A lot of emotions this morning. A lifetime ago this happened. So much happens in 20 years. When you're 29 years old you don't have an understanding of it yet, how much happens and changes in two decades. Now I'm 49 and a lot of bittersweet memories of a great many things from that day so long ago and how everything changed in a heartbeat. I can't imagine how the victim's families feel. I was watching the live coverage of the ceremony but had to turn it off. Too much.
That Alan Jackson song, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Spinning," has been on my mind a lot the last few days.
Never Forget
I still remember that morning like it was yesterday. I was 40 and getting myself together that morning to go to my college classes. I was told by someone that a plane had crashed in to the World Trade Center, but I was running late and didn't turn on the TV, When I did get to my 1st class of the day, they had the TV on the projection screen in the room. I saw the replay of the planes crashing n to the towers, I was in shock but the first thing that came in to my mind was that Bin Laden was behind the attacks. I really didn't know what to think. Since the college was the next door neighbor to the Army Base Fort Detrick, they canceled classes for the day. We didn't know if we were going to get hit again or not. The whole area was on high alert being we're only about 48 miles from Washington DC. When classes finally resumed, I remember seeing heavily armed guards walking the perimeter of the base every day after that, it was not a normal scenario to say the least. I should mention that Fort Detrick is one of only two places in the country where they store, and research level 4 bio-hazzards, the stuff that has no known cure so base security was of the most important thing there was at the time. Who knows what would have happened if the base was targeted and some of that stuff released in to the wild. I shutter to think about it......
I remember the shock when the second plane flew into the World Trade Center.
I remember thinking we would lose 50,000 people. It was a miracle we only lost about 3,000.
I also remember waking up every morning for about a week with a deep dark depression.
I was onboard the USS John F. Kennedy preparing to shove out to sea for six weeks when it happened. I've posted the whole experience on here before.
One of the memories that sticks with me is when the anthrax mailings started happening. One early dark morning sitting in my parked car after driving to work I'm listening to news on the radio about anthrax, the U.S. military in combat, random attacks here in the U.S. and overseas, we were working like hell on the ship to get ready for deployment, and I remember sitting there thinking the whole world had gone absolutely crazy and wondering if life would ever be normal again.
(09-11-2021, 09:23 AM)americus 2.0 Wrote: [ -> ]A lot of emotions this morning. A lifetime ago this happened. So much happens in 20 years. When you're 29 years old you don't have an understanding of it yet, how much happens and changes in two decades. Now I'm 49 and a lot of bittersweet memories of a great many things from that day so long ago and how everything changed in a heartbeat. I can't imagine how the victim's families feel. I was watching the live coverage of the ceremony but had to turn it off. Too much.
That Alan Jackson song, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Spinning," has been on my mind a lot the last few days.
Never Forget
That was a good song. A lot better than the "we're gonna kick your [BLEEP]" crap everyone else was putting out.
(09-11-2021, 10:35 AM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ]I was onboard the USS John F. Kennedy preparing to shove out to sea for six weeks when it happened. I've posted the whole experience on here before.
One of the memories that sticks with me is when the anthrax mailings started happening. One early dark morning sitting in my parked car after driving to work I'm listening to news on the radio about anthrax, the U.S. military in combat, random attacks here in the U.S. and overseas, we were working like hell on the ship to get ready for deployment, and I remember sitting there thinking the whole world had gone absolutely crazy and wondering if life would ever be normal again.
Just out of curiosity, how does it feel today vs then? Does it feel more like the world has gone crazy when 9/11 and the anthrax scares we’re going on or now? Would like another opinion. 9/11 left me in awe/shock. I couldn’t believe that could happen to the US. It was a “holy [BLEEP]” moment for me. As bad as that was, I see the world going even more bonkers lately.
(09-11-2021, 07:14 PM)Jags Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2021, 10:35 AM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ]I was onboard the USS John F. Kennedy preparing to shove out to sea for six weeks when it happened. I've posted the whole experience on here before.
One of the memories that sticks with me is when the anthrax mailings started happening. One early dark morning sitting in my parked car after driving to work I'm listening to news on the radio about anthrax, the U.S. military in combat, random attacks here in the U.S. and overseas, we were working like hell on the ship to get ready for deployment, and I remember sitting there thinking the whole world had gone absolutely crazy and wondering if life would ever be normal again.
Just out of curiosity, how does it feel today vs then? Does it feel more like the world has gone crazy when 9/11 and the anthrax scares we’re going on or now? Would like another opinion. 9/11 left me in awe/shock. I couldn’t believe that could happen to the US. It was a “holy [BLEEP]” moment for me. As bad as that was, I see the world going even more bonkers lately.
Nothing feels crazier than the 9/11 attacks. I can only compare it to what Americans must have felt after Pearl Harbor; thousands of Americans have been killed and everyone knows there is going to be more bloodshed to follow. It was a visceral shock that was worse for 9/11 because it was civilians targeted rather than the military.
I can remember that I had just started my shift on the river boat casino that I used to work at in Indiana. I was on the first floor working with a couple of my friends and one always liked to hover near the bar area where the televisions were located. I was filling a slot machine with tokens when he came over and told me New York had just been attacked by terrorists. I didn't really know whether to believe him, because at the time it sounded outlandish. That kind of thing didn't happen here. I went over to the TV and saw where the plane had hit one of the towers. I still didn't believe it was terrorists. I assumed it was a horrible accident. Then, a short time later the second plane hit and I knew this was definitely no accident. It was beyond shocking, not only knowing how many people had died, but that we had been hit on our own soil. It then hit me that everything was gonna change from this point on.
I also learned that day how self centered and uncaring some people can be. A few hours later, my manager made an announcement over the P.A. system telling people what had happened. Remember, this was way before smart phones, so for the posters on the board who are younger, you basically got all your news via the television or back home on your computer. Since the televisions were restricted to a small area near the bar on every floor, some people had no clue what was going on, but by now, most had heard simply by word of mouth. I remember her asking all the people in the casino to stop playing for a moment of silence for the the victims who died on that day. I was sickened by how many customers continued to play and were even complaining about being asked to stop gambling, even for a 30 second during a moment of silence. We even had one irate customer who said he didn't "give a ****" what happened, he was gonna keep playing. We had some real "dregs of humanity" come on that boat.
Unfortunately, I also saw some of the fallout from the attacks directed at innocent people. I worked with a lot of American born people of various ethnic backgrounds and many who had immigrated here as well. One lady was very nice and she had lots of friends on the boat. She was in her early 50's and she and her husband came here from Iran decades ago. Both of her daughters were born in the USA. In the days and weeks after the attacks, she was subjected to horrible verbal abuse not only by gamblers on the boat, but by some of her co-workers as well. She had nothing to do with any of this, yet she faced daily ridicule because of where she was born. I remember seeing her crying on more than one occasion due to the abuse she put up with. About a month later, she quit. She had been working there for 4 years with no problem and in an instant, everything changed for her and everyone else who lived in the United States.
I will remember that day for the rest of my life. Seeing all the policemen, fire fighters, EMT and many other people who risked and lost their own lives to try and save the thousands of victims was something that is burned into my mind forever and I pray it never happens again.
I saw an excellent, but very sobering, special 9/11: A Day in America. It was extremely well done and contained footage that I was unaware even existed. Much from inside of the WTC that day. It was on NatGeo and it's something good to see for people who couldn't truly comprehend the event.
I'll be the first to admit that I cried a few times. It was hard to watch at times with accounts from first responders and civilians who were there. It was very well done.
I watched 9/11 stuff all day yesterday, and I am emotionally exhausted today. One I was watching had a first responder telling the story of driving to the towers and trying to avoid the body parts as he drove and getting to the point that he couldn’t avoid hitting them any longer. I’d never heard that before, and I’m not lying when I say I bawled like a baby with that story.
(09-12-2021, 12:46 PM)Bchbunnie4 Wrote: [ -> ]I watched 9/11 stuff all day yesterday, and I am emotionally exhausted today. One I was watching had a first responder telling the story of driving to the towers and trying to avoid the body parts as he drove and getting to the point that he couldn’t avoid hitting them any longer. I’d never heard that before, and I’m not lying when I say I bawled like a baby with that story.
I stay away from watching any of it because it just angers me. It was the most egregious act of cowardice in history.
I was living in Germany. To say it was a surreal experience is an understatement. The military bases locked down and news came from AFN, or Armed Forces Network channel, on TV from CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX.
I watched a few documentaries yesterday and reflected on a great many things. I have had lots of thoughts and feelings but have had a hard time putting them together. I know one thing that has come to mind over and over is this- I am so thankful George W. Bush was POTUS. He was not a perfect president but the way in which he conducted himself that day, and for many days after, was exactly what we needed in the leader of this country during such a tragedy. And I'm thankful there was no social media.
(09-12-2021, 10:22 PM)americus 2.0 Wrote: [ -> ]I was living in Germany. To say it was a surreal experience is an understatement. The military bases locked down and news came from AFN, or Armed Forces Network channel, on TV from CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX.
I watched a few documentaries yesterday and reflected on a great many things. I have had lots of thoughts and feelings but have had a hard time putting them together. I know one thing that has come to mind over and over is this- I am so thankful George W. Bush was POTUS. He was not a perfect president but the way in which he conducted himself that day, and for many days after, was exactly what we needed in the leader of this country during such a tragedy. And I'm thankful there was no social media.
Amen!
I started watching some of the footage that was recorded and broadcast that day. I lasted about 7 minutes before I had to turn it off....All the rage, anger, and pure hatred I felt that morning came back stronger than ever. Part of me wants to lose all that, part of me wants to hang on to those feelings. In a way, I hope I never lose what I felt that day. Because if things start going really bad here in the USA, and it really hits the fan, I want those feelings to motivate me to take action, armed or unarmed, doesn't matter. I have a great deal of pride in my country and I always have. This is the greatest nation on the face of the planet. A beacon of hope for others and I will defend it until my last breath.
(09-13-2021, 07:24 AM)The Drifter Wrote: [ -> ]I started watching some of the footage that was recorded and broadcast that day. I lasted about 7 minutes before I had to turn it off....All the rage, anger, and pure hatred I felt that morning came back stronger than ever. Part of me wants to lose all that, part of me wants to hang on to those feelings. In a way, I hope I never lose what I felt that day. Because if things start going really bad here in the USA, and it really hits the fan, I want those feelings to motivate me to take action, armed or unarmed, doesn't matter. I have a great deal of pride in my country and I always have. This is the greatest nation on the face of the planet. A beacon of hope for others and I will defend it until my last breath.
There is a piece written by a guy at Time magazine that appeared in a standalone photo publication they put out in October 2001. I'll get it from my closet later when my husband gets up to go to work. It speaks to this very thing. He said we don't need grief counselors to rush in and try to make everyone feel better because we shouldn't want to feel better. Not at first. We need to feel the anger, sadness, shock, terror, etc., in order to process it alk like we should. And we should be outraged.
I don't remember the author's name or I'd try to find the article now and share it here. I agreed with what he said and I agree with it now. I didn't have the same experience and emotional reaction as people who were here in the country during that time but I was plenty angry and I resigned myself to the fact that people I knew were going to be deployed and possibly die because of it. Sadly I was right.
I'll never forget that day. I got home from work that day at my usual time of ~7:30 - 8:00 AM. My usual routine was to surf the internet a bit (it was different back then) while listening to the radio while my wife got up and got ready for her day at work. I used to listen to Rock 105 which had Lex & Terry on. I remember them saying something about it, then they got very serious. For those that don't know, Lex & Terry were basically comedy "shock jocks" on the radio similar to Howard Stern though they were local at the time. This was back before satellite radio or various other forms of entertainment on the internet (the internet was still in it's infancy). My "normal" routine was to listen to them until they went off the air at 10:00 AM then I would go to bed (I worked overnight shift at the time).
When they "got serious" about it, I turned around and flipped the television on and tuned into CNN (at the time they were considered THE news channel on cable). I saw the second plane hit not long after I turned it on and got sick to my stomach. I immediately called my parents who live in New Mexico. It was early for them, but when I called I told my father to turn on the news.
I kept my eyes glued to the TV all day and stayed up all day. I got the call that I wasn't to return to work until further notice and my wife was sent home without even getting to work (we both worked on the Navy base here). This was almost exactly 2 years after I had left the Navy and immediately my first thought was to go back. I chose not to because my job at the time was directly supporting the very Navy that I loved, and the aviators that I knew needed the training and support that my job offered.
Much of the younger generation just don't understand what that attack did to us as a country. We had very little 24/7 news and there was no such thing as "social media". When the attack happened our country came together and was united. I don't want to get political, but it didn't take long for it to be exploited by career politicians to begin dividing us.
Think about this. Patrick Tillman was a promising athlete and a good NFL player. He left the big NFL salary to serve his country and paid the ultimate price. I don't know that there are many today willing to make the same sacrifice.
(09-11-2021, 11:39 PM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ] (09-11-2021, 07:14 PM)Jags Wrote: [ -> ]Just out of curiosity, how does it feel today vs then? Does it feel more like the world has gone crazy when 9/11 and the anthrax scares we’re going on or now? Would like another opinion. 9/11 left me in awe/shock. I couldn’t believe that could happen to the US. It was a “holy [BLEEP]” moment for me. As bad as that was, I see the world going even more bonkers lately.
Nothing feels crazier than the 9/11 attacks. I can only compare it to what Americans must have felt after Pearl Harbor; thousands of Americans have been killed and everyone knows there is going to be more bloodshed to follow. It was a visceral shock that was worse for 9/11 because it was civilians targeted rather than the military.
I wanted to get your opinion after that post. I have a different perspective. But I also have less time here and have not served. 9/11 happened when I started my first “real job”. We were let go early at work. It was a “holy [BLEEP]” moment. But I somehow knew, maybe it was W (not to get political) but hell was about to get paid. I was a young adult at the time. Perhaps, it’s because I know the outcome, perhaps I’m not old enough to know what else can go wrong. As bad as it was then, I saw the nation come together like an Aerosmith song. Now, with what I’m seeing is the exact opposite, looks like week one for the Jags. Complete meltdown. I hope I said that without getting political.
If nothing else, I suppose it’s interesting to see different views of where we’re at now vs then. But I certainly don’t wanna take away from the innocent people that lost their lives during the attacks. Pearl Harbor, makes a lot of sense when you compare it. Just depends on “act of war” bs “act of terror”. Same thing really. Until now.
(09-13-2021, 05:41 PM)jagibelieve Wrote: [ -> ]I'll never forget that day. I got home from work that day at my usual time of ~7:30 - 8:00 AM. My usual routine was to surf the internet a bit (it was different back then) while listening to the radio while my wife got up and got ready for her day at work. I used to listen to Rock 105 which had Lex & Terry on. I remember them saying something about it, then they got very serious. For those that don't know, Lex & Terry were basically comedy "shock jocks" on the radio similar to Howard Stern though they were local at the time. This was back before satellite radio or various other forms of entertainment on the internet (the internet was still in it's infancy). My "normal" routine was to listen to them until they went off the air at 10:00 AM then I would go to bed (I worked overnight shift at the time).
When they "got serious" about it, I turned around and flipped the television on and tuned into CNN (at the time they were considered THE news channel on cable). I saw the second plane hit not long after I turned it on and got sick to my stomach. I immediately called my parents who live in New Mexico. It was early for them, but when I called I told my father to turn on the news.
I kept my eyes glued to the TV all day and stayed up all day. I got the call that I wasn't to return to work until further notice and my wife was sent home without even getting to work (we both worked on the Navy base here). This was almost exactly 2 years after I had left the Navy and immediately my first thought was to go back. I chose not to because my job at the time was directly supporting the very Navy that I loved, and the aviators that I knew needed the training and support that my job offered.
Much of the younger generation just don't understand what that attack did to us as a country. We had very little 24/7 news and there was no such thing as "social media". When the attack happened our country came together and was united. I don't want to get political, but it didn't take long for it to be exploited by career politicians to begin dividing us.
Think about this. Patrick Tillman was a promising athlete and a good NFL player. He left the big NFL salary to serve his country and paid the ultimate price. I don't know that there are many today willing to make the same sacrifice.
Division happens with or without politicians exploiting it.
If you said, "9/11 means we should go to war with Iraq"
and I said, "No, it means we should leave the whole area alone,"
we were already divided before we started talking.