Where were you 21 years ago?

[Max20]

I was in the Air National Guard working my way through college when everything changed and I was suddenly a soldier. I graduated college while in the dessert.

Seems like yesterday. Curious if anyone else wants to share their story.

If inappropriate for the forum no hard feelings.

[Mxmark4]

Junior in high school in US history class. Teacher told me this would be my pearl harbor. Watched the second plane smash into the tower. Hard to forget that image.

[HFarr]

Working as an outside sales account executive for telephony equipment in Atlanta. Happened to be inside one of our warehouse offices when the word came across on someone's computer.

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[Holdmybeer]

Recent HS grad and had just started college. I woke up that morning just in time to see the 2nd plane hit on the news.

I had to work that evening and it seemed like time stopped and that night took forever. I was installing stereos and car alarms at Ciruict City and that is all customers were talking about. Classes were canceled the rest of the week. Had many friends go from RTOC members to soldiers that year.

[2in2out]

That morning I had slept in after working 72 hr shift, and getting home the night before at 2200. I went straight to bed, and woke to things being strangely quiet outside. Our oldest daughter was on break from a year round school schedule, our youngest was being fed by my wife. I made cereal for our oldest and made a cup of coffee. That’s when my wife turned on the TV. Tower two had just been hit, the Pentagon was burning. After watching news reports, I stepped outside to hear the strange sound of silence. We lived under a primary flight path, and I haven’t heard silence like that until Covid air traffic shut downs. I commented to my wife that this is the start of the next world war.

Then they collapsed. The strangeness of watching 343 men and women who share your occupation die in an instant, not to mention those of the NYPD, NY Port Authority PD, multiple EMS personnel, and the civilians of the two aircraft and non-evacuated portions of the towers and collapse area.

I had imagined scenarios on a smaller scale, and how I would respond to them before 9/11, and now everyday after.

While I was 2500 miles away, many aspects of my life changed forever. My wife, never really concerned that I might die at work before, now realized the possibilities.


2022 SA 450

[HFarr]

I remember the noticeable silence in the skies too. I was also under a flight path. Even though the jets were several thousand ft above my house where we were, you don't realize how much you hear the air traffic and just tune it out until there is absolutely nothing there to hear.

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[KnoxMojo]

Had just gotten out of the Marines after serving 5 years. Was getting up to go to college and turned on Fox and friends as always. Was like, wtf is that! Then watched in horror as the second plane hit the tower. A day I'll never forget, but seems many have.

[larry_arizona]

I am not sure it’s people forgetting 9/11, perhaps they are simply adjusting how they process it.

I remember it like it was yesterday, still feel the same horrifying experience.

I won’t go into the “where I was” but will say I have changed how I process that terrible day.

I used to force myself to watch the many documentaries on the events of that infamous day. I just can’t do it anymore.

I haven’t forgotten, I just can’t watch it again.


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[sandm]

it was a sad day in american history but there have been many over the years just as bad and I tend to side with Larry's line of thinking how I process. that I remember, but tend to focus more on the present day.

we seem to spend a lot of time trying to memorialize 3000 people killed but 15x that are killed each year by americans and we turn a blind eye.

[MJHSupra]

I was working as a consultant and doing work in a hospital in New Bern NC. Every other week I would fly from Knoxville to Raleigh and jump into a rental car to head further east.

Everyone was asking me what am I going to do? I told them the one thing I'm not going to do is turn in my rental car b/c basically once that happed, there were no flights and travelers were forced to secure rental cars to get anywhere. Thus, there were no rental cars if you tried to make a new reservation that week.

So I worked Monday-Thursday, got up on Friday AM and drove 7-8 hours back to Knoxville. Nice drive. Crazy times for sure. I recall is was on a Tuesday AM when that happened.

[996scott]

I had just backed out of the garage heading to work and the local talk radio said something about a plane crashing into a building in NYC but they didn't have much info yet. A few minutes later they said a 2nd plane may have crashed into another building but they were not 100 yet. Walked into work and turned on the tv to see the horrific scene unfolding. Called my wife to tell her to turn on the tv, then sat down and cried. Will never forget the feeling of sadness that overwhelmed me. I kept thinking that this could not really be happening as the towers started colapsing.