9/11 - 17 years later

[Celtic Truth]

I just came across this story about how Ed Cooley was supposed to be on the flight out of Boston that crashed into one of the towers. Also, in an oddly related event John Thompson was supposed to be on the plane that crashed into the pentagon.

https://theathletic.com/515471/2018/09/11/one-day-away-ed-cooley-9-11-and-the-recruit-who-saved-his-life/

9/11, 2001 was such a fascinating day and there are so many captivating stories that surrounded the tragic events that took place. I like to read as many of them as I can to both honor the "men and women for others" who sacrificed their lives and also to help keep things in perspective and appreciate all the blessings in life that most of us often take for granted.

[tower912]

What I learned from 9/11:   343
Life is fragile.
Don't let fear win.   Fear of dying, fear of 'the other'.
Andy Dufresne (Stephen King) had the right of it:    You can get busy living, or you can get busy dying.

The irony of being a firefighter, getting all of the peripheral acclaim for deeds of heroism that I didn't do.... followed by budget and staffing cuts because 'Hero' is a convenient term for politicians and bureaucrats to use, but in the end, they think we should work for minimum wage and not get a pension.   So, I seriously consider who is saying the word 'hero' when I decide how much credence to give it. 

Many of my brethren had a pretty good idea that they were going to their deaths.    They went anyway.

In a different sense, it was one of the most successful evacuations in history.    The percentage of people who survived on floors below the initial impacts who got out alive was actually pretty amazing. 

Everybody dies.    How did you live?   

Today is the one day a year I listen to Springsteen's 'The Rising' in its entirety.    Perspective and catharsis. 

[SaveOD238]

I just came across this story about how Ed Cooley was supposed to be on the flight out of Boston that crashed into one of the towers. Also, in an oddly related event John Thompson was supposed to be on the plane that crashed into the pentagon.

https://theathletic.com/515471/2018/09/11/one-day-away-ed-cooley-9-11-and-the-recruit-who-saved-his-life/

9/11, 2001 was such a fascinating day and there are so many captivating stories that surrounded the tragic events that took place. I like to read as many of them as I can to both honor the "men and women for others" who sacrificed their lives and also to help keep things in perspective and appreciate all the blessings in life that most of us often take for granted.

Not big East related, but I believe Seth McFarlane (Family Guy creator) was supposed to be on that flight too.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Not big East related, but I believe Seth McFarlane (Family Guy creator) was supposed to be on that flight too.

As well as marky-mark

[tower912]

Lots of pictures on social media of FDNY members staring up at the burning towers with the current Nike tagline.

[Dish]

What I learned from 9/11:   343
Life is fragile.
Don't let fear win.   Fear of dying, fear of 'the other'.
Andy Dufresne (Stephen King) had the right of it:    You can get busy living, or you can get busy dying.

The irony of being a firefighter, getting all of the peripheral acclaim for deeds of heroism that I didn't do.... followed by budget and staffing cuts because 'Hero' is a convenient term for politicians and bureaucrats to use, but in the end, they think we should work for minimum wage and not get a pension.   So, I seriously consider who is saying the word 'hero' when I decide how much credence to give it. 

Many of my brethren had a pretty good idea that they were going to their deaths.    They went anyway.

In a different sense, it was one of the most successful evacuations in history.    The percentage of people who survived on floors below the initial impacts who got out alive was actually pretty amazing. 

Everybody dies.    How did you live?   

Today is the one day a year I listen to Springsteen's 'The Rising' in its entirety.    Perspective and catharsis.

I often thought (even that very day) that it was incredible how well the evacuation of the towers went. So many men/women first responders did an incredible job in the most chaotic/stressful of circumstances.

Having been to the 9/11 memorial in NYC, it really shook me, the lives lost, the lives saved.

[MU82]

We always hear about people who were supposed to be on a flight but for some reason didn't get on it and were thereby saved from tragedy.

We never hear about people who weren't supposed to be on a flight but got on it for whatever reason and sadly met their demise. They went standby and got a seat, they got bumped off their flight and took another, etc.

I wonder if the latter situation happened to anybody.

Just one of those things that my macabre arse thinks about sometimes.

+++

tower, my friend, I got a lot from your post. Thanks.

Everybody dies. How did you live?

That is especially relevant for all of us -- or at least it should be. I am constantly pushing my wife to enjoy our lives to the fullest.

[naginiF]

As well as marky-mark

no knock on Seth at all but if he were on that flight the results would've been the same.  If Wahlberg had been on that flight both towers would be standing today, nobody would know what ISIS stood for, Marky would be President (going on second term), JFB would be Chief of Staff, and every single Chipotle would be a Wahlburger. 

These are facts, don't bother arguing.

[Dish]

I was talking with my wife about 9/11/01 tonight, and it's amaz how the world has changed. On that day, I lived five minutes away from my job, and had watched the second plane crash live on whatever morning show was on at home. I remember rushing into work, and I was the first one to tell them what was happening. There was no tv in our office, we all listened to the radio to try to figure out what was going on. It sounds so antiquated today, but that's how news spread. Today, everyone would know within seconds via text, social media, smart phone alert.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

At work, someone broke out the 80s TV that was on the VHS cart that somehow managed to pick up a signal via antenna from one of the local TV stations.  I still remember watching events unfold on that grainy TV.

[reinko]

If you need a good cry...super powerful story from a POV that I hadn't read before.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-unborn-10-of-911

[WarriorInNYC]

I often thought (even that very day) that it was incredible how well the evacuation of the towers went. So many men/women first responders did an incredible job in the most chaotic/stressful of circumstances.

Having been to the 9/11 memorial in NYC, it really shook me, the lives lost, the lives saved.

Living in NYC (now, moved here just over 5 years ago), I've visited there several times as friends/family come visit me and it's so eloquently done.

A couple of years ago, they finally finished the 9/11 museum right there and I've been twice.  The first time, I had something I needed to get to later that night and didn't realize how much time this museum required to really get through.  The second time I planned appropriately.

Visiting the museum is something I highly, highly recommend.  It's incredibly well done that it presents itself as an experience in a timeline fashion, and really shows you not only what happened, but what everyone felt.  Those there at or in the towers, others around New York, others around the country.

Budget yourself several hours for the museum and go at your own pace.  Both times I went with others and I quickly found myself nowhere near where they were.  You will also likely need an hour or two afterwards to just decompress, it's so powerful.

[Spotcheck Billy]

We never hear about people who weren't supposed to be on a flight but got on it for whatever reason and sadly met their demise. They went standby and got a seat, they got bumped off their flight and took another, etc.

I wonder if the latter situation happened to anybody.

That's how Stevie Ray Vaughn and Ritchie Valens died. They originally were not going to be on their fatal flights.

[Benny B]

no knock on Seth at all but if he were on that flight the results would've been the same.  If Wahlberg had been on that flight both towers would be standing today, nobody would know what ISIS stood for, Marky would be President (going on second term), JFB would be Chief of Staff, and every single Chipotle would be a Wahlburger. 

These are facts, don't bother arguing.

I have no beef with anything you're saying, but I wonder what the threshold is for claiming "I was supposed to be on that flight."  Do you have to actually be ticketed and miss the flight?  Did you just have to be at the airport flying to NYC that day?  Did you simply have to Priceline a flight out of Boston +/- 3 days of 9/11?

To me, the number of claims I hear of "I should have been on the flight" in reference to 9/11 seem very similar to the number of claims I've heard of "I voted for a third-party candidate" in the last presidential election, i.e. the anecdotes vs. reality matchup defies the laws of statistics.

[brewcity77]

The irony of being a firefighter, getting all of the peripheral acclaim for deeds of heroism that I didn't do.... followed by budget and staffing cuts because 'Hero' is a convenient term for politicians and bureaucrats to use, but in the end, they think we should work for minimum wage and not get a pension.   So, I seriously consider who is saying the word 'hero' when I decide how much credence to give it.

This is why when people ask what I do, I just say I work for the city. If they dig deeper, I'll tell them, but I don't go out broadcasting my profession or wearing a fire department shirt to every casual event. I feel like when I go to work, I do so to do my job.

9/11 always feels awkward. Certainly tragic, certainly a reminder of what any of us could face on any given day, but also something I feel somewhat removed from because I wasn't yet on the job. I feel like my profession should tie me closer to it, but not knowing anyone involved makes me feel that much more removed.

[MU82]

Living in NYC (now, moved here just over 5 years ago), I've visited there several times as friends/family come visit me and it's so eloquently done.

A couple of years ago, they finally finished the 9/11 museum right there and I've been twice.  The first time, I had something I needed to get to later that night and didn't realize how much time this museum required to really get through.  The second time I planned appropriately.

Visiting the museum is something I highly, highly recommend.  It's incredibly well done that it presents itself as an experience in a timeline fashion, and really shows you not only what happened, but what everyone felt.  Those there at or in the towers, others around New York, others around the country.

Budget yourself several hours for the museum and go at your own pace.  Both times I went with others and I quickly found myself nowhere near where they were.  You will also likely need an hour or two afterwards to just decompress, it's so powerful.

When my wife and I went to Brooklyn in 2015 to watch Wojo, Hank and the lads win the Barclays Center event, we spent most of one day at the 9/11 Museum.

You are right, WINYC, they did a marvelous job on it.

It's a very emotional and stirring experience. Educational, too, but a lot of stuff was very difficult to look at.

[MU82]

That's how Stevie Ray Vaughn and Ritchie Valens died. They originally were not going to be on their fatal flights.

Yep, good examples. Though Valens' flight was a puddle-jumper prop plane and not a commercial aircraft IIRC, it still applies.

[brewcity77]

When my wife and I went to Brooklyn in 2015 to watch Wojo, Hank and the lads win the Barclays Center event, we spent most of one day at the 9/11 Museum.

You are right, WINYC, they did a marvelous job on it.

It's a very emotional and stirring experience. Educational, too, but a lot of stuff was very difficult to look at.

For me, the worst was sitting in the room where they have the radio reports playing. Haunting and heartbreaking in retrospect knowing those voices are going to their deaths.

[Mr. Nielsen]

For me, the worst was sitting in the room where they have the radio reports playing. Haunting and heartbreaking in retrospect knowing those voices are going to their deaths.

Guessing you went to 9/11 Museum. Is this room part of the tour?

[brewcity77]

Guessing you went to 9/11 Museum. Is this room part of the tour?

We did a self-guided tour. It was off to the side in one of the rooms, but is definitely accessible to the public.

[MUfan12]

Was at the museum last winter and it is haunting, but beautifully done. Highly recommend it.

[tower912]

Be honest:  if you were on Flight 93, how would you have reacted?  We all know how we hope or wish we would react.  Dig deep.  What would you have done?  You don't need to post it.  Ponder it.

[MU82]

Be honest:  if you were on Flight 93, how would you have reacted?  We all know how we hope or wish we would react.  Dig deep.  What would you have done?  You don't need to post it.  Ponder it.

Would I have Ditka with me, my friend?

Or at least mini-Ditka?

[warriorchick]

At work, someone broke out the 80s TV that was on the VHS cart that somehow managed to pick up a signal via antenna from one of the local TV stations.  I still remember watching events unfold on that grainy TV.

I had gotten into work early and a co-worker's wife called him to tell him that a plane flew into the World Trade Center.  The few people who were there went into our reception area, where there was a TV.  A few minutes later, I saw the second plane fly into the other building in real time.  I remember that I was confused about what had just happened; my brain couldn't process it because it was simply too bizarre for it to actually be happening.

The hard part was going home and trying to explain it to our kids, who were 9 and 7 at the time.  My daughter had a friend that wore a hijab, and we told her and our son that there would be people who might be mean to her because bad people claimed to be of the same religion, but she would need her friends more than ever now.

[wadesworld]

Be honest:  if you were on Flight 93, how would you have reacted?  We all know how we hope or wish we would react.  Dig deep.  What would you have done?  You don't need to post it.  Ponder it.

You can ponder it all you want but you never know until you're in that situation.