Where were you on September 11, 2001?

[aquajam77]

At home, getting ready for school (live in CA) and watching tv, not believing what was happening. Went to school, not much talking about it, and not able to watch tv. While lost in my thoughts, I too thought about how this was like a pearl harbor and was going to be remembered every year.

[Stitch]

I was Assistant Weapons Loading Section Chief for the Albino Eagle squadron at Mtn. Home (MX and OPS were still combined at that time). Since I was on night shift that week, I was home the morning of the attacks fixing pancakes for the kids before they left for school. The TV was on at a little after 0700, something very rare, and wife said a plane hit the World Trade Center. I was thinking some C-172 driver really goofed up, and after looking at the pictures on TV, I thought how do you hit the something as big as the WTC on such a perfect VFR day? Then the second tower got hit and it all became clear.

I reported to work after spending eternity waiting to get on base while the cops searched every car coming in. Once I got on the flightline everyone was busy getting the jets ready for war; full loads of 20mm, air-to-air ordinance, chaff/flares, three bags of external fuel. Since the weapons expediter, an outstanding supervisor & leader had the situation well in hand, and not wanting to f*ck up the smooth flow of things, the section chief and myself cleaned-up the coffins the missiles were delivered in (threw all the packing material back in, put lids on, loaded the caskets on trailers, tied them down on the transport trailers, etc…) so the ammo guys could tow the trailers off the ramp and back to the bomb dump. This had the added benefit of freeing up the loads crews to do their thing.

Then we sat and waited not knowing what was next; CAP the Pacific Northwest? Deploy? Go search out airliners just in case? We sat ground alert waiting on further instructions for a few days before standing down. Mtn. Home was still a composite wing at the time and while the other squadrons, Mudhens, Vipers, Bones, and tankers generated for deployment. We stayed home and flew a ton of Noble Eagle CAPs for months afterwards.

Was at PSAB on the 1 year anniversary launching out jets for OSW sorties, while Arab TV showed pictures of the hi-jackers honoring them as "heroes", made your stomach turn.

Edited to add PASAB info.

Edited September 11, 2009 by Stitch

[ziploc158]

I was sitting in my American government class, and the department head came in put the t.v on just as the second plane hit

[lj35driver]

I was based at Tinker and had just dropped my oldest child at pre-school when my wife called to tell me what happened. I was supposed to be mission planning to go to the Travis airshow for a couple of days, but instead got put into crew rest and was sent home. I ended up over NYC that night for 15 hours. It was definitely the weirdest flight I've ever been on. As soon as we took off the pilot called back and told us that we had been cleared direct to NYC from Tinker. After we got all the systems up and running, the surveillance officer wasn't sure if the radar or IFF was working correctly since there was nothing airborne to produce a track on the screens. It was eerie seeing those blank screens and the hearing the utter silence on all the radios.

[amcflyboy]

I was a senior in High School. By the time I knew what was going on, it was already 12pm NYC time. See, I lived in CA, and oddly enough, I didn't have my radio on, nor did I turn it on when I was driving to school. I remember going to my econ class, and everyone was "normal"--I remember the class clown asking about "What happened this morning, I think we should talk about it.." and my teacher saying "My sister is an AA flight attendent, and we don't know where she is. This probably affects me more then you guys.." I asked my neighbor, Bob, what was going on, and he said "I don't know."

I walked to my Modern Lit class, like normal. And my teacher had the TV on and was bawling. I asked her what was going on, and she told me.

Same boat as Kayla...I was a Junior at URI on my way to my first class of the day, which started at 9:30am. I was also a SrA with the Rhode Island Air Guard at the time as well. I was driving along the main road to my college when the first tower was hit by American Flt 11. Had no idea, had the radio on and all, and I don't think anybody else knew what was going on.

10:45 rolls around, and my class had ended. I was on my way to the Student Union and I overheard a couple of people talking about a collision, and NYC and the like. Not thinking anything of it, I go into the student union and no kidding there were radios blasting and people surround it. At this point I'm thinking something bad is definitely going on. I go downstairs to get lunch, and see a mob of people surrounding the television in the nearby coffee lounge. I ask somebody what had happened, and the rest is history. At that point, both towers had fallen, the Pentagon was hit, and United 93 went down in P.A.

I frantically called my fiancee, now wife, where she was because her job required her to make occasional visits to the Bronx and Queens. I remember the cell phone networks being overloaded, and people freaking out because they had family members that worked in NYC. Thankfully my wife was in Hartford at the time. I had a summer job slinging luggage for American Airlines in Providence, and a ticket agent who worked the check-in counter in Providence was on American Flt 11 on her way to L.A. Small world, right?

The following weekend was my drill weekend, and the whole base was in Threatcon Charlie and nobody was allowed to park on base but to park in a vacant lot across from the main gate.

Can't believe it's been 8 years either!

Edited September 12, 2009 by amcflyboy

[matmacwc]

My T-38 flight as a student (Ogres), watched the second plane hit, stepped to my solo anyway. Got called back in before engine start, base was shut down for days. Then again, at DLF, we were right on the border. Dropped an F-16 2 weeks later!

[lloyd christmas]

Slightly off topic, but today was a damn good day to put on a uniform.....

[jcj]

(I am a surgeon at a university medical center in the mid south) It was a Tuesday - we have our major teaching conferences (M & M, grand rounds) on Tuesday mornings. I had a light day planned and was going to do some tough & go's in my airplane that afternoon after work. One of my partners walked in to conference & announced the first crash. After the second crash, we went into disaster preparation mode (cancelled elective surgery, discharged any patients we could, opened up additional emergency beds & broke out disaster reserve supplies). And we watched the TV alot.

[HiFlyer]

I was driving by the building enroute to Crystal City and saw all the smoke. I knew something had happened, but at that point all I could think of was that a helicopter had gone in next to the VIP pad. My next door neighbor had left in his summer whites (Navy) and returned that evening in a uniform that reminded me of a USMA cadet uniform...grey and black. His office was in the D ring just to the right of the impact and had to crawl through the building wreckage to get to safety. One of my former UPT studs was dead center on the second floor of the D ring and was killed.

[donkey]

I was getting ready to go to school when my mom came in and got my sister and I and we all watched the tv. I won't forget my mom breaking down and just bawling when the second plane hit.

[B.L]

I remeber 11 September 2001 just as if it were yesterday. I was a sophomore in high school, and my best friend was living with us, because his dad was teaching a course at the AFA. We were getting up to get ready for school, when I walked downstairs to get breakfast, all the lights were off, but the TV was on. My mom was sitting on the floor quiet. She was glued to the TV. The first plane had hit the tower. I got my cereal, and sat down on the floor, watching as the news unfolded. The second plane hit, as my brother had walked out into the streets to go catch the bus. The base was quiet, and there was somebody driving around the housing area informing everyone that there was no school. The base had been shut, and nobody could get on or off. I remember sitting in front of the TV the whole day, watching as each event took place. I don't thinki taht I saw my dad for almost a week after that happened. He was working long days. I remember also having to walk to school sometimes (over two miles away, if you know how the layout to Eielson AFB is, I lived at the farthest possible house from the school), because it was damn near impossible to get through the gates in the morning. That day most definatally changed my life.

The crazy thing was that it was "Uniform day" for my JROTC class. I had my blues out and ready to go. I remember being so proud to wear those, even though I wasn't real AF yet. That day solidified my intent to serve this country, and now 8 years later, I am on the thresh hold of actually entering Active Duty.

:salute: to all the fallen, and to those that have served or are serving. I hope I can make an impact in the fight against terrorism. Thank you all for your service!

BLud

[Fud]

As a side note, I'd like to know what happened to anger, the righteous indignation, the ire of the American people. It just seems like they’ve written it off as another minor incident in our history. I’m still pissed and I don’t understand why everyone else in this country isn’t…with the exception of most military folks who seem to really understand.

I think the anger is still there, except it is now driven towards a war that has take too long, and has been micromanaged by the politicians. When my civilian peers say this is our generation's vietnam, it makes me really sad, but I know we are doing the right thing. Longer wars are rarely given the nation's sympathy until later in history.

I remember all of this as if it were yesterday, and I appreciate everyone's accounts. If someone is good at writing, they should compile this information in to a book. I'm a decent writer, but nowhere near Robert Coram status...

Edit for spelling...I've had a few drinks for our brothers lost and the ones currently fighting.

Edited September 12, 2009 by beast05

[Who?]

On Sept 11th, we had flown all of the Herks out of Yokota due to an incoming typhoon that might be damaging to the base and aircraft. We took them all down to Guam, bedded down and everybody had a night out in Tumon Bay (remember that Guam is about 17 hours ahead of NYC). We were planning on going back the next day since the typhoon seemed to be petering out. Just after I'd gone to bed, my AC knocked on the door and said we might not be going home tomorrow, seems there's some kind of trouble in NYC. I just nodded in my sleepiness and went back to bed - plans change, ops normal.

When I got up on the 12th, all the footage and reporting was already hours old but being replayed over and over on every channel in the hotel - English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean etc. We did in fact go back to Yokota that day, and the US-airspace radios (San Francisco Center) were very, very quiet except for us. We took off not knowing what the hell was going on or what exactly had happened in NY/DC - I remember my AC briefing us on what we would do if it seemed like the plane was out of our own control.

[FalconXtreme]

I was a sophomore in high school watching it on the news in every class. made it to 5th period before i realized that my aunt was a flight attendant on united 93 because she was coming to visit me and my family. then in 6th period spanish 2 the not from the office came telling me to go straight home. the rest is history.

[ClearedHot]

At the Weapons School teaching tactics I would be using in the very near future.

[JarheadBoom]

At home, searching for a .civ job online. Saw something on Yahoo (text, no photo) about a possible aircraft crasing into one of the WTC towers, and thought the same thing Stitch did - “how do you hit the something as big as the WTC on such a perfect VFR day?” I figured some doctor or dentist had stroked-out, or had a heart attack, and driven his Bonanza into the building. Wandered into the living room where the TV was still tuned to Good Morning America from my wife's off-to-work routine, and saw the picture. Knew immediately it was a Boeing or Airbus, due to the size of the fire. I remember thinking about how bad things must have been in that cockpit, to end up over Manhattan and into the WTC. Then I watched the second impact... and immediately realized that my previous thoughts of "bad things" had taken on an entirely new meaning.

We flew past the site on the night of Sept 19, 2001 - the last time I remember flying up the Hudson. At 1000'AGL, we could smell the smoke from the fires still smoldering in the pit.

[polcat]

I was a sophomore at BGSU, being a Tuesday, we were wearing our uniforms for ROTC (blues). One of the cadets came by my room and told me no uniforms today. My Dad had also called me letting me know that an aircraft had crashed into the WTC. Like a lot of other people, I thought C-172 or the like. All classes were cancelled that day. We flew yesterday, which was a privilege, flying a combat mission on the anniversary of that tragic day.

[afnav]

Running to my plane, pulling missile pins, and waiting for the word to start the carts.

[Guest Hueypilot812]

I was sitting in a C-21 on the ramp at KBIX, engines running when ground told us to shut down, the airspace was closed. About the same time one of the contract maintenance guys ran up giving us the shut down hand signal, and when we got the door opened he told us about the first tower being hit. None of us at that time knew about the second tower or the Pentagon, but we found out as we walked in. Everyone in the squadron had a strong feeling it was al Qaeda, because unlike most Americans, military people tend to follow events like the Cole, the 1993 WTC bombings, Kenya and other events. And we all felt our response had better be more than just lobbing a few cruise missiles at some empty terrorist camps in Afghanistan.

Fast forward 8 years, and a majority of Americans feel we have no business in Afghanistan. WTF has happened? Do Americans really have that short of a memory?

[Guest ukwxbelle]

September 11th is my mother's birthday. I had gotten up early that morning to drive myself to one of my last orthodontist appointments. Thinking back now, my appointment must have been at 8 or 8:30am, because I was lying in the chair when the first plane hit. There was a tv on in a backroom. You could sorta here the braodcast, but mainly the chatter of the dental assistants talikng about something happening at the WTC. I got in my car and turned on the radio yet. There was nothing on fm stations, so I remember having to search the am dial for NPR or something. I did so in just enough time to hear that the second plane had hit the south tower. I called my mom, waking her, and asked her if she had turned the tv on yet (she always listens to the news when getting ready). She sleepy barked "no." I told her to turn the tv on, something had happened. She asked,"which channel?" I said "any channel, just turn the tv on." I told her I had to run by the grocery store and that I would be home soon. I stopped at the store to get flowers for her birthday and I remembered thinking that nobody in that store knew what was going on. I was the only one walking around in a panic; they were just going about their normal days.

I got home in time to see the replay of the second plane hitting, to hear about the pentagon, United 93, and of course, to see the towers fall. I remembered having a hard time reaching my dad on the phone. He wasn't military, but he traveled a lot for work (mostly by car) and I knew he was flying somewhere that week for a conference. I finally got a hold of him, he was ok, he'd flown out a couple of days before. I got a lot of calls from my family that day. It happened to be five days before I was supposed to move on campus at Ohio State as a freshman with a full ROTC scholarship. No one in my immediate family had served in the military and they all wanted to know what would happen to me. I assured them that I would be fine, but the truth was, I didn't know either.

A lot of you have commented that that day shapped your choice to join the military- you were not alone. The following year we had over 100 cadets slated to be at freshman orientation. The year after that I made like 80 freshman nametags. They didn't all stay in the program, but I'm glad their patriotism brought them to the door. Thank you to all those that were serving that day and for those of you still serving today.

[Skitzo]

I was getting ready to go to class, at ERAU when a friend called and told me and my fiance (now wife) to turn the news on. I turned it on just in time to see the second plane hit. My mom called me and told me from a friend she knew at the FBI that it was Bin Laden and we would be at war in Afghanistan in a few days. I only wish the war would have been over as fast as it started.

[yerfer]

My Mother came in my room frantically to pull me out of bed to see it on live television. When the second plane hit I was either in music class or still at home. Don't remember. I just knew something was off when I heard a plane hit the pentagon. Sad day.

Did anyone see

yesterday on youtube? It was on the front page. Seeing as Obama loves staying "hip" with the celebs, I wonder if he'll respond to this. Edited September 13, 2009 by yerfer

[Guest AlphaSigOU]

I was living in Tulsa at the time, out of work and looking for work after the company I was working for went tits up. As was usual I fell asleep with the TV set on and woke up to see the first news reports of American 11 hitting 1 WTC. My mother called shortly afterward with news of 2 WTC being struck by United 175, and I watched the news as the Pentagon was hit by American 77 and the towers shortly collapsing. I'm not very religious but it was all I could do to mutter a Hail Mary watching 1 WTC collapsing on live TV.

My apartment was on the approach path to TUL 18R and I was accustomed to the sounds of jets on approach, but once the ground stop was ordered it was eerily quiet; the only sound was from F-16s launching on sorties from Tulsa ANGB.

That evening, a huge flag was hung on the side of the Corps of Engineers building on I-44 and 169. And many more dotted the city.

[BQZip01]

I was briefing to fly my 2nd FAM sortie at Corpus. We came out of the briefing room to find a crowd huddled around the TV watching the smoke rising from one of the towers. We were running a little late, so we hurriedly stepped, pre-flighted, and cranked motors. We tried to check ATIS prior to taxi, but there was no recording, so we called for taxi. Before we got a response, the recording came back on with a very excited controller directing all Navy Corpus aircraft to discontinue training, return to NASCC immediately and land full-stop, no touch and go's. None of us made the connection to what we'd seen on the TV before stepping, so needless to say our IP was a bit annoyed. I was going to ride jumpseat for the first half, so I was the one to pop the crew door open after shutdown. As I did, one of the contract maintainers was running up to the door yelling, "They hit the Pentagon!" That's when it finally hit me. Most of us spend the next couple hours glued to the TV in the lounge until one of my classmates suddenly jumped up and bolted for the door. "HOLY SHIT, we've got to get out of here before they lock down the base!"

Your classmate joined the military, should've told him to suck it up (I know, I'm a little calloused...)

Running to my plane, pulling missile pins, and waiting for the word to start the carts.

hell yeah!

[Right Seat Driver]

I was a junior in high school. Someone said a plane hit the first tower, so we turned the tv on and about a minute later the second airplane hit. I was fvcking pissed.

We kept going to class as normal but no one was teaching anything, we were all just watching the news. Around 1pm our dbag of a principal came over the PA to tell all the teachers to turn off the tvs to "protect the students." My teacher reached for the tv and I am pretty sure I said fvck when I told her to leave the tv on. She did.

What really pissed me off was when the local news stations interviewed the "residents" of Dearborn some of them openly admitted they were glad it happened.

As I was driving down my buddy's street in my 1986 Dodge Ram I saw a AFRC KC-135E and two Guard Vipers on either wing overhead at around 3000' AGL heading out of MTC. I will never forget that day.