Where were you...

[Forest Ump]

I had flown down to San Diego on that Monday to do some contract work at Camp Pendleton Marine Corp Base. My wife called and woke me up that Tuesday morning to tell me what happened. I remember just being in shock as we both talked to each other on the phone. Later that morning, I drove over to the base and found that it was shutdown tight. Contractors and non-essential personnel were not getting on the base that day. Not being able to fly home or get my work done, I decided I would just keep my rental car and drive home, about a 550 mile trip. It was a long ride home listening to every news channel I could find on the radio. I remember what a welcome relief it was to get back home and be with my family.

[conbo61]

September 11, 2001

Driving home from work listening to the radio, I heard the initial report of the 1st explosion at the WTC. I immediately called my mom. When I got home, still talking to Mom, I turned on the tv. Mom and I watched in horror as the second plane was flown into the other building. Tears streaming down my face, then and now, I stood in my living room unable to speak or move. Mother and I stayed on the phone, mostly in shocked silence, until the towers collapsed. It is a memory I wish I didn't have.

To those who are, have, or will serve

Semper Fidelis

I was out looking at a project site for a proposal. I had gone back into my car to jot notes and was listening to Howard Stern when they reported the story of the first plane. Things changed rapidly after that. I worked in Northern NJ and headed over to the Turnpike via I-78. As I came over a hill you could see the smoke billowing from the towers. As I approached the toll by Newark Airport I pulled over to listen to the radio when all of a sudden they screamed as the first tower was going down. I looked up to see a HUGE cloud of smoke on the other side of the river.

I paid the toll and got on the NJ Turnpike heading north. Traffic was stopped and everyone was pulled over watching events unfold, including the collapse of the second tower. It was very odd to be on that section of the Turnpike and not see any planes approaching the airport. As I made my way back to the office, I passed an untold number of fire engines and ambulances heading to NYC from various NJ communities.

Like millions of others, it is a day I will never forget.

God bless all of our service men and women and the local heroes who keep us sae.

[Jeapugrad]

Tuesday September 11th, 2001, I was sleeping in as I got home from a college fall DH at William & Mary around 4am that morning. On Wednesday the 13th, I worked a 16U high school fall ball game at Langley High School in Langley Virginia, just a few miles west of Washington, D.C. I can remember this moment like it was yesterday. Game time was 6pm and both teams lined up along the foul lines at 550 for a moment of silence. Then the Star Spangled Banner was played over the sound system. I remember looking out towards CF at the flag. Just above the flag was the tree line, and above the trees in the sky six fighter jets were circling the area. I'll never forget this night as long as I live.

[tldavis19]

I was in my 7th grade English class when another teacher came in and pulled my teacher out of the room. When my teacher came back, she was crying and we piled into the next door history class that had cable. We watched the events unfold going from class to class. the second plane hit during Science, the first tower fell during Reading, and the second tower fell during math. Very surreal, yet I remember not really grasping the seriousness of it all. I still remember everything that happened though.

[Jocko]

Tuesday September 11th, 2001, I was sleeping in as I got home from a college fall DH at William & Mary around 4am that morning. On Wednesday the 13th, I worked a 16U high school fall ball game at Langley High School in Langley Virginia, just a few miles west of Washington, D.C. I can remember this moment like it was yesterday. Game time was 6pm and both teams lined up along the foul lines at 550 for a moment of silence. Then the Star Spangled Banner was played over the sound system. I remember looking out towards CF at the flag. Just above the flag was the tree line, and above the trees in the sky six fighter jets were circling the area. I'll never forget this night as long as I live.

Great story. Terrible memory.

[CentralOhioUmp30]

I was in one of my sixth grade classrooms when it happened. Principal came on the intercom to announce what had happened. Then all of the televisions were turned on.

Oddly enough, that's all I remember from that day.

[BigUmpire]

Getting ready.

[mrumpiresir]

I was a MSgt in the USAF preparing to go to work.  I knew it would be a busy day.  We prepped our aircraft for combat and quickly moved to an increased state of readiness. We were wondering where in the world we would be in two days, but as it turned out we did not deploy.  

 

One of the strangest things I remember was being outside the next day and noticing the complete absence of aircraft flying in the skies.  Eerie.

 

I still get a lump in my throat whenever "God Bless America" or the national anthem is played.

[maineump]

_{I was at home, a friend called to turn on the TV. I watched from before the second tower was hit.}

_{Being a firefighter, and having friends at the FDNY I knew that there were hundreds of the brothers responding to the scene. I also knew they were climbing the stairs to get the people out and to attack the fire.}

_{When the towers came down, the first thing I thought of were the hundreds of firefighters, cops, medics and civilians climbing the stairs. The extreme silence was sooooo eeire to me, and the only thing that could be heard was the screeching noise. My wife asked what the noise was, and all I could say was that sound was dead and injured firefighters. That was the distress alarm built into our airpacks, that sounds when there is a firefighter down. I was in total shcck to say the least.}

 

_{We are near an AF base and 3 of their tankers took off right after the strike. We didn't hink anything of it at the time, but they were headed for NYC to fuel the fighters that were scrambled. A friend of mine on one of the planes took pictures of the towers coming down from perspective.}

 

_{Myself and a 100,000 other firefighters went to funerals an memorials for the next year. A day/year I will never forget.}

 

_{On a side note, my brother has been to the dessert 11 times since that day, as he is in the Air Force - God bless out men and women that protect us every day.}

[HokieUmp]

Living in Australia at the time.  Had just come back from a nice dinner at the local college - put on by the students involved in the Culinary and Hospitality programs - and turned on the TV as a force of habit, even though it was approaching bedtime.  Sky News Australia, along with all kinds of channels, had coverage.  As I remember, all planes had hit by then.  Saw the towers collapse, and maybe went to bed at 2am (which would be about 1:30pm US Eastern).

[VAUmp]

I was in college.  My roommate came into my room to wake me and told me to turn on the TV.  I turned on TODAY.  About two minutes later, the second plane crashed  into the south tower.  I will never forget that day!

[Jocko]

God Bless America

[midtnump]

I was at one of my customers jobsites going over some changes I had made in some concrete tilt up wall panels, and one of the guys shouted that something was wrong. About 40 guys stopped working and we gathered around 3 vehicles listening to the radios. Not one person worked or moved the whole time. I can't even remember hearing any traffic around us, just felt an erie quietness.

To all our police, fireman, and military, that have ever served or currently serving THANKYOU for wearing the uniform and serving this great nation. I have nothing but the highest respect and high regards for you. Thanks.

[bluejerred]

Naval Nuclear Power Prototype Training Unit. Charleston, SC. Almost finished with the nuclear training pipeline and shortly to be on my way to my submarine. 2 years later... see for yourself. Go to YouTube and search "USS Louisville TLAM Launch".

[soapbox]

I'm in the delivery business with my brothers in northern Jersey. I had a driver making a time sensitive delivery to the financial district in NYC. He called in to say that a plane struck the tower. I told him it was probably just an accident by a small plane and go get the delivery off (my client was very demanding). I went into the warehouse and told one of the guys what my driver reported, and this guy had the radio on and said the second tower had just been hit. Needless to say, driver got out of the area. Took hours to get out of the city, but he was fine. The stories I heard from guys watching from outside the Towers gave me goosebumps. Very sad.