I know that for a certain generation of Americans the day Kennedy was killed is etched into their conscience and the question is always "Where were you when Kennedy was killed?". Is September 11th of similar import to us?
I remember exactly where I was when it was happening and I remember watching it unfold with credulity. It just didn't seem real but there was a very real sense of "Where next?", as if it was only the first domino.
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I was coming back from a job interview (for the job I have now).
Only got back at about 2pm, put teh telly on, took no notice as I pottered round room, then suddenly "Whoah!".
I watched the clip of the 'plane going in over and over and I still can't believe it now.
i was at work we were remerchandising at the store. And one of our managers mentioned it. Couldn't believe it had actually happened.
When i got home and actually saw it on the news, and was in total shock, just thinking of all those people in the planes and in the towers they didn't stand a chance
BD(husband) was driving from Warwick to York and although it was totally illogical I was really glad to hear his voice saying that he had arrived safetly.
Ma's hubby was in Germany, getting home was a nightmare for him because of the security clamp down.
The thing that I remember that I found most distressing was the poeple making calls on their mobiles saying goodbye to their loved ones and knowing that they were going to die.
We had to turn the television off in the end and try and get back to some kind of normality for the children.
2002/3 I ran New York City marathon and about mile 8 you can look over from Brooklyn to Manhattan and see that something is missing. Gives me everytime goose bumps and everytime I pass there I have to think about the people and fire men.
3 days later we flew out to Tenerife on holiday, and got caught up in all the increased security precautions. Probably the most worried I've ever been, and ever will be before and during a flight.
The two young electricians that were working for me didn't realise the seriousness of what was happening until we explained to them that by declaring war on America they had also declared war on America's allies, namely us.
The digger driver, prison warder and myself were too old to be called up but these two young lads were of the right age if war had escalated to have been called up to go into the Armed services.
A couple of months later I was working in Dublin and the local fire service had set up in the main shopping street to make a collection for the relatives of those lost by the NY Fire Department. I found it very moving to see people queing to put money into the collection buckets.
I too joined the queue.
when the news that there were 'more planes' hijacked came over it all became very obvious that this was something terrible and incredibly out of control - tho strangely unreal -like watching some remake of the 'War of the Worlds'
sat transfixed watching footage of the the towers crumble and the Pentagon crash
it does seem a long time ago but i can remember having some sense that the world was never going to be the same again afterwards
Then she texted about the 2nd plane and I knew something was going on.
One worry was my brother who is intermittently based in New York.
Rang him and 'fortunately' he was in Albany but was somewhat oblivious to the events.
He then had to ring round his mates who were in NY.
Another worry was an aunt, uncle and cousins who work/study in NY. Found out later in the day they were OK.
The wife seemed glad to see me when I returned which was nice!!!
after that had finished we were informed of what was happening
we knew nothing till we left in the afternoon, didn't beleive the security guy on the gate until we heard it on the radio. someone back at work had managed to rig up a tele in the lab.
more distinctly i remember the minute (or 2)'s silence we had later on.
we were back at the track (an old airfield right under the birmingham flight path).
we all parked the cars up in a row, put the radios on and stood back.
it was a very bleak moment as all the radios went quiet, the wind swept across the track and through the trees and large white clouds traversed the blue sky.
I had just left my job working 4 floors from the top of the Canary Wharf tower.
I remember calling my old colleagues to see what was going on.
No-one was in the office. They had all gone home, scared to stay in the office.
Then the other tower was hit.
I had to go visit our main NY stores a few weeks later, people were still in the streets crying over photos. Just awful. I quit my life in LA a few months later (i was unhappy there) to come back to London I'm sure in part due to the 'lifes too short' mentality that was everywhere at the time.
Even when I see footage of it now my eyes well up.
I got back to my car and just sat in the car park listening to the radio and not being able to believe it.
Everyone in her London office spent an anxious couple of hours waiting to find out what had happened the people they knew in New York until someone in the States heard one of the staff on the radio being interviewed and saying everyone in their office got out.
I still can't believe the film when I see it.
My now b/f was in San Fran at the time. Like Tinks he moved home not long after - the whole US attitude and being on tenterhooks kind of got to him after a while. Not surprised really.
Brother is a pilot for BA - have to say i called home pretty quick to check he wasn't in the US.
Loads of planes were reruited to Canada.
I was on ICQ to a friend during this time and tried to relate to him the enormity of it all. He was relaying messages to his work colleagues. You could tell they just didn't believe me until they managed to get access to a TV in the office themselves.
Our neighbours arrived home that afternoon. They had flown from Orlando to Gatwick, past New York, on the 10th. One of their daughters, who was 8 at the time, arrived home, saw the footage and has never been able to fly since.
On the first anniversary a good friend of mine died too.
Thought not.
Don't remember having multiple 2 mins silences for the victims of the liberation of Afghanistan either.
Oh yeah, I was at school and our head came in the staff room and said `This is amazing, there's been a plane fly into the World Trade Centre'.