Where were you 11 yrs ago today 9-11

At work for Uncle Sam in D.C., and stayed over to help. I will never forget. My heart and prayers still go out to the families and loved ones that lost their lives.

I was on a day off from work. When I switched on the TV, I actually thought I was watching a film. Not for one minute did I think it was a real event unfolding before my eyes. unbelievable, shocking, devastating, sad. Thinking of all those innocent people that lost their lives. I am so fortunate to have mine.

Interestingly enough, I was in US History class.

Reading all of these brings tears to my eyes. It was the day after my 21st birthday and I was at work. We all just sat in shock. I will never forget the way it made me feel and the saddness that came over me yet still not quite being able to process it all.

I was in 10th grade, sitting in Mr. Krafty's World History Class, when someone came in and told us they heard that the towers had been hit. Our school dismissed early for the day, as several parents work in the DC/Pentagon area. I remember 9/11 not only for the horrific terrorist attacks that day, but it was also the day that my family faced a crisis of its own: my twin sister was diagnosed with malignant osteosarcoma (bone cancer) as they were being evacuated from Washington Hospital Center after the Pentagon was hit. She hadn't been seen yet that morning, and her surgeon found her on the way out of the hospital and told her that her biopsy came back malignant. She underwent 15 rounds of chemotherapy, a limb-saving surgery to replace her knee and some of her leg with interior prosthetics. Thankfully Stephanie is still with us today, dealing with many of the side effects as a cancer survivor, but what a day that will live with us forever.

I remember coming in to speech class and one girl saying a plane crashed into the first tower. We all just thought it was a tragedy and continued with class. The university I went to was close to the airport, so it was really odd when we didn't hear any planes coming or going after class walking back to my dorm. As I was walking through the hallways I heard every TV on CNN and people were watching in horror. Then I heard about the plane crash in DC, and panicked because my dad was training in DC. My mom worked at the university, so I went to go see her because we couldn't get in touch with my dad. Since I was in a rush I ended up falling down the stairs. I came to her office and we anxiously awaited a phone call, but all of the lines were tied up and no one could get through. We finally got an email from my dad saying he was OK.

He normally flies to his training classes, but this time he decided to drive, which was a blessing in disguise. He started home that day and training was cancelled.

I just couldn't believe my eyes. I knew our world would never be the same again.

i was in english class, we were studying poetry. my teacher left the room and when she came back she was in tears. she told us what was going on then turned on the tv. we were all stunned. after a few minutes she turned it on and asked us to each write how we were feeling. some of us wrote poems, some of us wrote stories, none of us will ever forget that day.

I remember that day way to vividly. I lived in Belton, TX and I was in my truck driving to work. I had just turned off Loop onto Industrial Blvd. when news of a plane striking the WTC hit the news. I thought they were referring to a small prop plane that had some mechanical failure or something. As I got to work everyone was in the break room watching the news when I realized the extent of the damage and the size of the plane. Then the second one hit. I was a little stunned and knew at that moment it was not an accident. I walked to my desk to sit down and absorb what I had just seen. The next thing I know my co-worker and friend Anita was standing at the door way of our office. "Doesn't your sister work at the Pentagon?, she asked. The office was a just one big room with several short-walled cubicles, so everyone could see and hear her. "Yes, why?", I replied. "Well, what side does she work on? Right or Left?", she said. To which I asked, "Why?". "The Pentagon just got hit." , she said.

Stunned, I got up and walked into the break room. My heart was in my stomach as I tried to process what I saw. I worked hard to keep my composure. Next thing I heard was that my dad was on hold on the phone wanting to talk to me. "Hello Dad", I said. To which a stressed voice replied, "Have you heard from your sister. Do you know if she was at work?". "No, Dad, I don't but let me make some calls and I will call you back." See, my sisters office renovations had just been completed. They had begun the process of moving back to the Pentagon, but they were not complete. So, sometimes she was working at the temp office in Crystal City and sometimes she was at the Pentagon. Usually in the mornings she would be at the Pentagon. I called her home and her cell phone. No answers. My hand began to tremble as I hung up the phone. I looked at my boss and said, "I can't do this, not here." as the tears began to stream down my face. The office had Anita drive me home because my mind was racing. My sister was a single mom. I thought about the kids. I thought how could this be happening.

When I got home I immediately called the Red Cross and then began fielding calls from family. I sat in front of the TV and focused on every news shot of DC. I watched as the people walked home scanning every shot for just a glimpse. I wasn't crying just starring intensely. I was afraid to cry because I might miss seeing her. Nothing. I know now it seems a little crazy because there were so many people, but I had to do something to keep from breaking down. I waited for hours and hours, eleven to be exact. We were one of the lucky families. She was safe. They had chosen to have a staff meeting in Crystal City that day. Cell Phone signal was cut off due to the Emergency situation so she couldn't call until she made it home. She wasn't in her office at the Pentagon. That's when I sat down and fell apart and thanked God for looking after her.

I worked nights so I was asleep. When my clock radio came on, they were just reporting the devastation at the Pentagon. I can never think of a moment in my life that could better be described by the word "stunned."

Hungover on my friends couch after a good night of partying........turned on the tv and well you know what I saw.

I was driving across the Woodrow Wilson bridge from Virginia into Maryland

I was in college and babysitting my 2 year old sister on my day off. I held her and cried all day watching the news.

I was at home, homeschooling my son. My daughter was at the community college, and my husband was at work. He called to tell me to turn on the tv; he had heard the news, but didn't want to believe it. He wanted me to confirm what he had heard. We were all together by lunchtime. It was a horrible, unimaginable day!

I was bicycle touring with a group of friends in Utah. We were camped just outside of Zion National Park. We had just packed up our campsite. We stopped into a restaurnt for breakfast. I had just ordered a huge omlet. There was a news cast on the radio in the background. But, I wan't paying much attention to it. All of a sudden my friend Ken said, "Hey, there some kind of terrorist attack going on. Two planes have crashed into the world trade center and a bomb has gone off at the Pentagon." Then we heard about the towers collapsing and the plane crash in Pensyvania. My breakfast arrived. But, I couldn't eat it. I felt sick to my stomach.

We headed out towards the Arizona on our way to North Rim of Grand Canyon. We took a "short cut" over a very steep dirt road. The road was so steep, we had to push our fully-loaded touring bicycles though the loose sand and rocks in 100+ degree head. We finally got back on a paved highway just North of the Arizona border. A few miles later we arrived at Colorado City Arizona.

Colorado City, Arizona was formed by members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They're a polygamist sect that broke away when the mainstreem LDS church renounced Polyamy.

We stopped into a truck-stop place that had a convenience store and a deli. We were callling home and making sure everyone was OK. The place was staffed by women wearing prarie dresses and had their hair in long braids. All of the were either visably pregnant, or had infants with them.

We got some sandwiches and tried our best figure out what we should do. We had flown out Boston a couple days before. We knew the planes were grounded. Since we couldn't go home, we dedided to continue our trip. Hopefully, the planes would start flying again by the time we were done.

As we were paying for our sandwiches and were preparing to leave, one of the women asked us if we heard what had happened. We said we did. She replied "It's all because of Clinton's crap". Was implying that President Clinton's infidelity had brought God's wrath upon the country? We got on our bike and continued on our way. About 2 miles down the road, a man in a big black pickup pulled over and asked us if we had heard the news. We told him we had. Then he said the exact same thing" It's because of Clinton". It was all so very bizarre.

That evening I wrote in my trip journal, "Ive had enough of religious extremeism for one day".

I was working as a unit manager in a hospital across the river from NYC. We were having a big inspection that day, one we had spent a solid year preparing for, so everyone had a sky-high stress level to begin with. Suddenly I had to prepare the unit for the expected influx of injured patients- until the towers collapsed.... Another manager, a friend of mine, lost both her son and son-in-law that day. I knew them both because I had met them when their wives were in the maternity unit, one three months earlier and one three weeks earlier. But most of all I remember feeling relief that the company my dad worked for had moved their office to Jersey City from the World Trade Towers a few years earlier.