OT: 18 year anniversary of 9/11. Where were you?

[SalmonsSuperfan]

my third grade classroom. unforgettable moment: they say over the intercom 'the school is on lockdown until further notice' then the boy next to me with a huge grin on his face says 'COOL! i bet some guy broke into the school with a gun!'

kid's face is just etched into my memory. wonder how he recalls it.

[SOUL]

6th grade, PE. Caught a glimpse of news reports from the TV they had in the locker room, I remember it was a very rainy day and people were just confused. I forgot if we were let out early or not, but yeah, don't remember doing much schoolwork that day.

[BVB24]

I feel old reading these posts. I was a freshman in high school. They brought in a TV to my algebra class so we could watch coverage of it. Couldn’t believe it. Was only 14 so I didn’t fully understand the significance of it but I could tell by people’s reaction that it was serious. Some parents came and picked their kids up from school. My mom offered but I chose to stay and watch it with my friends. Got home later and remember flipping through the channels and it was on almost every single one. My dad told me that night that the world would never be the same again. He was right. Remember that day like it was yesterday. Can’t believe it’s been 18 years. Crazy.

[djsunyc]

standing on 5th avenue and watching both buildings collapse

[JordansBulls]

I was in NYC at the time living in Brooklyn from 2001 January till April 2005. Saw the planes hit. Was inside a building across the Brooklyn Bridge. Had tons of people come into the building fleeing from seen. Saw 2nd plane hit South Tower.

[azcatz11]

I feel old reading these posts. I was a freshman in high school. They brought in a TV to my algebra class so we could watch coverage of it. Couldn’t believe it. Some parents came and picked their kids up from school. Got home and remember flipping through the channels and it was on almost every single one. Remember that day like it was yesterday. Can’t believe it’s been 18 years. Crazy.

Same here - freshman in HS but I was in science when they brought the TV in. On wheels in the cupboard, I assume yours was the same.

Very surreal time. I couldn't even imagine if something like that happened now with social media. Also, for everyone who isn't old enough to remember, everyone put flags on their cars shortly after. Like literally everyone

[BullyKing]

Really interesting thread to read.

I was in college. I actually went to my early morning class that day and heard on the way in that a plane had struck the WTC but people thought it was an accident. After that class, we learned that a second plane was hit. I then went to my next class and afterwards we heard about the plane at the Pentagon and the school closed for the rest of the day. Spent the next 15 hours watching TV. I remember the phone lines were jammed that day and it took forever for everyone to get through to their parents to let them we were fine (even though we were 100 miles away).

[so_bored]

Hmm not one conspiracy theory post? Here's one. "Plane must hit steel"

Sent from my SM-N960U using RealGM mobile app

[Dominator83]

Hmm not one conspiracy theory post? Here's one. "Plane must hit steel"

Sent from my SM-N960U using RealGM mobile app

Im actually more surprised that we haven't gotten a "not born yet" post. Looks like this is a veteran forum we have here

[DowJones]

Not meant to disrespect the victims from 2001 at all(quite the opposite actually), but we should also take some time to think about 9/11/1973 when Richard Nixon and the CIA prepared and helped carry out the Chilean coup, that basically killed and replaced an elected socialist government with the junta of Augusto Pinochet. The estimated casualties of this coup are estimated to be up to 5000 for just the first few month and suffering and death continued under his reign for the next 17 years.

If we would actually pay tribute to all the casualties that are direct results from western, lets call it by its name, terrorism, we would have a day like this in every month and plenty more.

I'm saying this, because those deaths on 9/11 those are maybe the ones we saw, were we couldn't look away, but they weren't uncalled for. Conspiracy theories aside those deaths were direct result of our aggression and if we take our mourning serious we better are aware and stand against the terrorists among us, those in suits and shiny uniforms, with the drones and carriers.

I know this is pretty rich coming from a German, but you can be sure I'll do what is in my power to stop what happened 3 generations ago, from happening tomorrow.

Everything happens for a reason and those people that were victimized yesterday killed without being guilty, they payed a high price to make us act today.

RIP

I disagree with you on the drones part. They are a brutally effective way to combat terrorism, and whether we like it or not, the terrorists are at war with us. Drones have probably saved many, many American lives. The United States doesn't like spending time and money to kill terrorists, but today is a good reminder of what happens if you ignore the problem.

And I absolutely disagree with you when you say "the deaths weren't uncalled for". Forget the part where thousands of innocent lives were lost. Did these terrorists really think America would become LESS involved in the Middle East after a 9-11 terrorist attack? Has their cause really been advanced after 9-11? They killed thousands of innocent people and all they got for their trouble was death and America's nose (and drones) in their business 24/7.

[infinite11285]

11th Grade Accounting class watching everything unfold live on TV and in tears because both my parents worked for the DoD, at the Pentagon.

[Soulyss]

I was at work, (at a start-up, 2nd job out of college) next to the airport... I remember the building shaking as the whole air-wing took off over the building and thinking... WTF? I opened up my browser and went to CNN.... Just in time to see the second plane hit on a live stream (which I think was a RealPlayer if you remember that....)

That was one **** up day.

[scrabbarista]

Not meant to disrespect the victims from 2001 at all(quite the opposite actually), but we should also take some time to think about 9/11/1973 when Richard Nixon and the CIA prepared and helped carry out the Chilean coup, that basically killed and replaced an elected socialist government with the junta of Augusto Pinochet. The estimated casualties of this coup are estimated to be up to 5000 for just the first few month and suffering and death continued under his reign for the next 17 years.

If we would actually pay tribute to all the casualties that are direct results from western, lets call it by its name, terrorism, we would have a day like this in every month and plenty more.

I'm saying this, because those deaths on 9/11 those are maybe the ones we saw, were we couldn't look away, but they weren't uncalled for. Conspiracy theories aside those deaths were direct result of our aggression and if we take our mourning serious we better are aware and stand against the terrorists among us, those in suits and shiny uniforms, with the drones and carriers.

I know this is pretty rich coming from a German, but you can be sure I'll do what is in my power to stop what happened 3 generations ago, from happening tomorrow.

Everything happens for a reason and those people that were victimized yesterday killed without being guilty, they payed a high price to make us act today.

RIP

Not meant to disrespect the victims from 1973 at all, but terrorism comes from humans. It's not confined to people of any single geographical region, race, faith, or philosophy. Some terrorize for power, some for pleasure, some for money, some from desperation, some to make a point, some from insanity, and some because they believe God will reward them for it. I'm sure there are other reasons I've left out, and I'm sure many act from a mixture of these motives.

Conspiracy theories aside, those deaths were not the direct result of "our" aggression. "We" did not bring the attack upon ourselves, especially those of us who weren't even alive in 1973.

One thing we can agree on is that we should do what we can to keep anything like this from ever happening again.

[scrabbarista]

On board USS Lake Champlain o4 level, 2M Electronics repair shop, pier 8, 32nd street Naval Base, San Diego, CA.

P.S. interesting story if anyone wants to hear it just ask.

I'm interested!

[scrabbarista]

I was living in a generous friend's garage. I had no job, no money, no car. I should have been in my third year of college, but I'd dropped out after my second year and wasn't enrolled anywhere. I'd been recovering from a deep depression (that had lasted about a year) for about four months.

I woke up after 9:00 some time, I think, and went into the house. The TV was on and there was smoke coming from one of the towers, but I don't remember anyone being home besides myself. I was groggy and, anyway, just generally depressed (i.e., insensate). I watched the coverage in a surrealistic state, a state of shock, fascinated but not particularly emotional and not really able to process the significance of anything happening on the screen. Years later I realized the historical significance - for the zeitgeist - of the events that unfolded that morning. Americans, I believe, were forced to completely reevaluate our place in the world. We could no longer live with the happy illusion that what takes place outside of our borders is irrelevant to our lives, or that what takes place within our borders is independent of what takes place outside of them. We had to recognize that we are one country among hundreds of others, and we had to begin to ask, "How does the rest of the world see us?" Not that any country (or person) should make decisions based solely on the perceptions of others, but that a certain level of self-awareness is always helpful. I think Americans were very deficient in this regard before 9/11, and 9/11 forced us to improve. (I'm talking about the man on the street, not necessarily the government.) That is my hope, anyway, and I hold to it.

[_Game7_]

5th grade in the bathroom, someone came in yelling what happened. Was living in Connecticut just 2hours from New York at the time and so many parents came to pick up their kids, it was a scary time.

[trwi7]

Going between my 1st hour geography class and 2nd hour German class my freshman year of high school. I had no idea what happened until the end of the day. Had tickets to the Brewers game that night, which was obviously cancelled.

[Kabookalu]

I remember being sick and staying home playing video games online. The video game boards exploded in talk of controversy, and me being an impressionable youngin at the time, believed it was somehow related to Y2K based on another kids (or grown man's) crackpot theory. Some of the kids also thought this was a punishment from god and that it was the start of the book of revelations. Another kid "claimed" he had inside info on the terrorists' next targets, that being Seattle's Space Needle, the Golden Gate Bridge, or the Statue of Liberty.

Basically I hung out with a bunch of pre 8Chan kiddies listening to conspiracy theories.

[notericjr]

6th grade, at school. remember overhearing a conversation between teachers talking about it. didnt realize what happened till i got home and watched tv.

[jlokine]

Hmm not one conspiracy theory post? Here's one. "Plane must hit steel"

Sent from my SM-N960U using RealGM mobile app

Im actually more surprised that we haven't gotten a "not born yet" post. Looks like this is a veteran forum we have here

pretty sure they are just sitting this one out...

i was in highschool. heard about it, went about our day (for the most part).. came home and, for a guy who pretty much tuned out all global events/newspaper/politics, i paid attention all evening and watched different channel's coverage...