Where were you in 01

[Nefarious]

I was in college, and later that morning I was to have a review of my digital portfolio and my sketchbook. I turned on the TV and in about 20 seconds or right about the time my groggy brain realized what I was watching, the 2nd plane hit.

[jeep00]

Work.

[Hajo]

Got up in the AM.   I had the day off and planned to go golfing.  I turned on the TV and to my surprise found this tragedy on TV.

I stayed home, melancholy to say the least.  Watched a large number of heroes.  Watched a lot of innocents die.

I will never forget.

[Drano]

I was with another guy doing a utility markout around the athletic fields at the Univ of Delaware where I work. We were just saying it was such a beautiful day we should have stayed home when some other guys drove up and called me over. They knew I was an airplanes guy and told me a plane just crashed into the WTC. I was like--no way? TODAY? How could they miss it? It was so clear that day. I think a tropical system had just passed thru and drew a lot of cool dry air from up North. Super clear. I thought for sure it was a small plane and maybe it was a suicide attempt or medical condition or something. When I was done I turned on the local news radio and found it wasn't a small plane. This was a bigger deal. Heard about the ground stop on the radio. Heard the fighters flying overhead but couldn't see them. Saw lots of airliners circling the area. I'm not far from Philly.

I got myself to where I knew there was a TV and watched it unfold. By then the second plane had hit. It was hard to watch. My heart broke a little more with each falling person. Then the towers fell. It was chaos. Our governor closed the schools and sent state employees home. So my wife went to grab our girls. I stayed at work as we had the responsibility of a lot of older kids many of whom were from that area and many that lost friends and relatives. It was hard seeing them too. We didn't know what to do.

When I finally got home my wife and I hugged and cried. She's from North Jersey and wanted to go home to be with her parents. Our kids had never seen us in that state. They were very young at the time. That day changed everything. Just when it seemed like our generation was free of the fear of nuclear war this happens. And a new kind of fear took it's place.

[Rich46yo]

Was home, scheduled for surgery the next day when a buddy called. I saw the weather conditions and the size of the hole in the building and the first thing i said was "that was terrorism". A few minutes later the 2nd one hit.

[Yankee67]

I was at work in Belleville NJ, and first heard about it from a friend who was driving into work on the NJ turnpike.  He yelled 'a jet just flew into the twin towers!'  I ran up to the roof and saw the second plane hit.  Saw the towers fall, and then came back inside and started telling everyone to go home.  The plant receptionist was hysterical.  Her niece's fiance worked at Cantor Fitzgerald, and they had just found out he probably didn't make it out.  The niece was on the phone with him, and the phone had cut out.

A family friend was the chief nurse for Merrill Lynch, and her and five other nurses were at the base of the towers helping burn victims as they came out.  All these years later she still gets nightmares about the sound a human body makes when it hits pavement (it's a 'pop' not a 'thud').  The cops grabbed her as the first tower fell, and she made it out.  President Bush gave her a presidential citation at a White House reception for her a year or so later.

I got home, looked up, and saw F-15's flying CAP over the NYC area, clockwise.  Will never forget it.

[Slash27]

I was in bed on my second day off from the FD. My buddy called and woke me up right after the second plane hit.

[Kuhn]

Setting a Ford sign in Hawley.

[Tumor]

Had just reported for duty at USCENTCOM, MacDill AFB.  Got up, saw the news and thought... "Well, this is going to be an interesting tour".

[Oldman731]

Had just reported for duty at USCENTCOM, MacDill AFB.  Got up, saw the news and thought... "Well, this is going to be an interesting tour".

And you were right about that, weren't you?

Good to see you, dude.

- oldman

[fbEagle]

3rd grade. We all left early that day. I remember waiting in line for over a mile for gas with my father.

[Biggamer]

6th grade in computer class and the teacher stopped us from what we was doing and made us watch it on TV after about an hour my mom came and got me from school and took me home. i will never forget watching it

[Flossy]

I was in my office at work and had a radio on in the background.  I heard about the first plane when the news came on and thought it was a tragic accident.  Shortly after, a news flash reported a second plane had hit and I realised this was no accident.  Not much work got done the rest of the day as most of the time was spent listening to radio reports.  Once home, the evening's TV schedule comprised of repeated showings of the planes hitting and the towers collapsing.  I watched it all, feeling extremely sad and angry for what was happening to my friends across the pond.  After getting to know so many through Air Warrior and Aces High, I felt a very close bond.  I particularly remember worrying about Wax, who I knew lived on Long Island and had often heard him say he worked in New York, and was greatly relieved a day or two later to find he was OK.

[Randy1]

It is so sad to see a  movie from the past or video clip with the twin towers in the background.

[stealth]

I was 5 years old with the flu for the first time. I was sitting on my moms lap as it all happened on the TV. My dad came home early and they talked about what was going on.