Where were you on 9/11?

[Guest MormonGator]

College. I walked up to the professors office and told him what happened. He checked Yahoo and they weren't even reporting it yet. We attended class that day, and the woman I was dating at the time kept calling me with updates. I'll never forget her voice telling me when the towers fell down. We also had random people stopping in the class and telling us what was going on. Such a horrific day. 

Edited September 11, 2018 by MormonGator

[Just_A_Guy]

Also college (BYU).  I had a 7 AM class (“The Historian’s Craft”) and some folks in there had heard something was going on, though we didn’t really appreciate the scope of it.  I remember thinking it must be an accident, remembering that in the 1930s or 1940s a bomber had crashed into the Empire State Building.  

Once class was over, on my way to my next class I stopped off at the History Department Office in the old SFLC where they had a TV going.  I remember the department secretary mumbling “this means war” over and over again.  I remember there was speculation that the hijackers had planned for one of the towers to fall, domino-like, into the next building.  I *think* I was there when the first tower came down and stayed long enough to see the second go down as well, but my memory has gone fuzzy.  

Incidentally, that next Sunday I met my wife for the first time.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Just_A_Guy

[Guest MormonGator]

1 minute ago, Just_A_Guy said:

  I remember the department secretary mumbling “this means war” over and over again.

 

It's funny how we remember certain smaller things on day of such great tragedy on the world level. 

[mirkwood]

My wife and I were asleep.  My mom called and woke us up and said turn on the news.  I worked that night.  My partner and I stood in the middle of Magna, Utah, that night, staring at the empty skies.

[estradling75]

I was at work.  I was wrapping things up because I expected to be gone for a few day for the birth of my son.  He was born on the 12th.  So for as big and as disturbing as 9-11 was I had other things on my mind

[anatess2]

Struggling with Post-partum depression while taking care of my weeks old baby.  I was too caught up with my own personal struggles to care about it at the time.

[SpiritDragon]

I was in bed when the first tower was hit. My dad woke me up and told me something terrible had happened and I spent the majority of the day glued to the television in my pajamas (I was just out of highschool and not yet on my mission - didn't work that day) flipping through News channels watching the towers get hit over and over again and listening to news casters give updates as they came in. Incidentally, in 2007 I was at an airport in St. Paul Minneapolis waiting to fly home on 9/11. There weren't many people keen to fly that day.

[Chilean]

I was 14 yrs. old, a Freshman in HS. It was about 10 am in Chile (Around the same time in NYC), and I was in a music class, we were doing nothing, and the teacher told us about it. I had never heard of the Twin Towers before then, not even such thing as terrorists.

 

 

[Just_A_Guy]

1 hour ago, MormonGator said:

It's funny how we remember certain smaller things on day of such great tragedy on the world level. 

Supplemental memory:  about two weeks later an old missionary companion and I went to the Salt Lake airport to pick up a couple of Brazilian friends who were flying in for a semester of studying in Provo.  In those days non-fliers could go right up to the fate; and I still remember the look of horror on our friends’ faces when they emerged from the gates to see National Guardsmen in combat fatigues and carrying M16s, walking around the airport concourse in the Land of the Free.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Just_A_Guy

[Guest Scott]

I was working at an airport.   It was total chaos even though it was a small airport.  

[Traveler]

At the time I was working for a company and my office was at the international center by the Salt Lake City airport.  I had commuted to work on my bicycle but I did not notice anything different as I cycled past the airport.  When I arrived at work, I took a shower and went to my cubicle to work.  Someone came and got me (I do not remember who) and the whole office was in the break room watching the news.  My wife was working for Delta airlines at the time and I tried to call her (she was nearing the end of her shift) but I could not get through.  About an hour later she called me and said she would be working late because all flight had been canceled indefinitely.  It was then I realized that when I passed the airport there were only flights landing - none taking off.  When I went home that night - the bicycle path through the airport had a security guard I had to convince to let me pass.  It was very strange that by noon there was no activity on the run way - going home was oddly quiet.

I do not remember if it was one or two weeks before there were any flights.  I was called into the VP office (senior company officer in SLC) to be sent on an company emergency trip on the first day flights would be taking place.  I told my boss I would not go unless they got a one million dollar travel policy to cover me for the trip - they agreed.  It turned out to be a lie because no one would cover any travel insurance.  But when I was traveling on that first day of flights - I had a connection in Cincinnati.  It was so spooky at the airport - no shops were open and most of the lights were out.  It was like I was the only one at the airport - like being in a Steven King story or movie.  I walked to my gate and there were a hand full of other travelers but no airline personal.  The passengers at the gate looked at each other suspiciously it was hard to break the ice.  When I arrived at the gate everyone was spread out - once I got the ice broken we all huddled together expressing our concerns and waiting for our flight and the gate personal.

 

The Traveler

[anatess2]

2 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

Supplemental memory:  about two weeks later an old missionary companion and I went to the Salt Lake airport to pick up a couple of Brazilian friends who were flying in for a semester of studying in Provo.  In those days non-fliers could go right up to the fate; and I still remember the look of horror on our friends’ faces when they emerged from the gates to see National Guardsmen in combat fatigues and carrying M16s, walking around the airport concourse in the Land of the Free.

So, my contribution to this thread is so blah so I'm going to improve on it.

After 9/11 we didn't fly for a while.  The first time I flew after that is in April 2002.  My husband did not go on an airplane for years after 9/11.  So, I got on this "sights to see while on a long drive" bulletin board (there was no facebook, et. al. then!) and we'd try to make our long drives fun by stopping at these places.  I've seen the smallest church in the US in Georgia,  the UFO Welcome Center in South Carolina, the Bigfoot Museum in North Carolina, the creepy giant coming out of the sand statue in Maryland, the biggest light bulb in New Jersey, etc. etc.

[mirkwood]

Supplemental memory: we spoke with a man that night on one of our calls who had a sister killed in one of the towers.

[Guest MormonGator]

19 minutes ago, mirkwood said:

Supplemental memory: we spoke with a man that night on one of our calls who had a sister killed in one of the towers.

My dad was in northern Connecticut (no where near NYC) and a cousin I don't like was in Queens. That's my closest personal "connection"  to the attacks. I thank God I didn't lose anyone I know personally. 

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

I was at college. My wife was in Utah visiting her Mom because her Dad was visiting his other daughter in the Colonies in Mexico. My wife called me and told me to turn on the news because a plane had just flown into the first tower. I turned on CNN just as the second plane hit the South Tower live on TV. My immediate thought was this was an attack by China or Russia. Very dark day. 

[Anddenex]

College (BYU) - I was heading toward the class that introduced students to seminary teaching. On the way up the stairs there was a lot of commotion, and I had no clue why. I hear one gal on the phone saying, "I can't believe they are making us attend class. They should cancel everything!"

I stopped a person and asked what was happening and then I learned the ugly truth.

[Vort]

16 minutes ago, Anddenex said:

I hear one gal on the phone saying, "I can't believe they are making us attend class. They should cancel everything!"

Because terrorist attacks are almost like going to war, and everyone knows that if our country goes to war, people should just stay home and watch the news on TV, and not actually go do anything useful. Manufacturing, creating stuff, and generally just working hard and helping our economy and culture never won us any wars.

[Guest MormonGator]

28 minutes ago, Anddenex said:

College (BYU)

We were both in college at the time? Aww man, I thought you were like a decade older than me! 

[Guest MormonGator]

11 minutes ago, Vort said:

Because terrorist attacks are almost like going to war, and everyone knows that if our country goes to war, people should just stay home and watch the news on TV, and not actually go do anything useful. Manufacturing, creating stuff, and generally just working hard and helping our economy and culture never won us any wars.

Wow. We actually agree. People need to live their life and get back into the swing of things. 

[SilentOne]

Seeing my cousin off on his mission at the Salt Lake airport. We were walking out at about the time the first plane hit. Said cousin ended up spending the first part of his mission in California instead of Guam. The second plane hit shortly before my brothers and I had to leave for school.

Other details from the day: I had an algebra test, which meant that for that period, we were not allowed to watch any news coverage. I think we also missed watching in PE. Since those are standing out, I guess we must have seen some news in the other classes. We were supposed to have a Key Club meeting that afternoon, some sort of welcoming thing. Instead, we talked about what was known about the attacks so far. I think that's when I first learned all the planes were originally bound for California. Mutual was canceled that night.

[zil]

11 hours ago, MormonGator said:

College

11 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

college

10 hours ago, SpiritDragon said:

just out of highschool

10 hours ago, Chilean said:

Freshman in HS

3 hours ago, Emmanuel Goldstein said:

college

36 minutes ago, Anddenex said:

College

If it weren't for the fact that we all know @Traveler is older than Moses, I'd feel really old right around now.  Please excuse me while I finish knitting myself a shawl for winter.

[Guest MormonGator]

1 minute ago, zil said:

If it weren't for the fact that we all know @Traveler is older than Moses, I'd feel really old right around now.  Please excuse me while I finish knitting myself a shawl for winter.

I'm still not over the fact that @Anddenex and I are the same age. Seriously, it's like finding out that @Vort and you like the same band. It starts an existential crisis. 

Edited September 12, 2018 by MormonGator

[zil]

1 minute ago, MormonGator said:

Seriously, it's like finding out that @Vort and you like the same band.

Since when do @Vort and I like the same band?  (Or did you mean Band-Aids - I like the fabric kind, myself.)

[Guest MormonGator]

1 minute ago, zil said:

Since when do @Vort and I like the same band?  (Or did you mean Band-Aids - I like the fabric kind, myself.)

Making jokes about your music taste is like making jokes about the mental abilities of @mirkwood. Sure you can do it, but you feel dirty afterwards. Too easy a target. 

Edited September 12, 2018 by MormonGator

[Backroads]

High school 1st period philosophy. I had been unaware of what was going on until Philosophy Teacher showed up late, marched past silently to open the class door, then turned on the tv. I remember having mixed emotions, shock, horror, and wondering if I should just hurry up and cram for our my quiz next period on "1984". I recall just opening up my novel and reading that in class. My foreign exchange student buddy was panicked because of similar actions that had happened in the past in her own country (though not such at a scale).

Then I had run around town after school collecting quotes from local teens because I worked for the teen section of the local paper at the time and my editor wanted quotes.