Where were you on 9-11-2001?

[Birds Away]

Onboard USS George Washington. We were leaving Norfolk harbor for a training exercise in the Caribbean. We were supposed to turn right and head south. Instead, we turned left and hauled butt to NYC. When Sept 12th dawned. We had F-14s flying combat air patrol over NYC. Loosest ROE I saw in 26 years in Uncle Sugar's Canoe Club. Literally, if it flies it dies.

 

[OZZY.40]

I worked 3rd shift the night before, so I was asleep till about 4pm when my brother woke me up. Went to sleep the world was at peace, woke up to total chaos.

 

[ruger1800]

work

 

[Clay]

I was in my office at work when one of the electricians walked buy stuck his head in and said "those bastards just crashed a plane into the WTC". I immediately got on the web and basically spend the entire rest of the day on the internet watching everything unfold, as did everyone else that day.

 

[woodwalker]

Working at the Dudleytown sub station listening to radio 96.3. Didn't see any tv til 4:oo couldn't believe what I saw

 

[Suprtek]

I was at a service call when everyone started discussing it. I finished the call and heard what was going on over the radio in my vehicle. After the second plane hit and it became obvious that is was an attack, my wife paged me. (No I did not have a cell phone yet) I'll never forget the way her voice sounded when she asked me "Who would do something like this?" We began to discuss what we should do. I told her that I doubted there was any reason to panic but maybe she should go to the store and pick up a few basics and stop by the pharmacy to get me some extra insulin just in case.

I will also never forget how eery and surreal the skies were with no aircraft whatsoever. I never realized until then how accustomed I had become to seeing and hearing them.

 

[semperfi211]

Me and my wife (girlfriend at the time) were on vacation in S.Ca. We were staying in Laguna Beach. For 9-11 we were planning on going to San Diego Zoo then a Padres night game. We were having breakfast on Pacific Coast Highway by our room. While having breakfast people were coming in and talking about it. We wound up hiking in Cleveland National Forrest instead of our original plans.

 

[sepe]

I was asleep when it happened and didn't really have a clue until I was on my way to class. I don't normally turn the news on and I didn't have time that morning anyway. I got sick of the CD that was playing so I turned to a random station...patriotic songs, next station...same thing. Finally they came on talking a little about what happened. Had me thinking about a friend that had went to NYC not all that long before (probably 6 months) to work as a firefighter. Talked to him about 2 weeks later and it was his day off, he got his gear and headed in to help anyway he could. He didn't talk about it much until about 3 years ago when he moved back home. Made me pretty proud of him because I'd known him since we were 4 or 5 and he always had a knack for getting into trouble...never really helping anyone.

 

[jerp239]

I was at work when someone came into the lab and told us something was going on in New York. We all went up front and huddled around the one tv in the building watching in disbelief as to what was happening.

 

[Sylvain]

I was at home celebrating my birthday with my familly in France.I turned on the TV and they were just talking about the first plane and how it was and could only be accidental at this point on every channel.
Then I saw the second plane hit the second tower live on TV I think.
By that time, 10 years ago, I didnt know anyone in the US and never been to the US.
But I know that this day, everybody in France and probably around the world felt american.Somehow we all felt the blast and we felt attacked just like if our own country was under attacked.

 

[Scarnucci]

Onboard USS Ross DDG 71, Norfolk, VA. We were scheduled for deployment in Oct, so half the ship was on leave. We heard about the first plane hitting the tower and turned on the news in the shop. We watched the second plane hit and started making preps to get underway. I think we were underway in three hours. Traffic to the base was backed up for miles, guys were leaving their cars on the highway and running to their ships. As soon as we cut the cable to the ship we lost news feed, so we didn't know what was going on for about 10 days while we provided a bubble of air support off the east coast. I had reported to the ship in July. Trial by fire.

 

[42769vette]

i had the day off and was actually sitting in my living room floor building a ar. i started working on it upstars until somone called and told me. i was watching when the 2nd plane flew into view.

on a side note i was going elk hunting on oct 1st (i think) on 01. you talk about a pita getting on a planes with guns right ater 9-11

 

[lovemachine]

I was a senior in high school. Had just got done lifting weights in my weight class. And I walked out of the locker room, and saw a bunch of people huddled around the tv.

I saw it was the news, and all I could tell from the distance I was standing from, it was just a fire. I went to my next class and that's when I found out what happened.

Every class for the rest if the day was the same. Either watch the news in class, or wander out into the cafeteria and watch the news there.

Still hard to believe it was that long ago...

 

[SpiralTragedy]

I had been working nights at the Home Depot and was asleep. A delivery guy knocked on my door and told me what happened. I watched on TV for about 20-30 minutes then went back to sleep. I was in OKC, OK when the Federal Building was destroyed. (I felt it 15 miles out.) When there isn't anything you can do, you just do what you have to and carry on. (I have no idea what the delvery guy dropped off.)

 

[IMPD31323]

In the final week of Basic training at Lackland AirField. Sitting in a hangar at a mock deployment site (Camp Bullis) listening to an anti terrorism briefing by our Sgt. All of a suden our second DI walks in, says something to the Sgt giving the briefing and then addresses our class. DI said "If you have family in New York come see me, everyone else get your S#$t and be on the buss in 3 mins!" We all grabbbed our stuff and loaded on the busses thinking it was anthoer exercise. When all the busses started leaving and nobody was left at the Bullis Mock camp we started to wonder if something was really going on. First real clue that something was not right was when we went throught the mai gate at lackland. MP's had barricaded the gates with sandbags and had placed dual .50cal machinegun nests on both sides. We went to our dorms and were on lock down for about three days. Didn't find out until day 3 what happened until our DI Sgt Martin brought in a video and showed us what had happened. Until my very last breath I will never forget that day.

 

[MrFive]

Naval Security Group Activity Rota Spain...aka the Bull Ring

Ill leave it at that

 

[jfed85]

It was on my 16th birthday. I was in the hallway getting books out of my locker when a classmate walked up and said "well, looks like we are going to war". I actually remember who it was too and I havent seen him in probably 8 years. Sat in every class and watched the TV all day. Teachers werent even speaking, definately a day I will never forget.


I also remember where I was when they launched the first wave of "shock and awe".

Ya, It was a pretty crappy birthday.

 

[OAK]

I was in school 10th grade when the history teacher turned on CNN.

 

[gthorne]

I was a senior in high school and we had just sat down in a elective history class when another teacher came in and said something to our teacher. He told us what was happening and found a TV so that we could watch the news. After that class none of the teachers I had that day would let us watch anything about it and some acted like nothing was happening. It wasn't until I got home that I found out how bad it really was.

 

[Hawkeye]

I was on a business trip in Massachusetts, actually pretty near Providence, RI. Supposed to fly home that afternoon. Had checked out of my hotel and was in the office at work. Found out and had one of the secretaries check on flights - all grounded of course and no idea when they'd be back up. Kept my rental car and decided by late pm or early evening I'd drive home the next day. Went to Wal-mart for some road supplie - it was trashed! Hitbthe road around 4 or 430 on the 12th heading into CT. Bypassed NYC by a wide margin and drove through PA/OH to get home by ~11pm. Eerie drive is the best way to describe it. Strangest thing was a fine clear blue sky and not a contrail in sight ...