9/11 20 years later. Share any thoughts, memories,

I had just gotten up for the day. Turned on my computer and read the headline that the first plane had hit. So, I went right to the TV to watch. By the time I got to the TV, the second plane had hit. I did not know what to think at that moment...I do not think anyone did.
I remember calling my brother, as he had in-laws in that area (just over border in NJ. He did not know anything then about inlaws ...but later in the day called me back to tell me he found out that his brother in law had been scheduled to travel on one of the planes that hit the WTC, but his trip was canceled, as the meeting in LA he was going to had been cancelled.
 

As usual i had news on while i had breakfast and dressed for work when the i saw the 'breaking news' about first plane and as i stood there watching the smoke billow and trying to take it in the 2nd came into view. My daughter had turned 18 the day before. i woke her because i didn't want her to be alone when she heard the news. My Navy son was on a destroyer, part of a Battle Group way to 'routine deployment' in Persian Gulf, when they got word. i had not even realized we had an almost constant Navy presence there until he told me much later that the Group leaving as they were arriving had turned around same time his group was speeding up. My other son was on his LDS Mission in Tennessee at the time, not a good place for someone with brown skin and coal black hair. i kept reminding myself that the missionaries wear suits everywhere and their identifying 'Elder' pins---every time i heard about Muslim Mosque or a Sikh (very different faith) facility or individuals being attacked. Surely no-one that ignorant? But being a Mom i still worried.

My sons talked about how 9/11 would be the 'Where were you?' moment for their sister's generation, millennials. The one most everyone of a generation remembers very clearly. i had to remind them that for Boomers the fact that we'd already been thru all the American Assassinations of the 60's the NASA accidents that claimed lives, like the Challenger which was a big one for their generation, and the escalating school shootings at that time--didn't make it any easier.

Over the years i've gotten into a lot of contentious discussions about the after effects of 9/11, the political hypocrisy of some. And i always have empathy for those who lost loved ones not only in the bombings, but in other ways that day--illness, personal violence. The natural grieving process for the latter group of mourners is likely impacted by attention of both news and social media.
 
I was in the bathroom getting ready for the day. Sirens were going off, the phone was ringing, and I was grumbling to myself hoping it wasn't because my husband had gotten himself into some kind of accident. The phone ringing was my daughter calling to see if we were all right. Flight 93 had crashed nearby. When I came downstairs the radio was talking about the World Trade Center. I turned on the TV just as the first tower was collapsing. Can't say I felt anything except deja vu. I thought that was strange. A little later, a solemn attitude for the dead. I've never visited the Flight 93 Memorial. Didn't know anyone on board. Relatives in NYC were OK. Condolences to anyone on here who lost someone they knew.
 
On the west coast at 6:30, my radio alarm had the CBC news was talking about first plane. I was barely awake and hoped I was misunderstanding. By the time I got to the tv, the second tower was collapsing.

We all went to work. Those who had them turned their radios on and others would listen. Lots of misinformation that day. Interestingly a lady who lived in NYC said they knew less that others because of the lack of power.
 
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Two Thousand One, Nine Eleven

Two thousand one, nine eleven.
Five thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait.

A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying,
"Let's sit, let's chat."

They settle down in seats of clouds.
A man named Martin shouts out proud,
"I have a dream!" and once he did
The Newcomers said, "Your dream still lives."

Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki and green then say,
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine!"
The Newcomers said, "You died not in vain."

From a man on sticks one could hear,
"The only thing we have to fear ..."
The Newcomers said, "We know the rest,
trust us sir, we've passed that test."

"Courage doesn't hide in caves,
You can't bury freedom in a grave."
The Newcomers had heard this voice before.
A distinct Yankee's twang from Hyannisport shores.

A silence fell within the mist.
Somehow the Newcomers knew that this
Meant time had come for them to say
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day.

"Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports,
Worked our gardens, sang our songs,
Went to church and clipped coupons.

We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought.
Unlike you, great we're not."

The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, "Don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see!
You died for freedom, just like me!"

Then before them all appeared a scene
Of rubbled streets and twisted beams.
Death, destruction, smoke, and dust
And people working just 'cause they must.

Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell.
But not alone!

"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman
Side by side helping their fellow man!"
So said Martin, as he watched the scene,
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."

Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze.
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iwo Jima back in '44.

The man on sticks studied everything closely.
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw. "Mostly
I see pain, I see tears,
I see sorrow - but I don't see fear."

"You left behind husbands and wives,
Daughters and sons, and so many lives
are suffering now because of this wrong.
But look very closely. You're not really gone.

"All of those people, even those who've never met you,
All of their lives, they'll never forget you!
Don't you see what has happened?
Don't you see what you've done?
You've brought them together, together as one!"

With that the man in the stovepipe hat said,
"Take my hand," and from there he led
five thousand plus heroes, Newcomers, to heaven.
On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven.

-- Author Unknown
 
I will not watch any of the so-called tributes. To me it is disrespectful of those that suffered the most. It is nothing but horrible memories that will never go away so why are all the networks flooding the schedules with this dark event?
 
At least, the country wasn't at war with itself after 9/11. We all knew who the enemy was, and it wasn't other Americans with a different political outlook. Whether we went to war against the right country remains questionable, but to the best of my knowledge, the entire country was shocked and horrified. There were no t-shirts supporting Bin Laden.
 
fmdog44 said:
I will not watch any of the so-called tributes. To me it is disrespectful of those that suffered the most. It is nothing but horrible memories that will never go away so why are all the networks flooding the schedules with this dark event?
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For some, it's healing to remember, bring dark memories to light and honor those who died. That's why the British do Cenotaph, why we have Memorial Day, why people place flowers on graves. Do understand your personal view, though.
 
When the 2nd plane struck the World trade Center, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind what group was responsible.
 
I was out riding my horse that morning. Being in the country I would wave to people when they passed me in their cars (everyone being neighbors sort of), and usually they'd wave back, but that morning the drivers were looking serious and didn't greet me back. So I was a few hours behind everyone else about finding out what was happening.
There is a very long (couple hour) YouTube video of that morning. I have watched it (listened to it) a few times over the years, it is very interesting regarding the confusion the military had about what planes were involved and where they were.
 
Sorry I am drifting off topic. I might start a thread about "How much do we trust our governments "reports"?" sometime. I too am very saddened by the terrible event no matter what. Terribly! Yes, I know the day, hour, and where I was in vivid detail.
 
senior chef said:
Yes, I believe that Saddam financed Dr. Death and her work on bio-weapons. Saddam certainly had did everything he could to keep U.N. weapons inspectors from seeing the truth. If given a choice between believing Saddam and Collin Powell, I'll believe Collin Powell every time.
It is an absolute fact that a minimum of 7,500 people were killed by nerve gas during the Iran Iraq war. And let us not forget that Saddam used nerve gas to murder thousands of his own citizens.
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And let's not forget that the U.S. supplied Saddam with the helicopters he used to deploy the nerve gas — mainly against the Kurds.
 
Irwin said:
It would no doubt descend and degrade into a political debate, so let's not. :)
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It's already going that way in this thread, hence the suggestion. Why hijack Marie's remembrance thread?
 

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