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

[Karnage]

I was in a barber shop waiting to get a haircut. A lady from one of the stores next door runs in and says you guys need to turn on the TV. We saw the smoke coming from the first tower. My first thought was that plane must have had some huge mechanical problem. I mean how else could a plane hit such a huge building especially when there was not a cloud in the sky. When I saw the second plane hit it was painfully obvious that it was no accident. Like everyone else I spent the rest of the day glued to the television. I have had the opportunity to train with some NYPD HIDTA guys since then. Their office is just a few blocks from WTC. To hear their experiences of that day is gut wrenching. I remember feeling very helpless. A group of officers from my department, who were also trained as firefighters, volunteered to go to NYC to help but we were told we were not needed. Which made me feel even more helpless as all I could do was watch the recovery on TV.

[BimmerFreak]

I was in Portland Oregon on business that morning.

Got a call from the client I was meeting, and he told me to turn on the news.

We met at Starbucks 45 minutes later and everyone there was in shock, just sorta sitting there, not really knowing what to do or say.

I called back to California to find out my unit had been put on alert, so upon hearing all flights were grounded, I drove my rental car 600 miles to get home and report to my unit.

Shortly after, we were headed over to Operation Enduring Freedom to as I explained to my daughter (who was 4 at the time) that Daddy had to leave her to "go get the bad guys"

RIP to all that perished 10 years ago, and to all that have paid the ultimate price in the 10 years following.

[ls3_kid]

7th Grade at Ooltewah Middle School in Mrs. Thurman's math class sitting next to a girl named Lauren Westfall who is unfortunately dead now.

[TN Outlaw]

i was 9 years old sitting at home with my grandma babysitting my little cousin we sat there and watched as the second plane struck i remember it all like it was yesterday...

[Guest Revelator]

Was living in Atlanta, GA, going to work that morning and also waist-deep in preparing for the law school admission test. I lived downtown and could walk to my job, and I found out when I got to work about 9:30.

I especially remember the days and weeks afterward. It was really all anyone talked about. It was on everyone's mind, every second. I don't remember too many jokes being told, or people complaining about the mundane, everyday stuff in their lives. I gave blood and money to the Red Cross.

A few days later my old man sent me an email that I kept for years, but that unfortunately got deleted somehow. In it he said the United States would rise from the ashes of the towers like a vengeful phoenix, that our military might would descend on those responsible. He said the U.S. should assasinate Yassir Arafat, and he'd like to see President Bush go to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem the way Kennedy went to the Berlin Wall in Germany.

Like a lot of other people probably, I'm still mad about it. Still mad that a small group of terrorists almost perfectly carried out a plan that could have been devised by a child, and that killed so many and has caused this country to spend trillions. I manage the anger by reminding myself that, despite her imperfections, I live in the greatest country in the world. A country with more opportunities than anywhere else. America is still a place where a person raised in poverty can become a millionaire, or even President. My wife was in high school in Colombia on 9/11/01. Four years later she was here in the U.S., and now she speaks fluent English, will be a citizen next year, and makes almost as much in a month as the average person makes in a year in her home country. We can all do our part each day to keep our country strong; let's not forget that.

[Caster]

Sitting at my lathe in a machine shop I was working in at the time. We were listening to the radio. We always listened to G.Gordon Liddey and Dave Ramsey. I was actually not surprised at all. Many in the shop were in awe and shock but I told the guy at the machine next to me, "The only thing I'm surprised about is that it hasn't happened sooner."

[Builder Bob]

I was at work in Clarksville, TN at the restoration of the historic courthouse after the tornado damage. My wife called and said that there was a plane that hit the WTC. At first we heard it was a small plane but later learned it was no accident. I remember there were police officers on every corner downtown for the rest of the day and several following.

It was so surreal, I remember only seeing one other plane in the air that afternoon after hearing everything was grounded, flying so high it could be barely seen.

Like others anger, sorrow for those lost, outrage etc. repeat.

Thank you to each of you that have served, are serving and the the families of those that gave the ultimate sacarifice, both military and first responders!

[Spook]

I was in my office in Northern Virginia. There were other sites near the Pentagon that were considered targets so we were sent home. I was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles the next day on the same flight that hit the Pentagon. My mother thought it was that day and was frantic trying to reach me but phone service was overloaded for a while. I told my colleague at the time that our way of life had just changed. I remember finding it so hard to believe (sometimes still) that the two World Trade Center towers no longer exist. The stories of bravery that day continue to inspire me.

[jcj]

I was at home when the first plane hit. The second plane hit as I was on my way to class at Roane State.

When I got to class, we all sat in almost complete silence for the first few minutes. The professor finally announced we weren't going to do any work that day. We all gathered around a TV with students and teachers from other classes and watched the CNN coverage for the rest of the morning.

[Tedro2022]

I lived in Jackson Tn at the time, was on my way to a martial arts class. No one showed up for class and I didn't know why. On the drive back to my apartment I heard that a plane had struck the first tower. Just before I got back home, they announced that a plane had hit the second tower.

I remember going to work and opening the store but listening to the radio all day to find out the details.

The mall shut down early that day and I walked over to the recruiting station. Was honest with all the recruiters when they asked about medical conditions (asthma) and they told me it'd be better if I didn't join.

Have regretted that decision ever since.

10 years later I still wish I had taken the "other road."

To this day I thank every member of the military that I come across for their bravery and their service.

[Mdunntn]

I was in sixth grade sitting in my home room. None of us really understood what was going on. Watching the program on history channel showing the planes hit and buildings collapsing and all the stories and footage really astounded me. At 11 years old we just didn't understand.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

[Guest pfries]

Turning left off of Gratiot ave. in Detroit MI heading to a job site second plane hit as I pulled in.

I will never forget it, unfortunatley Detroit is tied to that memory.

[bluedog]

In my second day of work at a Chick-fil-A west of Atlanta. I had just failed out of Georgia Tech and the girl I thought I'd marry had just dumped me. I was doing what I could to pick up the pieces of my screwed up life, living with my grandparents. I realized very quickly I had no right to pity myself.

We didn't have a tv or radio, so our only news sources were phone calls and the few customers who came through. The place was dead. There was so much speculation and rumors were rampant. We put the massive flag at half-mast and closed the store early that afternoon.

The memories that stand out to me were how quiet it was with no planes in the air, every tv and radio station was showing the news, every church had signs that they were open for prayer, the looks on the dust and ash covered faces of those walking home in Manhattan, and Bush and Giuliani's eloquence when we needed it the most.

God bless America!

[M4sherman]

I was at home sleeping when my mother came and woke me up. about the time I was infront of the telly the second plane hit and thats an image you wont forget. My father was delivering a couple of APC to a military base that day and he said he was in shock of the mobilization that was taking place

[Guest WyattEarp]

I was 21 at the time, I was riding my bike to work (because at the time I had no car, and I was trying to get in shape). I was flying high as a kite, as on Sept 10, 2001, I had just enlisted in the US Army to be an Air Traffic Controller. I was crossing I-70 in Blue Springs, MO when about 9 or 10 F-15's went haulin' ass east, and they did break the sound barrier, about scared me off my bike. Right away I knew something was up because no military planes hardly ever break the sound barrier over populated area's. Got to work at the Saturn dealership I was detailing cars at, and the building was open, but no one was around. Went in the breakroom and everyone was huddled around the tv, watching the first tower burning, then live tv captured the 2nd plane flying into the other tower, then we saw both towers collapse an hour or so later.

My decision to enlist was reinforced that day, and my heart swelled with pride at my decision. I was angered too, buncha ****ing cowards to attack innocent civilians. I don't think I'd be so mad if they had just attacked Military installations, but they aren't exactly stupid either, because they knew military installations would be heavily defended with SAM sites and anti-aircraft artillery, but to attack innocent civilians just made my blood boil.

[gunrunner32]

I was sitting in German class in High School, I want to say 11th grade. I spend that class getting the teacher to drop being a teacher for the day so we could listen to what was going on. 10 years later I'm out hunting...

[Guest Old goat]

I was at work, first thing I heard was it was a missle. Finally found something on the radio, then called my wife. At that time she worked for the same company I did just in the home office. They were watching it.

[Mr. Brooks]

I was in class, my senior year of high school. I left for basic training as soon as I graduated.

[Worriedman]

I was coming back on the early morning flight out of Green Bay via Detroit. I got into Memphis, drove back to Jackson in time to walk into the office and see the second plane hit the tower. A fellow PM and I seeing what had happened, knew the buildings were going to come down.

I work at the same firm Old Goat does, I remember everyone sitting in the main conference room in shock.

[herr.baer]

I was working at a building inside the DC beltway. From the roof we could see the smoke plume from the Pentagon. It was not a good feeling at all.

[LazyAce]

I was working for a mobil home factory so all we could do was listen on the radio. I didn`t get to see any of it until I got home from work that afternoon. Will never forget.

[bajabuc]

I was sitting at my computer getting ready for my day and one of the chatters said..."ooops...some idiot flew into one of the Trade Center Towers in New York." My immediate reaction was...it's daylight...that's no accident, and I turned on my TV. I didn't go to work.

As the day rolled along, and the toll mounted, I thought...WTF would do that to us? After it was realized that 19 of the suiciders were Saudis I figured we were headed to Saudi and kick some ass...funny how that didn't happen.

Edited September 12, 2011 by bajabuc

[peejman]

I was at work when I overheard someone across the office say a plane had crashed into the WTC. I assumed it was a small private plane and went on with what I was doing. A minute or two later another coworker mentioned it and said it was a big plane, like an airliner. That got my attention, and I went back to my desk.

When I got to my desk, I found about a dozen people crowded around our supplier rep's desk. Since he wasn't a company employee, he had a "non-censored" internet connection and could watch video. I spent the next hour looking over his shoulder watching coverage on CNN.com.

After the 2nd plane hit I called my wife (at home) and told her to turn on the TV. Within about 10 mins her grandparents arrived, totally unaware. Their house was 2 hours away. They'd driven to an apple farm not far from our house, and decided to just drop by for a few minutes. They spent most of the afternoon watching the TV coverage with my wife. I think that was a little divine intervention so she didn't have to watch things transpire alone. I was grateful for that.

I remember it was a crisp, clear fall day. I remember it being eerily quiet and noticing the sky strangely devoid of contrails.

Edited September 12, 2011 by peejman

[TerryW]

My wife and I were sitting on the couch watching the toob enjoying coffee on our first anniversary. Being both of us work for the airlines and a friend was supposed to be flying an American Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles we sat in horror. Luckily for our friend, he was on vacation.

September 12 was the strangest day for us, not a plane in the sky, not a plane moving at the airport right next to us and not even a contrail in the sky. For the first time in my life I missed jet noise. I've been around airplanes since I was a small child and from 9-11-2001 I said to myself that I will never will get annoyed by an airplane's noise ever again.

[LagerHead]

I was at work in Clarksville, TN at the restoration of the historic courthouse after the tornado damage. My wife called and said that there was a plane that hit the WTC. At first we heard it was a small plane but later learned it was no accident. I remember there were police officers on every corner downtown for the rest of the day and several following.

It was so surreal, I remember only seeing one other plane in the air that afternoon after hearing everything was grounded, flying so high it could be barely seen.

Like others anger, sorrow for those lost, outrage etc. repeat.

Thank you to each of you that have served, are serving and the the families of those that gave the ultimate sacarifice, both military and first responders!

I was at work in Clarksville, across the street from the restoration of the historic courthouse after the tornado damage. Small world, huh? I worked for the Montgomery County Information Systems at the time and installed the network there and in many of the county buildings. I was on my way up 2nd Street going to work when my wife called and told me about the first plane. Like many of you I thought how strange it was that a plane would hit such a large building. Then the second plane hit and I knew what we all knew - that terrorists had just successfully attacked us on our own soil. And like most of you I still get choked up when I see the events recounted on TV today.