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9/11

Verde

By Verde
in The Jets Lounge

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PFSIKH

PFSIKH

Posted
Posted
I can remember like it was yesterday.

RIP

Word.

I was in Seoul coming home from a night out and turned on the TV. I think about 5 hours later I had to turn the TV off because I had to get up in 3 hours for work.

RIP to the fallen.

Thoughts and prayers to all the famalies affected by this tragedy.

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The Gun Of Bavaria

The Gun Of Bavaria

Posted
Posted

I was still assigned to road patrol and working afternoons....it was pre-kid so I was sleeping in to my usual 11AM ....and was getting pissed because someone kept calling the house repeatedly. Finally, someone was pounding on my door and pissed off, I came to the door to find my sister, who is a cop and works for the city I was living in at the time. She asked "Have you been watching?" and of course I said no. After turning on the TV, both towers were already on fire and I remember being pissed because the towers were starting to come down and the news commentators weren't paying attention.

Rest in Peace to my brothers in blue with NYPD & PAPD who died that day.

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JonEJet

JonEJet

Posted
Posted

Thought I'd share this....a close friend of mine recalled his experience

I didn't personally lose any loved ones on 9/11, but it did have an effect on me because I was as close as you can get to it without actually being a part of it.

For those of you around the country that watched this all unfold as if it were a tragic movie, trust me, it was more real that any of us would like to believe. Please take a moment to reflect on this day and evaluate the things that are important to you when trivial things start to ruin your days.

At the time of this tragedy, I was living in Jersey City, NJ in a condo on the water. The view from my balcony was the Twin Towers. In fact, I could even sit on my couch and see the towers hovering above the whole city. Below is a recap of what the day was like for me, and the aftermath, which changed my life forever.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Around 8:40am, I got in the shower to get ready for work. I worked in the music industry at the time, so my hours were later than most commuters. While in the shower the phone kept ringing. I knew that it was probably my wife who was already at work in lower Manhattan. Usually she would just leave me a message for me to call her, but this time she kept calling and calling.

When I answered the phone, I said "Why do you keep calling, why didn't you just leave me a message and wait for me to call back?" She replied, "Look out the window." I stepped out onto my balcony to take a look and was shocked to see a hole in one of the Towers. We spoke for a little while and we both thought, as others did, that a small plane probably hit the tower. It didn't look good, but at the time, we had no idea of what was to follow.

We hung up the phone, and I continued to get ready for work, not realizing that the Path Train that I was planning on taking had already been stopped, as it ran directly under the World Trade Center. I watched the news from a vantage point that allowed me to see the TV and the Towers at the same time.

On TV, I saw the 2nd Tower get hit live. I immediately called my wife (whose office was about 10 blocks away) and told her to get home now. She asked why. I told her that terrorists were attacking NYC. Not realizing the gravity of the situation, or maybe overwhelmed by shock, she responded, "but it's not my building." At that time, she and other co-workers were watching the events out of their office windows. I said to her "Just leave. Quit your ****ing job if you have to, but get home now!" Fortunately, she was the first one out of her office. Others that waited ended up covered in soot and had to be hosed off when reaching their destination. To this day no one knows what health effects these people may suffer down the road as a result of the exposure.

My wife got to the ferry which took her directly back to our condo complex. Normally, it was a 10-minute ride, and ran basically every 10 minutes during rush hour. She should have been home no later than 9:30am. However, the ferry was packed, and they were told to move much slower than usual to avoid creating underwater currents that could contribute to the possible structural problems that the Towers were facing. By my wife's recollection, there were papers and debris flying all over the docks, which were about a half mile away. I kept trying to call her on her cell phone, but all lines were busy and remained that way for most of the day. I had the helpless feeling of just waiting for her arrival.

Sitting in shock on the couch, watching the towers burn at a little after 10am, I felt a rumble (like a small earthquake) and then Tower 1 collapsed. With only the Hudson River separating my condo from the Towers, there was nothing to block the tremors that were felt when the tower collapsed. When Tower 1 went down, and my wife was still not home, and unable to be reached by cell phone, I feared the worst and lost it. Already in a terrible state-of-mind after suddenly losing my father less than 2 months earlier, I thought that my world had ended. Fortunately, my wife walked in a few minutes after Tower 1 went down and explained what had happened, and why it took so long to get home.

Along with all of our neighbors, we both sat and watched in shock and horror as Tower 2 went down right before our eyes. Words can't describe the feelings we had. After all, one of the appeals of this condo was the view of the Towers, and now it was gone, replaced by a cloud of smoke that would hover literally for months, with a burning smell that cannot be described by words. During this time, we couldn't open our windows because the smell would be in our home.

To make matters worse, our condo complex was also a ferry destination. Most of the people that took the ferry worked in lower Manhattan, and the cars were parked outside the gate of our community all day long. When September 12th came, there were still a number of cars sitting parked outside of the gate. The only cars to park there were commuters, as nothing else was close by. These cars were a constant reminder of those that didn't make it out of the Towers. Slowly over the following months, the cars started to disappear, but it took a long time before the final car was picked up by a loved one.

After returning to work a few days later, the Empire State Building was evacuated due to a terror threat. I left my office, along with many others, and my wife did the same. It took hours to get home as there was a mad rush out of NYC. When we got home, I told my wife that we had to get out of town for a while, or I was going to lose it. It was all too much to take. The pain of my father's passing was only made worse by the cloud of smoke, the constant burning smell, the cars that still lingered outside of our community and the terror threats still coming. We retreated to upstate NY to visit her parents for a few days. A place that is usually a little too slow-paced for me (not much to do in this small upstate town) became a temporary haven, as I was finally able to get away from the chaos and into a peaceful place. The sights and sounds, and even the smell of the country air provided us with a great respite from the turmoil that we were living through.

After 9/11, there was a truly eerie silence blanketing NYC. A cloud of shock and despair hung over our grieving city. Suddenly, New Yorkers that were always in a rush and usually fairly impatient with each other, became quiet and polite. Horns weren't honking at each street corner. Hopefully, most of you can't relate to this, but it had a feeling similar to that of a high school after a student dies. It's a silence, a mood, that is so thick that you feel like you can touch it, or cut it with a knife. It was so surreal, and it lasted for about 3-4 weeks, and seemed to end overnight. The process of getting back to "normal" was not at all gradual. It seemed that there was a grieving process and then it was time for New Yorkers to be New Yorkers (for better or worse).

I kept commuting to NYC, but hated being there. I had always been interested in real estate, so I started reading self-help books and real estate books to make the commute more tolerable. I was in the sales profession for years before becoming a real estate agent, but always resisted it because I didn't want to work weekends. When I finally made the decision, it was the best one that I could have ever made. I wish that I had done it sooner, but I guess it just wasn't the right time. Ultimately, that day may have actually sped up my entry into the real estate profession.

Although there have been good times and bad times as a real estate agent, the flexibility has allowed me to spend a lot of quality time with my family. After 9/11, and my father's sudden passing, I realize that tomorrow is not guaranteed. Life is far too short and fragile to be spending it commuting on a train to jobs that I didn't find fulfilling.

As Americans, this day should have had a tremendous impact on us all. It should truly be a day of remembrance and a national holiday, but unfortunately, people would eventually use it as a chance for a barbecue or getaway so it's better not to declare it a holiday. For those of us that were touched by this tragedy directly by losing a loved one or friend or even surviving, but being close to the action, this day will never be about "business as usual."

ALWAYS REMEMBER...AND DON'T EVER FORGET:

The Victims of September 11, 2001

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BURGERMIKE

BURGERMIKE

Posted
Posted
Thought I'd share this....a close friend of mine recalled his experience

I didn't personally lose any loved ones on 9/11, but it did have an effect on me because I was as close as you can get to it without actually being a part of it.

For those of you around the country that watched this all unfold as if it were a tragic movie, trust me, it was more real that any of us would like to believe. Please take a moment to reflect on this day and evaluate the things that are important to you when trivial things start to ruin your days.

At the time of this tragedy, I was living in Jersey City, NJ in a condo on the water. The view from my balcony was the Twin Towers. In fact, I could even sit on my couch and see the towers hovering above the whole city. Below is a recap of what the day was like for me, and the aftermath, which changed my life forever.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Around 8:40am, I got in the shower to get ready for work. I worked in the music industry at the time, so my hours were later than most commuters. While in the shower the phone kept ringing. I knew that it was probably my wife who was already at work in lower Manhattan. Usually she would just leave me a message for me to call her, but this time she kept calling and calling.

When I answered the phone, I said "Why do you keep calling, why didn't you just leave me a message and wait for me to call back?" She replied, "Look out the window." I stepped out onto my balcony to take a look and was shocked to see a hole in one of the Towers. We spoke for a little while and we both thought, as others did, that a small plane probably hit the tower. It didn't look good, but at the time, we had no idea of what was to follow.

We hung up the phone, and I continued to get ready for work, not realizing that the Path Train that I was planning on taking had already been stopped, as it ran directly under the World Trade Center. I watched the news from a vantage point that allowed me to see the TV and the Towers at the same time.

On TV, I saw the 2nd Tower get hit live. I immediately called my wife (whose office was about 10 blocks away) and told her to get home now. She asked why. I told her that terrorists were attacking NYC. Not realizing the gravity of the situation, or maybe overwhelmed by shock, she responded, "but it's not my building." At that time, she and other co-workers were watching the events out of their office windows. I said to her "Just leave. Quit your ****ing job if you have to, but get home now!" Fortunately, she was the first one out of her office. Others that waited ended up covered in soot and had to be hosed off when reaching their destination. To this day no one knows what health effects these people may suffer down the road as a result of the exposure.

My wife got to the ferry which took her directly back to our condo complex. Normally, it was a 10-minute ride, and ran basically every 10 minutes during rush hour. She should have been home no later than 9:30am. However, the ferry was packed, and they were told to move much slower than usual to avoid creating underwater currents that could contribute to the possible structural problems that the Towers were facing. By my wife's recollection, there were papers and debris flying all over the docks, which were about a half mile away. I kept trying to call her on her cell phone, but all lines were busy and remained that way for most of the day. I had the helpless feeling of just waiting for her arrival.

Sitting in shock on the couch, watching the towers burn at a little after 10am, I felt a rumble (like a small earthquake) and then Tower 1 collapsed. With only the Hudson River separating my condo from the Towers, there was nothing to block the tremors that were felt when the tower collapsed. When Tower 1 went down, and my wife was still not home, and unable to be reached by cell phone, I feared the worst and lost it. Already in a terrible state-of-mind after suddenly losing my father less than 2 months earlier, I thought that my world had ended. Fortunately, my wife walked in a few minutes after Tower 1 went down and explained what had happened, and why it took so long to get home.

Along with all of our neighbors, we both sat and watched in shock and horror as Tower 2 went down right before our eyes. Words can't describe the feelings we had. After all, one of the appeals of this condo was the view of the Towers, and now it was gone, replaced by a cloud of smoke that would hover literally for months, with a burning smell that cannot be described by words. During this time, we couldn't open our windows because the smell would be in our home.

To make matters worse, our condo complex was also a ferry destination. Most of the people that took the ferry worked in lower Manhattan, and the cars were parked outside the gate of our community all day long. When September 12th came, there were still a number of cars sitting parked outside of the gate. The only cars to park there were commuters, as nothing else was close by. These cars were a constant reminder of those that didn't make it out of the Towers. Slowly over the following months, the cars started to disappear, but it took a long time before the final car was picked up by a loved one.

After returning to work a few days later, the Empire State Building was evacuated due to a terror threat. I left my office, along with many others, and my wife did the same. It took hours to get home as there was a mad rush out of NYC. When we got home, I told my wife that we had to get out of town for a while, or I was going to lose it. It was all too much to take. The pain of my father's passing was only made worse by the cloud of smoke, the constant burning smell, the cars that still lingered outside of our community and the terror threats still coming. We retreated to upstate NY to visit her parents for a few days. A place that is usually a little too slow-paced for me (not much to do in this small upstate town) became a temporary haven, as I was finally able to get away from the chaos and into a peaceful place. The sights and sounds, and even the smell of the country air provided us with a great respite from the turmoil that we were living through.

After 9/11, there was a truly eerie silence blanketing NYC. A cloud of shock and despair hung over our grieving city. Suddenly, New Yorkers that were always in a rush and usually fairly impatient with each other, became quiet and polite. Horns weren't honking at each street corner. Hopefully, most of you can't relate to this, but it had a feeling similar to that of a high school after a student dies. It's a silence, a mood, that is so thick that you feel like you can touch it, or cut it with a knife. It was so surreal, and it lasted for about 3-4 weeks, and seemed to end overnight. The process of getting back to "normal" was not at all gradual. It seemed that there was a grieving process and then it was time for New Yorkers to be New Yorkers (for better or worse).

I kept commuting to NYC, but hated being there. I had always been interested in real estate, so I started reading self-help books and real estate books to make the commute more tolerable. I was in the sales profession for years before becoming a real estate agent, but always resisted it because I didn't want to work weekends. When I finally made the decision, it was the best one that I could have ever made. I wish that I had done it sooner, but I guess it just wasn't the right time. Ultimately, that day may have actually sped up my entry into the real estate profession.

Although there have been good times and bad times as a real estate agent, the flexibility has allowed me to spend a lot of quality time with my family. After 9/11, and my father's sudden passing, I realize that tomorrow is not guaranteed. Life is far too short and fragile to be spending it commuting on a train to jobs that I didn't find fulfilling.

As Americans, this day should have had a tremendous impact on us all. It should truly be a day of remembrance and a national holiday, but unfortunately, people would eventually use it as a chance for a barbecue or getaway so it's better not to declare it a holiday. For those of us that were touched by this tragedy directly by losing a loved one or friend or even surviving, but being close to the action, this day will never be about "business as usual."

ALWAYS REMEMBER...AND DON'T EVER FORGET:

The Victims of September 11, 2001

Thanks for the read Jon E, Every time I see an old shot of the towers I get choked up, then the image of that POS osama come to mind and I feel intense RAGE.

I think Green Jets and Ham evacuated one of the towers

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LoneStarLady

LoneStarLady

Posted
Posted

NEVER FORGET!

It was such a terrible day! I flew from Boston to LaGuardia that morning, landing only a few minutes before the first plane (from Boston) hit the first tower.

My heart goes out to all the families, friends, neighbors, loved ones affected by this tragedy.

Words cannot express the gratitude to the responders (police, fire, EMT, all others) who went above and beyond that day.

I hope that they all can attain a measure of peace at some point.

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Lil Bit Special

Lil Bit Special

Posted
Posted

R.I.P. Craig Blass

Craig.jpg

Today is a day I wish I could just hide under the covers and not come out.

I wish i could just ignore it and not relive the events of that day. However, I feel its my duty as an American to never forget where I was and what happened to us that day.

I didnt lose anyone close that day, just a childhood friend who I played travel soccer with growing up. But it still pains me... the senseless loss of life, the loss of safety and peace we knew as Americans.

usaCa.gif

Time for me to go do my yearly ritual- pop in my DVD of the first 24 hours of the WTC- and shed a few tears.

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joewilly

joewilly

Posted
Posted
Wow - that was powerful. Broke my heart and made me sick at the same time. Tears for a stranger, his family and the tragedy of it all. Simply - wow. Sad. Too sad.

wow that was brutal. absolutely brutal. I wonder if Ann Koulter saw that flick.

rip & I wish the very best to the survivors still struggling with the tradgedy

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Maxman

Maxman

Posted
Posted

I saw a family friend recently and she had lost her son on 9/11. She had a picture of her Grandson who had recently graduated and was becoming a NYC Policeman. I don't have the words to describe how awesome I think that is. A child who paid such a tough price, devoting his life to make the world a better place. The impact of that day is amazing.

Such a sad day that could serve (and did) to essentially cripple so many people. I remember the fear that lingered for a very long time. The co-workers, the friends, the family members that all lost loved ones. Such a terrible day.

What I think about today is the courage of the first responders. How brave and selfless all of the volunteers were. Guys like Tom Shane's cousin John McNamara that gave their lives because of 9/11. He didn't spend time thinking that this could be bad for him. He gave of himself because his help was needed. I hope, I pray, that these people are taken care of. They paid the ultimate sacrifice for their heroism.

May all those who passed on 9/11 rest in peace. I pray for peace for the families impacted. I pray that we all never forget how bad of a day that was. And I pray that we may never experience anything like it again.

CJK7qiKOwss

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Bugg

Bugg

Posted
Posted

What I cannot get over-I think about people I knew who died at the WTC-friends, clients, people I wen to school and worked with growing up.

They're gone.

You have an idea in your head about what Pat would think of this, or if you might expect to see him at a social event, and then you remember he's dead. And it's not like he was some old guy who had lived a full life.Pat was at a bachelor aprty on Saturday with his brothers and all of us, his friends. He was gone on Tuesday.

http://patterico.com/2009/09/11/never-forget-reprise/

9/11/2009

Never Forget (Reprise)

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