This is our (52nd) anniversary. My husband did not remember it but did remember the trade towers collapsing and what happened that day and so on quite accurately. It happened that I was abroad at the time and very anxious of course, so today when I watched the whole NBC broadcast in real time all over again I found it very moving, and could relate my movements as I found out about it happening, and then got to a TV in time to see the second tower come down - but it was interesting how much HE remembered.
I was living in Canada at the time, my friend called really early in the morning and told me to turn on the news. I could not leave the tv for hours, called in sick to work and felt so far away from my country.
I had the news turned on and was getting ready to go to work. Something was wrong with the first tower, but they didn't know what it was. I watched the second plane crash into the second tower in real time on the TV.
I worked directly across from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, CA. Later that day we saw one of the planes moving. All air traffic had been told to land at the nearest airport so everything had been quiet there for hours. We realized that they were moving the planes one at a time under police car escort to the runways away from the buildings. They literally interwove the wings of the airplanes so that they couldn't move and take off. Just in case.
I located my daughter pretty quickly. She worked uptown and far away from the towers. She walked into Queens and got on one of the last buses. Her husband walked with a co-worker across the Brooklyn Bridge into Brooklyn. He wouldn't leave her until he got her home. They worked very close to the towers (one or two blocks away). She wouldn't have survived if he had left her. He then walked to Queens. None of the buses were running because they would have had to pass a tank farm.
The person I couldn't find was my nephew. I ended up sending out emails to the entire family. He was the one who answered. He also worked down there, but hadn't gone to work yet that day. He is a lawyer and was due in court in the early afternoon. So he never left home that day.
I forced myself to go to work that terrible day. I remember standing in a doctor's waiting room holding hands with a woman I had never seen before-both of us in tears. It pulled our nation together for too short a time.
I was teaching in NY about 30 miles north of NYC. It was a very scary time since I lived right across from a nuclear power plant that might have been a target. We had children in school whose parents worked in the towers. We couldn't say anything to them so we had to go through the day as if nothing was wrong. My sister worked in NYC and my brother was a flight attendent for United so I did a lot of phone calling those first few hours...both were fine. It was overwhelming how much coverage continued on TV in the NYC areas for months; it really colored everything we did.
I was in our backyard watering my begonias...my sister called & said "have you been watching the news"? I then went in and, like Starling, saw the 2nd plane crash into the tower. I hit my knees and prayed!! I too watched the TV for hours, and also called my best friend to talk with her about it. A very very sad day.
I had heard my parents and grandparents speak of times they recalled so detailed, and always wondered how they could recall all these years later- exactly where they were and what they were doing. Now I understand.
I live in New Hampshire, but was in Rhode Island for a brain surgery. I had the metal head frame in place, they had just taken a picture of me for their scrap books.........when a nurse came in crying telling us about the attack. We all left and went out to watch the news. The head frame hurt like hell, but I remember not even caring about it. My surgery was forgotten as we all stood in silence, tears streaming down everyone face as we watched the second tower hit.
I remember the gasps, the loud sobs, strangers holding each other crying. When we heard of the attack on the Pentagon, I fell to my knees.. my husband cried out. His daughter worked there..... Much later… We found out she was one of the lucky who was injured, but made it out.........
I will never forget that day. I did eventually have my surgery that day.... I was relieved for the time I would be under and didn't have to think about all the people lost, if our girl was ok, if the firemen we knew who were on their way to help would be alright. The towers falling…. the looks on peoples faces on the news.. in that room are forever etched in my mind
The next day, from my room, I remember asking if I could give blood. They said yes!! But it would be a 3 hour wait, as so many people were doing the same thing. The sadness was overwhelming... but I remember the people standing in line to give blood. I remember strangers hugging.
When I got home, my WHOLE family was there. I hadn't been able to get through to them.. we all cried when his daughter was finally able to get through and let us know she was hurt but ok. She lost so many loved ones that day.
One of my close friends is a firefighter, he gave me a flag that was given to his whole unit after they went to help.... I fly it proudly every 9-11
I was home when my sister called to tell us what was happening. I watched some on TV, then had to leave for a doctor's appointment an hour drive away. On the way to the doctor I heard about the plane hitting the Pentagon. I knew my cousin worked in the Pentagon. It wasn't until the next day that I reached him. He had been at work when the plane hit, but because they were doing major construction on that part of the building he thought it was just something the workmen were doing.
I was at work and someone called and told us that the plane had hit the World Trade Center tower. I was able to go to online and they were showing it when the second plane hit. We were in a state of disbelief that it could happen. By the time the Pentagon was hit, we believed. It was the most tragic occurence for the U.S. in my lifetime, even though I personally didn't know anyone who was in New York or the Pentagon.
By the way, happy belated anniversary, Briegull! It is harder when a day that you celebrate has something bad occur. Mine was that my mother died on my birthday. Kinda takes any joy out of the celebration....for me, it became a day of mourning.
Did any of your spouses remember 9-11 in a clear way? That was what surprised me, that mine did.
I was in Deia, Mallorca, just starting work on a conference that was supposed to start on 9-13; a lot of people hadn't arrived yet and a lot then it turned out couldn't arrive but we did go ahead and hold it. Another worker on the conference was from NYC and her ex drove through the downtown tunnel every morning. She couldn't reach him for days. She said, I remember clearly, "there's no way to stop someone who is willing to commit suicide to kill others." People were there from all over the world. ALMOST everyone was very kind to the Americans. But I remember a snotty British expat who said, very superciliously, Well, the Yanks got just what they deserved, hit 'em right in the eyes! and he poked his fingers at my face.
My husband had NO RECOLLECTION of what 9-11 was all about...Interestingly enough, that was WAY before his diagnosis, but on that day when I was so engrossed in the TV after my sis called, he & his dad left for a golf game...i will always remember how they both just "left" to make the tee time, in spite of what was happening on the TV screen...life...it does just go on & on...