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Post by darksea on Sept 10, 2011 12:24:39 GMT -5
With all the strangely timed hulaballoo of SOTB, it is almost easy to forget that this is also the anniversary of an event that shook the world, and changed the United States forever: 9/11. As was indicated during Hurricane Irene, and in a previous chat, there are many individuals on this board that hail from New York. All of us were affected in one way or another, so please, feel free to join us here at H5O reboot in remembering that day, and join us in our efforts to never forget the sacrifices of that day.
That was one of the last days when my formerly large family all came together. It was also my first true test of having to deal with crisis management.
It all started with my mom coming into my room, and shaking me awake. She was near tears. She told me to turn on my TV, that the World Trade Center had been attacked. I literally bolted upright in bed with remote almost in hand, turned on the TV as she went to wake my Dad to tell him. I sat and watched as the tower smoked and smouldered, we all managed to wander into the living room to turn on the TV, just as the second plane hit. We literally sat in silence. My sister called, freaking out asking if we had seen it. My grandmother called, asking if we had seen it. I dont' think there was anybody who hadn't. Then the reports of the Pentagon being hit also hit the airwaves. It was like watching a movie.
Our school district and town is not very far from Los Alamos National Laboratories. I got a call from my boss saying to remain in a holding pattern, the government ordered the lockdown of all the schools in our district. It was the first time we had to put the actual plan into action. I was on the phone with my boss when the first tower fell. I remember my dad just whispering 'no, no'. My boss yelled 'no!' telling me that his classroom just watched thousands die on live TV. By the time the second tower had fallen, we were all in shock. There really wasn't much more to say. We watched it all go down live. We saw the people jumping. We saw the curious little jog explosion just as the 2nd tower was coming down. We heard the rumors of a car bomb near the Pentagon. We heard the reports of what they thought was a plane go down in Pennsylvania.
By noon our time, I got the call that I needed to go in, air space had been locked down, and it was eerily quiet in our area. A whole group of kids had watched the towers go down, and several of them had relatives who worked in the towers. I was an apprentice lab safety officer then, and part of my job was supposed to be crisis counselling. For almost three straight weeks, I was counselling kids, while my own mind and heart were stretching to the limit.
That night, we all got together, and rushed out to the gas stations, because there was a warning that went out that gas prices were going to surge. My sister lived in New Mexico at the time near us. So she and I got together to gas up my grandparents cars in addition to our own. That evening we sat, all 8 of us, around the dining room table at my grandparents, watching the coverage, and watching my grandfather literally remain stoic for the rest of us, though later he commented that it was one event that he wished he hadn't been alive to see. He had been born in 1918, and well, he'd already seen quite a few dark events in history. We cried together, we were a family together. Not too long after that, the family unit began to separate.
10 years later, the family of 8 turned into 9, with the birth of my nephew in 2002. And then it began to decrease. My grandpa left us in 2003. My dad left us in January of this year. My aunt left us in March of this year. My sister, nephew and brother in law are in New York. My mother and I are here, grandma is in a nursing home. There was a family separation of major proportions that has only been starting to heal just this year. The house that we joined together is falling apart, and is condemned. I am now a senior lab safety officer, amongst my many other duties.
Where will my sister and I be tomorrow? Here, online, as a matter of fact, she is planning to join me and help me with SOTB. Because 10 years later, what is left of the family is going to come together...for rememberance sake.
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Post by Dannos Dani on Sept 10, 2011 12:27:25 GMT -5
For me it's doubly sad because my dad passed away five years ago yesterday.
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Post by okie27 on Sept 10, 2011 12:51:29 GMT -5
My hopes and prayers are with those of you that lost loved ones on that day.
And i will always remember where i was when i heard the news.
Has anyone been to ground zero to see if they finished the construction? Are they done with the project?
And dani i am sorry that you lost your dad.
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nicnak96
Full H50Reboot Ohana Member
Posts: 245
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Post by nicnak96 on Sept 10, 2011 13:28:49 GMT -5
My heart goes out to anybody who lost a loved one on 9/11 (and all days). I will always remember that day. Those few seconds changed our entire country (the US) forever. But I also think, in a way it had an impact on the entire world. I remember a day after my dad (who was in the US Army in NYS) was given active duty orders to serve in NYC. He was gone for a while. I could not imagine what NYC was like in the days following. I went to NYC about six years after and saw ground zero. It is a place like no other. I was there again in last year and saw peeks (more like fences surrounding everything) of the memorial they are building, which will be revealed and open to the public for the first time tomorrow.
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Post by Musicfreak on Sept 10, 2011 13:46:25 GMT -5
Darksea, that is an amazingly powerful story and account of that day. I didn't experience it quite like that. I was in school when kids started being called to the office. Name after name. I was so confused. To this day I still don't know whether or not my teacher knew what had happened or not. I don't remember the ride home, or even going to sleep that night. But what I do remember is turning on the TV and witnessing horror unfold. The older I get, the more I understand how horrific that day was for the people living it. As hard as it is to watch, I make sure that I do watch documentaries. And I think that it is so unbelievably important that Americans remember what happened. My love and my prayers are always with the families that lost loved ones. And I hold the highest respect for the volunteers who sacrificed their lives to save the ones trapped. No matter how many years pass, I will never be able to look at footage of the Twin Towers collapsing, the Pentagon burning, or the Pennsylvania field in flames, without tears in my eyes and pain in my heart. About two years ago now, I visited New York City with some family and visited the Ground Zero site. It was still under construction at that time, but it certainly was moving. And honestly, it was hard to wrap my head around what had happened there. It still is.
Dani, I am truly sorry about your dad.
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Post by okie27 on Sept 10, 2011 14:01:28 GMT -5
....... I was there again in last year and saw peeks (more like fences surrounding everything) of the memorial they are building, which will be revealed and open to the public for the first time tomorrow. That is good, i want to see pics of it when it is ready....maybe we could put some here on this thread.... And the school i went to (i was a senior) had the tv on in EVERY room, we did not do anything except watch the footage....not that we were happy to have a day of no homework...but we all had our jaw dropped and every one was crying, even the tough guys had tears. I do not remember anything else that happened that day, just the footage on the screen. |
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Post by sportsmom8 on Sept 10, 2011 14:39:13 GMT -5
My hopes and prayers are with those of you that lost loved ones on that day. And i will always remember where i was when i heard the news. Has anyone been to ground zero to see if they finished the construction? Are they done with the project? And dani i am sorry that you lost your dad. Dani, I am so sorry about your Dad as well. <hug> Unfortunately okie, the construction process is far from completion. Here in NY, there were many discussions/arguments as to how the construction should proceed - all Memorial, no office buildings, alot of stops and starts. Right now, they are in the midst of building the Freedom Tower, and Memorials have been built in the 'footprints' of the original WTC. Tomorrow, the families of the victims will be down there. For me personally, 9/11 is always a day to reflect on what happened here. My husband works in midtown Manhattan. At the time I was still a stay-at-home mom, and was watching GMA when there was a break in from our local station - their news helicopter was reporting smoke at WTC and said there had been an accident with a plane. Well, as the talking continued, we all saw the second plane hit. I was on the phone with a friend at that point and we knew we were being attacked. I spoke to my husband and he could see the smoke billowing from downtown. My younger sister worked in the tallest building in Brooklyn and watched the second plane plow in. At that point, we were all just shocked. Mayor Guiliani closed every bridge, tunnel, Grand Central, Penn Station. Where you were at 9am that day was where you were going to be for a while. But then there were rumors - a bomb in Grand Central, a plane heading to the Empire State building - it was surreal and so upsetting. When my husband finally made it home, my neighbor who was sitting outside said it was the best sight she had seen all day. And to prove to the terrorists that he wasn't going to back down, my husband was back at his desk on September 12th. ( I wasn't happy about it but understood what he needed to do) Today, it still is a very raw wound around here. My girlfriend who I work with in Kindergarten - she's the teacher, I'm the aide - lost her brother in the WTC. She is now an only child, her parents in the ten years have never recovered. This weekend is very hard for them as they went into the city yesterday for a service held by the company he worked for - today a Mass at their old Parish with a dinner after - and tomorrow Ground Zero and then another service at the memorial in Westchester called 'The Rising.' On Monday, her parents have tickets to the new Museum at Ground Zero - her husband will be taking them down as it is our first full day of school. When I tell you how emotionally wiped she is each and every year it is no understatement. But I am constantly amazed at her resilience as well as the thoughtfulness of so many. Yesterday, friends of ours stopped by our classroom as they do every year - to drop off flowers, homemade cookies, and hugs. So yes, it is a very sad time here. But like we did all those years ago, New Yorkers hold their heads high and persevere. Am I nervous when my daughter and husband head to the city every day? Hell yes I am. But we can't let them win and we won't. Life goes on as best we can and we roll with the punches. It has made us stronger and much more aware. The mantra here is "If you see something, say something" and we do. We are still standing tall and proud. |
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Post by Leni on Sept 10, 2011 15:03:55 GMT -5
I think this is a wonderful idea.
Being born and raised in New York until my teenage years, I watched the towers being built, had spent many an afternoon visiting them and ufortunately watched as they fell. My heart breaks a little everytime I see what happened that day, mainly because I witnessed it both on TV and on the phone. I worked for a NY based corporation here in Florida that had offices in WTC 7. We were on our weekly Tuesday National East conference call, when suddenly someone yelled, OH SHIT! on the call. They were in WTC 7 at the time and had actually felt the vibration of the impact. Now keep in mind, this was a call consisting of executives and brokers from the entire east and central part of the US (major big shots). Immediately the phones clicked off, as we were all watching CNBC for the stock ticker as we did every morning, and first hand watched the 1st plane hit while on the call. As the entire office watched the coverage, we noticed that one of our co workers was in his office literrally crying. It turned out that his brother-in-law was in the building and his office was above the crash site. After spending hours consoling him, we were blessed to find out that he had been at the ATM machine in the lobby when the plane hit. He was one of the lucky ones. We had lost 4 employees that day ( they were visiting clients in tower 2). My friend lost her father in law who was a NYC firefighter. My cousin was working two buildings away and till this day, will not talk about what he saw that morning. I know that this day is difficult for many of us. It has made me grateful for each day that we get to spend with friends and family. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I pray that we all take the time to remember those that have inpacted our lives. Not just on 9/11, but everyday.
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Post by sportsmom8 on Sept 10, 2011 15:11:06 GMT -5
I could not imagine what NYC was like in the days following. I went to NYC about six years after and saw ground zero. It is a place like no other. I was there again in last year and saw peeks (more like fences surrounding everything) of the memorial they are building, which will be revealed and open to the public for the first time tomorrow. nic, I can tell you that NY was a somber and quiet for weeks after the attacks. Manhattan was eerily quiet, no honking horns, no planes roaring over the airspace, nothing. I headed in on September 28th for a Tony Bennett concert at Radio City. When I came out of Grand Central, I couldn't believe how quiet the city was. There were 8x12 pieces of paper on every empty wall and lamp post with the words Missing and a picture of someone who was lost at the Twin Towers. Firehouses were surrounded with candles and flowers, impromtu memorials for all 343 who were lost. When we got to Radio City, we couldn't just walk in like we were used to; we had to wait on a line outside and my bag, and hubbys briefcase were searched; we were also gone over with one of those wands like at the airport. The concert started an hour late as it took that long to get everyone inside. And it was at that moment that we knew that our lives were going to change. |
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Post by okie27 on Sept 10, 2011 15:16:28 GMT -5
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Post by Musicfreak on Sept 10, 2011 15:32:12 GMT -5
That's ok Okie! The link works just fine  |
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Post by sunnyirish08 on Sept 10, 2011 16:26:06 GMT -5
my granddad's 12 year anniversary is tomorrow, miss him obviously. but boy that day 10 years ago sucked. so much pain and loss. the amount of documentaries going on over here in ireland is unreal. seriously can't look at any more and there's a ton tomorrow. i'm personally a big fan of new york, lived there for a year when i was 5 and have many memories of going into the city. i've visited there a couple of times in the last couple of years and my love always increases, i've gone down to world trade center site, i can't go down there ever again, i'm sensitive to vibes and feelings any way, that place just place just floored me.  r.i.p to the many lives that were lost that day |
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nicnak96
Full H50Reboot Ohana Member
Posts: 245
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Post by nicnak96 on Sept 10, 2011 16:50:57 GMT -5
I could not imagine what NYC was like in the days following. I went to NYC about six years after and saw ground zero. It is a place like no other. I was there again in last year and saw peeks (more like fences surrounding everything) of the memorial they are building, which will be revealed and open to the public for the first time tomorrow. nic, I can tell you that NY was a somber and quiet for weeks after the attacks. Manhattan was eerily quiet, no honking horns, no planes roaring over the airspace, nothing. I headed in on September 28th for a Tony Bennett concert at Radio City. When I came out of Grand Central, I couldn't believe how quiet the city was. There were 8x12 pieces of paper on every empty wall and lamp post with the words Missing and a picture of someone who was lost at the Twin Towers. Firehouses were surrounded with candles and flowers, impromtu memorials for all 343 who were lost. When we got to Radio City, we couldn't just walk in like we were used to; we had to wait on a line outside and my bag, and hubbys briefcase were searched; we were also gone over with one of those wands like at the airport. The concert started an hour late as it took that long to get everyone inside. And it was at that moment that we knew that our lives were going to change. I live in NY also, but not in the city. It was that same silence up here, (obviously its not as loud as the city, but you know what I mean.) Lots of people from where I live visit the city very often, so many from this area were affected. Everything was closed for quite a few days in all of NYS, not just the city. And then of course, security all across the country changed forever. I live rather close to Albany (which is of course the capital), so 9/11 is a big deal for the country, but ESPECIALLY NYC and the rest of the state. There are many, many memorial type things going on this weekend, documentaries, patriotic songs (like "Have You Forgotton" for example) have completly taken over all the radio stations. RIP to anyone who lost their life that tragic morning. And thank you to all the brave men and women who worked long and hard to help on that awful day and the days following. |
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Post by scarlarose on Sept 10, 2011 22:12:46 GMT -5
I know this is a heart-wrenching memory for our country. It's a time when we all have to stand together to bear this burden because alone it would be too much to carry. As survivors of that day and by nature, we have a responsibility to never forget what was lost on that dreadful morning and to be sure that generations to come appreciate the freedoms that Americans are still fighting for today. I'm including Alan Jackson's song because it has always touched my heart whenever I've heard it. If scenes from that day are too hard to watch, then you don't want to play it.
[video src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW8puRqE4Sc&feature=player_detailpage[/img]"][/video]
I also wanted to thank and remember all the soldiers who answered America's call for revenge. To the men and women who are responsible for ultimately giving us victory over the horror of 9/11 and allowing us to live as free Americans, I have a heart that is a never ending well of gratitude. You are my heroes! I'm so thankful to be an American and proud of the men and women who serve in our armed forces. Remembering 9/11 would be even more painful if the enemy had won that day.
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Post by sweetlikemeli on Sept 11, 2011 4:56:23 GMT -5
Reading all your posts there isn't much for me to add.....I live in Australia and when the news here broke the story live...my phone was going off the hook with all my family & friends......telling me to switch on the tv....My parents were in Europe on holiday at the time....A few of my friends & family had come over and we were all in tears at the sight we saw....I couldn't talk I was in shock.....within a couple of days I received a call from the airline informing me that my parents flight would be changed and I would be notified within 24hrs before their arrival time....All flights going anywhere in the world were put on high security alert....So while I was waiting for the call to let me know when my parents would be arriving home I was terrified thinking something was going to happen to them.....My brother & sisters were here with me, we were comforting each other.... Thankfully they arrived safe.... My prayers & thoughts to all you have lost a loved one... darksea reading your story brought tears to my eyes.....you are strong & your family's courage shines through.... Dannos Dani i am truly sorry for your loss....but sharing your memories is what gives you & all the strength & comfort to go on.....Hugs to you all...... |
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