Where were you 13 years ago today?

[B166er001]

I was @ the worst (yet safest) place.. Lackland afb. I had just finished @ my eye appointment, and was STARVING. Was abt to go off base for some grubbage, then bam! Gate Lockdown. I decided I'd try to go to the bk on base..not happening. Road blocks up. All cars driving wer ordered to the side with severe warning via loudspeaker. I was stuck for 2 hours. Crazy stuff.

[woxyroxme]

I was at work and someone had come in and said a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center and I assumed it was a small Cessna or something like that until we turned the TV on. I went to my second job that night and on the way home saw a long line of cars waiting at the gas station, thought that was kind of crazy.

[TKNYC]

Lived on E. 18th Street, worked on W. 25th Street at the time. I always walked to work, it was a nice 15 minute or so walk, good way to start the day. I was crossing Fifth Avenue and suddenly realized that there were a lot of sirens, people running around in a panic. I asked a woman what was happening and she said a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center.
If you are familiar with Manhattan, you may recall that looking downtown on Fifth Avenue was a perfect view of the towers. I looked and the black plume of smoke was coming out, the first plane had just hit. Got up to my office and my desk phone rang; it was my brother calling from Ohio (this was before cell phones, or before I had one anyway). He said "what the hell is going on up there?" and I replied that I didn't know, but I heard that a plane hit the WTC. He told me a second one had just hit. I was so naive, it didn't occur to me what was happening.

[Norbit282]

I was at work at Verizon when the tragedies occurred.

[tvdxer]

It was a normal day at high school and a beautiful morning. I remember having my new Sony Clie on the bus ride to school. Around 8:50 am CDT, at the end of our first period, another teacher walked in and whispered to our teacher that the Twin Towers were struck and now they're "going for the White House". She announced the news and tearfully exhorted us to "say a prayer" for the victims. In my Algebra class the teacher proclaimed to the class that the wrong man for the job was in office. I made a joke later that day that it was "like watching the History Channel...but live." Don't fault me, some people use humor to defuse tragic situations. When I got home news coverage was on virtually every channel. My father had an extremely angry tone that night, and criticized the local newscaster for a minor mistake. I rose to his defense, which made him even angrier. The local police department scrambled their radio transmissions using voice inversion. There was fear of the local Iron Range being in the crosshairs, as it was rich in strategic minerals.

[sailorgirl2007]

I was at home asleep with hubby in California. He had just come home off a six month deployment with the Navy two days prior to 9/11. We had just celebrated his birthday the night before. On the morning of 9/11 at about 7ish, my mother-in-law called to tell us to turn on the TV. Of course we were in shock. The next few days were CRAZY. Rumors circulated that my husband's ship was going to re-deploy and I didn't know if I needed to return to duty (I was active also). We spent our leave glued to the television. It was so surreal!

[30to66at55]

I remember in the days after, passing by my commuter station parking lot and seeing the cars still parked from that Tuesday. You just wondered if they were owned by those killed or perhaps police and firemen still on duty

Then after a week or more the cars still there obviously were owned by those who were killed

[ebbe]

It was a beautiful blue sky that day. I remember not being able to get phone calls though and waiting hours and hours to finally hear something. People ran from their buildings leaving their personal belongings behind (glasses, briefcases, etc.); not just the trade center, all the surrounding businesses had people fleeing. Dust and debris entered many buildings in the area.

Much time went by before one didn't feel panic at the sound of a plane flying overhead. For a very long time I would stop and listen carefully at the sound of any plane to see if it was flying too low or if it sounded too close.

[Praline]

I was in my oncologist's office getting the worst news of my life and I didn't actually know what was going on. He mentioned in passing that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center and I thought he was talking about a domestic flight. When I walked out on the streets of downtown Chicago, there was total silence. My daughter went to elementary school downtown and when I picked her up, the afterschool teacher mentioned that I was the last parent to pick up my child and said everyone else had come and gone. Then she told me what really happened. I had been feeling sorry for myself (I had a breast cancer recurrence for the second time and it was the worst one), but I immediately snapped out of it once I heard the news. I thought "At least you have a chance to fight this and those poor people are gone just like that." It truly changed my perspective.

[don1945]

I didn't have to be at work till 11 am so I was sitting on the couch watching the Today Show. My GF was getting ready to go to work herself. They broke away to go to the scene of what they thought was a small plane that had hit the tower, and I told my GF what was going on.

She passed me and started to walk down the stairs to leave when we saw the second plane hit ! I was in total shock and said "What the hell is going on ?" I yelled down to her and she was as shocked as I was.

By the time I got to work none of us could do anything but watch tv. We were sad, angry, and very confused. I remember wanting us to drop the big one on the people who did it and to turn the mid East into one very flat parking lot. I still feel the same way today.

Don