7 yrs...

Allie

LongRd. wrote:

I don't think anybody mentioned this but we all owe a great gratitude to all the firefighters, police officers, and paramedics who were on the scene to support the people there.

Amen! Yes. Good call.

And VedderFan10, Happy birthday to you.

And Bri (aka Metsy), wherever you are.

Allie

jimed14 wrote:

It's so odd at times talking about that day with people here on the west coast ... I went to work, had two meetings, the second was interrupted by a crying woman who told us what was going on ... online, all news agencies websites running slow ... down to the few tvs we had ... watching the collapses ... fleeing to the train to get out of Boston (my office looked over Logan airport, we were surrounded by a few federal buildings, you just had no idea what was going to happen, so yeah, we felt the need to leave Boston) ... all of this, before some of my friends on the west coast even woke up.

I usually don't even talk about it with them ... it's tough to make some of them really understand.

actually I don't think people stop to remember how people in Boston were affected first. All the focus gets placed on NYC. And then DC.
But I don't think you actually had to be in one of those cities to be affected by it. My Mom was in Florida. If you saw it happen live on TV I think you would have a reaction. Maybe not the same as actually being there though.

But I see what you mean, like if people weren't even up yet they don't know what it was like for you personally.
I woke my dad up that day but he was in Queens. It was his day off. He was like what? I was like turn on the tv. Then he freaked too. He was trying to figure out how to get me out of the city, but it was on lockdown at that point. I ended up walking home, over a bridge.

jimed14

Allie wrote:

actually I don't think people stop to remember how people in Boston were affected first. All the focus gets placed on NYC. And then DC.
But I don't think you actually had to be in one of those cities to be affected by it. My Mom was in Florida. If you saw it happen live on TV I think you would have a reaction. Maybe not the same as actually being there though.

But I see what you mean, like if people weren't even up yet they don't know what it was like for you personally.
I woke my dad up that day but he was in Queens. It was his day off. He was like what? I was like turn on the tv. Then he freaked too. He was trying to figure out how to get me out of the city, but it was on lockdown at that point. I ended up walking home, over a bridge.

I tihnk the folks on the east coast that watched it unfold on TV are a little more in tune with the sheer panic that was going on ...

Our main headquarters was at 195 Broadway, which, is on the back side of the Millenium hotel ... many of my co-workers, even ones that were down there for the day from Boston, had to make that walk over the bridge with you.

A few months later, I was down there working 3 days a week, and staying at the Millenium right after it reopened. I'll never forget my first night there ... heading up to my room somewhere on a high floor, and opening the curtains ... looking down into the hole .... still makes me choke up.

Allie

jimed14 wrote:

I tihnk the folks on the east coast that watched it unfold on TV are a little more in tune with the sheer panic that was going on ...

Our main headquarters was at 195 Broadway, which, is on the back side of the Millenium hotel ... many of my co-workers, even ones that were down there for the day from Boston, had to make that walk over the bridge with you.

A few months later, I was down there working 3 days a week, and staying at the Millenium right after it reopened. I'll never forget my first night there ... heading up to my room somewhere on a high floor, and opening the curtains ... looking down into the hole .... still makes me choke up.

that must have been so scary for your co-workers. Were you supposed to be in the city that day, or no?

I would have had a hard time staying at that hotel afterwards, for sure. I don't remember the first time I went downtown over there.

I couldn't stand all the people that were hawking the t-shirts and 'memorabilia', like trying to capitalize off it and whatnot.

jimed14

Allie wrote:

that must have been so scary for your co-workers. Were you supposed to be in the city that day, or no?

I would have had a hard time staying at that hotel afterwards, for sure. I don't remember the first time I went downtown over there.

I couldn't stand all the people that were hawking the t-shirts and 'memorabilia', like trying to capitalize off it and whatnot.

No, I wasn't supposed to be there that day ... the folks in NYC, the finance folks in all our business units, actually reported up to us in Boston. But, one of our subsidiaries was actually in the WTC ... sadly, two of the people lost were the CFO and VP of Finance for that sub.

Part of my job after that day was to reconstruct their financials as all their records were completely destroyed. I also had to somehow construct a financial plan for them as well, and deal with the insurance claims. Immensely grueling as at times, I was forced to sit down and talk to people about the finances of the company ... and it just brought up horrific memories.

You're right about the "hawkers" .... the observation platform they put up at one point, and the visitors that would come and look, turned my stomach.

jammergirl

I remember it like it was yesterday. yes, i'm another west coaster who experienced it a little differently.
i just graduated high school and it was my first semester at community college, in the small rural california town i just graduated in. me and my twin sis decided to spend the night at my brother's new apt, across town from the ranch we all grew up in. we rented movies and my bro bought beer for us. i remember so clearly us staying up late, laughing at the movies and getting a buzz. by around 1am my bro(tyler) went to bed and me and kel slept on the couch. we had school the next day. at about 8:30 am my mom was walking in the door to ty's flat. her eyes were red and puffy and she said "get your brother, something major just happened". yelling for ty to get up, we all thought a relative had died or something. ty got up and mom said we've just been attacked by terrorists. ty didnt' have cable so we turned on the radio and listened to the hushed voices explaining how the events just unfolded. apparently, my dad had already gone to work at about 6 am that morning (he was the battallion chief of the california dept of forestry) and he had called my mom and woke her up and said "turn on the tv". she did right when the second plane hit. that's all i remember her saying over and over "i saw the second plane hit. i saw it hit and that's how i knew we were under attack". she was slightly hysterical at this point and that's why she drove across town to be with us kids.
i'll never forget the moment that my brother reached over and turned off the radio, and said well guys, i guess i'm going to war. to him it was not a question, our country was under attack. the next day he signed up for the army and he's already been to afghanstan. he's due in iraq next year.
i'm absolutely riveted when i read posts about people who were in ny or boston that day, who were directly involved in what happened that day. but in my small corner of the world, in my little hick cali town, my entire family's direction was shaped that day as well. i grew up with my dad as a firefighter and vietnam veteran, with a brother who's a combat veteran and a whole family that is inexorably different from that one day.

wow. that's probably the longest post i've ever done on this message board. sorry. actually, i'm not sorry. that was pretty theraputic to actually get it out.

facepollution

Incredible to think it has been 7 years already. I was on holiday in Florida when it happened, I happened to turn the tv on just before the second plane hit - they still thought it was a light aircraft that had hit the forst tower, at that point. I'll never forget that day as long as I live - truly the most horrifying and extreme thing I've ever seen. I know a lot of equally awful stuff has, and continues to happen around the world; but seeing the events of that day unfold in real time, and seeing it in so much detail was beyond shocking.

I don't know how you would even begin to get over such a loss, my thoughts go out to all those involved and affected that day.

Sian-of-the-dead

I remember this day 7 years ago so vividly... I think, no matter how many years pass, it'll feel like yesterday.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends affected.

Sprunkn7

Yep, 7 years. There were so many people from my town killed that day. I have to check my numbers.

MrMerkinball

My wife and I were both off work that day. Back then we didn't have kids and when we were off together, we would go for a long walk to a little coffee house for breakfast.

I came out of the shower and was getting ready, and my wife said "check this out, looks like an explosion at the WTC". We sat there and watched it for a few minutes and the broadcasters were arguing over what it could have been............. and then we saw the second plane hit.

My wife and I saw it before the broadcasters saw it, and they actually rewound the tape live on the air and saw the second plane. I just remember them being silent for about 10 seconds and one simply said "Oh My God".

We stayed home that day. By the end of the day, we actually decided it was time to start a family. Our first Daughter is now just over 6 yrs old.

g under p

I noticed lots of fighter jets flying MD/DC/VA yesterday, I wonder where were they 9/11 2001. May they ALL rest peacefully.

Peace

nuffingman

I was in a meeting that lasted the whole morning and was told about it afterwards. There was a stunned silence in the office that day. Something so appalling caused by the sick actions of others. Hats off and deep respect for the firefighters, police etc who had no choice but to work in the area. 7 years down the line and our thoughts are still with the thousands who grieve their lost loved ones.

I can't believe to this day the sickos that did this believed they would go to paradise for killing innocents. I hope at the last second they knew they were going to burn in hell!

Hopefuly nothing like this will ever happen again.

nfanel

i was at work in philadelphia. a coworker IM'ed me and said "something bad happened." i was busy running a call and was annoyed, thinking he was being dramatic. shortly after that everyone was in the conference room watching it all unfold on tv. got on a conference call with our coworkers in arlington, va. who then told us about the pentagon.

after that the rumors started flying in about all of these other attacks.... now we have the hindsight, but at the time it was pretty terrifying to be in a skyscraper anywhere on the east coast since the rumors were flying in about all of these other attacks (most of which weren't true). our director told us to go home but they evacuated the high rises in philly shortly afterwards anyhow.

was chaos in the streets here...people running to catch trains, sitting 4 people in 3 people seats. spent most of the day trying to get in touch with my friends in new york, having a general nauseous feeling, and feeling like i was going to wake up from a bad dream.

i had nightmares for weeks. i remember the first time a plane flew by our window at work and everyone in the conference room just kind of stopped and looked and then let out a sigh. really thought nothing would ever be normal again and remember it being so refreshing to play with my young nieces/nephews since kids were the only ones that were innocent to it all and carried on with normalcy.

my heart goes out to everyone who lost family and friends.

OffHeGoes29

I was on a flight ten minutes out from JFK when that happen, they diverted us to Halifax Canada. Very nice people up there.

OffHeGoes29

g under p wrote:

I noticed lots of fighter jets flying MD/DC/VA yesterday, I wonder where were they 9/11 2001. May they ALL rest peacefully.

Peace

You have a large number of AF/Navy aircraft stationed in that area. And they did scramble that day, but never recieved the order in time to shoot them down for DC and NY. I don't know about PA? That maybe a different story all together.

Black Diamond

I can not believe it has been 7 years. We are about to have our moment of silence in our offices. Just came through the Lincoln Tunnel and I still look at the skyline to this day and can not believe WTC is not there.

I worked on the 98th Floor of Tower 1 for 4 years in the early 90's. It was such a wonderful place to work. I had the best views of the city out of my office window. I used to bring my friends up to join me for dinner and stare out at the world. I had the pleasure of being in the building for the Feb 93 bombing. Took over 3 hours to get out of the building. I was black from head to toe. The horror of 9/11 for me is I know what those floors are like. I know what the stair cases are like when they are packed with frightened people trying to get out and there is no light. I know what it is like to see the fireman climbing UP the building and putting themselves in harm's way to help people. And I certainly know what it is like to be on the 98th floor of the north tower facing north. That is where my office was and that is where the first plane hit.

Those that were in NY will remember that 9/11/01 was one of the most beautiful days. It was warm clear and sunny. I lived on the Uppper West Side.You will also remember that it was the day of the democratic primary for Mayor. I was up real early to make sure I could vote before work. The lines were light and after I voted, I decided to walk down to my midtown office. It was so beautiful out. I got to my office at 7:30 and got down to work. I worked for a major international investment bank. I think it was a week earlier I was at Windows on the World for a celebration of financing and closing Silverstien's financing of the WTC and the securitization of the bonds.
I had not been in the WTC since 93. I was always freaked to go back up in the building after coming down and never going back. At about 8 I got a call from my friend and client who worked in the World Financial Center, which is across the street from WTC. We talked for a while and then I heard loud noises over the phone. My friend was like, a plane just crashed into the WTC!
News wasn't even close to being on about it. He was completely freaked out and hung up to see what was going on. The news came on and i thought they were talking a small plane. But once you saw the hole you knew this was no small plane. I have a bunch of friends and clients who were in the building and tried to call. No answers. We sat there for hours watching the TV. I think I was in shock for the whole day. I do remember calling my wife after the 2nd plane and telling her to get out of the apartment and take our 1 year old into Central Park because I became panicked that planes were going to hit our apartment building. I must have been to 20 funerals. I am still numb inside.

I can't write anymore. There is a lot more but the moment of silence is starting. I will never forget.

DOSW

^^^Black Diamond, that is heavy, man. Can't even imagine what that day and the following months must have been like...

I was in 8th grade, and I remember going into US history class and the TV was on showing what happened. I saw the second plane hit on live TV. I was young obviously so I couldn't really comprehend all that was happening... it was sad, but I didn't know the implications or anything until the following days.

Then when history ended I went to math class and the teacher just ignored it and went on with class as usual. Stupid.

PureandEasy

I was right here on this very board, for the very first time ever I happened across the message pit and the first thing I saw was a thread titled “Plane crash at WTC”

I had no idea what it meant and no idea that I had to click on it to open it. Then another popped up “second plane just hit”

And then the phone rang.

AllIAm

Black Diamond wrote:

Those that were in NY will remember that 9/11/01 was one of the most beautiful days. It was warm clear and sunny. .

thats always my recollection of the day. it was just so beautiful. nothing wrong could happen on that day.

I feel so much for the families who didn't get their moms and dads back that day. and I'm so greatful i got my dad back! he was in 7 world trade and watched the whole thing go down. I hope he gets out of the house today. I don't know why they need to show to us AGAIN the tragedy that happened. My father was traumatized by that day. yet they remind him every chance they can. I dunno. I don't see the need.

Yellow Ledbelly

It is hard to believe it has been that long. I had just been working in my job at the local newspaper for a couple of months at that time and a smart ass woman called and said.."If you go turn your TV on you might have something to put in that paper next week." That was just shortly after the first place crashed and the immensity of the situation really didn't hit me at first for some reason.
Living in Mississippi I wasn't directly affected -- I mean as far as losing loved ones -- but that was one of the most emotional days I have ever spent. There was a woman from here in NYC for business and I spoke to her on the phone that night...I still vividly remember how shaken she was because she was looking out the window from a couple blocks away and saw it happen.