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#2080 | Wednesday, September 11th 2002
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I was giving my daughter a bath when the phone rang. It was my Mom. The time was around 8:50 a.m. She told me a plane crashed into a building in NYC. I thought she was kidding. You see, we were going to be flying to Los Angeles on September 13th to attend the wedding of a friend. We were going a little early so we had some time to take my two kids to the San Diego Zoo and some other attractions. As we were talking, she told me to turn on my TV. Since my almost 2 year old was in the bath, I could only see part of the TV in our bedroom. I turned on CBS and saw the second plane hit the second tower. I just couldn't believe that people would intentionally crash planes into buildings.
As the day progressed, I tried to locate my friend who was getting married. She was a flight attendant for United Airlines based in San Francisco. I was so afraid that she was on one of the United flights. I finally located her and she was fine, thank GOD. She lost co-workers but she was ok.
She still got married on September 15th but we didn't make the wedding. We couldn't see taking a chance that other terrorists would try something else.
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Lisa | 32 | Ohio
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#2052 | Wednesday, September 11th 2002
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I was at home that morning and I got a call from my mother-in -law. That's how I found out about it.
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Michele | 32 | Pennsylvania
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#2039 | Wednesday, September 11th 2002
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I was at work when it all happened. One lady had a radio, but we didn't have a TV, of course, and, as everyone knows, you SURE couldn't get on a news website, not at first. And I remember craving the information.
But when I finally was able to get on a website...when I finally DID get the information..... It's one of those things your head processes but your heart doesn't you know?
I remember thinking: God help us all. God help those people....
My mind immediately went back to that wonderful week of Spring Break in 1988, when my high school senior class and I went up the east coast. We didn't have a care in the world then, just having fun seeing the sites. We stopped, among other places, in Washington DC. We toured the Pentagon. And when we got to New York...well, going up to Windows on the World was an experience. My memory is not the greatest. Details from that long ago do not come easily, I'm afraid. Believe me if I knew then what I know now I would have written things down immediately. But you know what they say about hindsight being 20/20. No way could we have known. But there are some things I never will forget.
I can still see clearly in my mind the soldier who led us on our tour of the Pentagon, how he seemed ill-at-ease having our picture taken, but we were tourists and teen-agers at that. It was our job. ;)
At the World Trade Center, the lady who took us up in the elevator was a black lady, and you could tell she'd done the tour thing at least a thousand times before. I remember her telling us the elevator was the fastest elevator in the world, and that at a point you'd feel weightless while going up.
They didn't let us on the roof that day because it was too windy. But I remember the windows going all the way around except for the part where the cooking area itself was, and there was a little grate you stepped down on and have your nose pressed right up to the glass. I remember thinking, WHOA that is a LONG way down. Talk about understatement, huh? But I got some beautiful beautiful pictures.
We did other things that week. But for obvious reasons, these are the ones that come to mind. I still have my ticket to the world trade center and when I got it out last night I nearly cried. Time has blunted the grief somewhat, but it still hurts. And I'll admit, I didn't even loose anybody. But simply as Americans we all got our hearts ripped out that day.
And some things did hit close. I came to find out later (it's sad that I had no idea) that one of my cousins works at a company that regularly does contract work for the Pentagon. By the grace of God he didn't have to go in that day. A nice lady who owns a deli I frequent lost two friends who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald.
I keep wondering, though I know I will never have the answers to the questions: While I doubt very seriously the soldier who took us on the tour was still there, you never know. Was the part of the Pentagon we toured anywhere near the part that got hit? Was the lady who took us up in the elevator still there? Is her family mourning now?
I can honestly say I have seen things so many people in the US will never get to see again. That right was taken away from them on September 11, 2001. But I've have been so heartened by America's spirit, and our heroes, those still with us, and those "who died just doin what they do."
God Bless America
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Niki | 32 | Alabama
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#2025 | Wednesday, September 11th 2002
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It was my day off. My best friend and I were catching up on the phone long-distance. What's new with you and that sorta stuff. We were talking about my visiting her on my much anticipated vacaton the last two weeks of September.
Then her cell phone rang. Her husband called. Turn on the tv! What channel? Any of them...
Oh my God. As we desperately watched to see what was going on, it became clear this was no accident. I work for USAirways, and was terrified. While I was initially relieved to know it was not one of our flights - I was horrified and heartbroken for the United and American Airlines employees and passengers!
I didn't know anyone personally that perished in the attack. But when I returned to work that next Thursday...well, it was just not the same. It was so quiet. There were not many people calling for reservations, and the ones that were calling - were cancelling.
Hearing the fear in every passenger's voice was the second most ...? Upsetting, depressing, scariest thing? Knowing that this was only the beginning was the first.
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Jeannine | 32 | North Carolina
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#1989 | Tuesday, September 10th 2002
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At the time, I was working in a sheltered workshop for the developmentally disabled. I had one parent comein and announce in a loud voice that we were under attack. i had no idea what she was talking about, and thought she was overreacting as usual to something. I found out shortly after that this time, she wasn't. My coworker and I did not have the radio on, for fear that it would set off behaviotrs in our clients. We got bits and pieces from another co worker and played CDs so that the clients would stay calm. The workshop closed at 1 PM and all we told the clients was that something ahppened and you should be with yoyur families. I went to my mother's homeand that's when I saw the news. It was like a movie and I kept watching for Will Smith to appear soemwhere. I recieved several calls asking if my husband was Ok as he could have been there. In fact he had been several weeks prior.
Thank you to all that helped in the rescue efforts. Blessed be
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Rhett | 32 | New Jersey
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