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#920 | Monday, March 11th 2002
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From my journal: I wanted to record some things about Tragic Tuesday. It was a morning for all mornings – Tuesday, September 11, 2001. It was a beautiful late-summer morning in Northeast Ohio, with a stunning sunrise and blue skies with a few white puffy clouds. I started the day like any other mundane workday. I took some extra time in the morning with the kids and my wife. I left for work about 8:40, a few minutes later than normal. I turned on the radio to 1100 am WTAM to hear the news and the traffic report and set off east down route 303 in Brunswick. When I neared the freeway, the radio broke away to report that an airplane had crashed into one of the towers at the World Trade Center. I was simply stunned. I thought of all of the passengers on the plane and all those that were in the building. Not knowing the full events, it was reported that it might have been a small airplane.
My initial thought were “How could this happen? How could a pilot hit the tower? Something must have gone wrong with the airplane.” I continued on to work in my dad’s 1996 Chevy Lumina. The regular radio broadcast went to a national broadcast from ABC news. They were interviewing a gentleman who worked a few blocks from the World Trade Center and he was telling what he saw of the plane crash, when all of a sudden he exclaimed, “The second tower just exploded! I can feel the heat through my office windows!” This was amazing. Then the newscaster said that another plane had crashed into the second tower. The witness indicated that he did not see the plane but he must have had a different view. I was simply beside myself. I could not wait to see the news and to talk to somebody. After the second plane hit, I felt that either someone at air traffic control was making some horrible mistakes or that it was a terrorist attack.
When I parked the car in downtown Cleveland, I asked the parking attendant if he had heard what was going on. He didn’t so I told him and he could not believe it. When I got to work, everyone was huddled around the television in the workout room watching the news. The first image I saw was the Pentagon on fire. An airplane had also hit the Pentagon. “O my!” I said. This was definitely a terrorist attack. But how? Then I saw the two towers spewing smoke and ablaze. What a horrible sight. We heard reports that people were jumping from the top floors. An incomprehensible thought of what the situation was for someone to decide to jump from a 110-story high window to the street below. As if that wasn’t enough, I then saw the second tower to get hit collapse on live television. A few minutes later, the first tower to get hit collapsed right in front of my eyes. This was devastating. It was an absolutely horrible feeling. I felt like I could hear all of the cries and screams of those who died at that moment. One blow after another, would it ever end?
We then got wind that a plane was hijacked over Cleveland and one plane was on the ground at Cleveland Hopkins Airport with a suspected bomb on it. At this point I turned to our vice president and asked if we should evacuate. We then heard that a fourth plane crashed only minutes away (flying time) in nearby Pennsylvania. Our office was then evacuated.
Before I left, I called my wife to try to tell her about what was happening and for her to get my son out of school. But she was not home. She was at the school board getting trained on how to do ear and eye testing. So I left a message on the answering machine and left my office. My two other children were being watched by a neighbor who lives up the street from us. I ran down E. 9th street to my car and drove home to get my son from Towslee Elementary School. When I got to school, I was hoping that they had already taken the kids home already but they hadn’t. I then wondered if I was over reacting. But I went into the office and asked if they were going to close the school. They said that they weren’t but I could check out my son if I wanted. They said a few other parents had done so already. I said that I would like to take my son home. They were very friendly and asked who he was. When I told them it was Mitchell Taylor, everyone in the office said “Oh, Mitchell! We love Mitchell! He is so awesome!” I was a very proud parent at that point. They then called down to Mrs. Young’s room and said that Mitchell’s dad was here to pick him up. A few minutes later, my dear Mitchell came walking into the office, smiling, where I gave him a big hug. I signed him out and left.
As we left the school, there many more parents coming in to pick up their children. I was still concerned about getting a hold of my wife. Luckily, I ran into a neighbor and she called the neighbor that was watching my other children to see if my wife was there. She wasn’t, but I told her to tell her that I picked up Mitchell and I was on my way to pick up the other children. Mitchell and I then drove around the school grounds near the school board and high school looking for my wife's car. I was going to go get her, but we could not find her car so we assumed that she had left already. When we got to our neighbor's house, my wife was there and we all gave each other a big hug. We were all relieved that we were together and safe, a blessing and luxury that many families did not have that day – or ever again. It was about 11:30 a.m. at that point. We stayed there for a while marveling at the day’s events so far but being cautious not to alarm the children.
When my wife was at her training, they interrupted it to watch the news and events. She said she was OK until Cleveland’s mayor Michael White had a press conference and talked about the hijacked plane over Cleveland and the plane at Hopkins that was on the ground. She then got very worried about me and tried to call me, but I had left the office already. She then was really hysterical and called my dad in a panic. He assured her that he was working as usual in his downtown office. Which is surprising because most of Cleveland was evacuated already. It began with the terminal tower and the federal buildings. He assured her that I was OK. When she got to my neighbor's house and my neighbor told her that I had picked up Mitchell and that I was on my way over, she was very relieved. She was very worried about me.
The country was stunned. It was bad enough that any one of these events happened. All of the planes were hijacked. My thoughts were that this was a malicious and well-planned attack. If only the towers did not collapse, it would have been so much better. But we lost so many when they collapsed. – mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, policemen, firemen, and heroes. It was kicking the country when we were down. This was not in some far away land. All of this destruction and death occurred on mainland America. I remarked to my wife that if the events of the day were in a movie, I would have said that the movie was too far-fetched and too unrealistic. Think of it! Four planes were hijacked with plastic knives and box cutters. Not one, not two, not even three, but four planes were hijacked! Too unreal. Not only that, all four of them crashed. Once again, completely unreal. Not only that, but two were crashed into the World Trade Center towers and one into the Pentagon. Unbelievable. I would have left the movie at this point because it would be too fake. Then, just out of nowhere, both towers collapse in an awesome display of smoke and fire. What are the chances? Even the most creative, money-hungry minds in Hollywood would not write such a far-fetched script. No way.
To celebrate our togetherness and life, we treated ourselves to Wendy’s for lunch. We went through the drive through, came home and ate it as a family. We put the kids down for a nap. Then my wife and I turned on the news and watched it until the children woke up. We played with the kids and enjoyed them when they were awake. But we watched it again after they were asleep for the night. The whole country stopped and watched. There were no commercials for two days, just continuing news coverage.
Thus ended this beautiful of all Tuesdays –the darkest day in the history of America, 9-11-01. A day I will never forget. The day that changed the world forever. May God continue to bless the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
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Brigham | 29 | Ohio
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#851 | Sunday, March 10th 2002
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You know, this is odd to me. I remember as a child always hearing my Mom recall where she was when Kennedy was killed, or my Grandfather recall where he was when Pearl Harbor was attacked. I never imagined that in my life time I would too, later recall where I was when something like this happened. I do recall though with a lot of sadness. It was the one morning I didn't turn the TV on as I was running late for work. I loaded my son into the car to head to daycare when I heard on the radio that a plane had hit one of the towers. At this point, they did not know that we were under attack. I was shocked, first thought in my head was the pilot must have had a heart attack or something. I get my son to daycare and get my morning coffee when I heard the other plane crashed into the other tower, the plane crashed into the pentagon and another was missing. I went to work anyway, a little frightened. We watched and waited at work. Then I heard that they were evacuating the schools in the area my Mother lives in due to the Air Force base being right near by. I panicked then, rushed to daycare to get my son and went home and started making phone calls. I could not turn the TV off for fear I might miss some important news. I will never ever forget that day nor will anyone else in this world. I have saved several newspapers for my son who is now 2. I want him to be able to understand this when he is older and see what our country went through and survived. God Bless America and those who are suffering due to Sept. 11. One last note, I am a registered Democrat, but THANK GOD, George W. Bush is in office and is handling this. If there ever was a man that could change the way I vote, it will be him. I only wish I had voted for him to begin with. Thank you mister President.
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Jennifer | 29 | Arizona
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#679 | Sunday, January 27th 2002
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I was sitting in class when another teacher busted in telling us about the first plane, we were all like damn thats really weird.Then we went on break after that thats when the second plane hits.I went to my car so i could listen to the radio, and decided to just go home to watch it on tv, since there was noway i was going to beable to concentrate on school after that.
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larfus | 29 | North Carolina
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#643 | Monday, January 21st 2002
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ON SEPTEMBER 11TH I WAS AT WORK IN BURLINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. WHEN I HEARD THE BAD NEWS ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS MY LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS BORN A YEAR AGO TODAY. I SAID WHAT A WAY TO SPEND HER FIRST BIRTHDAY I TOLD MY HUSBAND. I SAID SHE WILL NEVER FORGET THIS DAY AS LONG AS SHE IS LIVING. IT IS VERY HAD TO LOOK BACK ON THAT DAY. BUT ALEAST I STILL HAVE A GOOD MEMORY OF THAT DAY MY SWEET LITTLE DAUGHTER HAYLEIGH.
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TARA | 29 | North Carolina
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#506 | Tuesday, December 18th 2001
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My name is Mags and I live in Canada. I woke up and turned on the tv and that's when I saw the second plane hit the second tower. There was no volume because I always turn it down the night before. I thought wow what great effects it looks so real. I wanted to know what movie this was so I turned it up. And that's when the people on tv were saying that they couldn't belive what was happening and then I clued in.
THIS WAS REAL! OH MY GOD HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IN THAT BUILDING?
Then they went on to say the the first building was hit as well.
OH MY GOD ALL THOSE PEOLPLE!! GET OUT OF THE BUILDINGS!! JUST GO!! DON'T LOOK BACK, JUST GET OUT!!
Then the first building fell.
ALL THOSE PEOPLE UNDER ALL THAT!! THEY WILL NEVER GET TO THEM. PEOPLE GET OUT OF THE SECOND BUILDING!! RUN!!RUN!!RUN!!
Then the second building fell.
SO MUCH DUST!! THEY WILL NEVER GET TO ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ON TIME!! ALL THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE DEAD!!
Then I heard that another plane went down at the Pentagon.
OH NO! NOT MORE LIVES! THE U.S.A. IS UNDER ATTACK SOMEONE WANTS WAR. WHO COULD DO SUCH A HORRIBLE THING? WHY WOULD THEY DO SUCH A HORRIBLE THING?
Then I heard that another plane went down in a field.
WHAT WENT WRONG? I'M SURE THAT THAT PLANE WAS SUPPOSE TO HIT SOME BUILDING THAT MEANT A LOT TO U.S.A. THE WHITE HOUSE!! I BET IT WAS SUPPOSE TO HIT THE WHITE HOUSE!! THANK GOD IT DIDN'T MAKE IT!! BUT ALL THOSE PEOPLE GONE!! THE CHILDREN WHO HAVE TO WORRY WHETHER OR NOT MOMMY OF DADDY IS ALIVE. THE WIVES/HUSBANDS THAT HAVE TO WORRY WHETHER OT NOT THIER HUSBANDS/WIVES ARE DEAD. OH GOD PLEASE HELP THEM GET THIER ON TIME!! PLEASE GOD NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE DEAD!! PLEASE!! THAT'S TOO MANY PEOPLE!!
And then an estimated count was in over 5000 people missing.
GOD HELP THEM TO GET THE PEOPLE WHO PLANNED THIS AND GIVE THEM THE SAME RESPECT THAT THEY GAVE ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO DIED......KILL THEM....KILL THEM ALL.................
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Mags | 29 | Canada
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