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#1472 | Monday, July 15th 2002
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Where was I the day the world stood still?
Well I was at home, playing around online and talking to a friend online. We got concerned over a friend of ours in Maryland and were trying to call him throughout the morning, but for some reason the phone lines were rather busy there. We both got rather flustered by this.
In between phone calls with my friend, the phone rings, I thinking it's her pick it up and say *yeah*, it was my father. His words to me were a shock, "the World Trade Towers have been struck by a plane", my mother was not home, she was getting her car serviced. I immediately turned on CNN, and watched in horror, LIVE as the second plane turned and went straight for the the second tower. I was off the phone with my dad at this point and on the phone with my friend Andrea. I called her and told her to turn on the news. We both sat there in shock watching the news. Both of us were on our cell phones trying to reach everyone we knew in NY, and in DC/Maryland area. The phones were all busy, EVERYWHERE!!!! I sat there watching as the news broke about the Pentagon & Pennsylvania. I didn't leave that spot for hours. I cried for the most of the day.
After awhile I had to go to work, and while at work we watched it on the televisions that were throughout the store. We were practically a meeting hall for people to watch the news. It was very sad to watch. All the while I had forgotten that my uncle lived near there at the time. After a few hours we recieved an email from him saying he was fine, and that he watched it all happen.
I few months later I was driving through DC and I swear that traffic STOPPED on the road I was on (interstate) when we all saw a small plane going rather low, and straight for one of the buildings that you can see from that road. It was scary.
My old job was right next to an airport, so daily you would hear planes coming in and out. But for days after that it was silent. But once the planes started up again, whenever one sounded too close, you could see the fear in people's eyes.
I remember also seeing the hatred in people's eyes. We have many Arab customers who would come in, and that day was not the day to be arab and shopping there. I felt so bad for some. There was one woman, I can remember her clearly, she was arab, we were talking about the attacks and about the possible death toll before it was announced, and she came and joined our conversation, the fear & hurt were genuine in her eyes, she was disgusted with what happened!! But there was this one family who came in, and the looks in people's eyes were just terrible! I have to admit at first I did it too, but then I was like why am I doing this? They aren't out there celebrating the attacks, they are hurt by them too. And after that I persoanlly didn't look at them any differently other then seeing that they were Americans!!!!
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Shaine | 27 | Virginia
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#1427 | Sunday, June 30th 2002
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My wife was feeding our newborn son when news broke on the radio. She came in and woke me with a frantic voice saying "a plane ran into the WTC I think." Still dazed, I turned on the TV and was glued to it for hours. I saw the second plane hit live. I thought for a moment it was just replaying the first plane. For the first time in my life I was scared. After witnessing the birth of my son just days before hand, I did not know how to protect him.... My life was changed twice in a matter of days. My heart has been broken for my fallen brethren. I feel a great loss. I don't even know the great men who died doing the job that we love. I can't help but weep for them. I see the stories about the families who lost their loved ones. I now have a greater appreciation for life. The "I love you's" are more meaningful when kissing my family goodbye for the night. I work for the Greater Brighton Fire Protection District. I may be 1800 miles away, but I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the wives who lost their husbands. I would like to close with the poem;
"WHAT IS A FIREMAN?"
He’s the guy next door – a man’s man with the memory of a little boy.
He has never gotten over the excitement of engines and sirens and danger.
He’s a guy like you and me with warts and worries and unfulfilled dreams.
Yet he stands taller than most of us.
He’s a fireman.
He puts it all on the line when the bell rings.
A fireman is at once the most fortunate and the least fortunate of men.
He’s a man who saves lives because he has seen too much death.
He’s a gentle man because he has seen the awesome power of violence out of control.
He’s responsive to a child’s laughter
because his arms have held too many small bodies that will never laugh again.
He’s a man who appreciates the simple pleasures of life -
hot coffee held in numb, unbending fingers –
a warm bed for bone and muscle compelled beyond feeling –
the camaraderie of brave men -
the divine peace and selfless service of a job well done in the name of all men.
He doesn’t wear buttons or wave flags or shout obscenities.
When he marches, it is to honor a fallen comrade.
He doesn’t preach the brotherhood of man.
He lives it.
Author Unknown
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B.A.O. | 27 | Colorado
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#1402 | Monday, June 17th 2002
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I was on the top floor in the northen tower. I jumped and survived... how lucky am I?
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Lucky | 27 | Sweden
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#1400 | Sunday, June 16th 2002
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I was working in downtown chicago when these events happened and just walked into my office when a coworker was hysterical and telling me we were under attack, and we kept listening to the news and seen what was happeneing on tv and then our building got evacuated because we didnt know if we were gonna be next because from the news eveywhere was getting hit, they had extra trains running out of the city because it was chaos and they were trying to get everyone out of downtown, I have never seen downtown chicago that crazy until that day, it will forever stick in my mind, I soon lost my job after that due to being in the travel industry and am now working for half the pay I was making, I am now trying to join the military to help fight for my country
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Robert | 27 | Illinois
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#1369 | Tuesday, June 4th 2002
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My first visit to New York was last summer. I arrived on the 10 of July and that night the New York philharmonic orchestra was giving a free concert in Central Park. I went there with my aunt who lives in the Upper West Side and we bring a picnic with a couple of bottles of wine and we sat there listing and enjoying the music. I felt in love with New York that night, seeing 100 000 people just sitting and watching the concert in pure harmony with the Park.
Two months later I was in agony as I watch this beautiful city burning and crying...
I'm going back there again this July and I hope they will present a similar concert around the same date so maybe I can make peace with myself and finally end my grieve for the people who died on that day of September.
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Christian | 27 | Canada
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