Vegas Free-for-All - What were you doing when 9/11 happened?

rkmassa

Sep 10, 2011
12:16pm

Was in my classroom getting ready for my morning classes. Turned on the TV after the first plane hit.

As soon as the second plane hit I clearly remember the words of my colleague (who teaches government) walking in my door "We are at war, Rob.....those were terror attacks."

mistrhia

Sep 10, 2011
2:52pm

Block User

Working a dayshift in Air Traffic Control up here in Canada. Truly the most gut wrenching experience as the reality began to sink in as to what was happening. We grounded all our aircraft through those first few hours and watched as fewer and fewer aircraft were left on our radar screens. A surreal sight for those of us accustomed to seeing multitudes of aircraft in all our control sectors. All the time wondering what would happen next. Easily one of the most emotional days I've ever experienced. I remember finally getting home that evening and just breaking down in tears thinking about the magnitude of the event and the horrendous, unnecessary loss of so many lives.

greenberg9

Sep 10, 2011
3:13pm

Block User

I was there...I worked 1 block from the Trade Center. I left my building at about 9:15 and I had to walk all the way uptown to Penn Station because the subways were shut down by then. The Holland Tunnel was already closed and barricaded. I walked by St Vincent's Hospital where the emergency staff was waiting outside with gurneys, but no casualties arrived. By that time, the first tower fell. I started walking again, turning around at 14th St. The second tower fell in a cloud of dust. Even though I was far enough away from the dust and debris, that huge antenna looked as if it was heading straight towards me. No trains were running, so I stayed with a friend on 55th St until 5:30. I finally got home to NJ at 7:45.

snidely333

Sep 10, 2011
3:23pm

Block User

Driving to work at Johnson and Johnson when my wife called me to tell me a plane had hit the WTS. By the time I parked my car and got inside, the second plane hit the WTS. J&J had the TVs on in the cafeterias and we watched the towers fall and then the news about the pentagon. Then in a very surreal development, many alarms started to go off at J&J and their fire and emergency responders scrambled and put on their breathing apparatus. We were told to do whatever you feel you need to do. I hightailed it home to pick up my kids from school. I was driving about 85mph and got passed by numerous Ford Crown Vics with dark tinted windows doing 110+ mph. Picked up the kids and told them that we seem to be under attack by unknown forces.

Janis Meyer

Sep 10, 2011
6:19pm

Block User

Slept in late while it happened since I was unemployed at the time. My friend and sister left me a couple of messages on my answering machine about it, and flipped on the TV as soon as I heard them. I had just visited the WTC a month earlier on vacation.

MrWilly

Sep 10, 2011
6:21pm

Block User

I had the day off and had just got up with my 2 month old daughter. I turned on the TV and saw the news. I remember sitting in the room thinking what kind of world did I just bring my new baby into. I soon received A call from work instructing me to get in ASAP.

I am a police officer in a small NJ town and I was posted at the railroad station to help decontaminate and assist the people arriving from NYC. Soon after we were informed that our Sergeants future son in law worked in the South tower and was presumed dead. On 09/12/01 I volunteered and went to NY with several others officers and worked on the pile for five days looking for survivors. When I arrived home I broke down and gave my family a huge hug. I will never forget how the people of NY cheered and clapped as we drove into the city.

Gabby-girl

Sep 10, 2011
6:47pm

Block User

Home.... watching it all unfold LIVE on television. Called everyone in the family . My sons girlfriend had an uncle and his infant son on the second plane that flew into the world trade center.

Don the Dentist

Sep 10, 2011
11:10pm

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: DonDiego

They misinterpreted the first reports as a small private aircraft accidentally colliding with one of the towers.

Here in Las Vegas, that is what I saw on Yahoo,,,that a small aircreft hit one of the Twim Towers. OK, I thought, small planes had hit the Empire State Building before. Nothing catastrophic. Only when I got to work and booted up my PC did I discover the enormity of the situation.

bbking

Sep 11, 2011
12:18am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: mistrhia
Working a dayshift in Air Traffic Control up here in Canada. Truly the most gut wrenching experience as the reality began to sink in as to what was happening. We grounded all our aircraft through those first few hours and watched as fewer and fewer aircraft were left on our radar screens. A surreal sight for those of us accustomed to seeing multitudes of aircraft in all our control sectors. All the time wondering what would happen next. Easily one of the most emotional days I've ever experienced. I remember finally getting home that evening and just breaking down in tears thinking about the magnitude of the event and the horrendous, unnecessary loss of so many lives.

Just curious but once the reality of what was happening here in the U.S. finally sank in,did it ever cross yours and your fellow controllers minds that maybe the same thing could also be happening there in Canada?

jlette1958

Sep 11, 2011
1:23am

Block User

Quote

Originally posted by: MrWilly
I had the day off and had just got up with my 2 month old daughter. I turned on the TV and saw the news. I remember sitting in the room thinking what kind of world did I just bring my new baby into. I soon received A call from work instructing me to get in ASAP.

I am a police officer in a small NJ town and I was posted at the railroad station to help decontaminate and assist the people arriving from NYC. Soon after we were informed that our Sergeants future son in law worked in the South tower and was presumed dead. On 09/12/01 I volunteered and went to NY with several others officers and worked on the pile for five days looking for survivors. When I arrived home I broke down and gave my family a huge hug. I will never forget how the people of NY cheered and clapped as we drove into the city.

First, I want to thank you for your service as a first responder on a day we will never forget.

Second, I was at work at a small community college in Michigan and didn't know what had happened until my husband called me to tell me that the first tower was hit by a plane but that they thought it was just a terrible disaster until the second tower was hit with another plane. We all turned the TV to the news and watched all day.

‹2 ›»

Already a LVA subscriber?
To continue reading, choose an option below:

Diamond Membership

$3 per month

Unlimited access to LVA website

Exclusive subscriber-only content

Limited Member Rewards Online

Join Now

Platinum Membership

$50 per year

Unlimited access to LVA website

Exclusive subscriber-only content

Exclusive Member Rewards Book

Join Now