Where were you on September 11th...

[Navy for Moms Admin]

Kathy...PNM wrote a blog and I wanted to turn it into a thread- because I think it's a subject we can all talk about. – CC

Tomorrow marks the seventh anniversary of September 11, 2001. We will all take time to reflect and think about that horrible day that occurred seven years ago. I'm sure that we all remember where we were when we heard about the attacks and saw those unimaginable images on television. The friday before those horrible events my husband and I had become parents of a sailor...we had been to PIR that Friday before and were basking in the glow of that wonderful weekend of PIR when Septmeber 11th happened. We had gotten home the day before and were still in that wonderful place of pride and joy. We were still exhausted from that trip and my husband was taking a rare day to sleep in and I happen to have the television on and saw these terible events as they occurred I quickly woke my husband to tell him about these awful events. We watched in horror as these events unfolded and then it hit us hard what about our son the son that we had watched at PIR he was to fly out of Chicago that morning to go on to A School and we had not heard from him. This was the first time that we really and truly realized what it was going to be like to be military parents. He finally did call to tell us that he was safe and that he would not be flying to A School but that he would be bused there. I am not proud to admit this but I did ask him if he could get out of the Navy and his words will always ring in my ears when he said "Mom, I am now in the Navy and go where ever they send me this is what I signed up for, to be here for my country". I was ashamed...I was selfish...and then it hit me that there were so many people that were losing their lives that day and here I was being a self centered mom. My young son had it right he was now part of something bigger than himself he was willing to do whatever needed to be done for his country at whatever cost to himself. It was truly a day for my husband and I to reflect about what it was to be military parents..the worry..the pride..and the never knowing from day to day. That was seven years ago that son of ours is now out and working in the civlian world he is a better man for having served his country. Now here it is seven years later and our youngest now serves his country with the same attitude and pride in his country. I thank God everyday that there our men and woman out there working in the community that our willing to put their lives on the line for the rest of us..for me it will be a day to pray and remember those that lost their lives on that day. I thank God everday for this great country of ours where we all take such good care of each other....

[AngiePNMx2]

I was a stay at home mom I was getting my elementary child ready for school. My oldest was all ready at his middle school. I sat depbataed whether to go him from school and to whether to let my younger go. I was watching the TV as it all unfolded and watched the second plance hit on the Today Show. I watched the towers fall and cried for those who didn't make it out. It was a clear beautiful day here. I prayed a lot. It was strange not seeing any airplanes in the sky. The president landed here and was here for a short time too. It is a day that I will always remember lives lost, heros made, endless prayers and and many questions.

[carols_kitchen]

I was not able to get to a TV until about 12pm. At that time I went to my husband's school to help answer phones from worried parents. We are about 18 miles from Scott Air Force Base, and we worked to be sure any students who had parents with the Air Force were able to talk to their families. Some parents pulled their students out of school early, out of fear that they might not be together again. Mostly we kept them assured they were as safe at school as anywhere.
The disbelief carried for days and days--what seemed like an eternity.
The personal sadness came a week later when a dear friend and minister died when he could not face his physical pain any more. A counselor also did not show up to work, and he, too, had taken his life. We will always wonder if the constant barrage of hard and sad news ever played into those two deaths.
We talk about being here for each other, and it is as real a need today as it was on any Sept. 11th.

[Susan X 2]

I remember this day like it was yesterday. I was on my way to the Airport to pick my Husband up . I was half way there when I heard about the first plane hitting the Trade Center. I stopped by my moms and as I walked in another plane hit. I called the Airport only to be told that all flights had been cancelled. They told me that my Husband was in Nashville, his flight had a stop off there and that all passangers had been left there. I called for hours, finally he called me, 5 hrs later, he said it was a mess. There were no rental cars, no hotels, Luckily his sister had some friends that picked him up from Nashville and opened their home to him for four days. May God Bless us All!!

[Kate (Leon's mom)]

I was just waking up!! I had my alarm set to the radio instead of the beeper! So I woke up to the words "unconfirmed report, but it looks like a plane has hit the World Trade Center." I freaked! Of course, at that point you're not even imagining that it was intentional, but still, there would be a lot of lives at stake! Tv came on, hubby went to work, but he called me about every 30 minutes that day! We homeschool our kids so my oldest two (Leon and Joshua) sat and watched all day! THey were 11 and 10 at them time! I wouldn't let Annie and Aaron watch though! They were only 8 and 4. Too young to understand any of it!
The biggest thing for me, I guess, was that I had grown up, my whole life KNOWING beyond a shadow of a doubt that EVERYONE was afraid of us and NO ONE would dare attack us anymore!! Even through all the threats of nukes and everything, I just KNEW we were safe!! That feeling of security was taken away from me that day! IT was taken away from my kids! And it firmly cemented Leon's desire to serve in the military! He'd talked about it since he was three, but after 9/11 it became a firm decision and he's never wavered!! He told me the other day, "Mom, even if I die, I KNOW I'm where God wants me to be! I have to do what I believe He has chosen for me and this is it! So always remember that, if anything happens to me, you know I was doing what I felt was my calling from God!!" That does something to ya when an 18 year old kid says something like that and really believes it!!!

[Debbie]

I remember I had the news on, my youngest who was nine at the time started calling to me that a plane had hit a building. I came into the family room trying to make sense of what was being shown on the TV when the second plane hit. I was in shock, not believing what I was seeing, frozen where I stood... I just remember needing to get my family, needing to hear their voices, see their faces, and keep them close. With the coming days I remember the silence, the absence of planes overhead. Our schools had decided to keep the kids on lockdown for their safety, no recess and no going outside after lunch. When I picked my youngest up from school one day he said to me, "Mom I just don't get it, at school they won't let us go outside and it doesn't make sense. Mom, they crashed airplanes into those buildings so why would school want to keep us inside the building wouldn't we be safer outside?"
We will never forget all the lives lost, all the heros made, and all the people from every walk of life from all over the United States who came together and worked side by side to do whatever they could! Thank you to all our military from the bottom of our hearts!

[Corpsman Momma Kat]

I was at home just getting around. My father in law had called and told me to turn on the tv. He said it didn't even matter what channel. When he said that I knew it was huge. I mean what could it be that would cause it to be on every channel? I hung up, turned on the tv and a few minutes later my sister called and we stayed on the phone with each other crying for 5 hours. There were 30 minute intervals where we didn't say anything but we just felt close being on the phone. Neither of us wanted to hang up. I remember feeling blessed by all the patriotism that followed for months, and then...nothing. How sad that it took something so horrible and devestating to wake us up and even that faded with time!

[Linda E./Justin div 161]

Thankyou, Thankyou and ALL the others who spent those following hours and weeks helping!

[♥Kathy♥]

I was the only waitress in a small cafe w/ only 9 tables. In the mornings we had a small radio on to listen to news and stuff. I heard that Tower#1 just was hit. I seriously thought our country (as a whole) was under attack after I heard about the pentagon. I wanted to go get my kids from school and go home and wait the worst.

[Lisa]

I was at home getting ready for work. I had the tv on when the first plane hit the towers. I woke my husband and the kids and we watched in weak-kneed horror as the second tower was struck. Since that day I have had the opportunity to visit NYC and the Trade Center site several times and the impact is felt just as much with each visit. A NYC friend & co worker Mike, was working for the phone company at that time and had a brother who was a firefighter in the city. My co-worker and his family did not hear from his brother for two days, but luckily he was fine. It turned out that Mike was at the site, frantically digging, looking for his brother, and his brother was at the other side of the site, doing the same. I was out in NYC during the 5th anniversary of 09/11. Every native New Yorker I work with came into the office in tears that morning.

[judy crawford]

i was babysitting my at that time 3 month old grandson when he started chocking and quit breathing.so did cpr and rushed him to the hospital.and spent the day there.he had some phlem in his throat.and they got it out.he spent the night and came home the next day...i was so scared....

[Tracy, Proud Mom of Darryl]

I remember like it was yesterday, I was at work and cnn news is always on and we was actually looking at it when the news break-in came on, there was a lady that was standing next to me and when the first building came down, she said my daughter works in one of those building and she just fell out on the floor.

[Barbara's Page]

After dropping my children off at school, I went into work. I was a medical assistant, When I got to work, my co-workers had the small portable tv on. I asked what happened, when I was told, fear came over me. I live about a half hour car ride from the World Trade Center, and my husband works not too far from there.

Now my patients are coming in to have their blood drawn. Trying to act calm, wasn't that easy. In the middle of a processor, I hear my supervisor screaming that people are jumping from the windows.!!

The not knowing if the attacks were just for the World Trade Center, or is the rest of New York going to be attacked as well. Every time I went back to the file room, I went on my knees and prayed to God, to have mercy on all those poor souls.

I called my husband, to see if he was alright. The lines were dead.
My neighbor called me, and told me to pick my children up, Her brother, who was a police officer, called her and said rumors are flying and we may be next for an attack.

Before anyone knew it, we all watched the first tower go down in seconds. We had patients rushing in now with emergency anxiety attacks.

Later on, my I picked my children up, my son asked if dad was dead. I felt the blood drain from my face. I knew my husband should be save, but I expected him home late, since public transportation was interrupted.

My husband came home maybe an hour late, we just hugged one another and cried in each others arms. My husband witnessed the second plane crash into the World Trade Center.
Barbara Gambichler