As the 15 year anniversary is upon us this weekend, I am curious what memories everyone has of that day. 

 

I posted this in the Sideline section and wanted to try and keep it non-political.

 

I was in college and worked nights at a company that processed credit card applications. I did not have to be up early that day and slept in a bit.

 

I got up like any other day. I was eating breakfast when my mom called me. She asked if I was watching TV and that she heard on the news a plane had flown into the World Trade Center.

 

I turned on the Today show and was stunned to see the image of the North Tower with a huge indention where the plane had made impact. Fire and smoke shooting out of the building. At that time, it seemed like this must be some horrific accident.

 

When we saw the second plane fly in to the South Tower at a speed never seen for planes at that altitude, everyone knew this was more than an accident. 

 

I remember an odd feeling that I was likely watching hundred of people dying on live television but I couldn't turn it off. 

 

Once the first tower fell, you had the realization that you were watching the most horrific event to happen on American in our lifetime. And one likely to never be passed. 

 

We then got word of a plane that crashed into the Pentagon in northern Virginia. I had an uncle that lived a few miles south of the Pentagon. He was at home and told me about being able to see the smoke from the Pentagon and being in a city where you really did not truly know what could happen next.

 

None of us really knew what could happen next, so my roommate and I went up to store and bought things like water, batteries, non-perishable foods and filled our cars with gas. It was like we were preparing for a hurricane.

 

I went to work that night. It was very surreal as we had almost nobody contacting us. We mostly just sat around and talked about what had happened that day. 

 

It was great to see the way all citizens rallied around this country in the weeks proceeding these horrible events. It was sad though that it took a horrific attack.

 

I spent time as a kid in Connecticut and we visited NYC on several occasions. It's still strange to see the New York skyline without the World Trade towers. To me though, it is a reminder of the terrible potential of human beings.

 

Visiting the memorial in NYC, and seeing the memorial in Arlington are moving experiences. Knowing how many people (many of them first responders) lost their lives that day.

 

Occasionally, I catch myself watching 9/11 footage on YouTube. Probably just to remind myself that it actually happened. I have a DVD of the Concert for New York, held later that year and watch it on occasion. I would highly recommend it, especially for anyone too young to remember that day, and the aftermath.

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