9/11 or Patriot Day

Remembering 9/ll today on this 7th anniversary, and honoring those who lost their lives in the vicious attack on America, including those in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.

Did anyone see the ceremonies this morning from New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington? I saw some of it. Very moving. My heart still breaks for all these families that lost loved ones. And, I still feel the anger and hurt over our country being viciously attacked by these terriorists also.

Anyway, I thought this might be a nice opportunity for those that would like to participate to post your thoughts, rememberances, feelings, etc., regarding the attacks on 9/ll, or any other feelings you may like to express regarding events then, or things that have happened since that time 7 years ago. What were you doing on the morning of 9/ll? How did you hear of the attacks? What were your thoughts, then and now?

Did anyone here have any relatives or know anyone personally who perished on 9/ll? If so, you have my deepest sympathy.

I noticed the memorial for 9/ll in Washington was finished and ceremonies held there today. I'm not sure how the memorials in Pennsylvania and New York are progressing, but I don't think they are close to being finished yet. If I'm wrong, anyone please correct me there.

One more thing, tonight in New York at the World Trade Center sight will be when two beacons of light will shine upward to the heavens in memory of 9/ll and that is always a powerful and moving sight each year.

Remembering 9/ll .... today, and always !

I was a high school freshman on 9/11, 2001. It started out a pretty normal day, but around 11 or so there I had heard rumors beginning to swirl around that something had gone on. Things continued as normal for a little, but from around noon on, everyone knew something had happened. So, for every class from noon onwards, it was just watching news about the attacks in every class. When my brother (who was a senior that year) and I got home, we found a special edition of the local paper of my small hometown sitting on our doorstep with a story about the attacks.

Then...I really don't know how I felt. I can't necessarily say I was frightened. I think I was more...curious than anything else. I was curious in the sense of asking myself why someone would do that kind of thing. I can say quite honestly I was angry too. But I'd say above all else, initially, I felt quite sorry for the victims and their relatives. I still do, as I read an article a few days ago about people who were horribly injured but disabled for life in the attacks. I didn't know anyone personally who died or was injured, but I do have a distant relationship who was a policewoman in New York City that day.

As for today...no doubt 9/11 shaped much of the bigger world picture today. But I still look it at with inquiry about why someone would go and do that kind of thing. I have MUCH greater understanding for it now, and I do kind of wonder if my decision to pursue a degree a political science and history after dropping meteorology due to calculus scaring me is related to that question I ask myself about 9/11 and other terrorist attacks and conflicts around the world. Since I intend to specialize in the politics of ethnicity, race and religion and conflicts that can stem from those things, I see 9/11 as the prime example of the type of thing I want to thoroughly understand from both sides for the sake of not seeing something like it happen again. I guess that's the way the events did personally affect me. I wouldn't say inspired, but...I guess seeing 9/11 happening made me say to myself "You know, I really don't want to see this sort of thing happen again, anywhere." So, I suppose you could say whatever my career ends up being, it'll be something where I can make a contribution, even a small one, to preventing another 9/11.

[face=Times New Roman]In September 2001, I was a resident in intensive care at a busy London hospital. On the morning of the 11th, I’d just finished a 24-hour shift and returned home to get some rest. For some reason I was unable to settle; I slept fitfully, tried to read, and eventually rose to switch on my computer. On hearing me moving around in my room, my mother realised that I was awake, and came running in to fetch me. In a daze, I followed her into the adjacent room, where the television was blaring out the news.

As we both listened in horror, I noticed my cell phone lying on the dressing table, attached to its charger. I switched it on. There was a voicemail message from one of my colleagues. He said: “I don’t know whether you’re awake or have seen the news… but terrible things are happening in the US.” His words remain stuck in my memory.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I returned to work that night in a trance of sleep deprivation and shock. In retrospect, I realise that I must have gone into autopilot mode. I still managed to insert central lines, prescribe drugs, and write in casenotes. Fortunately I was quite friendly with both my immediate seniors and a number of the nurses. Somehow, we supported each other through the night.

A few days later, I read about someone who had made it to safety from the World Trade Center, but then headed back into the rubble to try to rescue others. He never made it out again. Call it a delayed reaction, but that brought tears to my eyes, as did the account of the passengers who attempted to counteract the terrorists on United Airlines Flight 93.

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Bumping this topic up as tomorrow is 9/ll (September 11th) and is the 8th anniversary, I think, of the terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and Washington DC and In PA where so many Americans lost their lives.

We remember them, their families, and our country on this day. We will never forget.

Bumping this topic up on the 9th anniversary of the tragic events of the World Trade Center, etc.

We shall always remember and never forget.

I was asleep that morning. Someone woke me to tell me what was happening. As I recall, I made it to the TV in time to see the second plane hit in New York. It was a rather surreal, detached experience for the rest of the day.

The events that day really changed the course of the world. It sparked off two major conflicts and altered life for everyone in the US. It didn't have as much of an impact for some of us, but we're all still feeling the ripples from it even now.

It's hard to believe it's been nearly a decade already.

My life changed because of Sep. 11th. Not nearly like those who lost their own lives, lost loved ones, or were injured for life, nor like the troops who went overseas afterward. I was stationed at Ft. Meade, MD and had just arrived at my unit's HQ for some training when someone pulled me into the TV room. I watched in total confusion at first, which led to silent horror as the gravity of the situation sunk in. At one point there were probably 50 or more soldiers in the media room. No one said a word. To this day I wonder who in that room went on to Afghanistan or Iraq and if any of them lost their lives.

But anyway, it changed my life because I wouldn't be in my current career field had it not been for 9/11. Don't take that as a praise for the event; it's not. It's just another way 9/11 changed lives. It's really odd to me to this day that my job was created because of 9/11.

Bumping this up as this Sunday is 9/11/2011 and it is the 10th anniversay of the events of 9/11.

Remembering 9/11:

http://news.yahoo.com/9-11-video-timeli ... olded.html

In case anyone is interested, TV news footage from 9/11 has been archived and is available online...all the major networks, plus some from overseas. It is of great historical interest. Links below.

http://www.archive.org/details/sept_11_tv_archive
http://www.archive.org/details/911/day/20010911

I said this last year, but it's still hard to believe it has been ten years. I was reading some of the retrospective news articles yesterday. One of them talking about some military fighter planes being scrambled to take down Flight 93. They were going to have to ram it because the US military didn't keep planes armed and ready for an emergency launch back then. That really struck me as a sign of how much the world has changed. Today, I can't imagine that there is a fighter base in the US that doesn't have an emergency response craft ready to go at all times. The idea just feels so alien now.