Remembering 9/11

[Mike Gosnell]

25 years later, I still remember that morning.

I was a third-grader at Windber Area Elementary in Windber, PA, just over 20 miles from Shanksville, where Flight 93 would go down.

Our class watched everything unfold on TV, and throughout the morning, we were gradually dismissed from school as our parents came to pick us up. At that age, I couldn't fully comprehend what was happening, but I knew something had changed forever.

Today, I remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost, the first responders who ran toward danger, and especially the 40 passengers and crew aboard Flight 93 who lost their lives so close to my home.

25 years later, we remember. Never forget.

[Sundancekid]

Feel bad for people involved but the unnecessary carnage that resulted is equally, if not more so, appalling. The destruction of Iraq should have never had to happen.

Edited 2 hours ago by Sundancekid

[GoHorns1]

Was walking into a client office in downtown Houston when the 2nd plane hit.

[Oldest Horn]

I was in a dentist’s chair in midtown Manhattan. When I was checking out the dentist popped out and said some plane hit one of the towers, everyone kind of shrugged and thought it was some private plane gone awry. By the time I got back to our office the second plane hit and the tone got way worse. A couple of our traders were on the phone with guys in the towers who ended up not making it. Everything stopped cold. We watched the news for a few hours absolutely silent outside of some sobbing. Around noon we went a few blocks to the Red Cross to donate blood. The line was already around the block and they were sending people away. They started running trains to the burbs where every train was local and they just filled them up and sent them. We were with many people covered in dust from the collapse. 
 

As a town we were fortunate, less than two dozen died. And no one from our church or elementary school. But our church offered our cathedral to any nearby church who had capacity issues. 
 

I remember the entire region being in a walking coma for weeks. It wasn’t until Christmas season that things began to feel back to normal. 

[Hank South]

Talked to my daughter about it this morning. She was my age when it happened (5th grade). Hard to believe it's been 25 years. Never Forget 🇺🇸

[hookem1014]

I still can’t get myself to listen to the voicemails left by the victims to their family members without getting teary eyed. 

[General Grant]

My last semester at Texas. Couldn’t process hearing on radio those towers fell.  Remember all the bad info coming out. A car bomb at the state department per abc radio. 

Watching that night on tv and a police car driving down there and it looking like it was snowing from the ash. 

All those lives lost. All the heroes.  My one I always remember. Todd Beamer.  Jeremy Glick. “Let’s roll”
 

[NTX_Horn]

I was 18 going on 19.  I was asleep, and the next thing I knew, my older sister wakes me up screaming and saying  “we’re going to war”!  We went to the living room and I saw what happened on TV and my heart sank.  It was terrifying.  In 2017, I went to NYC, and I saw the memorial and it was one of the most chilling experiences of my life.  Never forget 🙏 

[Dread-headed Texan]

I remember being promoted to SGT/E-5 on September 1. Man I was so proud, I felt as if I was one step closer to my goal of becoming a Drill Sergeant. Weird, but growing up I always wanted to be a teacher, a mentor, a coach, and now my dreams were becoming a reality. So after PT, as it's said if you're on time you're late, so I headed to the motor pool. Feeling the responsibility of the weight of the rank on my shoulders, as a 21 y/o I felt the need I had to prove I was worthy. So I get to the motor pool to make sure all things are ready, plans and roles for the day are in order, and I'm ready to lead. I sat in the motor pool for almost an hour by myself. Now I'm mad, I did all of this preparation and my whole squad hasn't shown up. This is before today where everyone has a computer in their hands, so I had no idea what was going on. My girlfriend at the time called our office and told me I needed to get to Squadron. The irony of me thinking everyone was wrong, but I was the one incorrect. We were briefed and shortly after locked everything down, drew weapons, and started guarding assigned areas. I can't speak for the other branches, but in the Army nothing makes sense, you're briefed on severity based on position and duty somehow it all kind of works out. I remember thinking to myself, we were attacked from above; what is this M-4 and 5.56 gonna do? Depending on what kind of soldier you are, you either leave basic training with a hero/God complex or you just want to ride your time and fulfill your contract. After the lockdown was lifted, because I was from Port Arthur and I was stationed at Ft Polk, LA, I made the hour and half drive home and told my mom that if anyone from my division gets deployed that I would volunteer if they asked(and I did). 9/11, changed everything, I grew up that day. I never became that Drill Sergeant, I never got to train future soldiers, I now had a more important mission. I have to prepare our nation's greatest asset for the unknown and bring them home. I don't go out much nowadays, I remember how unified and connected we were back then. I don't know if the division is real or if it's an online thing but it hurts all the same to see. I miss those days and would give anything to have a unified country again❤️🇺🇸

[genevalonghorn]

Like others, I grew up in a community affected by 9/11, with untold folks who commuted in and out of the WTC every day, worked in the towers, etc.  Family members have their stories about what they saw, what they heard, what the experienced - the mail sent from the towers that they received after 9/11 from people who perished in the meantime.  I am proud to have grown up in a community near where Todd Beamer raised his family and, by chance, am now raising a family in the town where he grew up halfway across the country.

Every 9/11 has remained a somber occasion since, but in the years that have passed, there has been remarkable clarity about two things - our shared humanity and, stripped of politics, the historical greatness of this country and its people. 

Every firefighter who worked in the NY fire department deserves our thanks, not only for rushing into the towers to experience certain death, but for the men, women, and dogs who worked what became known as the "pile" at Ground Zero after, searching for every human remain and scrap, and treating it all with dignity and care.

But, as the years have passed, we have learned more about the non-uniformed folks on the upper floors who gave their lives in service of their fellow man.  The security guy for Morgan Stanley who, contrary to tower security, told all of his people to evacuate down the stairs and refused to leave until all under his care had left.  He lost his life.  And for our football fans, spend the time to watch Tom Rinaldi's vignette on Welles Crowther, the trader who dreamed of becoming a firefighter (linked below).  Crowther went up and down the upper floors multiple times to direct folks to safety.  His family would learn how Crowther perished by reading a NY Times story months later about a man with a red bandana, which he carried around wherever he went.

May we continue to remember all of these people for who they were - heroes.   

 

[4thandFive]

I pray for this country. We are all from God and made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27) and we need to treat each other like it.
 

On that day we all came together and prayed or hugged or cried or some combination. We should do that more often and remember how blessed we are to live in this country. Every gift is from God (James 1:17).

[Alex Butler]

46 minutes ago, Dread-headed Texan said:

I remember being promoted to SGT/E-5 on September 1. Man I was so proud, I felt as if I was one step closer to my goal of becoming a Drill Sergeant. Weird, but growing up I always wanted to be a teacher, a mentor, a coach, and now my dreams were becoming a reality. So after PT, as it's said if you're on time you're late, so I headed to the motor pool. Feeling the responsibility of the weight of the rank on my shoulders, as a 21 y/o I felt the need I had to prove I was worthy. So I get to the motor pool to make sure all things are ready, plans and roles for the day are in order, and I'm ready to lead. I sat in the motor pool for almost an hour by myself. Now I'm mad, I did all of this preparation and my whole squad hasn't shown up. This is before today where everyone has a computer in their hands, so I had no idea what was going on. My girlfriend at the time called our office and told me I needed to get to Squadron. The irony of me thinking everyone was wrong, but I was the one incorrect. We were briefed and shortly after locked everything down, drew weapons, and started guarding assigned areas. I can't speak for the other branches, but in the Army nothing makes sense, you're briefed on severity based on position and duty somehow it all kind of works out. I remember thinking to myself, we were attacked from above; what is this M-4 and 5.56 gonna do? Depending on what kind of soldier you are, you either leave basic training with a hero/God complex or you just want to ride your time and fulfill your contract. After the lockdown was lifted, because I was from Port Arthur and I was stationed at Ft Polk, LA, I made the hour and half drive home and told my mom that if anyone from my division gets deployed that I would volunteer if they asked(and I did). 9/11, changed everything, I grew up that day. I never became that Drill Sergeant, I never got to train future soldiers, I now had a more important mission. I have to prepare our nation's greatest asset for the unknown and bring them home. I don't go out much nowadays, I remember how unified and connected we were back then. I don't know if the division is real or if it's an online thing but it hurts all the same to see. I miss those days and would give anything to have a unified country again❤️🇺🇸

Thank you for sharing and your service! Truly a hero alongside so many others who have valiantly served our country. I agree that it is unfortunate that we’re so polarized in this country now in so many ways. 

[Alex Butler]

I was 19 and a sophomore at Arkansas. I vividly remember that day it was an absolutely gorgeous day in NW Arkansas it was cool and crisp on my walk to my comparative anatomy class with Dr. Walker from my house. My friend Sammie came into class and told me that she heard a plane had hit the WTC and we were joking thinking it was a small plane “how do you miss that”. Then Dr. Walker came in and told us what was going on and it was like a bomb went off. He told everyone we were free to go and check on folks if needed but he’d like us to stay and discuss what was going on. We had a discussion about the goal of terrorism being to disrupt and disrupt trust in society and our responsibility is to unite and over come that together. My dad was working at UT then and my mom at the Presbyterian seminary so I was very worried about an attack on the largest university in the country, the capital city in Bush’s state, and the possibility that there would be some religious attacks as well. Thankfully that was not the case. A day I won’t ever forget!

[John F.]

I was a student at UT. I lived on Riverside and for some reason I don’t remember was driving to class that day listening to Bucky and @Erin Hogan. They were talking about a plane having hit a building and starting a fire. I thought I’d be able to see it as I got close to I35, but of course there was no smoke, and right around that time they said it looked like a second plane hit the WTC. I knew that meant something big was happening so I turned around and went home and ended up glued to the TV and computer watching everything that happened until I had to go to work that night.
 

I’ve tried to explain to my daughter the shock of  that day going from not really knowing what was going on to both buildings falling, the pentagon hit, the other plane down, and all the other wild rumors and speculation that got reported. It’s impossible to convey. I think that day changed us all and our country in ways we are still reckoning with. 

[Paul L]

I was 28 years old and stationed at RAF Mildenhall.  I was on the flight line at the 29 Localizer with a special maintenance team when my wife called the shelter and told me a plane had hit the towers.  The team was sent home a few days later and my attitude in the Air Force changed.  A few weeks later I was deployed for 3 months to ( I sh!t you not) Moron, Spain just outside of Sevilla.  

[Waxahorn]

The thing I remember most was the phone call from my daughter. She was in class at UT and very upset, asking me what to do. I told her to stay in class and do whatever they said. And then I added, "Stay away from the Capitol building and the tower."

[Alex Butler]

5 minutes ago, Paul L said:

I was 28 years old and stationed at RAF Mildenhall.  I was on the flight line at the 29 Localizer with a special maintenance team when my wife called the shelter and told me a plane had hit the towers.  The team was sent home a few days later and my attitude in the Air Force changed.  A few weeks later I was deployed for 3 months to ( I sh!t you not) Moron, Spain just outside of Sevilla.  

Thank you too for your service sir!

[pinkman_90]

.

Edited 17 minutes ago by pinkman_90

[charlie990]

I was in kindergarten. I think it's interesting those around my age who remembers 9/11 and who doesn't. My wife is a year younger and she doesn't remember anything mostly because her parents didn't watch the news around the kids. My dad was travelling for work and was stuck for a few days until he rented a car and drove back with a few coworkers. A lot went on at school and this was all back in Canada. We moved to Texas a few months later.

The best man at my wedding is a year younger than my wife and he remembers 9/11 growing up in Dallas for a different set of reasons. His family is from Pakistan and they received death threats and had a cop stop by several times to check on them.

Edited 10 minutes ago by charlie990

[DanielOnorato]

Was a 7th grader in Worcester, Mass. I remember the announcement over the intercom after the first plane hit. 

We had a few students who had parents or family members flying out of Logan airport but thankfully all relatives to my classmates flights had been cancelled and all were safe. It was a scary time in our country's history. Prayers to all the innocent lives we lost that day 🙏

[pinkman_90]

1 hour ago, genevalonghorn said:

Like others, I grew up in a community affected by 9/11, with untold folks who commuted in and out of the WTC every day, worked in the towers, etc.  Family members have their stories about what they saw, what they heard, what the experienced - the mail sent from the towers that they received after 9/11 from people who perished in the meantime.  I am proud to have grown up in a community near where Todd Beamer raised his family and, by chance, am now raising a family in the town where he grew up halfway across the country.

Every 9/11 has remained a somber occasion since, but in the years that have passed, there has been remarkable clarity about two things - our shared humanity and, stripped of politics, the historical greatness of this country and its people. 

Every firefighter who worked in the NY fire department deserves our thanks, not only for rushing into the towers to experience certain death, but for the men, women, and dogs who worked what became known as the "pile" at Ground Zero after, searching for every human remain and scrap, and treating it all with dignity and care.

But, as the years have passed, we have learned more about the non-uniformed folks on the upper floors who gave their lives in service of their fellow man.  The security guy for Morgan Stanley who, contrary to tower security, told all of his people to evacuate down the stairs and refused to leave until all under his care had left.  He lost his life.  And for our football fans, spend the time to watch Tom Rinaldi's vignette on Welles Crowther, the trader who dreamed of becoming a firefighter (linked below).  Crowther went up and down the upper floors multiple times to direct folks to safety.  His family would learn how Crowther perished by reading a NY Times story months later about a man with a red bandana, which he carried around wherever he went.

May we continue to remember all of these people for who they were - heroes.   

 

I’ve watched this many times and tear up each time