5 years ago today 9/11

[sunsett 2]

As I watch the TV I cry again thinking about what happened to us personally and as a Nation.

I was in NJ visiting friends we had just moved to NC. 4 of us were out eating for Breakfast when my GF came in and said the WTC's had been hit.

We all Scrabbled and went home, however my home was no longer there. I paniced because my kids and husband were in NC I was in NJ and no where near family members.

I went to buy gas that afternoon. The girl getting gas across from me had just gotten a phone call that she lost both her parents. That as you all know was only the begining of hearing of families or perhaps you yourself are a family member of someone who lost thier lives that day.

Today I fly my flag proudly. I wish everyone would go outside and hang thier flag.

God Bless all of you and GOD BLESS AMERICA

[Teresita 0]

I just got to work late and bent over to turn on my pc ...bam.....pain in my right side. Logged on to my yahoo group.....pain.....didn't know what was going on with me. I was alone in this Arlington, Va office. Called home to BF he said he would come get me but I didn't want to wait, it would take to long. I called my supervisor in the Pentagon, I was crying and I told him I was going to call 911 or go home. I would let him know later. I looked at my pc and people said WTC in NY was hit. I was in pain, I said it must be a joke.

Crying I got to my car, sat there, prayed for the pain to go away. Morning traffic was still heavy going across the 14th st bridge so I want to the WW bridge. On my way one radio station began talking about the tower being hit. I kept turning to see if anyone else had it and eventually they all did. Then they said the other tower was hit. I felt alone on the road. I got close to home, saw smoke in the distance. I felt like rapture had occured and I was left behind. The radio then said the Pentagon was hit by something but they did not know what. 2 men were across the street and I asked them had they heard, they said they did. I said you heard about the Pentagon, they ran in the house. I got in the house and could not turn from the news for weeks. The pain went away 2 days later. God knew I would not have been able to handle trying to get home in the choas that day by myself. Not being able to get in touch with my co workers or my brother at the Pentagon.

[leatha_g 4]

Amen. I was in Philadelphia. My first trip to the northeast. We were in the 'clothes pin' building at Centre Square, on the 34th floor. Our information was trickling in from outside phone calls. There were no tv's nearby. At first we thought it was one single terrible tragedy, then when the second plane hit, we all knew this was not an accident. It was terrifying. All I could think of was my family in Texas looking at a map to see where I was compared to NYC. I sneaked into a conference room and called them to let them know where I was and that we were safe, but I was unsure as to what I could do to get home.

Immediately, the people were all calling families and the decision was made to evacuate the building. My team walked down and outside the building. As we did this, we witnessed people drawing money from the ATM's for fear they wouldn't have access to their money. Banks were locking their doors. People were scrambling to get outside.

As we got into the daylight, there was already pandemonium around Independence Hall. People running, trying to catch buses and taxis to get home to their children and loved ones. There was a green pickup, with American flags displayed and a person in the back with a bullhorn saying 'Americans need to wake up!' and on and on. I was in shock and all I wanted was to head south.

We walked a ways down to the Loews Hotel where the lobby was crowded, people all gathered around a big screen tv. Speechless and in shock, wondering what to do next or what was happening next. By this time, we knew the planes had hit the Pentagon, south of us, NYC north of us and we also knew about the plane which crashed at Harrisburg, directly west of us. There were helicoptors flying low all around us and we were unsure if anything in the sky was friend or foe. It was surreal and I remember thinking of the 'War of the Worlds' book I had once read.

My team gathered and discussed what we should do. I was appalled that they even had the gall to sit down at a table and order lunch, while these people at this restaurant also had families and loved ones they had on their minds. I know the last thing on my mind was food. I just wanted a car and to head home to be with my family.

We headed back to our hotel, walking. Philadelphia is a city not conducive to rental cars, which is our normal mode of transportation. At this time, I weighed probably 230lbs and my health was atrocious. I had a dress on and pantyhose and I was following behind a very tall man who would not slow down and wait on me. When I returned to the hotel room, I pulled off my hose and had blood sticking them to the bottoms of my feet. I remember sitting down and writing about all the things that were going on around us and emailing my boss in Texas. We had been contacted to make sure we were safe and had been told to do anything that we needed in order to feel safe. This meant I could rent a car and head home instead of finishing our training that was scheduled. The airports were shutdown and every rental car in the city was rented. I had to wait.

I called the rental car place every few hours to see if anyone had turned one in. Finally, on Sept 12 around 6 pm, I walked from my hotel to get a rental car and I loaded my bags and took off from Philadelphia headed back to Texas. I cannot fully explain how the next 3 days were simply a blur with one focus, but I heard so much patriotic music and I cried and I prayed the whole way. My life was forever changed, but I cannot, in my wildest imagination, have any idea what hell the people 90 minutes down the road must have gone through.

God bless those people and God bless the USA.

[libra 13]

My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this senseless violence.

My father worked in the World Trade Center since it was built. Three months before the attack, my father was diagnosed with cancer and was out on sick leave when the towers collapsed. He lost many of his friends that he worked with for 35 years. I was watching a memorial service on television shortly after and they read the names of all the victims and showed their picture. I remembered a lot of these people coming to my house as a child for barbecues and parties. I saw several that came to my wedding. I thank god that my father wasn't there and that his cancer actually saved him.

Shortly after the attack, I went to ground zero and placed flowers at the site. This is the final resting place for so many people. People that were just going about their day, doing their jobs and supporting their loved ones.

I hope someday we find peace. Violence generates more violence.

[ItsGottaGo! 0]

I was living in NYC at the time. I was home on maternity leave that day. My daughter was two months old. I remember waking up right before 9:00 a.m., the baby was still asleep (she was a great sleeper), and I remember thinking it was the most beautiful day I had ever seen. It had rained the entire day before, but today the sky was blue blue blue and the air was clean and crisp. One of the top ten days for sure. I opened up my windows and thought, oh, good, I can catch Regis for once. I turned on the TV and saw the first tower burning. I stared at it thinking, that building looks familiar. My mind was trying to block out that it was the WTC, because I thought it couldn't possibly be. I used to work in the WTC. I soon found out it was. Then I heard what I thought was thunder, but soon realized it was actually the sound of the second plane hitting the other tower. I will never forget that horrible day and all those that I knew who were lost and all those that I did not know and their families. May they rest in peace. Nothing irks me more than when I hear people call this the "disaster", like it was some natural happening like a hurricane or earthquake. It was a terrorist attack. An attack, let us not ever forget!

[HarleyNana 10]

My heart goes out to all the family and friends of the victims of 9/11.

May God Bless you all.

[sunsett 2]

I was an hour away from my mother in one direction and an hour from my sister in the other.

My daughters GF's brother had been in a horrible accident a few weeks before near Washington State. She was home alone with her younger brother 12, and baby brother 4. No family in the area her parents left in a hurry to be with her older brother.

I had just finished reading the left behind series and it was like I was being left behind. The panic I felt inside was undiscibable. I didn't know what to do where to go.

Then a peace came over me. I was suposed to be with those children. I can't explain the peace that washed over when I realized I was exactly where I was suposed to be.

That night sleeping in the Quest room I felt the peace of the Lord and wondered what was next. It started to thunder outside, very strange wondering if that was bombing or thunder. Very scary that for the first time in my life I actually thought that.

When I finially got home about 6 days later I hugged my kids and husband and sobbed.

I am thankful to our troops I don't want to forget about what they are doing for us today and everyday.

[sea 0]

I was in Boston at Joslin Diabetic Clinic. Was in their gym with about two hundred other people watching small bw tv when second plane hit. Joslin closed Clinic. Boston closed incoming bridges to city. You could drive out so I did. Was three weeks before I could get home on the train.

[paula 4]

Leatha,

Youre story gave me chills the entire time I read it.

You are blessed Momma L... and God blesses me everytime I read your post. ((hugs))

[seppi 0]

I remember the day very well. I work in a jail and one of the sergeants came down the hall and said that a plane had just hit the WTC, we both thought it was one of those very small planes. We went to the nearest housing unit to see what had happened on the television. As we were watching, the 2nd plane hit. No one was allowed to leave the facility, my kids were at school, I called my husband to and told him what had happened, I asked him to go get the kids and take them home and to please not let them watch TV. We lived very close to the city at that time and I was so scared that something else was going to happen. I think that one of scariest things was that I wasn't allowed to leave work. I was literally locked in. There were so many people from our town that died. Almost everyone knew someone. Once we were finally allowed to leave the jail, I could see the smoke and haze all the way home. There were police cars posted at the top of some of the hills because people were stopping in peoples driveways, many of the homes had views of the city. My kids still remember driving up the hill and seeing the towers burn. Many of the guys that I work with went into the city to help with recovery and clean up, poeple really came together at that time. Everyone was trying to help.

[jojo41 0]

Terrible day for our family also.

My Mother-In-Law had been ill with stomach cancer when we got a call from my Father-In-Law telling us she was in hospital and the Priest was going to be performing her last rites. We got the kids to my parents and drove to the hospital as quick as we could.

When we got there she was unconcious and breathing slowly and heavily.

The Priest came and then we just sat and waited....waited....and waited.

We decided to put on the TV and couldn't believe what we were seeing.

It was live footage of the Twin Towers and then we saw the second plane.....it was unbelievable.

Not long after my Mother-In-Law took her last breath and passed away.

Although Australian time she passed on the 12 Sept it was the same time that the Trade Centre was being attacked.......it will always be a terrible time for our family.

My nephew (who was 6yrs at the time) told his mother not to worry at least Nanna won't be lonely because she has lots of American people from the building to keep her company in heaven.

:think

[Poodles 0]

My hubby and I suffered thru a miscarriage/dnc on 9/11/01. Sad day for us all. I remember ALL the lives lost that day... and will never forget.

Unfortunately, I do not feel safer as a nation... even 5 years later. I am unhappy with our government and its actions/lack of actions.

My nephew just returned from a 6 month tour of duty in Iraq... slated to go back in January. I do not want to lose him or any one else either. There will never be peace in the Middle East. Never has, never will. We need to take care of our own... and I don't like the way our president has handled taking care of US. It amazes me how we can let OUR boys die for THEM. Bush SR said it best during the Gulf War... "there is NO reliable exit strategy." That is why we did not go in then.

The war on terror does not lie in Iraq alone. But for some reason Saddam is in jail and Al-Qaida and Bin Laden still exist... and NOBODY will admit they were wrong. Or they are too dumb to know they were wrong.

Now don't get me wrong... I am all for national security. We need to protect our citizens from terrorists, and other threats. But we need to have "reliable intelligence" before we go to war. (I went to a forum with Dole/Gore, and Al Gore said that two hours after the attack there were memos going around the White House asking how we could turn this toward Saddam.) Which means they knew something then.

Anyway. I pray for all of the families that lost love ones, for all the heros on the plane that tried to take it back over, and for those that are left fighting a war that we may never get out of.

(My thought process is my opinion. Sorry about the rant. Don't mean to start a debate or anything. I totally understand I am the only Texan that doesn't like Bush.)

[Stephanie MG 0]

regarding Bush-----------IS IT 2008 YET??????????????????????

Todays events 5 years ago are soooo horrible its like it couldnt have actually have happened. I just cant imagine living through losing someone that way and my thoughts and my heart goes ouy to all that were affected.

Really puts things like my lap-band adventure on the back burner and makes me feel so lucky to be alive and to be in love and to be a Mom to my 2 wonderful kids.

[moon goddess 0]

I was only working part-time at the time, I was substite teaching, so I had that day off and had just dropped the little guy off at school. My daughter was still at home getting ready for school and a friend of mine who lives in New Jersey, and had worked on Wall Street for Canton/ Fitzgerald with many of the people who were killed that day, called me and said, "Turn on the T.V. NOW!". I put it on the Today Show and watched as the first building had just been hit and said, "What the hell? Is this a movie or something?"....It was surreal! He told me what had happened and we hung up the phone. Then I watched as the second plane hit the building and I just felt completely numb. I had just been to NY the weekend before for Labor Day and had walked past the WTC many times, so I just felt this feeling of disbelief. After the buildings collapsed I called my husband (now ex), who was in the Army in Korea overseas at the time, he hadn't heard the news yet, and I told him and said, "I am really freaked out, I have the feeling that you are going to have to go to War now.".....

It was a really tragic day for America.

[gailannr 1]

I like Bush!