Where were you on the morning of 9/11?

[Guest aussiegeorge]

i was at work over here in sydney australia,doing the night tour(it was 1030pm over here in oz)in the dispatch/comms centre in sydney we where having a fairly busy night but all 8 of us dispatchers went silent with the images we where seeing on the tv,we had the fox news channel on.All of us here knew just what it would have been like working in fdny dispatch that morning,also as all of us here like LA city fire dispatchers are active operational firefighters assigned to dispatch when we watched the towers collapse the feeling one got is one i never want to have again as we all knew there where a lot of brothers not going home that day.I just don't understand what makes a person do what those ,i won't call them humans but scum did that day.

[pd125 0]

I was up getting ready for work with started mid day when Fox 5 went off the air I went to find cable channels. I saw the image of the north tower burning and saw the fireball from the south tower. I called into work and went to the ambulance building. There were other members down at the building too and we waited. My squad is 60 miles north of NYC and we had no idea what would be needed. The local EOC went active and we preped for the worst.

Our county sent our BLS ambulance down to Garrision to stand by and there we waited. GFD and GVAC were good hosts and we watched TV all day / Eve.

Around 11pm we were returned to our quarters. It had to be the quietiest time I ever listen to county radios little or no calls occured.

Never Forget!

[gpdexplorer 46]

I was in 8th grade at Sleepy Hollow Middle School. I was in second period, English. They gave us a brief announcement and then in third period, social studies, they gave us a more in depth announcement. As the day progressed they continued to inform us as to what was going on and possible rumors like Disneyland was being attacked.

All Gave Some-Some Gave All

9/11/01

[lissa76 0]

Wow... reading all those and I'm tearing up.... I remember sitting at work when I got a phone call that 2 planes had crashed into the WTC. I thought it was a joke.... as many did, I watched cnn.com and we had the radio on. Thats when I remembered my friend of 10 years could be working, he's a medic for the city. I called his cell, nothing, his house, his cell kept alternating until I finally woke him up. I said oh my god, you're ok. He said, yeah, why? I said turn on your tv. He said, I'll call you back. He called me 10 minutes later, told me he was on his way in to work. I told him to be careful, and that I loved him. I was afraid I would never see him again. He was a shell for the longest time after that. Attending funerals and masses of his friends and co workers. I see those images on tv, remembering the emotions that I, as well as many others had felt that day. I'm still angry, I'm filled with a rage that cannot be explained. I wasn't there, I couldnt' help. All I could do was sit and watch in horror as the chaos unfolded. For those that gave the ultimate sacrifice, for those who put their lives on the line ... I thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I will never forget, no one should.

[Guest rat1140]

i was just finising work for the village of port chetser sanitition walking down the street to the yrd where my truck was parked when a lady came out of her house and said a plane had hit the world trade center i thought at that time that it was no big deal went on to get breakfast then went home and as i walked in my house i heard my fire pager going off saying that my engines was going up to headquaters with a full crew so i called my friend at headquaters and asked him why my engine was going up there he said put the tv on so i did and he said thats why no get your a** down here know we are going to the city i ended up going down with my fire department and satyed for 3 days something i will never forget

9-11-01 always in my heart

[Guest res40cue]

i just got out of the hospital when the whole ordeal happened. was in the hospital all morning following a fire in harrison off of north street i believe.big masion fire.a few of us were on the top floor and roof when it gave way giving a few of our guys some bad lacerations.got out of the hospital went to the firehouse and was in the city before we knew it.that was a wierd morning leaveing our firehouse,my father was working headquarters were im stationed and me and my cousin left in the rescue and my father ad a look on his face seeing two of his family members going i knew he wanted to come but they held him at the station.good thing though because he pulled up on a job afther we had all left,had no ladder and only two engines back in town.that was a day that ill live with for the rest of my life as will every one else.

[rfdu39 89]

I first heard about it while I was in chorus. At first I didn't belevie it but I was in the libary the next period and my aid told me that it was all true. My dad lost a lot of friends in the attack becasue he used to be a firefighter in the city. He was working that day bu forunitly his unit was not called to the scene. From the first firehouse that he worked at in Manhattan 13 responded 1 came back.

NEVER FORGET THE 343

Edited January 17, 2006 by pcfdrfd700

[capt36 9]

I WAS HOME SICK THAT DAY AND I REMEMBER MY MOTHER COMEING IN TO MY ROOM AFTER THE FIRST PLANE HIT AND WAKING ME UP SO I CAN GET READY TO GO TO THE DOCTORS AS I CAME DOWN STAIRS AND LOOKED AT THE Tv I SAW THE SECOND PLANE HIT AT FIRST I THOUGH IT WAS A REPLAY OF THE FRIST PLANE THEN I SAW THE SECOND TOWER ALL REAY ON FIRE.

AT THE DOCTOR I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE TV FOR A GOOD 2 HOURS.

ALL I COULD THINK HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN IN AMERICA.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

STAY SAFE EVERY ONE

AND REMEMBER THE BRAVE ONES THAT GIVE THEIR LIKE TO HELP OTHERS

4 YEARS LATER AND STILL NOT FORGOTON

9-11-01 A DAY WE WILL NEVER FORGET

←

I was home watching the Weather Channel when my wife called and said a plane hit the Trade Center. I put on CBS 2 News ans saw the second plane hit. When the first collapse happened I called the firehouse and somehow got through and I told them I was heading in. GFD E151 was already down the City. I worked the day and then my regular night tour.

[Jybehofd 85]

I was a Cadet at Maritime College in the Bronx walking across the quad, when all of a sudden I saw black smoking coming out of the city. I stood in the middle of the quad and watched. Then I saw the second plane hit after that the next week is sort of a blur with little to no sleep. Then my school was shut down and everyone removed from campus. The state and other law enforcement living on campus were all gone in a matter of minutes the who caravan of red lights screaming out of my school was insane. But with the school so close to the brigde and the ship being right there and the reactor on campus no one was taking any chances and 2 forms of ID was needed to get on campus at sometimes. School then started again about a week and a half later.

[RWC130 594]

I was home sleeping, I got a call from a friend who told me what had happened.

I put on the news and sat in shock for a good 15-20 min.

I jumped in the shower (pager starts going off for stand-by's) I grabbed my gear and off to the firehouse I went.

I arrived at the firehouse and a group of guys with an engine were deployed to WC-DES for a stand-by. I am proud to be one of them.

We waited and then we were sent down to the Bronx. (E81/L46)

One of my friends who was new on the job was assigned to E81. I remember he came back to the firehouse about 4pm covered in debris. After the news had hit about all the missing firefighters I asked him if it was true and if he is ok. He just looked at me and said "it's real bad bro, real bad"

Later that night we were sent back to Westchester and spent the night at the Yonkers Raceway parking lot. I remember I slept on the concreate in my turnout gear. The thought of complaining I had to sleep on concreate never crossed my mind knowing what just happened.

I played a very small part on 9/11, I won't bore you with the rest of details

but 9/11 is a day that I will NEVER forget.

FDNY 343, NYPD 23, PAPD 37

RIP FF Sam Oitice, FDNY Ladder 4

Peekskill FD E134

[Guest]

I WAS WORKING ON 684 IN BEDFORD WHEN THE RADIO STAION THAT I WAS LISTENING TO SAID A SMALL PLANE HAD CRASHED INTO THE TRADE CENTER. THE STATION WAS A COMEDY STATION SO I DIDN'T BELIEVE THEM BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS A JOKE. PUT ON ANOTHER STATION AND FOUND OUT IT WAS TRUE. THINKING " IT'S A NICE CLEAR DAY, WHAT PILOT WOULD HIT A BUILDING AND AND NOT DUMP IT INTO THE HUDSON IF HE HAD AN EMERGENCY. I SAW TROOPERS GOING TO THE COUNTY AIRPORT. TURNED ON MY PAGER AND HEARD THE CALLS, THEN THE SECOND PLANE HIT. WITHOUT NOTIFING MY BOSS, FLEW ALL THE WAY HOME WITH MY BLUE LIGHT. GOT HOME TO SEE IT ON TV, WHEN THE FIRST TOWER FELL. RACED TO MY FIREHOUSE. WE GOT TONED OUT TO THE COUNTY FIRE TRAINING CNTR. WITH A SEA OF FIRE PERSONNAL, WE MOVED INTO THE BRONX FOR THE NEXT 20 SOMEODD HOURS.

TWO DAYS LATER I WAS CALLED IN BY MY US MARINE C.O. TO SERVE ON ALERT "DELTA", THE HIGHEST MILITARY ORDER GIVEN IN THE U.S. IN A LONG TIME. STILL, REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION, I WOULD SACRIFICE MY LIFE MORE TODAY FOR THIS COUNTRY, BECAUSE I LIVED THROUGH 9-11-01. GOD BLESS THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE PASSED ON , IN ANY LINE OF WORK TO PROTECT THIS COUNTRY SINCE THE FIRST CIVIL WAR ,TILL TODAY. MAY THE HIGHEST POWERS WATCH OVER YOU AND PROTECT US IN THE NEXT BATTLE.

[ex-commish 490]

We had just returned from an MVA. As the rig was backing in on of my Lt's came running out of the rec room and was yelling a plane hit the towers. An hour later we were in the Bronx. Sadly, one of our members, Mike Lyons was also a NYC firefighter assigned to Squad 41 and never came home.

Mike....you are not forgotten

Andy Mancusi

Chief

Hawthorne FD

[Guest]

I was working for NYS DOT and had just shut down a lane southbound on the TSP in the Fahnstock area. I remember seeing a bunch of state police cars and acouple of FDNY chief cars screaming through the work zone. Soon after the state radios blew up with information about the towers.

[BmSmall92 1]

I was junior in college on that day. I was just about to go to class when my next door neighbor said my god they flew a plane into the WTC. I turned on my tv fast saw Tower 1 burning, thinking nothing of it. I turned off the TV and went to class. I too remeber hearing stories about a B-25 flying into the Empire State building. So my feeling was if the Empire State building can handle a bomber flying into it, tower 1 can handle this. Ironically enough the class I went to that day was Religion and Politics and the lecture was about the Muslim faith. About 20 minutes into class a professor stormed into my room started to scream "They just flew a plane into the Pentagon and the other tower and they're going come for all of us!!!" Needless to say we all ran from the class and to the nearest tv. I will never forget the horror and the sad silence in the room as the towers fell. Moments like this will be ingrained for us forever. God bless those who went in while thousands were running out. God bless the troops who are fighting so this day will never happen again.

[Guest]

I remember it like it was yesterday.

As I was leaving the train in Grand Central, my shoe got caught in something and ripped off half of the sole. Now this shoe is more like a flip flop. I didn't have much cash on me that day & no credit card on me and thought it was going to be a crappy day. I was on 38th and Park walking to my office when I heard this incredibly loud rumble / crash. It was like a sound I never heard before or since. It was like a rolling thunder that echoed between all the tall buildings. It actually made me stop in my tracks and say aloud "What the hell was that?!?". I was looking all around and looking up, but all I saw was pretty blue skies. It was very surreal - everyone else on the street just kept to their business and walked on like they never even heard or acknowledge that noise.

I shrugged it off, and kept on walking to work. When I got to the office, my co-worker told me that a plane hit one of the Trade Towers. We all assumed it must have been one of those small Cessna planes always flying around the Hudson River. The phone lines were jammed, as was the internet, so we couldn't get any more information for a while.

When one of my co-workers finally got through onto the internet, we checked out MSNBC and saw pics of the first tower and the incredible damage it sustained. Seeing that huge black spot with smoke pouring out, we both immediately realized that it was something much bigger than a Cessna that hit it.

My wife saw the news that morning and had been trying to get a hold of me. She finally got through to tell me that both towers were hit, and that the Pentagon was hit too. It was all too much for me to believe, especially seeing the pic on the internet, and only saw one building burning. It was hard to digest when she screamed.... I asked her what happened, and she told me that one of the towers just collapsed. She told me it was time to go, and she was right. I hung up the phone and told my boss that I was leaving. He told me that we had allot of work to do and that it's business as usual. I told him that I wasn't asking to leave - but that I was leaving.

Once I was downstairs, I saw everyone looking south. I turned to see what they were looking at and what I saw was this incredibly huge gray cloud covering the entire horizon. It was something of monstrous proportions and I'll never forget it. I'll also never forget the sound of silence in midtown Manhattan. There was not a single sound.

[z28skunk 28]

I was in 10th grade. I was in Global History when a teacher came in and said, "A plane just hit the WTC." I thought nothing of it, and murmured, "Crazy low-flying plane." A few minutes later that teacher came in again and said, "Another plane hit the WTC." At that point I was shaken. Then he said, "This may be WWIII."

I became dizzy right then and there, but was uncertain of what to think of this event or his blunt statement.

[joetnymedic 43]

I was working a daylight surveillance with my FBI/NYPD Special Operations squad when word came over the radio of a plane hitting one of the towers...........

As we raced down the West Side Drive, we all knew that the new war on terrorism had begun...

←

Was that before or after the mustang got t-boned? We all know where me, Nadine, Donnelly and Brett were.

[rescue83 2]

i was home sick from school Byram hills middle school and i was sleeping then my mother yells telling me to get up and turn on the tv then about 10 min later my Father at that time a fire fighter in northcaslt called telling my mother to come and pick him up and then for the rest of the day i was sitting at my fire house hearing ever ones story, then two hours later my father was gone for about three days, between protecting the dam and aslo going down to a south bronx house to help out and then he went to go dig

[Guest]

I was im mrs sullivan class in 5th grade when i heard about ti i was in the main office and i heard the secretary say a plane hit the world trade center my mom took me out of school and i put the news on and saw towers fall and from there on i knew i wanted to become a firefighter not a hero just a firefighter and now im a portchester firefighter explore when im 18 i will hopefully be let in the company of my choice

[Guest]

i was in earth science class in 8th grade when it happened and the principal told the school and the whole school went in to shock

Edited February 5, 2006 by Martinez

[Guest]

Working on the roof on Cardinal Spellman High School and

watching the teachers on strike

[Guest car2267]

I was on board the USS Enterprise (cvn-65) on our way home from a 6 month deployment, close to an hour after the second plane hit and it was confirmed terrorism, we were ordered to stay out at sea, as navy dept did not want to jeopardize an aircraft carrier, after the tape had come out and bin laden had taken credit for his actions we were on our way to greet him with lgb's and other us military weapons. 13 months after we left norfolk va we returned to chants of usa and that dumb lee greenwood song.

[Guest]

I remember that I had first heard about it in Biology class. Someone had made a comment about the planes hitting and everyone in the class said together that someone had been watching too much tv. Then the principal came on the intercom and said it was real.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

I was in thrid period english, when my teacher got a note from a hall moniter and started crying and said that the this was no joke and that the towers had been hit and had fallen it must have been around 10:30 because it was right before lunch. I will never forget that day

346 gone but not forgotten

[khas143 13]

I was sleeping when one of my roomates at the time came in and woke me up and told me I had to see what was happening. As I came outside into the livingroom, I saw the second plane hit the towers (I will never forget that image). My roommates and I sat there in disbelief and didn't say a word. We were just in awe by the moment. Maybe five or ten minutes after that (I don't remember, time was just a blur) the phone rang and I got called into work. After that, I don't really remember sepcifics but later that evening I remember sitting at Dunwoodie Golf Course up on a hill and looking at the city and the smoldering remains of what was once the New York City skyline. I remember Z-100 was on the radio talking to people about what was now the new world that we live in. The next few days were like a blur, I worked a lot and don't remember a lot but I will tell you this... this will be our genereations JFK assasination. We will never forget where and when we were and that is undoubtedly a good thing. NEVER FORGET those that have fought and died for us, our freedom, and our safety....

[corporal 6]

i was at work in my office when on of the other guys came in and told me to put on the radio cause a plain just hit the world trade center

Edited March 1, 2006 by corporal

[Guest KFD236]

I remember I was walking to gym. And the principle made an announcement saying that everyone was to stay in their class. Then there was plenty of talking going on and some people were saying that there was a person in the high school with a gun. Then we went to back to our first class. The teacher of my first class was Mrs. O'Neil. And she told us that her husband was a cop in New York City. This was a sad time for her and what made it worse was that she was pregnant and her kid could grow up without a father. And this is when I found out what had happened. And from then on I was glued to the TV from when I got home till bed. And then I listened to it on the radio all night.

Edited March 1, 2006 by kfd-exchief

[Guest]

Sleeping. Woken up by work calling me to come it. Covered New Rochelle with a third bus for about 8 hours. Then went stright down to Ground Zero, where I spent most of my off days. Don't feel like remeniscing about the rest thank you.

[shac 7313 0]

for me i was home sleeping from working the nite shift.my wife called me from

her work. at about 830am ??. my fire/ems pager went off we sent to bronx

that day i was 3rd. LT eng-86 sleepyhollow fd. at the time.we spent most of

the day there bronx.

excapt edgar j. brennen 3rd.

eng-86

shfd.

[Dr. Zuki 1]

P.S.--The smoke from Ground Zero was visible from Palmer Road in Yonkers near the golf course where it splits with Fortfield Avenue.

And I still cannot believe it happened no matter how many times the tape is played.

Ex Yonkers councilman Ed Fagan worked for the Port Authority in the trade center and stayed home that day...several other friends saw the second plane hit.