9/11 Memories

[robav8r]

Patriots,

As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, and in light of recent events in Afghanistan, I thought it would be constructive to reflect on our service, sacrifices, and experiences on that fateful day on 9/11/2001. I'll start . . . .

I was assigned to VP-26 in Brunswick, ME and was completing my flight physical that morning at the Branch Medical Clinic. I had to get my eyes dilated for some new reading glasses. As I walked out into the waiting room, I bumped into (literally) the wife of one my Dept. Heads. She was focused on a TV that was airing a CNN report about a plane that flew into some building in New York. I stood there for a few minutes, and then watched, in horror, the second plane impact the WTC. The next day, and many days after, had our squadron flying ISR mission over NYC, and up & down the eastern seaboard. We learned within a few days, that two of the high jackers had stopped at a bookstore in Cooks Corner, a shopping center right outside of NAS Brunswick. There is much more to my story . . . . . what was yours?

 

[MIDNJAC]

Just started freshman year of college. Got to the TV soon enough to see the second plane hit. I remember all the confusion before that, the initial thought that it was just a Cessna or something, a horrible accident. Obviously it quickly became apparent that wasn't the case.

 

[nittany03]

Was a MIDN 2/c at NROTCU Penn State. I was actually asleep when it happened. It was a Tuesday, so we did early-ass PT with the unit, and then I went off to my morning class. But the only thing in the hopper that day was time to work on a group project that my team was already ahead on. So I went back to my dorm room and took a nap.

Then I walked to my 10 o'clock class . . . History of Islam. Diverse crew of American students mostly looking for gen-ed credit and Middle Eastern students potentially looking for easy gen-ed credit, taught by a white Canadian Muslim with an Italian last name. The prof said that given that a plane had flown into the WTC, even though nothing was known yet, he was cancelling the scheduled syllabus lecture, and we spent the whole period discussing the Islamic view on just and unjust wars, and how different people had used Islam to encourage and condemn terrorism. Pre cell phone days, I still had no idea what was going on. I figured a bugsmasher or something had hit one of the towers.

I came home to find my roommate parked in front of my computer, which was slightly unusual, but since we were in a dorm, my PC had a cable TV tuner card (back when that was a thing), and so my PC was also our TV. I think I asked what was going on and that I'd heard something about a plane hitting the WTC. I still can remember his voice when he told me yeah, and "one of the towers is down." "'Down,'" I said. "DOWN," he said. And that's when I realized what the hell was going on.

 

[Spekkio]

Just started freshman year of college. Got to the TV soon enough to see the second plane hit. I remember all the confusion before that, the initial thought that it was just a Cessna or something, a horrible accident. Obviously it quickly became apparent that wasn't the case.

Matches my experience as well.

 

[robav8r]

I forgot about that time frame being pre-cellphone and hyper-internet. The manner, and speed in which we got information during that event was definitely different.

 

[PhrogLoop]

My roommate called, woke me up. She was the skeds O and wanted to let me know my NVG flight was cancelled but I should pack my cruise bag because my det was likely deploying today, a week early. Huh? You’re not watching the news? Huh? Dude. Turn on the TV. As I watched the second tower fall from Norfolk, my dad was watching from his office window in NYC. I finally got through to him as I drove through the gate in FPCON D. “Dad, I’m deploying today. Don’t know where I’m going, don’t know when I’ll be back. I love you.” We landed backwards, pierside, on the BATAAN and packed the SAR H-46s in time to get underway. So quiet. A few weeks later, 26th MEU Marines from our deck took Kandahar.

 

[zipmartin]

I was in the second day of CAPT upgrade training at SWA. There were about 12 guys in the class and I was the only one who lived in the area, so I drove in to class each day, whereas the others stayed at a local hotel. When I was driving in the announcement was made on the radio that a plane had flown into one of the twin towers. I walked into the classroom and let the others know what I'd just heard on the radio, as they'd come to the training center on the hotel shuttle, and weren't aware of anything. Shortly thereafter, more became known and little actual training was conducted the rest of the day as we were glued to the TV. The rest of the week was interesting as we continually received reports of what was transpiring with crews that were forced to land at the various unscheduled destinations due to the national airspace being shut down, and how everything was being handled.

 

[mad dog]

I was suiting up to head out the door to go to work at Delta as a new hire B727 SO (flight engineer). My wife told me to check out the TV. At that point, the only thing known was that one of the WTC towers was on fire…then the second aircraft hit the other tower. Within minutes, Delta crew scheduling called and stated to stay home until further notice.

 

[taxi1]

Driving to Pittsburgh in a van with fellow co-workers from Penn State for a week-long conference. Got to the conference, and on the TV one plane had hit. Went to session, came back out and another plane had hit. One more session, came out and a tower had fallen. They were evacuating government buildings in Pittsburgh, so I rallied everyone up and we left immediately. Without knowing it, drove by not terribly far from the Pennsylvania crash site.

 

[Homer J]

I was working for DynCorp as a Parachute Rigger at AIMD Pax River. Standing in the flotation shop chatting with a coworker when someone came in saying that a plane had hit one of the WTC towers. We were all thinking it was maybe a small general aviation bird. Went to the lunch room and turned on CNN. We were glued to the TV when the second plan hit. We all just stood and watched, dumbstruck. The first tower fell, then the second. Shortly after the boss came in and told us we needed to go home. We had to get off the base before it went into lockdown. I still get choked up as I type this.

 

[Brother J]

I was in API. That morning they had us in the spinning chair, where they would suddenly stop you and everyone would watch your eyes spaz out. Since we were already on base, it was easier to keep us there and just continue the training for the day. Schools Command staff would provide occasional updates.

I think we all join with some preconceived notions of what service to our nation will be. That day significantly refined it all.

Since then, I've made more trips to CENTCOM than anyone normal person would ever want. Every deployment and IA to CENTCOM. Both on the boat and on the beach.

Glad now to be on the twilight with the best job in the Navy. It's been a ride.

 

[hlg6016]

I had just showed up to appear in front of the interview board for the School Police. The staff had the TV on watching the first tower burn. By the time I cleared the board and got home the second tower was down and my wife was in a panic to go get the kids at school. I did visit the recruiter (with out telling the Mrs) about a week later and was politely told Thanks but we need young guys to deal with this. Recruiter was nice enough to inform me that my particular MOS was going away and my birds where heading for the bone-yard.

 

[JustAGuy]

I was in the pool at API waiting to start and as such was assigned to the rescue swimmer school there as a safety observer. We were out front of the building with a class for a first-aid course if I remember correctly. One of the instructors mentioned something an was able to sneak inside to watch on TV for a little bit. That being said the training went on so I didn't see either tower collapse as it happened since I was with them.

I lived just outside the back gate, normally took me about 7 minutes to get to work and the next day it was 3 hours. Much like Brother J I didn't yet know what that day would mean for my career but ended up spending a lot of my career on the pointy end of the stick over the course of 8 deployments in my 11 years of operational time.