Where were you on the morning of September 11, 2001?

[gregintenn]

I was on the beach in Gulf Shores Alabama with my family. We knew nothing of it until we returned to our condo for my son to take a nap. He turned on the Cartoon Network, and I knew something was wrong when I saw Dan Rather on that channel. It was an eerie feeling to be hundreds of miles from home while our country was under attack. We really stuck with me was when they flew fighter jets up the beach in formation the next day; right overhead. I assume these jets came from the Naval Air Base in Pensicola. It sent chills up my spine. We were in a restuarant/bar the evening it happened, and I still remember everyone cheering at the president's speech. Strangers were actually talking to one another and even hugging one another. It felt as if everyone was your friend or brother. I wish that part would have lingered.

[strickj]

I was working in downtown Chattanooga at the time. I came in just after the first plane hit. Rodger, my coworker, pulled me into the office to see -the at the time - accident. Of course, like everyone else, we were wondering how in the hell a plane could get close enough to hit a building like that. Then we saw the second plane hit... and both Towers falling. I was out making my rounds when the Pentagon got hit and Flight went down.

Traffic was an outright nightmare within minutes of the second plane hitting. I remember roads being closed around all of the important buildings (Broad closed at the TVA-Cigna over-the-road walkway thingy, county and fed buildings, etc) Cops of all sorts and TVA police all over the place.

It seems the Times Free Press had guys on every street corner within minutes.

[lock n' load]

I was unemployed at the time. It was a beautiful Tuesday morning. I had woken up to eat some breakfast and watch tv. I was watching a "breaking news" event on "The Today Show" of where a plane had hit the WTC. I was thinking..."how in the hell does a plane just hit a building like the WTC. Anyway, I saw the second plane hit the second tower and right then I knew it wasn't an accident. But before I could recover from the shock of what I just saw, they then said that a plane had just hit the Pentagon and then a plane had crashed in PA. It felt like I was blindfolded and being sucker punched without relent. I was scared, shocked but most of all...ANGRY. I had left a while later to get some cigs and when I had returned, I witnessed the second tower fall. Peter Jennings said it best.."Oh my God..." I am glad I wasn't the POTUS...I would've probably been nuking someone that day . To all those who have fought and served and sadly...those who died to protect this great nation from thugs like Al-Queda and the Taliban...THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE...YOUR ACTIONS ARE APPRECIATED MORE THAN WORDS CAN EVER EXPRESS.

Edited September 11, 2011 by lock n' load

[Mike]

I was in my senior year history class watching it live on tv. I can't believe it's been a decade.

Mike

[caliperman]

Was at work, on my way to the breakroom,when someone told me that a bomb had exploded in NYC. Boy were they wrong

May all the victims of that tragic day, rest in peace..

[greenego]

I was just getting ready to turn the TV off and go to work when the first plane hit. Fox & Friends was on. They didn't know if it was a small plane or what. Went ahead and left. Got in the truck, radio on. Before I could get out of the driveway the announcer said O my God another plane has hit the tower. Went back in the house watched TV for a few minis and then went on to work.

[daddyo]

I was on my way to Brentwood for an appointment with a placement agency. My job was being deleted on Sep 30. I had just turned on the radio and Rick and Bubba were talking about something horrible that had just happened, but I was having a hard time determining what it was as they weren't giving specifics. About that time the second plane hit and I realized we were under attack. I had to pull off the road to gather my thoughts. When I got to the agency, they had it on the television and I couldn't believe my eyes. Everyone was stunned and speechless.

[TGO David]

I was at work that morning. My employer at the time was an investor relations company, so as you can imagine we were plugged into the world financial markets and particularly the NYSE around the clock. The Bloomberg business news terminal was always up and there was always a television tuned to one of the major news networks. We knew about the attacks almost instantly.

I remember a group of us had gone down to our mailroom where we could gather around another television and talk candidly. We were watching live when the second plane hit. There wasn't a dry eye in the place; folks gasped out loud and one person literally fell to their knees with tears in her eyes as the realization hit us all that this wasn't an accident. Our lives and our world were forever changed. America's age of security was gone in the blink of an eye.

It didn't take long for us to close down the building and send everyone home. We had the capacity to work from remote and, like many, we feared that the attacks might be replicated across America's other downtown skylines. Our offices were just too close to the larger structures in downtown Nashville for anyone to be comfortable. Of course immediately following this, the stock markets remained closed so I spent the next week "working" from home. It mainly consisted of me checking email while I watched the saga unfold on Fox / CNN / MSNBC.

The night of September 11th, our church had a prayer gathering. The building was packed; standing room only. I've only seen it that way on Christmas and Easter. The service officially ended about an hour later but I think it was nearly midnight before everyone had gone home and we turned out the lights. I think it was then that it struck me just how surreal the range of emotions that day had been.

I will never forget small things that followed: The ridiculous rush on fuel at gas stations. The fact that you couldn't find an American flag to buy in the stores because they were completely sold out. The sheer number of cars you saw on the roads flying the little clip-on window flags. The little signs that read "PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN" that popped up at the various immigrant-owned businesses around town; especially if the owners were brown-skinned. They were afraid of being the victims of hate crimes, and rightfully so. People wanted to strike out against someone, anyone, and these poor Americans were fearful. I remember how sad that made me in light of this spirit of patriotism that our nation seemed to be experiencing.

[Alleycat72]

I turned 28 that day.

[Steelharp]

I had been at McDonald's in Hendersonville with my Dad. He had to have his sausage, egg and cheese McMuffin every morning. I took him home, we walked in the door, and Mom said, "Have you seen this?" We looked at the TV... and froze right there for a long while.

[Mike.357]

I was going to work late that day and was sitting at the computer watching the news like always and booking airfare to go to Dallas that Thursday.

Well that flight never happened.

I remember the breaking news that a plane had hit one of the WTC buildings and everyone thought it was some tragic accident. Not too long later we saw the second plane hit the other building.

Went in to work a while later and watched coverage from the golf shop. The place was packed with golf employees and members who had tee times.

One a day where we would have done 150 rounds of golf I think we did about 50 and half of those people came off the course as soon as word spread about what was happening.

I remember the sky being cloudless and bright blue. Within a short amount of time I noticed there were no planes in the air. Down in Boca there were always jetliners in the air. All flights were grounded. The next plane I saw was in a pair if fighter jets that you never heard coming only when they passed were they audible.

I also recall seeing the Wackenhut guards who manned the entry gates at the club were geared up in tactical clothing and had AR's instead of their normal uniform and sidarms. I guess they thought there was going to be an attack at the Boca Polo Club or something.

Doubt I will ever forget that day. Been a screwed up world since then.

Edited September 11, 2011 by Mike.357

[Erik88]

7th grade social studies class in Lenoir City TN. I had no idea what the WTC was at the time but I knew the severity of the situation. My teacher did her best to explain the situation to us in between her tears. I'll never forget that.

[brooksjr]

I had just got off work and turned on 99.7 WTN out of Nashville. They still thought it was an accident at this time, but we all soon found out it was much more. I spent the day at my girlfriend's, now my wife, watching and wondering what the hell was going on.

[1gewehr]

We lived near Atlanta back then. I was about to walk out the door to go to a computer trade show at the world Congress Center when my wife called me back to see the news about the first plane. We were watching live as a news reporter noticed the second plane coming down the Hudson at low level. As soon as it turned towards the World Trade Center, I remember telling my wife that we were under attack. Our first thoughts were that the planes were being remotely controlled. When the truth came out, it was much more shocking.

We always had airliners going to Hartsfield Airport flying over the house. They disappeared and were replaced by the sight of a pair of F-18s patrolling over Atlanta for the next week.

[zgunbear]

My wife had been sick the night before so I was getting myself up getting ready to go to work at XO communications. She was sick in bed. I had Fox and friends on when they started talking about the first tower. I saw the second plane hit. I called my boss who told me to come into work. I went downtown and the roads were pretty deserted. stayed at work for 3 hours then they sent us home. Seemed like no one wanted to talk to customer service for their phones that day. I got home and tried to explain everything to my wife. I got her out of bed and we, like everyone else, watched it on TV. I felt like to world had changed that day. I think we all stopped feeling the false sense of security and realized that there are fanatics who want to kill us just because we are different and do not believe the way they do.

I think it is sad do many have forgotten what happened and why.

[Chadastrophic]

My story starts about 3 weeks earlier, in hindsight it's spooky as *****.

I had quit one job and my next job wasn't to start for a month. Well I get a call mid August from a friend who says "you're going to think I'm weird, but I had a dream I need to go to NYC, I don't know why, I just need to go". Neither of us had been before, but he was going regardless so gas was on him and I just needed to bring my tent. We found a place on the edge of NJ and trekked to the city every morning. The second place we visited were the towers.

Fast forward to 9/11. For some reason I fell asleep with the TV on the night before and ended up waking up a few minutes before the 2nd plane hit. I was glued to the TV for the rest of the day.

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk

[Lumber_Jack]

I was just getting out of the shower still wearing a towel when I turned on the TV. I sat the whole time in a wet towel staring at the TV. I missed the class I was preparing for at UT. I did go to class later after the towers fell. Sat in the university center cafeteria at lunch with large group of people and someone said we should pray for them. So I volunteered and prayed audibly for all those involved. It was a very powerful and emotional day. I will never forget.

[Mechanic_X]

I was at work. Pulled the TV from the break room out into the shop and watched. I had a cousin in the first building hit, second to fall, that got out OK. Called my Uncle to check on everyone.

Anger, grief, sadness, hope--repeat.

I remember Berkeley, CA. telling the firemen not to have flags on their trucks, and Hendersonville's trucks with huge flags flying off of theirs.

[TGO David]

I remember Berkeley, CA. telling the firemen not to have flags on their trucks.

I remember that as well. All because the hand-wringers in Berkley were afraid that it was promoting nationalism and might offend someone. If you ask me, we still haven't stomped a big enough mudhole in the ass of a few countries.

[oldogy]

The wife and I were eating breakfast at Der Duchman restaurant in Waynesville, OH. when our waitress told us we were under attack.

oldogy

[mikegideon]

I was at home. Watched the whole thing on TV. After the initial shock, my overwhelming emotion was anger (not that there wasn't plenty of grief too). After 10 years, I still have plenty of that left.

[deerslayer]

I was at a Sandles resort in Jamaica putting on a tux right before my wedding, watching the towers tumble. Our honeymoon, needless to say, was spent watching CNN.

[AdotOdot4]

I was a freshman in highschool.

I walked out of a class and into the library where the librarian had a tv on. I couldn't have been watching for more than a minute before the second plane hit the south tower.

My parents pulled me out of school since it wasn't far from Wright-Patt AFB and spent most of the day glued to the tv with our neighbors.

[Guest GunTroll]

Jackson WY, on the floor in my room next to my bed, hung over. My room mate was beating on the door. WE are under attack!

I joined the Army later. I have a wife. I have two boys. Life is different now.

I still cry thinking about the last ten years and the dead, the living, the changes. I remember. I will never forget.

[dats82]

I was driving to school my junior year of high school listening to the Bob and Tom show when the news broke. I can almost tell you exactly where I was. At first, they did not know it was a terrorist attack. I did not get good details until second period that day, but it did not take long to realize how significant this event would be for my generation. Calculus was first period, and the teacher proceded with lessons planned for that day. No other class that day did anything but watch the news. Our World Geography teacher told us all that we would remember that day for the rest of our lives. So far, he could not be more correct; I remember it better than I can remember last week.