September 11, 2001

[firebuffkevin]

On that beautiful September morning, who could even imagine what would happen that day.

WHERE WERE YOU, AND WHAT WERE YOU DOING?


"May God grant peace to all who died so tragically that day, and may their loved ones and families experience His comfort and peace."

 

[IRISH]

Sept 11th '01 i turned 17. so i had taken the day off school because i was "not well". i tried to never go to school when it was my birthday. Plus we had a Mathematics test due for that Tuesday so there was no way i was going in lol.

Remember coming downstairs just before 14.00 hrs Irish time and my Mam telling me a plane had crashed into a building in New York and turning on Sky News to see the North Tower on fire and the giant hole in its side and thinking "How the f**k could a plane not see that and avoid it"??

The media had been saying it was a small plane but from looking at the size of the hole and the smoke and fire i had said to my mam that was no small plane. Then i will always remember the news anchor (Kay Burley) talking as the 2nd plane hit. She thought it was a reply of the 1st plane hitting until her co-presenter told her a 2nd plane had now hit. You could tell by her voice she was in shock and she was like the rest of us at that moment.

I also remember thinking as i watched the 2 Towers fall, 1st of the Firefighters and rescuers inside the buildings and below on the ground and how they had being killed and the News was reporting estimates of possibly 30+ thousand people killed.

2nd i remember thinking that building this high and stuff like this doesn't happen in real life in America. Its the movies and stuff like this only happens in other places in the world. I also remember my Dad coming home from work @ around about 17:30 and coming into me in the living room and asking "what happened" He had no idea of what had gone on.

During my day also my mam had been frantically trying to get in touch with her sister in England. She had being in NY on the 10th but had left for home that evening NY time. Her and my Uncle had arrived home early on the morning of the 11th and again had no idea of what had being happening in the states.

The final note ill add to my memories of that day is the photo my Aunt & Uncle have in there living room from their trip to NYC in Sept '01. Its a photo of the 2 of them on top of the Twin Towers taken on the morning of Sept 10th '01. Every time i see it i think its one of the last ever photos taken from atop of the towers.

Sept 11th '01 will live with me forever and is a day ill NEVER FORGET

 

[grumpy grizzly]

I really hoped it was all a bad dream. When I heard at the press conference that 343 of FDNY's had died or were unaccounted for I knew the dream was now reality. I am a Vietnam vet flying a O-2A FAC aircraft in support of troops in contact or a Search And Rescue for a downed pilot, this was the worst day in my life.

 

[FDNY150]

Took the phone call for the gas leak that was filmed in the French brothers video, then was taking calls inside the buildings. You can figure out the rest.

 

[nfd2004]

We often forget the dispatchers that worked that day. The "911 calltakers", the Fire and Police dispatchers. The EMS dispatchers. They Never knew at the time if they would be attacked, yet they stayed at their so very important jobs. For so many, it was their calming voices that were the last voices they heard.