What's your memory of this day 20 years ago?

[sturt]

Solemn day.

Curious to hear stories.

[Guest]

I was the vice president of advancement (fundraising, alumni relations, marketing, etc.) at Reinhardt College back then (just outside of Canton, GA).  
I walked into the president's office and saw a small group of people watching the TV commenting about a plane that just flew into the World Trade Center.  Everyone thought it was a small single engine plane and that nothing significant was going to come of it.  
Just then the other plane hit the other tower ...
We immediately knew we had to suspend all classes, get the students into safe places (couldn't know what might happen next, or where), and begin our crisis communication plan (that we hoped we would never need).
I almost wasn't able to allow myself to think about what was actually happening.  I just had to spend the day going through my "checklists" in order to help others.  In some ways that was a benefit.  
Definitely hit me hard when I got home that night and hugged my wife and two sons.  
 

[Gray Mule]

Wife and I were shopping in a town 20 miles from home.  Someone said that a plane had hit one of the twin towers.  No further explanation.  We assumed it was a small plane and that it killed the pilot.  Later, when we got home and turned on the TV, it was hard to make myself believe.  Surely this was a horror movie I was watching, wasn't it?  

Surely this can't be real.  This means that the USA is at war.  And, we were.  Horrible then.  Still horrible.

[capstone21]

I was driving to work and for some reason I was playing a cd instead of the radio which is unusual… I stopped in a pharmacy and there was no cashier … she was in the back watching coverage … she came rushing out to check me in and told me what happened … I had no clue … I rushed over to work where we have TVs in our offices and cubes (worked for a cable network at the time) and we pretty much watched the news for a week … not much work was done.

[Spud2nique]

I was getting ready for work. Just eating breakfast and flipped on the tv. Every channel, breaking news. They kept showing footage of a plane going straight into the building. It looked absolutely fake when watching but horrific when finding out it was real. 
 

I went to work and boss and I were both in shock. Don’t remember much more, just one of the scariest things I’d ever seen and have ever seen.

Just before covid in 2019 I had gone to NY and for the first time visited the 911 memorial museum. Walking through all the pictures of the firefighters, officers and civilians was very heavy. Rip to all that were lost. 

[JayBirdHawk]

I was at work, my husband (boyfriend at the time) called and told me a plane crashed into one of the towers, I'm asking and thinking small plane, accident....while on phone he starts screaming....OMG another big plane just flew into the 2nd tower. I got off the phone and was telling my supervisor....he was nonchalant. Soon after he called me back and told me the towers fell....shock, disbelief....I went to his place for lunch and didn't go back to work that afternoon.

[lethalweapon3]

Much to recall.

I was working about 15 floors up at the still-fairly-new Atlanta Federal Center across from Five Points downtown. As the events were unfolding it was pointed out how often our complex was touted as the second-largest installation of Federal civilian employees anywhere in America, second only to... the Pentagon. Taking part in a fitness initiative to get healthier, a few of my colleagues were formally settling in for the day after climbing the fire exit stairwells together.

Thoughts of the 1993 WTC bombing, the Centennial Park bombing that was a close-call for me, and the OKC Federal bombing were swimming around in our heads, and the foreboding notion that we had The World's Busiest Airport in our backyard once we discovered these were not prop-planes. Seeking out the brave new World Wide Web of AccessAtlanta and CNN and Lycos were fruitless exercises in gleaning information on the severity of what was transpiring.

All the while, word from our DC headquarters had it sounding like we were expected to carry on with our workdays -- it was another New York Thing, we got the sense they were calculating, business as usual -- until the news of the Pentagon attack rolled in. Now, we and thousands of others were free to go, via the fire exits.

I had just been relocating belongings to my new apartment, and ignorantly saw the sudden "off-day" as a rare chance to get a bunch of loose affairs in order. Trying to transfer my long-distance service, I was passed around five times from one increasingly distracted BellSouth operator to another. While getting kicked over to their new overlords at AT&T, I nearly missed hearing the shift from elevator music to the operator greeting as the first WTC tower fall was being aired on TV. "AT&T? How may I help you?... Hello? Are you there? Hello?"

After picking my jaw up off the floor, I begged this operator not to put me back on the elevator jazz as she worked through my case. "I'm just going to put the phone down to talk with my manager," she promised, allowing me to hear the background chatter: "Girrrl, we gotta get outta here! They got one of them planes coming this way! I'm grabbing my stuff right now."

"Sir, I am terribly sorry I cannot assist you today. I don't know if you know what's going on, but there's a terrorist threat heading our way and the whole office has to leave." "I understand wholeheartedly, and thank you," I replied, "but say, just one thing... where are you folks right now?"

"We're in Cleveland," and I mustered up just enough strength to not be a smart-ass and suggest they were probably in the safest metropolis in the country at that moment. What I ignorantly didn't know yet was another hijacked airliner had been diverted to an unknown destination in the vicinity of western Pennsylvania, so their fears were quite grounded. As for me, to reach my folks who lived out of town and advise them I was fine, I had to travel on MARTA back to my old apartment downtown.

The new apartment was in College Park (RIP to Mayor Longino, btw), and the kicker sell for me, at the time, was how easy it was to get to the airport via MARTA, from locking the door to arriving at my gate within the span of a half-hour, Also, the freedom to move between terminals allowed me to treat the Airport like a nearby mall with its restaurants and shops geared toward international visitors. All of that grand plan went awry in short order.

Back on the train, I was at the last northbound stop before Five Points when a couple including a woman with her face covered stepped on and sat down. Before the bell could finish its ring, I grabbed my gear and slipped out at Garnett Station. Not today!

Walking the extra miles back home, past the AJC emergency contractors at the corners selling "AMERICA AT WAR" special edition papers, I realized how so much of what I took for granted when strolling through downtown now seemed like a feasible threat. Is the Westin hotel going to be okay? Who is flying that helicopter in the distance, and why? An unattended bag or box that would have been dismissed as litter just hours before feels like something whose vicinity would be wise to avoid.

I made it home, and called to find Mommaweapon3 had been sleeping through the whole morning, media-free. "Hi! Just checking in this morning to let you know I'm doing okay." "That's great, Lethal!," she replied groggily, Why? What's going on?" I wanted her to stay oblivious for as long as she could. "Go back to sleep, keep the TV off and don't rush to find out as you'll hear all about it later, but unfortunately, all I'll say is, the World Trade Center in New York is gone."

"It's GONE? Well, where did it GO?"

"We'll talk later. Sweet dreams, Mom."

My heart continues to go out to all those affected, and hope everyone impacted even indirectly can find some measure of peace and solace today.

~lw3

[sturt]

Thanks for indulging me, friends.

Me, I hate... hate... golf. But I was directing what I think would have been my 5th or 6th charity golf tournament in my life, and we had just had the shotgun start several minutes before. Me and some of my crew were just settling in at the small town country club's bar area, and the Today Show was on the TV screens. My attention was more directed to the conversation among us at the table, but I think I remember Matt Lauer saying to the others on the screen that there was some report that a plane had flown into one of the WTC towers, and like others I suppose, I took that to mean that probably some sleepy or drugged-up pilot in a Cessna twin-engine plane had inadvertently run into it. At least, I know enough was said--by Lauer or Ann Curry or Katie Couric or someone--to catch my attention. And incrementally over the next few minutes, we learned it was significantly more than that. I do remember being fully engaged at the moment it was said (paraphrasing) "Oh my God, another jet is hitting the other tower!!!."

The tournament went on, but naturally, most golfers didn't hang around at all after they finished, and many who were scheduled for the afternoon flight didn't show. We cancelled the dinner, but went ahead with the awards ceremony with maybe 20-30 golfers returning (my guess would be those were characterized by a high motivation to be seen in case the most politically powerful of the community showed up).

After that wrapped up, I remember the weird combination of feeling sucker punched in my gut, anxiousness about what else might still occur, and loneliness as I went from hole to hole in the golf cart picking up signage. And I remember it hitting me that I'd heard that lines for gas were long, and many places had run out, and that I wasn't sure how much gas I had in my car. (It was fine. I had enough. But it sticks in my memory that it was a big worry until I finally got out to the parking lot and turned the key.)

Had separated from my first wife about 2 months before, so I was living the single life. What a lonely, awful day. Actually, days. Life was turned upside down for about a week, iirc. Nothing was normal, and everything and everyone was on edge. Ugh.

[Guest]

Three days when the world stopped for me, due to the events themselves,  as well as the immense news coverage surrounding them...

1) Assassination of President Kennedy 

2) Challenger space shuttle exploding

3) 9/11

[bird_dirt]

I was driving to work and turned on the radio (I think Ryan Cameron was on a morning shoe then?). 

It sounded like chaos, not knowing what was happening. I remember Cameron passing on reports of unmarked black helicopters flying in DC, not knowing if they were the US's or not, reports of potential missles fired.

I worked at an art gallery and we didn't have a TV or radio or anything, so I was driving around Midtown trying to find a radio to take back to work.

After NYC, DC, and a third plane in PA, we were worried where else might get attacked. Would Atlanta because of the CDC HQ?

....

My friends and I went to NYC for New Years after that. Delta had a 24hr sale in October and we got round trip tix from Atlanta to NY for 75 bucks. Flew up New Years Eve, stayed out all night and flew back New Years Day. We went to ground zero at sunrise Jan 1 before heading to the airport. There was an old graveyard next to there and there was still so much char and ash. Memorials all around, and someone dressed as an angel. The whole thing was so surreal.

[Diesel]

I was at work.... People were gathered around a big monitor.. Minutes after I walked in.. the second plane hit.   It took my breath away. 

Even worse was when the towers fell.   Now.. I have seen some demolitions and this looked like a demolition.  They both just fell down in place.  All those lives.   All those people who thought that they were just going to work that day.   Sad. 

[hawkzlova123]

Oh but killing almost a million people in retaliation was fair. Some people die and we think it's the end of the world while there are millions dying because of us. The truth is bitter.

[EazyRoc]

I was in middle school. Sitting in a classroom trailer just surprised at it all.

[Diesel]

5 hours ago, hawkzlova123 said:

Oh but killing almost a million people in retaliation was fair. Some people die and we think it's the end of the world while there are millions dying because of us. The truth is bitter.

You mean war?

You're right war is not fair.  Or is it?  Instead of sending in troops, the US could have just dropped bombs. 2 Nukes to be precise.   It would have wiped out all of our enemies and enemies to come... but in fairness, the U.S. sent in troops.  Putting more lives in harms way.  Instead of sending troops, the US could have sent drones... No human lives wasted.   But instead, in fairness, they sent troops to preserve human life. 

My question to you Hawkzlova123... is how do you fairly respond to an act of terrorism?

 

Do you do nothing?

Do you send over a nice letter telling the terrorist to please stop?

Do you pay them to leave you alone?

War is hell. 

[sturt]

(Please please avoid taking this thread beyond its intended guardrails, folks. There's another board for the aftermath and political angles, if you'd like. The mods have been kind enough to not get fussy, and leave it here for the community to share memories of that day, and I appreciate that. I know I'm not alone.)

[sturt]

On 9/12/2021 at 2:37 AM, EazyRoc said:

I was in middle school. Sitting in a classroom trailer just surprised at it all.

That had to be that much harder to wrap your head around at that age (?).

[frosgrim]

I was in graduate school at UConn.  When the first plane hit the WTC, my major prof and I found a small tv to see what was going on.  We we were in shock.  Then the second plane hit and we heard a scream from down the hall. One of my fellow grad student's husband worked on one of the floors that got hit by the second plane (sorry don't remember the floor number).  She was inconsolable.  Many of us knew people in NYC and many that worked in the WTC complex.  

I had to teach a class at 10 AM (I think) and I remember walking to class thinking teaching was the last thing on my mind.  Then a big white delivery truck parks right in front of my at Gampell Pavilion, and I think this could be a suicide bomber. 

Once I got to class the students and I just talked about the situation.  No teaching that day.  As I walked back across campus I could hear Amazing Grace being played on bagpipes.  As I got to my department's building, one of my fellow grad students, who served in the Marines, had his full dress kilt on and was playing the bagpipes. He stood out there for five or six hours playing. He was joined by other musicians at times over the day. 

I had to pick up my six year old from school and talking to her about the attack was awful.  But my wife and I were glued to CNN. It was simply horrible to see and watch, but we felt compelled. I remember deep sadness, anger, fear, and horror from that day.  To top it off my wife's mother died the year before on Sep 11, so she was already in a bad space.

Epilogue: The grad student whose husband worked in the WTC survived.  Their coffee maker broke that morning, so he went to the bottom floor to buy coffee for all the junior traders in the office. He was waiting on the elevator to back up when the first plane hit. 

[AHF]

When 9/11 hit, I was working over 20 floors up in the Peachtree Towers in downtown Atlanta.  I remember being at a computer plugging away on research for a brief when the first plane hit.   Like many others here, I heard someone mention it but didn't really stop what I was doing.  More thought it was kind of crazy that some amateur pilot had been flying close enough to crash into it.  Got up about 10 minutes later and went to the bathroom and stopped by the TV that had a group of people in the office watching and figured out this was a much more massive plane than I'd assumed.  A few minutes of watching the terrible aftermath of the first strike led to the horrific image of a second plane striking the second tower.  That was followed soon after by the collapse of the Southern and Northern towers.

It was tough to process.  Grief and horror and anger all mixed up in a single package.  I called my wife and told her I loved her and was happy to hear that she was going to be heading home.  By the time the third plane struck the Pentagon and reports of a fourth plane being downed in Pennsylvania were coming through, the head of the office made the call that we were all going to grab our work and head home.  I gathered my computer and papers together and headed down to a congested parking deck where I and a 100 or so other cars slowly made our ways out while listening to details unfold on the radio.  Part of what was on our minds were reports that the CDC could be a  high priority target which could implicate a host of different issues very close to home.  But we were hardly alone in wondering what might be a target.  Sites like the Sears Tower were being evacuated all over the US for fear that they too would be targeted in the attacks.

Like most of us, we were transfixed by the media reports throughout the day and the collective feeling of loss and bewilderment that an attack like this had taken place in our home.  Seeing reports of cell phone calls and messages sent out by the passengers gave concrete form to how we imagined it must be like for those unfortunate enough to be trapped on one of the hijacked planes.  Later that night I would find out that a relative had lost on the flight that struck the Pentagon.  

I think LongTimeFan said it well when he talked about the world stopping on that day.  It certainly felt like that for me.