911 Nineteen years later

[muwarrior69]

I was at work. We all knew something was wrong when the internet went out and phone lines went to busy signals. Then word came from our building security that two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. A co-worker who had just started actually worked on the floor in the north tower where the plane actually hit was pretty shaken. At midday we were sent home and given the rest of the week off. Our local paper had a picture of 60 cars in the parking lot at the Princeton Junction Train Station that did not go home that evening. The devastation was not just in lower Manhattan it reached 50 miles in all directions. I know we here in the New York Metro area will Never Forget.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I remember everything clearly from that day.  I can still recall seeing the dust cloud from my office building in Bridgeport, CT. 
NYC radio transmission was knocked out and cable TV was even disrupted up here in Connecticut because the antennas were atop the WTC.

[brewcity77]

I was on campus between classes, heading towards Johnston Hall. I walked past a guy carrying a boombox on his shoulder, like something out of a 1980s movie, with the news report about the first plane striking the tower. I ran into Johnston and Professor Ken Ksobiech growled at me "get your ass in front of a TV!" I did just a few minutes before the second plane struck.

Oddly, just as visceral is my memory of the 5-year anniversary. I was working at WISN-12 news. After 9/11, the news changed a lot about how they covered disasters. For years, no one showed dead or dying bodies, there was a lot of footage that was no longer shown because of all the PTSD the population as a whole was dealing with from 9/11. It was quite a shock to the system as I went back through all the raw footage to cut our 9/11 packages and saw the things news networks had stopped showing. I never realized how much we sanitized during that time until I saw it all over again.

At Engine 37, we just finished reading the 343 names of the firefighters that fell that day. Always shocking how long that list is. Just nothing else like it.

[Skatastrophy]

I remember when 3,000 dead seemed like a lot. It doesn't really hit that hard anymore.

[panda]

Why doesn’t anyone talk about the DC deaths....DONT ALL LIVES MATTER?!?!

[Hards Alumni]

I was on campus between classes, heading towards Johnston Hall. I walked past a guy carrying a boombox on his shoulder, like something out of a 1980s movie, with the news report about the first plane striking the tower. I ran into Johnston and Professor Ken Ksobiech growled at me "get your ass in front of a TV!" I did just a few minutes before the second plane struck.

Oddly, just as visceral is my memory of the 5-year anniversary. I was working at WISN-12 news. After 9/11, the news changed a lot about how they covered disasters. For years, no one showed dead or dying bodies, there was a lot of footage that was no longer shown because of all the PTSD the population as a whole was dealing with from 9/11. It was quite a shock to the system as I went back through all the raw footage to cut our 9/11 packages and saw the things news networks had stopped showing. I never realized how much we sanitized during that time until I saw it all over again.

At Engine 37, we just finished reading the 343 names of the firefighters that fell that day. Always shocking how long that list is. Just nothing else like it.

I assumed you were much older than me, ha.  I still have very vivid memories of the day.  Sophomore year, headed to Anatomy lecture we heard about it... then our profs didn't teach the lab that followed and we got sent back home.  Watched TV most of the day in my dorm.

[Warriors4ever]

I was in the parking lot for the Skokie courthouse. The regular lot was being reconstructed, so we were parking remotely, basically where the Optima condos and the Illinois Holocaust Museum are now. They closed the courthouse, and streams of people who couldn’t get on one of the shuttle buses were walking all over Old Orchard Rd. I spent the day at a co-worker’s house, went to Lifesource later to give blood, and then stayed there until 10 pm helping them with the lines of people. I was worried about a cousin who worked for the Defense Dept, until I knew she was not at the Pentagon and was ok.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I was in middle school in Minnesota at the time. I got to school and one of my classmates told me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. I remember thinking "wow, what a terrible accident." It wasn't until the second plane hit that I understood what was happening. Prior to that, I don't think I comprehended the depths of evil that people were capable of.

[Uncle Rico]

I would normally have the TV on in the morning before work as I ate breakfast and read the paper.  For some reason, I didn’t have the TV on that morning.  I heard about it listening to Bob and Brian.  Switched the dial to TMJ and tried figuring out how to proceed doing sales that day

[Billy Hoyle]

I was living in Madison. I was eating breakfast when reports of a small private plane hit one of the towers. I left for work, about a 15 minute walk. I got into the office and said to my coworker, Mark,  "did you see a small plane hit the WTC" and with a look of fear on his face said "it was a commercial plane and another just hit." We were one of the few offices with a TV and my buddy asked if he could come down and watch. A former Navy Intelligence Officer, he looked at me and said: "it's Bin Laden." We stepped away from the TV then my Mark yelled "holy crap, the tower is coming down" and we ran into our boss's office. Shortly after a woman my boss was supposed to meet with later that day called to let me know her flight in Pittsburgh was delayed. I told her "we'll reschedule." She said "no, it's just a delay, I'll be there." I asked her if the TV's were on in the airport and she said no, so, being an idiot, I told her what had happened. She started screaming and people behind her started screaming. Oops. We left the office and spend the day at Mark's condo watching the coverage. As I walked home that evening Madison was so quiet and it was an eerie silence.

Also on that day, my wife started her first day at JP Morgan. It was in a Chicago high rise, 30 minutes into training they came in and sent everyone home not telling them any details.

[tower912]

Doing my annual listening to Springsteen's 'The Rising'.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Bruce Springsteen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAMkFVJ-ews

[GooooMarquette]

Why doesn’t anyone talk about the DC deaths....DONT ALL LIVES MATTER?!?!

Yeah...but the Pentagon is in Virginia.

[rocket surgeon]

I remember when 3,000 dead seemed like a lot. It doesn't really hit that hard anymore.

  huh??  so then, no biggie?  try telling that to the family and/or friend of any of those 3,000

[Jockey]

I remember when 3,000 dead seemed like a lot. It doesn't really hit that hard anymore.

Two things.

1) I watched the King of Staten Island last night. Surprisingly good. Semi- autographical story of Pete Davidson from SNL about how losing his firefighter dad in one of the towers screwed up his life.

2) The Trump administration has been quietly pulling money out of a fund for New York City firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses, with nearly $4 million channeled to the federal government, an investigation by Michael McAuliff of The New York Daily News found.

Unconscionable, but utterly unsurprising.

[rocket surgeon]

  "2) The Trump administration has been quietly pulling money out of a fund for New York City firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses, with nearly $4 million channeled to the federal government, an investigation by Michael McAuliff of The New York Daily News found.

Unconscionable, but utterly unsurprising"


  just can't help yourself-get help!

[4everwarriors]

Two things.

1) I watched the King of Staten Island last night. Surprisingly good. Semi- autographical story of Pete Davidson from SNL about how losing his firefighter dad in one of the towers screwed up his life.

2) The Trump administration has been quietly pulling money out of a fund for New York City firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses, with nearly $4 million channeled to the federal government, an investigation by Michael McAuliff of The New York Daily News found.

Unconscionable, but utterly unsurprising.

Dude, are you going to survive a second term? Wouldn't want you to pop a gasket or nosedive 8 stories, hey?

[ZiggysFryBoy]

  "2) The Trump administration has been quietly pulling money out of a fund for New York City firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses, with nearly $4 million channeled to the federal government, an investigation by Michael McAuliff of The New York Daily News found.

Unconscionable, but utterly unsurprising"


  just can't help yourself-get help!

I cant imagine being so obsessed with anyone.  President, celebrity, athlete, etc.  It's just bizarre.

[4everwarriors]

That's right, he's no BO. Instrumental in bringing Israel and Bahrain together. But, we won't go there.

[ATL MU Warrior]

That's right, he's no BO. Instrumental in bringing Israel and Bahrain together. But, we won't go there.

Bahrain?  You couldn’t find it on a map and that’s supposed to be his crowning achievement. Snooze

[Lennys Tap]

I was on campus between classes, heading towards Johnston Hall. I walked past a guy carrying a boombox on his shoulder, like something out of a 1980s movie, with the news report about the first plane striking the tower. I ran into Johnston and Professor Ken Ksobiech growled at me "get your ass in front of a TV!" I did just a few minutes before the second plane struck.

First plane struck the Tower at 7:46:40, second at 8:02:57. You must have been on your way to the dreaded 8:00 class when you first heard. I had an 8am class first semester freshman year. Never again.

[Billy Hoyle]

First plane struck the Tower at 7:46:40, second at 8:02:57. You must have been on your way to the dreaded 8:00 class when you first heard. I had an 8am class first semester freshman year. Never again.

I successfully avoided 8 am classes my entire undergrad career.

[Jockey]

I cant imagine being so obsessed with anyone.  President, celebrity, athlete, etc.  It's just bizarre.

If you cared about 1st responders who are still suffering, you’d be a lot less dismissive and cavalier about this.

[dgies9156]

For me, I was working as a Director in the Financial Analysis Group of Amtrak Intercity in Chicago. The planes hit while I was on the train to the city and I didn't know something had happened until I arrived at Union Station.

That day, as the airlines were grounded, we were flooded with new passengers who never had been on a train before. I was asked to go into the ticketing area at Union Station and help people decide what they needed and direct them to where they could get help. Because I was in a blue pinstripe suit that day, I was flooded with people who wanted to figure out how to solve their transportation problems. Proud of the fact that I had an older couple whose flight to Rochester, MN had been cancelled and he was afraid he would miss a scheduled cancer treatment. I got them on the Empire Builder to LaCrosse, WI and helped them get a rental car to Rochester.

Had a young woman come to me looking for a way back to New York. She was scared and obviously more than a bit distraught. I got her on the Lake Shore Limited to New York and had her in standby for a roomette. Was really happy I could help distraught and very scared people find their way home. Lots of stories like these that I don't even remember anymore, but it was a day in which I was happy to do even a very small part to help people.

[JWags85]

I was a sophomore in HS. Similar to some have mentioned here, I first heard “a small plane hit the WTC”.  I was in my second period class when my English teacher turned on the TV right before the second plane hit. I will never forget the stunned silence and uneasiness. Just a complete mixture of emotions you couldn’t pinpoint.  There were kids buzzing with a weird excitement in anticipation of the towers falling, which was really disturbing, but I chalk it up to having no idea what to think or feel.

Also on that day, my wife started her first day at JP Morgan. It was in a Chicago high rise, 30 minutes into training they came in and sent everyone home not telling them any details.

I used to bartend at MCC. One of the member’s sons went to the same undergrad (albeit a decade early) and we became friendly.  He worked for a financial firm in the Sears Tower shortly after 9/11.  He told me a story how the following spring, a plane departing from ORD lost radar contact briefly. It came across their Bloomberg terminals. His coworker across the room immediately leapt up from his desk and sprinted down 80 flights of stairs and doubled over outside panting and dry heaving...before getting a call letting him know it was just a temporary malfunction and all is well.   Needless to say, anxiety was elevated if you worked in a notable building for quite some time.