9/11 11 Years Ago

[cmhbob]

I'm friends with several people in NYC. One teaches at NYU, and his building was within a block or two of the towers. Another used to work for Cantor Fitzgerald.

Honestly, I get tired of the "they were heroes," and what-not that surrounds today. The heroes were the ones who went up the stairs, not the ones who just went to work that day.

It's hard to put my feelings into words. We seem to spend so much time on this, but so little on Pearl Harbor, or April 19th, the real Patriots Day.

And maybe it's time to forget.

 

[uncle money bags]

I'm friends with several people in NYC. One teaches at NYU, and his building was within a block or two of the towers. Another used to work for Cantor Fitzgerald.

Honestly, I get tired of the "they were heroes," and what-not that surrounds today. The heroes were the ones who went up the stairs, not the ones who just went to work that day.

It's hard to put my feelings into words. We seem to spend so much time on this, but so little on Pearl Harbor, or April 19th, the real Patriots Day.

And maybe it's time to forget.

I would like to think most of us know what you are referring to, but i would not be surprised if i was wrong.

 

[fishfurlife]

Seconds - The amount of time that it took to change the United States Forever

Minutes - The amount of time that it took thousands of selfless Firemen and Police men/women to respond to an event that would change each and every one of their lives

Hours - What seemed like years as this chaotic scene unfolded

Days - the amount of time that survivors were searched for.

Weeks - The amount of time that fires continued to burn at ground zero

Months - Nobody could fathom the amount of time that it would take to move 1,500,000 tons of debris and begin to clean up.

Years - There are not enough of them in a lifetime to heal the wounds that were created in those few seconds.

Today is a day of remembrance, honor for those whose lives were taken, and dedication that we will never forgot what happened 11 years ago today.

Life is short people, don't take any one breath for granted!

 

[TCummings]

There are 2 things that are permanently seered in my mind of the towers,
First was when my dad woke me up and told me that something terrible had happened and I sat there all day watching the news play the images and video over and over. I was 2 months out from going to AF basic training, and this really sealed the deal of me going.

Second was when I went to NJ to meet my fiance's (now my wife)family for the first time back in December of 2003, we went into NYC and my wife's friend took me to where the towers were, they were still cleaning up and moving stuff, buildings still had coverings over the windows, and the chain link fence was still up. I will never forget looking down into the huge hole that was there where the towers used to stand.

I never had the opportunity to see the skyline in person with the towers there, but I know that when I have seen that skyline the last few times we have flown in it just doesn't look right. Someday when my son is old enough to understand I plan on taking him to the memorial, I feel that it is important for us all to understand our history.

 

[Jim Corrigan]

How many freedoms have been lost since then? Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Iraq_War

This takes nothing from the thousands that died that day, but I think we got our bloody revenge. Especially against a regime we put in power....

 

[mugsy]

I do remember that day well - I was stationed at the Pentagon on the Air Staff at that time, however I was at an office in Crystal City that morning - ironically watching a broadcast of the Twin Towers attacks. My father had only recently retired from working for a company whose offices were in the World Trade Center around the 100th floor (a bit below Windows on the World restaurant). He was in the Tower during the '93 basement bombing and I was talking to him about the first plane crash. I remember that as soon as the second Twin Towers attack took place we knew we were at war - we just didn't know with whom...yet.

That was a particularly bad year for me as my wife was in the final stages of terminal cancer and died a few weeks later. At least we had the heroes of Flight 93 to inspire us out of all the carnage and death that day - as I still tell my children, the days of passengers meekly allowing "hijackers" to make them sit like sheep awaiting a slaughter ended with Flight 93.

May God have mercy on the souls of those killed that day, may He grant consolation to their survivors, and may He also bless those who have lost their lives during the subsequent Global War on Terror.

 

[Electrician Mike]

I too remember like it was yesterday. Was working for a electrical company in Tulsa on a service call in some nice peoples house and was watching it on their tv with them. I could still drive you to their house in BA. We left and went to WalMart and watched in their electronics department for the next hour or so.
My wife and son got to go see the 911 Memorial this spring.

 

[AKguy1985]

I'll never forget that day. I was out on the football field for marching band practice. When i went to my 2nd hour class at 9:30 I honestly thought the image of the twin towers on fire on tv was a movie. I asked somebody what movie this was and then they said it wasnt a movie. I was in shock.