I remember exactly where I was when I got the phone call that a plane had hit the trade center. I was at Paloma Ranch in Gila Bend checking cotton fields. I just thought it was a plane crash. Then the radio reports started, and I began to get a sick feeling that it was something bigger. It was a very clear day, and the airliners were all pulling contrails across the sky. As the FAA forced the planes to land at the nearst airport the white lines in the sky got fewer and fewer until they were completely gone. In a matter of several hours there wasnt a single civilian aircraft above the United States. That was very eiry to me. The events that happened throughout the rest of the day were sureal. I couldnt believe it was happening. Alone in my truck on the side of a cotton field, I wept as the buildng came down, and all those people lost there lives. I love this country and the people that make it great. Lets fly our flag on this September 11th.
I was driving down Oak Creek Canyon to Sedona and could not wait to find a TV. I can not share any of my beliefs on this website. But all I could think is they are doing us on our own ground. When all we ever hear is this can not happen to us. For years I acted like there was no Viet Nam in my life. After 9/11, I never shut up about how glad I was to be a part of Viet Nam. These people will never let us be free with out 'Fighting For It'.
I built a heavy galvanized pipe to hold my High Quality Flag. There is always so much wind here in Flagstaff. I put up my Flag for every occasion and leave it up for the entire week end. My Flag is everything to me. So I do not let it be ruined by Bad Weather.
I remember I was at home at the time. The tortous looks on people's faces as they ran running and screaming was horrible. I felt bad for everyone who lost family members and friends. I remember having the same sick feeling in my stomach as the day when President Kennedy was assasinated.
There are people, terrorists and governments who seek to take our freedoms away. I think both of you, Jerry and Louis have good ideas concerning flying of the flag. I wish we could all show our pride, patriotism and thankfulness for all the sacrifices the servicemen and women as well as civilians have made for our country. Blood has been shed, lives and families forever changed so that we can fly our flag at every opportunity.
Carol
I still can't forget. I was already up at 5am, and I had been watching the news on Fox, my daughter Jenna was rumbling around getting ready to go to her physology class, and I was standing behind the couch, when I heard the news and saw the first tower, then the second impact. I told Jenna, this is unreal,this can't be happening, it looked as if it was in a movie for special effects, until the broadcast indicated that the towers of the trade center have been struck by passenger planes. I could only feel an eerie-ness over me, an empty awe, and helplessness when it happened and hoped that the people in the buildings would get out. After the initial mental impact, I then realized that the business insurance for a client I was working on with 4 insurance companies in the second tower on that day had disappeared (I found out from the brokerage here) due to the initial impact. Then as the morning unfolded, you know the rest and to not forget the trajedy that happened that day. I hope the rest of the country has not forgotten, or give a 'lets move on' attitude, I feel we were very lucky that day, as I feel it could have been much worse, it changed the world and the way we commute forever, and with all those that hate us, we can't let our guard down.
Things really changed after 9/11. Vigilence has paid us dividends, as our homeland has remained safe the last 8 yrs. I'm thankful to those who look out for our safety. I'm participating in an flying excercise this weekend involving F-16 intercepts and security training that would have been unheard of prior to 2001. We can sleep, because there are those who dont.
A male friend called me about 8am, crying. At first I couldn't make out what he was talking about, but as he talked, a horrible fear filled me. I rushed to the TV and stayed glued there for most of the next few days.
Today is the 8th anniversary of that tragic day, and as I look around me and see safe skies and streets, I too am grateful that there are those who do not sleep so that I might.
I was home with my daughter, safe and sound while watching the devastation unfold. I was grateful to be with my daughter as we sat close together watching the unbelievable mayhem. Perhaps I was niave, but I did not have a sense of fear that anything would happen to our country beyond what we were witnessing. It was much like during the time of the Viet Nam war; I was far removed from the reality. As time has passed the impact of 911, and many other tragic events, has become powerful, almost overwhelming.
I am immensely grateful to all those who have kept and do now keep our country safe and provide our wondeful quality of life. Inspite of the negative aspects of today's society I still consider myself very fortunate to live in the USA and to benefit from all it has to offer.
I was driving to work in Virginia and had the radio on. It reminded me of the day when the space shuttle Challenger blew up because I heard the first report of that on the radio driving to work and in both cases the announcers were just sort of confused as to what they were seeing and hearing at first. All I heard was that there was a fire in the World Trade Center, but when I got to the office I found someone had a TV on. I started to freak because my daughter worked in New York for a Wall Street firm. Just then she called me, though, to ask if I had seen and heard the reports. Thank goodness she did, because soon the phone lines became overloaded and we wouldn't have heard from her again for days. As people arrived at the office, we were increasingly glued to the television, and the biggest shock was when we heard that the Pentagon had been hit, just a few miles away from us. The rumors started to fly that there would be more targets in Washington, so we closed down the office and went home. My daughter slept on a friend's sofa in Manhattan that night and walked back to her apartment in Brooklyn the next day. After that, she couldn't wait to find a new job and get out of the city.
