OT: 25 years ago today....where were you?
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Driving into work (I worked for a state agency at the time) I was on North Trenholm when the radio announcer I was listening to said that a small plane had hit the world trade center. That's all he said and then he changed the subject.
As I arrived at work near Forest Dr. I had only planned to stay a few mins to drop off some paperwork and head back out to visit a customer. When I walked in, several office ladies were saying a large plane had hit a building in New York. Not sure how they knew that as there was no tv in our office- maybe radio or someone called them.
A building next door had a tv per the office ladies so we walked over there to watch and I think I stood there frozen for over an hour.
I remember calling my wife, who was at home with our almost 1 year old, and telling her to lock the doors and stay inside. We were hearing rumors that places like Fort Jackson, and the state capitol could be targets of terrorism. (We didn't live far from the Fort). My dad called me from the upstate worried about me because he knew I visited a lot of state government properties on my job. He said he was hoping I wasn't near the state house. I assured him I was several miles from there. I told him I was going to go home and stay home for the rest of the day.
I guess all of that was just a product of not knowing what was going on- and hearing rumors of things that I knew probably weren't true but you just didn't know. I even told my wife to not answer the door if someone knocked on it. There was a short amount of time where I think some people thought this could be some huge sleeper cell attack.
That worked out fine because our boss came in right after the buildings fell and told us they were sending everyone home because out of a slight fear that state agencies could also be a target of some type. I never felt any fear at work because our building wasn't even marked as a state property (we rented space). But I did think for a few mins that the state house and Fort Jackson could be a target if this was a bigger attack.
As I arrived at work near Forest Dr. I had only planned to stay a few mins to drop off some paperwork and head back out to visit a customer. When I walked in, several office ladies were saying a large plane had hit a building in New York. Not sure how they knew that as there was no tv in our office- maybe radio or someone called them.
A building next door had a tv per the office ladies so we walked over there to watch and I think I stood there frozen for over an hour.
I remember calling my wife, who was at home with our almost 1 year old, and telling her to lock the doors and stay inside. We were hearing rumors that places like Fort Jackson, and the state capitol could be targets of terrorism. (We didn't live far from the Fort). My dad called me from the upstate worried about me because he knew I visited a lot of state government properties on my job. He said he was hoping I wasn't near the state house. I assured him I was several miles from there. I told him I was going to go home and stay home for the rest of the day.
I guess all of that was just a product of not knowing what was going on- and hearing rumors of things that I knew probably weren't true but you just didn't know. I even told my wife to not answer the door if someone knocked on it. There was a short amount of time where I think some people thought this could be some huge sleeper cell attack.
That worked out fine because our boss came in right after the buildings fell and told us they were sending everyone home because out of a slight fear that state agencies could also be a target of some type. I never felt any fear at work because our building wasn't even marked as a state property (we rented space). But I did think for a few mins that the state house and Fort Jackson could be a target if this was a bigger attack.
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Oh- I'll add- we just had beepers at the time. My boss grabbed about 2-3 of us while we were at the office and told us to call some of our coworkers on the road that day (they were on the road around the state) and tell them they had permission to cancel any appointments and head home. So that's what we did and I remember a few of them calling me back and not even knowing what was going on because they were in their cars or whatever and hadn't heard the news. I remember how odd it was trying to tell a couple of them what was going on- at least as best as we knew it.
It really is a beautiful memorial in my opinion. For the last 3 years, my wife and I have went up around Christmas with friends and part of our family and have visited the memorial when we were in town.
I was working at a clients office over by Charleston Airport. I was amazed at how fast the planes were coming in for grounding. It seemed like the plane that just landed barely had enough time to get out of the way before the next one came in. I also realized that day how many planes are in the air at any given time.
I was on my way to Prof. Wilcox's 9:15 AM Property class. Heard the news as I was crossing the Congaree River bridge on Jarvis Klapman on the way to the Coliseum parking lot. The first report was, of course, that a commuter plane had crashed into the WTC. By the time I got to the Law Center, a TV cart had been wheeled into the lobby and a crowd was starting to gather. People were crying, classes were canceled, and then the second plane hit as we watched in horror. The rest is a peculiar form of history that has proved to be open-ended. The story is still being written to this day.
I was in a meeting in building 300 on Robins AFB. Somebody came in and told us what had happened. Needless to say, the meeting broke up. My boss called over to someone near where we were meeting and told us to come back to our building because people parked on the first couple of rows near our building were required to move their cars. Not much work got done the rest of the day.
Edit: Dang, I was just 40 then. Where does the time go?
Edit: Dang, I was just 40 then. Where does the time go?
When you stand there, it is hard to imagine you are at ground zero, where all the bad stuff happened. You have to look at archive pictures to try and grasp it. They preserved part of the foundation of WTC 2 in the basement of the museum. I'm sure you've seen it.
You are right 100%. You have to think about what it would have been like because it's really hard to imagine after being there, at least to me. When we walked up to it from the subway exit, it just sort of hits you that this is where it happened, I also appreciated that most everyone around is talking softly and being respectful. It's a solemn place.
I would hope anyone that can go to it makes a point to go. All of my kids have been to it and I think it made an impact on them even though they were well into their teen years the first time we went.
We've also sat down a few times over the years and watched the video online of The Today Show from that morning.
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if you have not read this story, I'd encourage you to sit down tonight or over the weekend and read this one. If you have children that are at least teenagers, encourage them to read it too.
I've read this story on 9/11 the last 4 or 5 years and have even sent it to coworkers to read. Every time I start reading it, I can't stop. Fascinating look at the real time confusion, fear, uncertainty of the day from a different angle.
Where was the president in the eight hours after the Sept. 11 attacks? The strange, harrowing journey of Air Force One, as told by the people who were on board.
‘We’re the Only Plane in the Sky’ - POLITICO Magazine
With all due respect, POLITICO has never been an actual news agency. It was exposed as an establishment mouthpiece from inception (USAID funded) decades ago. They finally just unfunded them actually. In that image, Bush was more likely on the phone trying to get the Sarasota Saudis out of our country (which he did) even though there was a no-fly mandate.if you have not read this story, I'd encourage you to sit down tonight or over the weekend and read this one. If you have children that are at least teenagers, encourage them to read it too.
I've read this story on 9/11 the last 4 or 5 years and have even sent it to coworkers to read. Every time I start reading it, I can't stop. Fascinating look at the real time confusion, fear, uncertainty of the day from a different angle.
Where was the president in the eight hours after the Sept. 11 attacks? The strange, harrowing journey of Air Force One, as told by the people who were on board.
‘We’re the Only Plane in the Sky’ - POLITICO Magazine
I don't feel like arguing about it with you. Especially today. There is nothing you and I would ever agree on. So, I'd encourage you to ignore it and not read it.
For anyone else, the piece is an excerpt from a great book and the detail is incredible- everything from insights from University of South Carolina graduate Andrew "Andy" Card and the mundaneness at the start of the day on 9/11 for the President to the fear of the people on Air Force One flying around the Midwestern united states not sure where they were going that day.
At home with my wife and newborn daughter. Daughter was born 9/2. She had jaundice. I had just wrapped her in a Bili-blanket and walked downstairs. The phone rang. It was my father in law. He said "have y'all seen what's going on?" I said no. He said a plane flew into the WTC turn on your TV. I turned it on in time to see the second plane hit. My wife come into the room and asked what was happening. I said, I think we're at war.
I was flying for an airline then, I was flying CDO trips where you are last out of the hub and first back in the next day. I was at home from a trip and in bed when the first plane hit. My wife kept calling me so I woke up and found out the news. I got the TV on when the second plane hit the tower. What a horrible day, glad I was not flying then.
On campus. Actually read about the first plane hitting the WTC while reading on Gamecock Central. We had just beat Georgia in Athens on a big Brian Scott TD.
The 1st plane struck as I was walking back to my apartment after an 8 am class. I just assumed it was a small plane and all would be well…no big deal. Then I read, again on Gamecock Central, that another plane hit the 2nd tower. That’s when I turned the TV on and pretty much was glued to it for the next few days.
The 1st plane struck as I was walking back to my apartment after an 8 am class. I just assumed it was a small plane and all would be well…no big deal. Then I read, again on Gamecock Central, that another plane hit the 2nd tower. That’s when I turned the TV on and pretty much was glued to it for the next few days.
One of the reasons I don't want to argue with you..... it's not worth arguing with someone that has no damn idea what they are talking about.
The TSA was created by law in November 2001. It would have been a hell of a magic act for the TSA to have ordered a "no-fly mandate" of all commercial air traffic two months before they were created.
Under US law, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), specifically through its Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) has authority to order a ground stop to prevent planes from flying.
sorry i was two months off on what they called it 25 years ago as AI has informed you.
The year is 2026 and to spite the mountain of evidence that has been presented since that terrible day...you continue to believe that some guy who lived in a cave and a couple of his friends with boxcutters pulled off 9/11 with no assistance from high autthority.
That is amazing.
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Gawd, What should have been a thread of recounting personal events on that horrific day, some on here commence to hijack the thread and make it political. Very Sad.
There is always one.
Always.
There is always one.
Always.
Was on my way to work driving on the Richardson Highway southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska between North Pole and Moose Creek. For some strange reason I listened to the radio that morning. At first, I thought it was some radio station morning prank or hoax, but after hearing the plane crashing in Pennsylvania and one hitting the Pentagon then I knew what I was hearing was no joke and it was for real.
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When you have victim families making statements like they did yesterday with the entire crowd cheering them on......
Oh, I honestly thought you were talking about Trannytree. Maybe there were two.
Regardless, on these type of forums, you can never put the cat back in the bag.
Your concept of reality is somewhat concerning to normal people.
I've heard stories of people that were on planes on 9/11 and landing or even some where pilots had made an announcement about a ground stop and I have to think that would have been very odd - like not sure what is going on- only to land and walk into a terminal and see everyone staring at tvs, etc.
Surreal for sure.
I also remember, about a month after 9/11, being asked to go to Chicago for a conference for a week with a coworker of mine. I was not a fan of flying back then and I did not want to fly so soon after 9/11 and requested to drive and my supervisor approved it. So, we were able to rent a state van and drive up. My coworker, thankfully, was fine with it.
Surreal for sure.
I also remember, about a month after 9/11, being asked to go to Chicago for a conference for a week with a coworker of mine. I was not a fan of flying back then and I did not want to fly so soon after 9/11 and requested to drive and my supervisor approved it. So, we were able to rent a state van and drive up. My coworker, thankfully, was fine with it.
I was practicing law at the time. A client had come into an adjacent office to sign some documents and I was asked to serve as a witness. While I was in there, the lady said she had heard on the radio driving over that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. When I went back to my office, I turned on my little desktop radio for what would have normally been the morning talk show on Anderson's newstalk AM radio. Instead of the local hosts, the station was broadcasting audio of NBC's Today Show. At first, I was a little confused about why I was hearing Matt Lauer and Katie Couric on this AM station, but they soon mentioned a 2nd plane had flown into the other tower and I knew immediately this was a big freaking deal and the local station had preempted their normal programming. That was on a Tuesday. I'll never forget that morning.
I'll also never forget that 9 days later, South Carolina and Mississippi State played the first college football game, and one of the first nationally televised sporting events, since the attacks. Before the game, both teams took part in an opening ceremony featuring a huge US flag.
I'll also never forget that 9 days later, South Carolina and Mississippi State played the first college football game, and one of the first nationally televised sporting events, since the attacks. Before the game, both teams took part in an opening ceremony featuring a huge US flag.
My boss was in my office when someone stuck their head in and said we were under attack. We went to the break room to watch on the big TV (not flat screen). Then I went home. The first tower fell right after I walked in. I thought I had just watched 30,000 people die. And I was angry. For two days I was too angry to pray. And no aircraft noises was a strange sensation. I had had a business trip to Philadelphia and New York in August. Saw the towers a couple of weeks before they came down.
3,300 died in 9/11.
In comparison, we had 1.1 million die from COVID -- and illegal operation in China and no one is going to be held accountable.
In addition, 7.1 million died worldwide and many more than that have been injured.
It's interesting that no other country not named the United States or China is demanding reparations for what happened.
iYKyK
We are closing in on 10,000 deaths from health related 9/11 diseases. I know that's not what you were referencing but that number is incredible to me.
I was watching a show the other evening and the lady on it had been at ground zero for several weeks taking photos afterward and she had developed a rare cancer several years ago (remission). She mentioned that another person that had worked with her, that she had lost track of over the years, she had recently found out he had also developed a very rare cancer tied to his work at ground zero.
What makes me nervous is a coworker of mine also worked at Ground Zero for a week afterwards- but it was about a month afterwards. Thankfully, he's been fine but he's told me he wore a respirator mask almost the entire time he was down there.
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