9/11/2001

[USMC88-93]

Was on a temporary work assignment in Hawaii staying in the Hawaiian Monarc in Waikiki. When it happened someone pulled the fire alarm in the building. Tired as I was i stupidly ignored the alarm and continued to try to sleep. Some time later that morning my Mother called from Denver and told me to turn on the television. This was shortly after they had collapsed. I was due to fly out that day back to Houston. I ended up stuck in Hawaii an extra week. Once flights resumed I was on one of the first flights back to the mainland Honolulu to Houston. The most surreal experience of my life was that flight. It was as if every child from teen to newborn somehow sensed and understood the mood of the adults. From leaving Honolulu at 10PM local to arriving in Houston maybe 7 or 8AM local on an overnight direct flight there was not a single sound uttered by anyone on the flight (not even the cry of an infant). Nothing but the drone of the engines and everyone clinging to the seat or the person next to them in fear of the possibilities. While in my own thoughts, I could not help to just sit there and contemplate completely changed world in that 12 hours of absolute silence.

[Hummer]

I carried morning coffee into the bedroom and turned on the Today Show right after the first plane hit the tower. We watched live as the second plane hit the second tower. It was evident that this was no accident and I knew the result would be a war no matter who was responsible.

As time went on it became clear that various entities of our government knew of the perpetrators but failed to take preventative action. I believe now as I did then that our military should have had free reign to annihilate the populations of both Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. Instead, we got the bullshit about Islam as a religion of peace. And we're still fighting a withering war because we didn't follow the money and act appropriately to destroy the source.

[mattiooo]

I lived in New Jersey when it happened. I worked for a company with offices in both North Jersey and in the waterfront district just a handful of blocks away from ground zero. I was constantly down there, easily 2-3 times per month on average. Sometimes for a week at a time.

I was actually supposed to have a meeting at the NY office that was canceled at the last minute the day before. One of my very good clients, who had an office in WTC, needed to meet one of his clients uptown that morning, or he too would have headed into his office and been there.

Because that meeting got canceled, I took the day off and slept in. By the time I woke up, both towers were already down and gone.

I remember coming down, bleary eyed, and then watching the horror over and over for about 15 minutes.

Our company was a financial printer worked with hundreds of the companies directly affected by the attacks. What impressed me most was the way we licked our wounds quickly and then began assisting all our clients. We set up hundreds of temporary work spaces so that many of our clients could continue to keep operating as they assessed what was left of their business, if any, and keep the world moving while they did.

I lost 5 clients (and not in the lost account sense) I knew personally that day. Luckily, no family or close friends.

[roberth]

I carried morning coffee into the bedroom and turned on the Today Show right after the first plane hit the tower. We watched live as the second plane hit the second tower. It was evident that this was no accident and I knew the result would be a war no matter who was responsible.

As time went on it became clear that various entities of our government knew of the perpetrators but failed to take preventative action. I believe now as I did then that our military should have had free reign to annihilate the populations of both Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. Instead, we got the bullshit about Islam as a religion of peace. And we're still fighting a withering war because we didn't follow the money and act appropriately to destroy the source.

This sad fact becomes more and more clear as the years pass by.

[fitterjohn]

Yep I remember 3rd period the math teacher came in and turned the TV off and said let's get to something important this doesn't affect any of you and doesn't matter. A few students leaving for the service had choice words and walked out of his class. I'd like to see him one day and ask him if he still thinks it was no big deal.

[Hummer]

The question to ask is why we're still fighting the same enemies in the same place 16 years later? Negotiating with the primitive scum is a fools game. Drop a thousand MOABs on every little village and encampment from Afghanistan into Pakistan. Annihilate the Taliban. Wipe them off the earth just as they murdered American citizens in New York, Washington, Pennsylvania, and our soldiers in Afghanistan and beyond. That's winning, Mr. Trump.

[Aloha_Shooter]

I was at work at Patrick AFB. No radio or TV in our area but we got a call down from the Ops Center telling us a plane had hit the WTC. Definitely a WTF moment since they made it sound (probably due to the way the media was covering it at first) like it was a small commuter plane or general aviation plane that hit. I happened to go up to the Ops Center to drop off some paperwork and saw the second plane go in -- said, "that's no accident, we're at war" and headed back down to the office to get in contact with our people overseas. One of the contractors pulled out an old TV and jury-rigged some antenna leads so we could get some kind of reception for the rest of the coverage while we attempted to contact our personnel overseas as well as in the DC area.

The generals aren't always right but I prefer Trump's approach of leaving the fight to the generals over that of Obama's leaving it to the diplomats and DOJ.

[Shooter45]

I was in my first period Sophomore English class in high school. Met my buddy in the hall and we both left for the Marine Corp Infantry as Machine Gunners day after we graduated high school

[cstone]

I had just gotten off work (on the midnight shift) and was up because I was going into my days off. I went back to work that morning and stayed at work for the next week.

[flogger]

Same as the first post, listening to Boyle's radio show when it happened, made it to work (res const supt), opened up the showhome/sales office and turned on the TV.

A bunch of contractors and builders showed up to watch, everyone was quiet, everyone was stunned. Things just kind of stalled out that day. I won't forget it.