Sitting here at my desk and no mention through email, pager, announcement about 9/11/01 or 9/11/2012.

I work for the Corps of Engineers as a supply technician now... sad that it seems as if the Army has forgotten.

343 - All gave some.... Some gave all

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
Wow, what a day. I don't allow myself to think about it often - after this post I will likely avoid the topic as long as I can.

Fate was such that my unit deployed shortly after 9/11 and we were able exact a large measure of retribution against those savages, which was very cathartic personally.

It doesn't make up for it, but having seen first hand what we did, I know they reaped the fucking whirlwind, which they never expected.

/Respectful nod.

I'm glad you got that, for all of us, most especially those who never saw 9/12/2001.


I also don't allow myself to think about it much. It puts me in a dark place.

On the day of, I was sleeping in a bit late on my first semester of college, only a few weeks in, about six hours upstate from NYC. I didn't have a morning class that day. One of my study partners called my room and woke me up. "Hey it's Lisa, do you know what's happening?" I grumbled something and she told me to turn on my TV and set it to the campus news channel. I did so just in time to process that one of the WTC towers was on fire and then watched an aircraft hit the second tower. I was alone, but on the phone with a friend and we both watched it happen at the same time. It went from a "what the Hell is going on?" moment to instant realization that this was no accident. Shortly after, my roommate showed up, as all classes had been dismissed. We were both more than a little stunned. We agreed to go to the student union building and see what else we could find out. As soon as we opened the doors, we heard anguished wailing. There were several huge screens in the main lobby and they were all showing a feed of the buildings. Being a cheap state college up in the piney woods was an attractant to quite a few kids from the city, so there was no shortage of kids in that room that had family in those buildings, and they were huddled in tight masses in front of the screens. And then the first tower fell. All conversation stopped, and a number of students went right to the floor, hysterical. I can only assume they were watching what they believed was the demise of a loved one. I don't know how long we stayed, but we left shortly after the second tower fell. Classes were canceled and we honestly had no idea what was going on. My roommate and I were friends in highschool and my house was on the way to his, so we got on the road, didn't say much of anything for the hour drive home, and I spent a few days with my family.

Ten years later, I was living in a small neighborhood near the Boeing facility in Renton, where they make the 737 and the now-grounded MAX. I happened to notice a high percentage of women wearing burkhas while shopping at the Safeway we lived right behind. I didn't think much of it until 9/11/2011. I was up and working in my office with the window open, facing the direction of what turned out to be a neighborhood across the street where all the said burkhas apparently lived. There was a sudden burst of many fireworks, accompanied by a wailing chorus of ululating. This happened a number of times. Each little celebration was in time with the major events, both impacts, both collapses of the towers, and with the other two flights hitting the ground. I closed the window but could still hear it. I fought every urge to drive over there and crash their fucking party.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
My wife worked the Pentagon crime scene for 10 days with her K-9 cadaver dog, along with about 3 dozen other dog teams. It was hard work, for handler and dog, working over concrete rubble piles looking for tiny bits of human DNA mostly. This day remains a sad one for her, every year. We never forget it.

I was at the Pentagon when it was hit by flight 77.. I was part of a Verizon line crew pulling in cable into the Pentagon CO at the time. Heard the plane, felt the explosion, saw the fireball and ran like everyone else into the south parking lot. One Verizon employee lost her life that day. A close friend. I was part of the crew that ran communications working 12-18 hour days for a lot of 3 letter agencies for up to 6 months afterwards. Saw the dump trucks carrying the driver and FBI agents going to the north parking lot full of plane parts, building parts, body parts, purses, bags, etc where everything was dumped and processed by over 300 FBI agents in heavy duty tyvec suits & PPE gear.

For those who have younger kids
https://havokjournal.com/natio...bout-september-11th/

It talks about how to talk about 9/11 with younger kids, my wife and I both agree we will not let them forget either.

With my older sons I quite bluntly talked through the events then showed them the savages celebrating....then I told them something I remind them of every so often "Understand they want to kill you"..."there is no negotiating with them"

I was on the road in a hotel room when it happened.....since I was between reserve units units due to a move I found one pretty quick

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Two days that I will never forget.

1. Pearl Harbor. I was just a couple of weeks short of my fifth birthday so I did not really understand what was happening, but I knew it was something serious because my family was in the living room of my grandmother's place, listening to the big floor-standing console radio. I had never seen them so serious. That is one of the last memories I have of my father, who had four months to live.
   
   
2. 9/11/2001. I stumbled through that day and the next in total shock. Every time I heard patriotic music (National Anthem, "America the Beautiful," or "God Bless America") on the radio, I could not help crying.

I was angry, I regretted that I was too old (just turning 64 at the time) to reenlist.

I'm in a similar boat, V-Tail--I was 2 weeks short of 4yo on Pearl Harbor Day. I guess I'm a year younger than you. I, too, wasn't aware of the importance of the attack at that age, just that all the adults were very upset.

On 9-11 I was not up yet, heard the first reports when my clock radio came on, and went to watch on the TV. Not much happened at work that day--people too traumatized to do much. The one TV set in the building was in a break area, and folks sort of circulated in and out of the space. I was angry and sad, but knew there was nothing I could do about it.

We must never forget those events, and must be prepared to forestall repeats of them.

flashguy

To my recollection, I don’t remember ever feeling RAW FURY as I did about that day. People jumping to their death, people on the ground having to dodge them, people crashing a plane to keep it from being used against others, emergency workers entering and ascending a WTC building knowing it will come down since the other one already did, etc etc etc.

Thank you Para....

My office was in the Pentagon, but I wasn't in it. I saw the planes hit from overhead monitors in a train station in Dusseldorf, with a bunch of AF GOs, and we spent that day and the next trying to beg a ride out of USAFE. All air traffic was shut down, commercial and otherwise, communication was chaos, and we managed to hop a departing C141 back to Andrews. Within 48 hours a penetrator with an FAE landed on a certain cave in Afghanistan, missing UBL but vaporizing some things he thought were important. I spent the next 18 months in the Pentagon basement with the AF Crisis Action Team and Checkmate developing the follow on response and future plans to answer this attack on our soil, our flag and our countrymen. With extreme prejudice. My heartfelt gratitude and thanks to those who served and are serving, to their families, and to our comrades who will not return. We will never, never forget. Never.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Doc H.,

At the time was working to support NSF Thurmont, living a couple minutes away. The night before i pulled the night shift so had only been in bed a short while. At the time didnt have a landline and cell phone reception was zero. Awoke to pounding on my door, saw it was my boss and his boss. I opened the door and rushed in, told me to get geared up time to go to work, they made a run for the TV (they didnt have immediate access to one at the office). Couple of minutes later I was out the door waiting for the exodus to arrive from DC...

Thank you Para for the page header also.

For me I was a few days into my freshman year of college in Milwaukee. Someone mentioned a plane crash at one of the World Trade towers as we boarded the elevator that morning for class. My first thought was something small, definitely not commercial, and a bad accident much like the B25 that crashed into the Empire State Building.

It was only after getting to my class that word spread of a second crash from someone else in the room and before the session was over news that one of the buildings had collapsed. The reality that of this being an attack and an evil on at that quickly sank in.

Classes ended up being cancelled for the rest of the day and most of the rest of it was spent glued to the TV coverage and checking in with loved ones. I still recall how perfect the weather was that day in Milwaukee, sunny, bright clear blue sky and warm...much like NYC that day also.

It was the events of that day that made me more aware of the actions of firefighters, other than riding around in shiny firetrucks and ultimately led me into my path in the fire service and now as a full-time firefighter myself.

Over the years I have made my way to ground zero which was a humbling experience. For as much as we may de-ride NYC and all of their liberal BS, it is worth a trip to the memorial, though I strongly suggest bringing Kleenex.

Outside of NYC, the most moving memorial I witnessed was back in Milwaukee on the 15th anniversary of 9-11:





343 sets of turnout gear with each set memorializing a member lost on that day, simple yet powerful to say the least.

I have never forgotten even as all these years have passed, hard to believe it was 18 years ago already.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to contemplate the meaning of this day.

Never forget...ever.




Link to original video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gPHnadJ-0hE





Link to original video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ruNrdmjcNTc





Link to original video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x7OCgMPX2mE

I was driving to school to teach. The two hosts on the radio were talking about some but damnit, wouldn’t say what. Finally, on said “Guess we should be serious.” It was then I heard on the first plane. As my planning period was 1st period, I watched the second plan hit.
The rest of the day was full or rumor and false claims. By the end of the day students had worked themselves you to ridiculous levels. I looked at my co-teacher,he nodded, and I let the SGM out. People shit up and we had a good discussion.
The next week I called to see it they’d recall me. Their answer was “too.” Too old, too broke, too much rank.
I went home and put out my flag. It, or it’s replacement, stayed up until May 2, 2011. The next day a teacher came into our office almost in tears. Seems students were cheering Ben laden’s death. “He was a human being” was her cry. Tea and sympathy was brought out and she was reassured she needed a safe space. One teacher turned to me and said “You’re pretty conservative, what do you think?” My reply was I’d lost a friend at the Pentagon. That I was satisfied that Osama Ben Laden would never hurt another human being. I was glaring at the other teacher.

quote:

Originally posted by Frenchy1004:
Thank you Para for the page header also.

Two times!

I was on an EMS call very early that morning before getting off shift. When we got back the news was still thinking it was an accident. Then the second one hit...

quote:

Originally posted by Icabod:

I let the SGM out.

What is "SGM?" Acronym finder gave me dozens of definitions, none of which seem to fit the context of your post.

Wondering the same. 3 up and 3 down? Sgt. Major?

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:
Wondering the same. 3 up and 3 down? Sgt. Major?

That would be three up and four down

This man did not forget. At the Ground Zero ceremony yesterday, reminding those who might have forgotten who did this to us.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv59fY5V3-k

^^^I am surprised they allowed that,especially on C-SPAN. Don't get me wrong, I hope more people spread the message about the vile scum they are.

I was 8 years old and watching Rugrats before school. My mom worked overnights at the time. She ran in the door and told my dad to turn on the news. I watched for a bit (to include the second plane) and then went to school. My dad owned an auto parts store at the time and he didn't even open that day. As an 8 year old, I knew it was a big deal when dad stayed home and picked me up from school.

At that age, I guess I didn't really grasp the enormity of the day at the time. I remember my mom talking about how she and dad had to just go outside for a bit in the afternoon because they had to escape the TV coverage. While they were outside in the back yard, a plane flew over: Air Force One. Only plane in the sky after everyone was grounded. Something I distinctly remember about 9/11 in Eastern Iowa: The weather. It was a perfect late-summer day. Sunny, blue skies, sparse white clouds. Just perfect.

I was 20 when the Boston Marathon bombing occurred. I remember the 24/7 news cycle on that event and thinking how it just must have paled in comparison to 9/11 in scope and scale.

To this day, I am fascinated with the stories of 9/11, from the plot's planning and execution to the stories of everyday people doing extraordinary things to help each other. Every year, I am met with profound sadness to have witnessed the worst day in American history.

My mom told me before I went to school that day that for the rest of my life, I would remember where I was, and what I was doing when I found out what happened; how right she was. I will certainly never forget.

I was building a computer data center for Johns Hopkins University, The Applied Physics Lab. After watching the second plane hit the tower on my hotel room TV, I was just sick. It took me three seconds to know it was an attack.

Everything shut down on the east coast. Everything. Even Johns Hopkins shut down the lab. I walked around the streets in a bit of a daze. Everyone was.

There was no transportation moving. Buses, trains, planes, everything was shut down. I had to drive from Maryland back to Minnesota with my rental car. In all it was a five day trip. I spent most of the time in absolute despair.

I am not one to be given to emotion, but this is pretty much the only event that makes be cry. Every year.

Never forget.

H&K-Guy