Where were you during 9/11/2001?

[Pancho Villa]

I was in high school. I remember turning on the radio (I was a talk radio guy even back then) and hearing them talking about it. It just didn't compute; I assumed it was some gag and in horrible taste, so I turned the radio off and made breakfast.

Turned the TV on just in time for the 2nd plane to hit. Spent the rest of the day glued to the news; skipped school, and the next day it was like a ghost town still. I remember my friend (who was a bit dark; trench coat, shades, etc., everyone always thought he would be "that guy" that went and shot up the school. Of course he never did, but that's what people thought) wore hawaiin shirts and other festive stuff, not out of disrespect but sort of as a "okay guys, chill out and let's focus on the actual bad guys for a little while."

Man that's crazy, I had completely forgotten about Jorge until I dredged up these memories.

[Zundfolge]

I was still living in Wichita Kansas. Working for a little printing company.

Between the first plane and the second plane hitting the towers the boss' wife showed up at the office with a little portable TV and we got it set up about 30 seconds before the second plane hit.

Needless to say we didn't get much work done that day.

[Fromk]

I was getting ready to go to class. I'm not even sure why I turned the tv on that morning since that wasn't part of my routine.

[jgang]

US Embassy in Kuwait City. Saw the newscast while at a command staff meeting, watched live as the second plane hit. There was about 30 seconds of silence in the room of 20 folks, all mouths agape, then every one disappeared. We all went back to our bases and locked everything down for a week. That ride back to Ali Al Salem Air Base from Kuwait City was the longest 50 minute drive of my life.

[FastMan]

Sitting at home, having a bite to eat and watching TV before heading off to work. Watched it happen live on TV, and remember it vividly, like it happened yesterday. Never went to work that day. Just sat there watching, in shock at what was happening, and so pissed off I had serious thoughts of reenlisting at 46 years of age.

[Ronin13]

I had just woken up when I heard "a plane hit the WTC in Manhattan." My first thought was some small, single engine plane and pilot error. Finally, after showering and getting ready for school (I was 16), I turned on the news to see the big gaping hole and immediately knew it was a lot bigger than just some accident. Seconds later, to my horror, I watched the second plane hit live. My heart sank and I immediately said "We're under attack." I knew right away it was Islamic Jihadists- I was pretty well versed in world affairs back then even.

We didn't learn anything in class that day- every class was just sitting and watching in horror on the news all day. Watched everything unfold live and called my dad, who was a firefighter at the time, and told him my prayers and thoughts were with every firefighter in the country that day. Growing up in a firefighter family we learned that when one dies, the entire firefighter family (all firefighters and their families) weep. A lot of tears were shed that day.

[asmo]

Was on the floor of the CNN building/convention center in Atlanta... Watched it on giant TV screens.

Everyone went into a giant panic - so we kept telling them there would be no reason to hit a major media center like CNN. That mellowed everyone out.

[Teufelhund]

I had just gotten out of the Corps a few months earlier. Was unemployed, living with my brother, trying to learn to be a Unix admin. Brother came in and woke me up after the first tower, ran downstairs and saw the second tower get hit. Spent the next few days glued to the TV.

[obisean68]

I was in my last semester of nursing school. Doing my ICU rotation, everything stopped for several minutes but had to get back to caring for patients. My wife started a job in another state, needless to say there was a lot of concern being 1000 miles apart and many phone calls.

[Ronin13]

I have a question to pose... of those who served Post-9/11, was this one of the reasons you signed up? I know for me it was a very big reason I signed up- I just wish I didn't wait until '06 to do it (as I graduated HS in '03).