Getting to Know You - September 11

[Ann]

Since this day is so close to our hearts, I thought maybe you would like to tell us what you remember most about 9-11-2001.

[Don Wood]

The collapse of the twin towers -- played over and over again.

[Ry]

Well of course I remember in detail how things evolved that day and most of it I choose not to think about. The thing though that was memorable following it was the planes being grounded. We live in a flight path so planes are always in the sky when you look up. I remember sitting outside and there wasn't one plane, one light anywhere except stars. It was just eerie...

[TracyD]

I remember sitting on the floor playing with my daughter Alex, who was one month old, when the phone rang. It was my neighbor calling to tell me to turn on the TV, and when I did I saw the pictures of the Towers coming down. My first thought was that I had to get to school and get my other children home safe and sound because I just didn't know what was happening. It was all so scary.

[Ann]

In 2001, I was working at Target and was at work when everything happened. Our store manager called the management team in for a briefing but asked us not to mention the news to our customers, as we had no idea how closely people might be affected or how they would react. Also, we didn't know at the time if other areas were targeted. That day was pretty much a blur to me and there were few answers until I got home and planted myself in front of the television. That night, I was afraid to go to sleep. Sweet Dennis sat up all night monitoring the news and promised to wake me if there was anything new. Even thought I was scared to death about the attacks on our country, I felt secure knowing Dennis was there for me.

[RandyW]

My sister works in NJ Hospital and Her Boyfriend Now her Hubbiw was sitting in Traffic Just outside the inbound tube to NYC, when the Towers fell. He was 20 minutes Late for a meeting. IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER!!!!!!!!!!!

[Larry]

I would have to say that my first thought's was one of unbelief. It seem's like it was one right after another, first it was Waco, then it was the muier Bldg in Oklahoma City and now this.Later on while watching it on TV i still wanted it to be unreal but alas it was'nt. I was so proud of us as American's how we all seemed to come together and how was we to know that in just a few short year's we would have supposedly intelligent people trying to blame it on our Goverment. And i think what bothered me more than anything was how some of the Victim's families complained about not recieving enough money. But let me end it here with the idea that maybe today we as American's can in Memory of all those who died can come together once again and pray for the Victim's and there families.....

[mamasbabygirl]

I remember the fear that I felt. My boss gave me the play by play via an online newscast. When my boss asked if I was OK, I remember saying that I just wanted to be with my kids.

[sharyn]

I was working at an elementary school at the time. I remember going into total LOCK DOWN mode... security was heightened and the phones just kept ringing with parents wanted to get their children home safe and quickly. My own children were at a different school... I carried on through the day tending to all the needs of everyone around me and attended a CRISIS TEAM meeting directing us how to help the children cope... I was on Auto-pilot all day. When I finally got home, I pulled into the driveway and totally broke down - ran into the house and wouldn't stop hugging my own kids... the reality slammed me in the face. My husband is a fire-fighter and it truly was that day, that one day, that made me appreciate what he does each and every day. God Bless Us All and may those who perished Rest In Gods Hands.

[gail p-m]

I was on my way to work when I heard that the FAA had grounded all flights. For a moment, I thought there was some sort of catastrophic radar failure. Then I heard about the Twin Towers. i immediately wondered if my brother and his son were safe cause my brother works in the vicinity and my nephew goes to school near there. Here I was in B.C. Tried calling my father repeatedly to check up on my relatives when I got to work but couldn't get through. Then the kids were coming to school. So I asked my husband to keep calling and he called me a while later and told me they were okay. My brother was on his way to a meeting a couple of blocks from the Twwin Towers and had just come up from a subway to see people racing -the other way -- and hearing police tellling people to get out of the city. My nephew actually saw people jumping from the Twin Towers. Needless to say, he had some heavy emotions to deal with for awhile. A couple of years later, he was interviewed on Dateline about his experience. So there's my story of Sept. 11th. Was I glad to get home that day!

gail p-m

[gail p-m]

I was on my way to work when I heard that the FAA had grounded all flights. For a moment, I thought there was some sort of catastrophic radar failure. Then I heard about the Twin Towers. i immediately wondered if my brother and his son were safe cause my brother works in the vicinity and my nephew goes to school near there. Here I was in B.C. Tried calling my father repeatedly to check up on my relatives when I got to work but couldn't get through. Then the kids were coming to school. So I asked my husband to keep calling and he called me a while later and told me they were okay. My brother was on his way to a meeting a couple of blocks from the Twwin Towers and had just come up from a subway to see people racing -the other way -- and hearing police tellling people to get out of the city. My nephew actually saw people jumping from the Twin Towers. Needless to say, he had some heavy emotions to deal with for awhile. A couple of years later, he was interviewed on Dateline about his experience. So there's my story of Sept. 11th. Was I glad to get home that day!

gail p-m

[kamataca]

I had just flown home the day before from a vacation...and was angry that I didn't get to stay another day. I was teaching preschool, and my daughter was in second grade. I wondered all day what I would say to her when I picked her up. She goes to a Catholic school, so they had been at church to pray throughout the day. She had a very grounded understanding of what happened.

We live in OKC, and many of our friends were affected by the Murrah bombing, so it was a very eerie feeling here. I remember being on the playground, a few days later when the first plane flew overhead...it was a military plane. It felt so strange...

Kelly

[Littlegirl]

I was working in a large telecommunications office here in Missouri on 9/11. We had TV's on every floor that were on everyday with CNN or some news program, not loud enough to disturb anyone working but there just to keep us in the loop with what was going on in the world. Of course when the second plane hit most of the employees gathered round the TV to see what was going on. What sticks in my mind that day was that our Senior Manager came out of her office and was instructing the employees to move away from the TV and return back to their desks to work and had even threatened to turn off the TV. Even if she did not think we were directly affected (wasn't everyone in the US affected???), all of our customers were businesses from the NY area so we were concerned for them and unable to get any work done as we could not communicate with any of them. That speaks volumes about the type of person she was.

Karen

[myrnalu]

I was visiting my son in NJ.He was at work.I watched it alone through tears.I live in NY,2 hrs from NYC.

When my son got home from work I just held him and we cried together.I thanked him for coming home from work as so many didnt that day.

I called my other 3 children just to sat I love you.

[bunny]

the face of the stranger who caught me, when my knees buckled as I watched the 2nd plane hit on a big screen in the middle of Times Square.

and the smell.