9/11. Where were you when it happened?

ninerbuff

I was living in VA at the time and my DW was working about a block and a half from the Pentagon. It was chaos in Northern VA and DC area that day.
We were sent home early from work and I couldn't get hold of my DW on the phone at the time due to overload on the systems. I knew she was probably alright, but the nightmare of trying to leave DC at that time was concerning.
I was driving an listening to the radio hearing live and at the time I worked at Circuit City, so when I got there it was on all the TV's. Watching the South Tower collapse live stunned me and brought a tear to my eye right away. That's when we were told that we were closing down.
Driving home for me wasn't that bad, but the freeways were packed. And all you heard above you were fighter jets flying back an forth. I passed Dulles International on the way home and there were emergency vehicles all over the front of the main terminal.
Still very vivid in my mind today. Eternal gratitude to the personal we lost that day.

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sw33tp3a1

I was working and was on my lunch break when the news broke. I'll never forget that day and the emotions I felt while watching what was going on.

RoxieDawn

I was in Sarasota where President Bush was when he learned of the news! All air travel was cancelled and I ended up having to rent a car and drive home. I sat in hours and hours of traffic while President Bush had to re-route his plans to get out of Sarasota. That was the longest day of my life.

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RunHardBeStrong

We were in a breakfast/work meeting when it broke in on the news. We didn't finish our meeting. We were all glued to the TV and no one said a word. We then drove onto work and it was as though everything was in slow motion. Most of our patients cancelled that day so we sat around just watching the news. I was also 7 months pregnant, I just kept thinking I am never going to meet my son, I am going to die. There's going to be more attacks till they take us all out. As I was driving home the tears just kept rolling with those thoughts. I also live near an air force base, one of the few that have a bunker for the President to go to when things like this happen. They brought him there that day and as I was driving down the freeway Air Force One was going in for a landing right above me. It was very surreal. That's when it all really sunk in that was very real and very serious.

Just_J_Now

I was 8.5 months pregnant and frantically trying to reach my friends and former co-workers who I worked in the towers with. Had I not moved to ATL...who knows.

incline83

I was getting ready to go to work. I worked at a pizza joint at the time. I thought it was some sort of horrible mistake, like pilot error at first. We set up a tv in the pizza place and just watched news all day. Three months later I signed up for the Marine Corps, three months after that I shipped off for boot camp.

gamerbabe14

I was in California, a freshman in high school and my sister woke me up which was weird because she never did that. We watched the news in silence but then I went to school. I don't think I was really old enough to grasp the impact at that time. But I remember being very afraid to go sleep that night.

Valrotha

I was sleeping. I'd been studying and warning about terrorism since I was a teenager, so my room mate didn't even bother to wake me up since he knew I wouldn't be surprised.

I grew up out in the country with three TV stations. I remember watching the news as a small child and wondering why the planes were blowing up on the tarmac. I remember the Achille Lauro hijacking. I remember the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut. I remember the Rome and Vienna terrorist attacks in the mid 1980s. I remember Pan Am 103. Etc, etc, etc.

It keeps happening, and people just keep forgetting. It's good people remember this event (9-11). However, it would be nice if we could learn some lessons about why these things keep happening and, perhaps, learn some things about the people who keep doing them.

neldabg

I was a small child and barely remember anything.

Rincewind_1965

Was at work when the first news came in by some colleagues.
At first I didn't believe them ... couldn't ...

MarziPanda95

I was five, almost six. I don't remember a lot but I'm English, and we were most of the way through the school day when it happened because of the time difference. I remember not understanding a lot. I remember all the adults being terrified, and several kids in my class broke down because they were scared their mums and dads were going to war. I lived near an RAF base so a lot of the kids in my class were kids of RAF personnel. My best friend remembers a lot more because it was her birthday the next day and her mum cancelled the party.

cathipa

I was getting ready for my ER shift watching the Today show and watching as the plane crashed into the second building. I remember hearing several false reports through out the day of possible local events so we were on high alert (I live in VA near just about every military installation). Still recall it like it was yesterday

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Vikka_V

In school. I left the classroom and there was a group of people all gathered around watching the news on TV in a break area.
I remember the look on the peoples faces and not understanding what was going on.

CaloricCountess

I'd use my Walkman every morning, to motivate me to deal with; the day but there wasn't any music, playing then! At 1st I believed that the talking was just a commercial, so while I heard the words I wasn't listening/comprehending; what was being said! It was annoying me, so I changed the station several times; to the same occurrence! I made my annoyance vocal, then my Mother realized; that something major must be happening & suggested that I look, to see if there was anything concerning it; upon television! By the time that I awoke that morning, it was obvious that this was no accident; as was once believed because by then, both towers were struck & I saw both of them fall, as they were falling; via television!

KosmosKitten

10th grade Chemistry class at around 10AM CST. I distinctly remember another teacher on the floor running to all the classrooms to turn on the television (each class had an overhead television monitor for announcements). We were all watching with abject horror as people threw themselves from the buildings and then being aghast when we realized it wasn't just the WTC that had been targeted. I also remember a specific student (a boy by the name of Levi) making extremely inappropriate jokes and comments about the events. He was suspended over the remarks.

It was a very surreal day.

SomebodyWakeUpHIcks

I was 26. My whole life was ahead of me. Good job, etc. This changed the world. Changed my world.

seltzermint555

I was fresh out of college and on my way to work at a furniture store when I heard reports on the radio and just gleaned enough to be confused and concerned. I walked into work and asked my boss if he'd heard anything and he was laughing and being a real jerk about it all. Everyone else was gathered around the wall of TVs watching the coverage.

When the mail came, our postal carrier (an older man) was in tears and saying his son in the military was going to be sent overseas right away. A year later, his son died. I didn't work there anymore so I don't know the ins and outs.

That night I paid about $5/gallon for gas due to price-gouging and spent the night with a guy I'd just started dating and barely liked, because I felt kind of nervous that there would be many more attacks on the U.S. A male friend who was firmly in the "friend zone" called me up and said he loved me and so forth. I wound up actually beginning to date him then AND marrying him, which was not the best choice - but it lasted for 9 years so hey, whatever. (I am now married to someone who is much much better for me)

rheddmobile

I was asleep. My mother phoned and told me to turn on the news. I turned it on in time to watch the second plane crash, and called her back: what is going on? Are we at war?

After several hours of news, I needed a break. My husband and I went to the park, where we were the only people there. I remember what a beautiful day it was, and so quiet, with no airplanes and almost no traffic. Our home lies under an approach to the Fedex hub and the silence was shocking. The contrast between the peace of nature and the craziness of human beings really struck me.

Need2Exerc1se

In the conference room at work watching it unfold on TV.

DananaNanas

I was in Mrs. Bravard's 4th period 8th grade science class when we found out. She turned on the TV after hearing from another teacher down the hall and we just kind of stared at it as she was saying "why would they do this? Unless this is a planned demolition...? But it doesn't look like it..?"

Very sad

KyleGrace8

I was in the 7th grade, History. My teacher got a phone call and immediately turned on the news. We all watched the towers fall and most people got emotional. I remember being pretty scared of war and getting bombed in my sleep for a while after.

Jonesuna64

I was in the Air Force and flying back from 5 months in Saudi Arabia. I landed in Norfolk when the first plane hit

elcapitanp

I was working in a bank, also in Northern Virginia (although I had formerly worked for Circuit City, coincidentally.) I remember helping customers with tears streaming down my face. Yes, I am a guy. That night I sat in a rocking chair and watched the news, felt like I had the flu.

_pi3_

3rd grade PE class. I hated PE and I hated school so getting picked up early was a happy surprise. The rest of the day was terrible to watch.

runningforthetrain

My husband and I were in an airplane flying back from Indiana to California. Mid flight, a passenger said that an airplane flew into the WTC-- I thought it was a small little 2 seater or something. We did not know what had happened. It wasn't scary-- The pilot then announced that we would be landing in Denver. And then he indicated all domestic planes were to land. We knew that meant something major- but, still did not know what. When we landed and deplaned we saw what was happening on all the televisions. The airport was already deserted; everyone fleeing out. Taxi's were bustling; somehow we got one and went to a hotel. For three days we went to the airport to fly home. Each day we were assured tomorrow we would be on the next flight. Never happened. People were renting U-hauls because all the car rentals were gone. We eventually got a rental car and drove home over 2 days. The evening of Sep 11 we went to dinner at a TGIF-like place. Some teenager was having their (probably a long awaited) sweet 16 party. It was strange and obviously ruined. God bless the firemen and police who lost their lives that day.

JimmyTooStrong

I was 18 and a freshman in college. I woke up late for a psych class and I remember running across campus to get there in time. I noticed a random couple crying but didn't think anything of it. I got to the lecture hall and it was half empty. The girl sitting next to me said some planes accidentally crashed into a building in NY. The instructor finally showed up and said class was cancelled. I went back to my dorm and watched the horror unfold the rest of the day.

relynne

I was at home getting ready for work. I lived with my brand new fiance at the time (we got engaged on 9/8). His grandmother called us and told us to turn on the tv. I just kind of stood there in disbelief watching. I worked at a hospital at the time, so I still had to go to work. I felt like I was moving in slow motion all day, it just felt so surreal. I still can't grasp the magnitude of what happened that day.

Will_Run_for_Food

I was in the principal's office in grade 10 - it was picture day but my name wasn't on any of the lists. One of the teachers came in the office saying the White House was on fire.

dutchandkiwi

It was 6 am in NZ and I woke up to my radio alarm which of course always started with the news This was just after the first tower was hit. I went over to my then BF bedroom (due to scheduling we slept seperatly that night) and wok him up. He was most disgruntled and angry about me waking him up so early until I told him what had happened. He immediately switched on the TV. We saw the second one hit the tower right then.
We called our American friends and had to cut to the chase my FF was all cheery and thought I 'd called her to arrange lunch When she heard she was off the phone, scared as anything of course. She then tried to call her family. Took her ages to locate all of them. Our MF was groggy and took a little while to wake him up to the idea that something major had happen Most of his family and friends were on ether west coast but his ex fiancee worked in one of the towers (she was late for work hence ok).

I went to work. In the office the TV was on and we did not get anything done that day. But I'll never remember that 6 am newsflash and my FF cheery voice turning into panic mode