Where were you on 9/11?

[LA Ute]

I was headed out on my morning run with the dog, about 5:40 a.m. Back in that pre-iPod era I usually listened to the radio during my runs, but that particular day I had a new CD and I wanted to listen to it. I heard a man on the radio say, in a somewhat puzzled voice, that he was getting a report that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. I assumed it was a little Cessna-sized plane that was involved, and turned on my CD. 45 minutes or so later I got home and my family was all up and crowded around the TV, asking me if I knew what had happened. The first tower had been hit, and I saw the plane go into the second tower. I sat there with them and watched, appalled, as the whole outrage unfolded.

I had a conference call at 8:30 Pacific time, and I dutifully dialed in. The others in the call were in Nashville, Dallas, Santa Barbara, and Washington, D.C. As the call began, I was somewhat dazed but quickly realized that no one else had heard what had happened. Also, we were wondering why the woman in Washington, who was running the call, was not there yet. I told everyone about the attacks and we quickly cancelled the call. (The D.C. participant was OK, she was to get across the Potomac from Virginia -- virtually impossible that morning.)

The first song on the CD that I heard after I switched to it from the news was "The Lord Is My Shepherd" by the BYU Concert Choir (then under Mack Wilberg). Whenever I hear that rendition now, in my mind I am right back there on that street, switching from that news report to the music on the CD.

[Drunk Tank]

I was at work. At the time, I worked for Envirocare of Utah out at their nuclear waste facility out by Clive (middle of nowhere). We had no TV out there but we had internet, so we tried to follow along. A few hours after it happened, we were sent an email by hte FBI saying we were placed on a list of potential targets, and soon after, the military arrived. It was surreal. The following weeks, everyone was on edge.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I was on my way in to work, the first year I worked part time with the campgrounds. I came home and watched 30 minutes or so of TV and then headed up the Willamette to work.

I listened to the radio all day, the one thing I remember is Ed Koch calling for the US to start bombing Pakistan until they turned over bin Laden. As I got to each campground most of the hosts and campers didn't know anything about the events of the day, so I was the person that shared the news with at least 20 different people.

[Non Sequitur]

I was in Nice, France for work. It was tough because we couldn't get a lot of English coverage and we weren't sure if we were in danger. We were told to keep a low profile, and that if anyone asked we should say we were Canadian.

Getting back home was also hectic. We were scheduled to return on the 13th, but of course all flights were canceled. We were literally on hold hold with American Express Travel 24-7, trying to find out when we could get back home. I never appreciated America more than I did that night walking off the plane. We were greeted by a host of Delta employees waving signs and banners -- ours had apparently been the first international Delta flight that touched down in Atlanta. It was a crazy time.

[SeattleUte]

I flew into Anchorage late the night before. I had an oral argument in federal court at 9:00 a.m. the following morning and planned to return to Seattle via a mid-day flight. I woke up early to get ready and go over my notes, and flipped on the TV for company. They were watching the first of the twin towers to collapse burn; I watched as it collapsed. They kept cutting to the Pentagon, on fire. I don't think it was all fully sinking in. At first, I didn't know if it was real.

I didn't have the argument for two days, but was stuck in Anchorage for five in any event. At one point I went to the airport thinking I could talk my way onto a plane. It was one of the weirdest experiences of my life. The place was unlocked and nearly vacant; I had the run of the place. I was very anxious, wanting to get back home. Now I wonder why I was so anxious; I should have just gone with the flow and relaxed.

[falafel]

I was in the Armed Forces DNA lab in Rockville MD loading a gel when somebody told us the towers had been hit. Everybody went over to the OAFME (office armed forces medical examiner) to watch the news in their conference room. While we were watching the towers burn one of the emergency team members radio reported the Pentagon being hit and the team needed to head down.

I was in shock but sure enough about 5 minutes later it started being reported on TV.

I spent the next 3 weeks identifying the people who died in the Pentagon and in the plane that went down in Pennsylvania. I will never forget the smell.

Holy crap, that gets my vote for craziest story.

[Parrot Head]

I think it was about 10 days before 9/11 when HBO initially began airing Band of Brothers. It aired on Sunday, but we weren't able to catch the second episode live so we headed to PAC's on the night of 9/10 to watch it. I distinctly remember watching that and especially the trench warfare and commenting to my wife as we headed home that I was so thankful that I wasn't involved in that and that something like that was not a real concern for me.

The next morning we got an early call from my mom on the east coast, telling us to turn on the TV and making sure we weren't going into San Francisco that day. Eventually we headed over to PAC's for the rest of the day and as we got closer to their house, we approached a corner lot home that had placed small American flags staked into the ground every 10 feet or so around their lot. That choked me up when I saw it.

[Viking]

I called my broker, who worked in Tower 2. I worked in MS's 1585 B'way office. He was about to return to his office and I told him he was nuts and that he should get the hell out of there. I could hear the PA announcement that it was safe to return through his cell phone. He ended up just deciding to go get a coffee and let things blow over. I doubt what I said really made a difference as he probably was going to leave anyway, but he lived.

[myboynoah]

I was in Japan, the first time around, and about ready to go to bed. I turned on the TV to wind down a bit. They were covering a fire in one of the towers, which I thought odd. They were saying something about an airplane hitting the tower. "Why is this national news," I kept thinking. Then the second plane hit the second tower.

I stayed up the rest of the night watching the coverage.

[dohickies]

Princeton, about 60 min from NYC

I landed in Philly about 11 pm the night before and was in Princeton NJ. I recall going to a chapel on the Princeton University campus the evening of 9/11 and witnessing all of the pain being felt by those who had family that were missing. I also remember the lines of folks waiting to give blood. Everyone felt so helpless.

[wuapinmon]

I landed in Philly about 11 pm the night before and was in Princeton NJ. I recall going to a chapel on the Princeton University campus the evening of 9/11 and witnessing all of the pain being felt by those who had family that were missing. I also remember the lines of folks waiting to give blood. Everyone felt so helpless.

Welcome to the board.......consider introducing yourself to us in Ellis Island.

[Indy Coug]

A guy in our branch is a train conductor in New Jersey. He was working on 9-11 and saw all the people filing out of Manhattan riding his train all covered in that horrible dust, crying and in shock. Just watching and hearing him relate the story is a very sobering experience.

[wuapinmon]

I was researching something for this thing I'm writing, and I found this video of Jorge Ramos on 9-11-01...he loses it when the second tower falls and the other anchor has to take over. You also hear someone say "HOLY SHIT" on live tv in the background. I'd never seen this until today.

[dabrockster]

Never forget.


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[frank ryan]

It was my first semester of UVSC after getting off my mission. I was up getting for school and turned on the news while getting ready, which was part of my routine. I instantly thought it was Bin Laden because I had watched 60 mins or some similar news program's interview with him. My mom and we talked about it. I still remember it vividly.