each period and watch the news, that day at football practice I felt angry and confused, my history teacher told us from the get go as soon as it happened that it was osama bin laden, he was also our defensive coordinator and x marine, he was a different man that day, it was the oddest day in my life.

[Phil C]

I had about the same emotions as everyone else. I heard about it at work and we had a tv hooked up and watched the news. Shock and disbelief and sadness and rage was felt by all. One of my workers had an ex sister in law that lives in New York and she called her to make sure she was ok and she was. When reflecting the sadness and rage still stirs today. I fear that as a nation we may be losing some of the rage we felt that day and that is not only a pity but foolish in my opinion.