September 11, 2001

[Jason32]

Words cannot truly express the importance of remembering this day and taking a moment to remember those that gave their lives in the single most catastrophic event in our generation.

I believe the true importance of remembering an event like this is recalling one’s own personal memories of that day. In doing so, I believe you will never forget those that were lost. There are few events in one’s life where he or she can remember the exact moment to the finest detail. Where you were…how you felt…are just a few aspects burned into our memories of that day.

I have a simple request for those that would like to participate...
Post your memories of that day…I will start us off…

I was a Plebe (freshman) cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, some 40 miles North of Ground Zero….standing in the cadet store with the morning glaze still in my eyes...trying to buy a pair of running shoes...the store clerk had a small black and white TV with the news on…I saw what was on…ran back to my room at Grant Hall to watch in quiet…not knowing at the time just how much my life was about to change…and still changing because of the events that took place on that day…

I thank those that have made the ultimate sacrifice on that day and the days afterwards defending our country.

The essence of who you were will define you throughout history...as Heroes.

Respectfully,
Jason H. Seales
Captain, United States Army
Active Duty

[Captain Talbot]

I was setting up cash drawers for the day at Wendys in Daytona on that fateful morning, and I had never wanted to get back into the Air Force soooooo much.


Love, Prayers and Hope for those still overseas, and condolences to the families that have lost so much.

[Crisler]

I was sitting in an office in Harrisburg, Il setting up a new accounting computer when my wife called and told me there was some kind of major accident on the news. We turned on the TV and not two minutes later watched the second plan hit.

It was a surreal moment, I mean you really felt like you had just seen a movie seen not a live event. Then it gradually sunk in that what I had seen was real. We kept the TV on while I worked and I recall seeing something I do not know what and I said out loud, oh my god the tower is going to collapse, a heartbeat later the first tower started coming down.

I barely remember the hour drive home but I know I was rushing, expect any minute news of another attack.

[Ezreq Blodvaerd]

On the morning of September 11, 2001 I was at my school in the Bronx, NYC. I was outside the building having a smoke, when the news first came to me that a plane had hit the WTC. Shortly after, the "plane crash" became an attack.

By 10:00 AM, parents started flooding in, picking up their children. I was at my school intil 4:00 PM. We had to wait until the last child was picked up by a family member.

The last child's mother was killed that day. One of our Assistant Principal's took the girl home, and eventually adopted her.

I had never visited the WTC, when it was there. I crossed the bridge everyday, and it was just a part of the skyline. A skyline replaced by a noticable gap. A physical gap that will be replaced someday, but the emotional gap will always remain.

I want to close by thanking my neighbor and personal friend, Ofc. Charlie Galipoli. Charlie is an MTA K-9 Police offcier. Today he is patroling the Battery Park Tunnel, searching cars with his bomb sniffing dag (partner).

Thanks to offciers, firemen, and of course our men and women on the field of battle, we can all rest a bit easier.....But we should never rest to the point that the threats that we face become lost in our thoughts.

[CAPT Huckabee]

I was in 8th grade sitting in Mrs. Strickland's science class. Our class had got wind of what happened by the other teachers in the team. In middle school we had a "team" of 3 teachers we rotated between during the day. The other 2 teachers were letting their students watch. I was so pissed off because Mrs. Strickland wouldn't let us watch it. Seems like I remember her saying we had better things to do or something. She was a great teacher so I don't know if she was doing it to keeps us from getting worried or not, but I hated her so much for not letting us see what was happening. Luckily the schools were released in the next 30 minutes and I got to watch at home with my grandpa.

SPC Huckabee
North Carolina National Guard
Military Police/Combat Medic
OIF/OND

[Lang S]

Keith Tillis AKA Captain Tillis and Myself arrived in Jersey city with two other on the night of the 12th. The next we check into the command post with NJ Command and headed over to the WTC. It 54 degress and raining we work on the site for the next few days. My heart goes out to all who help in the effort. K.Tillis is take the picture I am the FF to the left

[VADM pRett]

Tuesday, Sep 11, 2011:

I, SSgt Mark Garton(E-5), USAF, assigned to the tool storage/issue (aka "tool crib") section of the 1st Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, FL. A close acquaintance, SSgt Ron Guillory, the squadron computer/network guru, walked in to tell us a plane had crashed into the first tower. I remember telling Ron, "That's a pretty sick joke, Ron." He responded, dead serious, "It's no joke." Details were slim, at best, so it was initially presumed by the day shift tool crib crew that a small plane pilot had made a very fatal error. Ron had already walked back over to the aircrew debrief room, which was perhaps 20 feet from tool crib. A few minutes later, Ron walked back in and told us in a very dead voice that a plane had hit the second tower.

I felt a chill go up my spine, because I knew right then and there that neither collision was an accident. The next weeks were a blur as we took F-15s, that were normally used to train and familiarize nuggets (2nd Lieutenants) with the handling and combat characteristics of the "Eagle," and loaded them with live air to air missiles, parked with their noses facing away from the buildings on the opposite side of the ramp from the runway, and tasked with AIRCAP missions.

To all those that died that day, and their families, may this great nation never forget your loss.

To all that serve or have served in the military, and especially to those in the intelligence services whose victories will remain largely unknown, my gratitude and heartfelt respect.

[CDR Hunter]

I had just gotten out of the shower after morning PT in college. I walked into my dorm room and all of the other midshipman on my floor were huddled around our TV watching the news. It wasn't long before everyone's phones started to go off. I remember thinking it was like Pearl Harbor all over again, and whoever had done it had no idea what can they had just opened up.

[Goolash]

I was in class as an ET3 at the Navy's Nuclear Power School when the school CO made the announcement of the first plane hi over the PA. I remember telling everyone it would be ok, the towers were designed structurally to take a 737 hit (something I read in grade school). No one realized the fires would bring them down. Every break that day we spent glued to the TVs, wishing we had gone air force or Army, because we knew we were going to be out of the fight until graduation almost a year from then.

[Cleo Mavendorf]

I was s SSG in the US Army...an Infantry Platoon Sergeant assigned to the 3/5 Cav Black Knights Battalion in Kirch Gons Germany...we were conducting our semi annual rifle qualifications on the range near Frankfurt and the day was winding down when the German Rangemeister called our CO into the tower...within 15 minutes we learned of the attack...loaded onto trucks, fully armed and kitted out...and convoyed back to home station with guards up on top of the trucks...on arrival at base we set up check points and sealed off the US housing areas and maintained this posture for the next 30 days until the threatcon was lowered...the area around Frankfurt had a high concentration of Turkish and Muslim immigrants and a US soldier had been stabbed to death by a mob less than a month prior...command was taking no chances.

God bless you few who stand between us and the barbarians at the gates...my time at this post has passed...but my heart will always be there with you

Harold Mckenzie
SSG US Army (Retired)

[mbrwn2003]

i was getting ready for school that morning. i was watching the news like always and witnessed the second plane hit. the first thing that came to mind was that's no accident. and i felt hurt and angry at the same time.

[xivim]

Like every morning that year, i was in my MCSE (Networking) class in highschool. Our school used TVs as clocks. We found a way to jury rig ours to watch normal TV. So like every morning, im sitting at my computer, playing Counterstrike, with the TV above my head on, when it switched to the news.

Everyone stopped playing to watch. Our teacher sat there as well, until the second plane hit. That's when we realized this wasn't an accident. He left for the front office, a few doors down.

An announcement was made a few minutes later, but everyone was told to continue classes. Lucky for us we had a great teacher. He let us stay the rest of the day in our Network room, just watching.

I will never forget.