8 years ago today...

[texas*princess]

It's so crazy how vividly I can remember 9/11, but I can't even remember what I wore a week ago.

I remember it was a Tuesday. I didn't wake up in time for my 8 am class, so I figured I would go to my 9:30 class which was Poli-Sci. I got to class a few minutes before class started and our professor wasn't there yet. My friend Michelle - who I had known since Jr. High- sat in front of me in Poli-Sci class. As soon as I sat down, she said "Did you hear?" And I asked "hear about what?" "The planes.." she said and just in that moment my professor hurriedly walked in. He was an older man - tall & skinny with white hair. He had this weird crazy look in his eyes and before my friend Michelle could say anything else or finish her sentence, he told us to get our belongings because we were going to the student union building.

No one said a word on our way to the Union. I still didn't fully understand what was going on.

When we got to the Union, all of the people who were normally hanging out there playing pool or just hanging out were all gathered in a room. The TV there wasn't working, so everyone sat there silently listening to the radio over the speakers. We heard when the towers fell.

I remember my professor saying "this is going to be a war" over and over. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was a college sophomore then, and I had so many HS friends of mine that joined the military out of high school. People were crying.. it was pretty surreal.

That afternoon I went into the college radio station for my DJ shift. What was normally a fun experience was so awkward. What the hell do I do? What do I say? We didn't play music. We had a feed from a sister station that was all-news. I'd cut out occasionally for commercials or to do the time/temp/station ID. I remember after 9/11 being handed a list of songs I couldn't play on the radio due to the senstivity of the whole 9/11 thing. It was just so weird.

That night, there was a social in my residence hall. I was an RA and helped plan it with another RA.

Instead of doing the activities that we had planned for our social event, we gathered around the TV and watched G.W. Bush's speech. There were so many tears. We were near a military base and I think everyone there knew at least one or two people that would be shipped off.

It was a really sad day.

[Boodleboy322]

We have similar stories:

I remember that day clearly. I got up a little late as well and was headed to class. I still remember what I was wearing that day. I wore my black Phi Mu Alpha Polo and Khaki Ralph Lauren shorts to class. I left my dorm room, an apartment style dorm where you open the door and you're outside, that morning and was walking to my history class when I came across Clyde the custodian in the parking lot of the residence hall. He began telling me about some planes crashing. I too was running a little late and figured it was just some type of small private plane, like a Cessna, so I pressed on. I got to class a few minutes late and the lecture had already begun but I didn't hear anyone mention anything about what was happening. After class I headed out to the student union because I needed to turn in some paperwork to the student org office on behalf of our chapter of Phi Mu Alpha. When I walked into the union I saw a lot of students glued to the television sets like it was a scene from some type of movie. When I realized what was happening I was just in shock. In light of the event, the university ended up closing at noon that day so students could go home. One of my fraternity brothers that knew I was a weekend warrior in the Air National Guard called me up that afternoon and asked if I'd meet him at the local college bar. As I walked through campus and headed out towards the bar I remember seeing a guy seated on a bench playing a trombone. He looked kind of like a hippie with a beard and baseball hat and played very solemn, calm, almost weeping style music through his trombone. He was unaccompanied and seemed to be playing for himself. I got to the bar and saw my fraternity brother. We hung out and talked about the 9/11 event, war and wondered where the country would go next.

Check out this 9/11 conspiracy clip. You may need to cut and paste the link and put it on your browser.

http://www.freedomunderground.org/me...tagon.php#Main


Regards,

Boodleboy322

Originally Posted by texas*princess

It's so crazy how vividly I can remember 9/11, but I can't even remember what I wore a week ago.

I remember it was a Tuesday. I didn't wake up in time for my 8 am class, so I figured I would go to my 9:30 class which was Poli-Sci.

[EtaPhiZTA]

We had just started back to school the Thursday before 9/11. I was teaching second grade at the time. One of my volunteer mothers Lori, who I knew very well came into my classroom right before 8:00. Her husband was a pilot for American Airlines and he was also a member of their crisis team. Her face was white; I asked her what was wrong and she confided in me that her husband had just gotten a call to report to work because one of their planes had just hit one of the World Trade Center towers. Something in her voice told me that this was more than an accident.

Shortly after 8:00, my principal came over the intercom and called for a "Code Red" lockdown in our school. I had to lock my students, Lori, and myself into my classroom, close the blinds over our windows, and take attendance which would be sent to the office. I was then to continue teaching "as normal." Our principal then told all teachers to not turn on televsions or radios in our classroom and to log in to our computer for an email message that would be coming shortly.

My students understandably became alarmed during our Code Red. I reminded them of the fire drill we had just had the day before and explained that we were practicing a different type of safety drill. I remember changing my schedule to allow the students time to do their learning centers so that I could monitor the computer for the message my principal had promised.

Finally, about twenty minutes later, I received the email. The teachers were informed about the two planes hitting the World Trade Center and the fear that this was an act of terrorism. We were reassured that Chicago and its suburbs did not appear to be a target, but that we would continue a modified Code Red lockdown for the rest of the day. We were told to keep the blinds closed and that students would not be allowed outside for recess or p.e. classes. However, we were now free to move around in the building -- this was a big relief because as soon as the lock down was called, my students all decided they needed to use the restroom.

I continued my day as "normally" as I could with my students. When lunch time finally came, I was able to go to the school office to find out more about the situation. At that time, I found out about the plane that hit the Pentagon and Flight 93 which went down in Pennsylvania. During this time, I also heard that the White House was on fire, which of course turned out to not be true.

Going back to spend the afternoon with my students after finding out all of this information was very difficult. The decision was made by my school district administration that we were not to share information about what had happened with our elementary students; that delicate task was left to their parents.

I remember leaving school immediately after getting word that all of our school buses had made it safely back to the transportation department. I went home and sat in front of the television watching the news coverage for hours. I remember sitting and crying but not being able to pull myself away. I kept praying that an announcer would come on and explain that this was all a mistake and that none of it had really happened.

It was very difficult teaching in the classroom on September 11th; however, it became even more difficult in the days that followed because my students were confused and wanted an explanation of why these terrible things had happened.

Being in my classroom yesterday on the eighth anniversary of September 11th, it struck me how odd it was that none of my students have actual memories of 9/11. They were all born after that day. The students know only what they have been told. My school had our first spirit day of the year and asked students to dress in red, white and blue to recognize Patriot Day. The principal started the day with a reading to commemorate the anniversary over the intercom followed by a moment of silence. During the day, I read the book On That Day, A Book of Hope for Children to my class to discuss why we celebrate Patriot Day. We followed the story up with a social studies lesson from our curriculum about what we can do to be good citizens.

[AOII_LB93]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

Did you all have school that day? How did you all handle it?

We did have school, but in the interest of keeping it calm-ish, a lot of us decided not to have our TVs on to watch the coverage, because we really didn't know what was going to be shown.

It was a rough day, I remember that much.

[em_adpi]

I was in San Antonio in my 8th grade math class when my principal came over the intercom and asked all the teachers to turn off radios and TVs. Of course, several of them turned them on... at that point, we all thought it was a commuter plane.

I ran down the hall to my old science teacher's room in time to see the plane crash into the North tower. My father had only been out of the Air Force about four years at that point but still worked on an Air Force base, and I was concerned that he would be reactivated. Maybe that was silly to think, but I was 13 years old and no one would tell us anything. My mother also worked in the Medical Center, where there were rumors of bomb threats.

I remember friends' parents coming to say goodbye as their military units were activated for one reason or another. It was complete and utter chaos - no one knew exactly what was happening.

Both of my parents were there to pick us from school that day, only to have to go to the hospital because my grandmother had fallen and shattered her elbow on another Air Force base in town. The hospital was insane because San Antonio was on alert to receive patients from NYC and D.C. - this was before we knew that there wouldn't be any.

While it was comforting to see my parents, I remember the main voice of comfort for me was Laura Bush. She addressed the children in the nation, reminding us that while things were kind of messy at the moment, that the adults were doing everything they could to keep us safe.

I visited Ground Zero during my trip to NYC for Christmas 2007. Words cannot express what I felt standing there, remembering my last trip to NYC in 1997. I remember driving by the WTC and asking to go up to the Observation Deck, but my mom said we would go the next time we were there. Little did we know that it would be another 10 years or that they would be gone.

[chickenoodle]

Originally Posted by em_adpi

I visited Ground Zero during my trip to NYC for Christmas 2007. Words cannot express what I felt standing there, remembering my last trip to NYC in 1997. I remember driving by the WTC and asking to go up to the Observation Deck, but my mom said we would go the next time we were there. Little did we know that it would be another 10 years or that they would be gone.

I have family in NY so NYC has always had a special place in my life. I actually had the pleasure of going up to the Observation Deck many years ago. It truly was an amazing experience.

On the day of the attack, I was in high school. I could tell something serious happened, but the faculty was instructed to not discuss it and to carry on with our lessons. On my way home (which was a 2 hour commute) I heard bits and pieces of what happened. I lived by Miami International Airport (busy place, lots of traffic in that area) and it was very quiet all day. (I think it was another week before they permitted aircraft to fly from MIA. I remember watching the first flight leave from MIA, eight years later.) By the time I got home at 6pm, the news was buzzing with all kinds of info on the events.

When I watched the footage of the planes crashing into the tower, my mouth dropped. But when I saw the towers fall, my heart stopped and I got dizzy. I had to sit down and watch the rest of footage through tears because I could not look away. My dad frequently has business in NYC, but attempts to get in touch with him were not successful. It was another day before I found out he was ok.

I visited Ground Zero Christmas 2002, shortly after they finished clearing the debris. My dad and I spent 2 hours there looking at this giant hole in the ground and thinking about the people who died because they enjoy freedom, the firefighters, paramedics, policemen/women, etc etc. I also spent time at St. Paul's Chapel where the iron gates where still covered with flowers, missing persons fliers, letters to people who died, FDNY shirts, pictures, etc etc. It was a rough trip.

I was in NY again early August and I saw the construction on the Freedom Tower and the Bell of Hope at St. Paul's.

The loss of life that day is incredible, but the city's and country's ability to rally together and help each other out when it counts is truly outstanding. I will never forget that day, nor will I forget the way our country came together.

[KiteDiva]

I was standing in my classroom hustling students in to start their work. I got a phone call from a police officer friend telling me to put the TV on NOW. We stood there motionless watching the scene unfold.

[Buttonz]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"]
It's been eight years already. Where does time go? I was a senior in high school when it happened.

I was in class...one of the girls came in to school late. She said something about a plane hitting the towers, but no one really thought much of it. We all thought it was a small commuter plane, done by accident, just like many people thought at first. After our morning break, we were all called down to the lunch room. I will never forget the look on the faces of everyone as we were told what happened. I was sitting right up front a mere foot or two away from Rabbi Frielich as he told us. I will never forget the tears in his eyes as he tried to remain as calm as he could, although it was hard. It was the first time I ever saw him in tears like that, and I remember hoping I would never have to see him like that again. There was a mad rush ot get to the one pay phone in school...and the guidance counselor let us use the phone in her office...I was the first one that was allowed on it. The rest of the day was a blur, with only one teacher teaching. I remember sitting in most of my classes listening to the radio with one headphone, and the teacher with the other, all of them trying to answer the same questions: "Why?" "How?" We were sent home early and spent the next 36 hours watching TV


I always stop on 9/11 and think back and reflect. I think we all do. This year though it was different. Knowing how close it came to being another name on the list. Knowing how close Wayne (my most recent ex/friend) came to being in the second tower whe it fell. He and his crew were some of the first EMTs/Medics on the scene...and his entire crew was in the 2nd tower when it fell...and none of them came out. He got lucky, a cop pulled him into an empty triage tent. That is the only reason why he wasn't in the second tower. /COLOR]

[ZTAngel]

I was a junior in college and my first class of the day didn't begin until 11am. Basically, I slept through the towers getting hit. When I woke up, I could hear the news blaring from my roommate's TV. I didn't think much of it so I started driving to campus. I got in my car and my usual rock station had the news on it. I thought that was strange so I changed the station. Again, the news. It finally hit me that there must be something going on. I remember the news anchor saying that the towers had been hit but they weren't sure yet whether it was an accident or not. I called my father from my cell and asked, "Is this a joke? Is this War of the Worlds or something?" I could tell he was in shock from the morning's events and said, "No! This is very serious! The towers are gone and the Pentagon has been hit." I still went to class and I remember sitting there for about 5 minutes when our professor came in and dismissed us. I went straight to the sorority house and watched the TV with my sisters.