Sept. 11th, 2001.....

[Bryancd]

I was at my desk at UBS/PaineWebber, 1251 Ave. of the Americas, right across the street from Radio City Music Hall. I walked outside and looked south towards lower Manhatten and could see the smoke coming from the north tower. I went back inside and got a call from my Sales Assistant that she was stuck on a bus in Battery Park, about 1/2 mile south of World Trade. They were turning around and going back to Staten Island. I told her to just go home. She did. Then the other plan hit and all hell broke loose. People in the buidling were panicky, worried we would be hit in Mid-Town. The city was shut off, no trains or bussed running. only traffic leaving could be on the highways. I didn't get out until about 1:30, when Grand Central re-opened for outgoing trains. That was the most silent train ride I have ever been on as we exited the underground up in Harlem and could see the cloud of smoke and debris covering lower Manhatten. I certainly won't soon forget that day.

[Jen]

Wow Bryan...

That was a horrible day, and I remember exactly what I was doing too. I was no where near New York. I was getting ready for work, watching Good Morning America. They suddenly changed the subject and switched to a view of the first tower...it was smoking. I remember they were talking about a small plane that may have hit the tower...I thought it was just an accident. There was a similar incident involving a small plane in another city a few months prior...that's what I thought had happened. They were receiving reports from people on the ground describing what they saw when all of a sudden Dianne Sawyer gasped and I saw a plane hit the second tower.

It was at that moment that I woke my little brother, who was living with me at the time. "We're being attacked" I said. We watched the news together as we saw people jumping from the towers, we thought it couldn't possibly get worse...Then the first tower fell. I remember we both started screaming. At some point the reports started coming in about the Pentagon and the plane that went down in a remote area. It just kept getting worse and worse. The second tower fell. Shock...that's the only word I can use to describe what we felt.

My brother was working at the same company I was...We were supposed to be on our way there. He didn't want to go. "That's what they want us to do" I said. I made him go with me.

We went to work, but no one was actually doing anything but speculating. We grouped together, with the company next door, around a television and watched the news all day. It was good to be with other people. Somehow it helped.

My cousins joined the Marines the on September 12, 2001. We should never forget September 11th.

[Geekyfanboy]

Yeah I can remember that day, like it was yesterday. Living on the west coast the first crash happend very early in the morning here. I remember my brother calling me and telling me "we've been attacked.. we've been attacked". I was half asleep but got up and turned on the TV just as the second plane hit the building. I remember sitting there in shock with tears coming down my face. At the time they were saying there were 10's of thousands of people in those buildings. I can remember the panic and confusion. People weren't sure what else was going to happen.. who else was going to get hit.

At the time I worked in one of the tallest buildings in Los Angeles, my mom had called me and pleaded with me not to go into work, that they were bound to attack Los Angeles. A few of  us showed up at work but it's was eerily quiet and no one really talked. We had TV's on the entire time and after about an hour we decided that we need to be home with family and friends.

If anything good came from this tragic event it's the fact that this brought American's together as one. I took part in several candle gatherings, people seems friendlier and I was never more proud to be an American.

[davekill]

Give someone you love an extra hug today and remember .........United We Stand

[Blackride]

If anything good came from this tragic event it's the fact that this brought American's together as one. I took part in several candle gatherings, people seems friendlier and I was never more proud to be an American.

Alas, I wish that would have lasted.......

[moyer777]

I was sleeping when the alarm went off to a radio station that I listen to.  Air1.  The announcer said, "it is a sad day in America"  At the time we only had UHF fuzzy stations, 2 of them and we tuned in to the news.  It was early, like Kenny said, and just about the time we were trying to figure out what was happening the second plane hit.  I felt my heart lurch and I got sick to my stomach.  I quickly got dressed and drove into work where everyone was in one of the offices watching the news.  We didn't really talk much.  We prayed a bunch, and then we called our whole church to come out and pray that night.  So we did. 

It was a sober time.  Sad, very sad.

The loss of life is such a tragedy.  My heart goes out to the families that have to live with this.  So beyond our control, and yet having to deal with the loss and the feeling of violation.  Pretty intense stuff.

Man, it is good that we remember, for the sake of all of those innocent people and families. Let us pray this type of thing never happens again.

[markinro]

I was in a training class for work.  We had a break around 9am and thats when we saw it on television in the lunch room.  It was almost surreal watching it happen before my eyes.   I was reminded of Pearl Harbor and thinking "we're at war".  I never would have imagined I would be living in times like this.  In 2005, I decided to take a vacation in London the first week in July.   Those attacks were only 1/2 mile from the hotel.  Now, I think every day of the men/women (including my cousin) who voluntarily serve and defend their country against this enemy.   No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for another.

Maybe it was a bit too much to ask but I thought this would pull this country together.   There would be no more selfish partisan bickering and the world would unite against a common enemy.   It was nice while it lasted.

We will never forget.

[Jen]

I agree...politics ruins everything.  :-\
I hope that one day our country will drop the judgmental arguments and become the "United" States.

[Darkmolerman]

On 9-11 I was just going to school, I never really grasped what happened I do think it is a very big tragedy but all it became was a soapbox for our president.