9/11: In remembrance of those that died

[Infinit01]

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/9-investigates/9-investigates-17-years-later-first-responders-remain-impacted-by-effects-of-911/830200141

[Darth Tepes]

I was in High School when this happened.  I watched live as the second plane hit and any doubt about whether it was an accident or not was erased.  It's strange to think there is a whole generation of Young adults now that 9/11 is just something they read and hear about once a year.  Those of us who were old enough saw the world change forever because of this.  I have nothing but the greatest admiration and respect for the men and women who waded into the aftermath to help.

[Sani2341]

I had my first day of school that day, and a while after we got back home, all the adults were watching on the TV as the news came in.
Didnt quite grasp what all of it ment back then.

[Infinit01]

It's pretty hard for me to talk about any of this and I appreciate anyone willing to read and hear this.

17 years ago today, marks one of the days that changed the United States forever, it's also an event that forever changed my life and those around me. 

It was about 0852 in the morning, 6 minutes after Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower.  It was my sophomore year in high school and I was in 2nd period hanging out in Spanish class when the Principal made an announcement and turned on the classroom TV throughout the entire school.  I saw the North Tower of TWTC on fire with smoke spewing out of it while the journalist was hysterical but at the same time, trying to relay information that he's receiving to everyone watching.  I can hear screaming, crying, shouting, fire trucks, police sirens in the background, and people running away from the building.  At first, I thought it was a joke just to believe it wasn't really happening. 17 minutes later at 0903, I watch in horror as another plane strikes the South Tower.  34 minutes after that, at 0937, Flight 77 crashes into the western side of the Pentagon.  At 1003, United Airlines Flight 93 is crashed by its hijackers due to fighting in the cockpit southeast of Pittsburgh.

56 minutes after it was struck at 0959, the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses.  29 minutes after that at 1028, the World Trade Center's North Tower collapses (102 minutes after being struck).  At 1720 hours, World Trade Center # 7 collapses due to heavy debris striking and causing fire from the collapse of the North Tower earlier that day. 

At 2030 that evening, President George Bush returned to the White House and made his statement, among his statements:

    "Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts.

    Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve

    The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts...we will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."


Before sleeping, President Bush enters into his journal: "The Pearl Harbor of the 21st century took place today...We think it's Osama bin Laden."

2/3 of the students in my school were picked up by their parents before 1100 hours but I stayed until school let out later that day since my dad worked for the airport in Houston and the FAA was monitoring all flights and canceling them for the day so my dad was stuck at work until later that day.  I found out days later that one of my good friend's dad was in one of the Towers but was able to make it out alive with some injuries.  He joined the Marines with me after graduation in 2003, I never saw him alive again after boot camp.


In 2004, as the rear hatch opened from the C-130 that I was aboard, I can feel the heat of the desert and hear the artillery going off for what seems like every 2 to 3 seconds in Camp Fallujah, Iraq. I hear gun fire in the distance and can smell gun powder and something unfamiliar (I find out later that it was death that I smelled), in the air.  Our platoon Sergeant is barking off orders, double timing us off of the plane and into the armory for a head count, to pick up our weapons, secure our gear, and to report to our commander for combat orders.  It was funny how months earlier, I was just celebrating my 18th birthday with my boys that I'm about to fight this war with.  This was my first deployment at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom and won't be my last for the next decade to come, it also marked one of the many days and events that changed my life forever after 9/11/2001.


This day is in remembrance of those that died on 9/11 and for those that died for years to follow. 

Thanks everyone for sharing

[DarthBoneTD]

Wow, your an amazing individual, be proud of yourself and focus on the great things to come in life. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. We sure appreciate you around here and your story is moving. Thank you for the share.

[Infinit01]

Thank you Darth Bone, you've always been a cool guy and a supporting member.  You're welcome and thank you for your support.  It's members like yourself that makes this community a great one, believe it or not, it has helped me with my PTSD. 

[CruentoNox]

@Infinit01: It must be hard for you sharing this... Point for bravery

On my end this event really didn't hit me as much (yet if you ask around almost everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing).

I was on a school trip visiting a city. We stayed in a park most of the afternoon. I remember most guys were playing soccer...while I was just launched in a conversation with a good friend. Somewhere between 2:30 pm and 3 pm (8:30 am and 9 am respectively in New York) I had this strange feeling that something was...off. I couldn't see anything special in my surroundings so I just decided to let it go and that I was probably just imagining things.

It's only when I got back home at the end of the day that I saw my mother staring at the TV (WAYYY closer to it than she usually would allow me to be). I asked what was happening and she told me two planes had crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York (of course I had no idea what that was, I was 13).
It became a subject about which everyone was talking...

All I really kept though was that strange feeling I had. Now, whenever I watch Star Wars: A New Hope and see Obi-Wan Kenobi's reaction to the destruction of Alderaan, I always think I know what he feels.

[Darth Tepes]

It's pretty hard for me to talk about any of this and I appreciate anyone willing to read and hear this.

17 years ago today, marks one of the days that changed the United States forever, it's also an event that forever changed my life and those around me. 

It was about 0852 in the morning, 6 minutes after Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower.  It was my sophomore year in high school and I was in 2nd period hanging out in Spanish class when the Principal made an announcement and turned on the classroom TV throughout the entire school.  I saw the North Tower of TWTC on fire with smoke spewing out of it while the journalist was hysterical but at the same time, trying to relay information that he's receiving to everyone watching.  I can hear screaming, crying, shouting, fire trucks, police sirens in the background, and people running away from the building.  At first, I thought it was a joke just to believe it wasn't really happening. 17 minutes later at 0903, I watch in horror as another plane strikes the South Tower.  34 minutes after that, at 0937, Flight 77 crashes into the western side of the Pentagon.  At 1003, United Airlines Flight 93 is crashed by its hijackers due to fighting in the cockpit southeast of Pittsburgh.

56 minutes after it was struck at 0959, the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapses.  29 minutes after that at 1028, the World Trade Center's North Tower collapses (102 minutes after being struck).  At 1720 hours, World Trade Center # 7 collapses due to heavy debris striking and causing fire from the collapse of the North Tower earlier that day. 

At 2030 that evening, President George Bush returned to the White House and made his statement, among his statements:

    "Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts.

    Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve

    The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts...we will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."


Before sleeping, President Bush enters into his journal: "The Pearl Harbor of the 21st century took place today...We think it's Osama bin Laden."

2/3 of the students in my school were picked up by their parents before 1100 hours but I stayed until school let out later that day since my dad worked for the airport in Houston and the FAA was monitoring all flights and canceling them for the day so my dad was stuck at work until later that day.  I found out days later that one of my good friend's dad was in one of the Towers but was able to make it out alive with some injuries.  He joined the Marines with me after graduation in 2003, I never saw him alive again after boot camp.


In 2004, as the rear hatch opened from the C-130 that I was aboard, I can feel the heat of the desert and hear the artillery going off for what seems like every 2 to 3 seconds in Camp Fallujah, Iraq. I hear gun fire in the distance and can smell gun powder and something unfamiliar (I find out later that it was death that I smelled), in the air.  Our platoon Sergeant is barking off orders, double timing us off of the plane and into the armory for a head count, to pick up our weapons, secure our gear, and to report to our commander for combat orders.  It was funny how months earlier, I was just celebrating my 18th birthday with my boys that I'm about to fight this war with.  This was my first deployment at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom and won't be my last for the next decade to come, it also marked one of the many days and events that changed my life forever after 9/11/2001.


This day is in remembrance of those that died on 9/11 and for those that died for years to follow. 

Thanks everyone for sharing

Thank you for sharing that.  Can not be said enough but thank you for your service.  You and I aren't to far away from each other in age and like you and many other young men who witnessed that event (including Kylo Ren himself, Adam Driver was a Marine but was injured before his first deployment) my resolve to serve was solidified.  Sadly because of...things... I wound up not joining.  Honestly it is a big regret for me.  You bear a great burden for only seeing a few decades on this earth.  Again, thank you for your service and we're all here for you whenever you need us brother.

[Musashi Padawan]

Infinit01- Your words touched me very deeply. Thank you for sharing and of course for your service.

[Infinit01]

@Infinit01: It must be hard for you sharing this... Point for bravery

On my end this event really didn't hit me as much (yet if you ask around almost everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing).

It's only when I got back home at the end of the day that I saw my mother staring at the TV (WAYYY closer to it than she usually would allow me to be). I asked what was happening and she told me two planes had crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York (of course I had no idea what that was, I was 13).
It became a subject about which everyone was talking...

All I really kept though was that strange feeling I had. Now, whenever I watch Star Wars: A New Hope and see Obi-Wan Kenobi's reaction to the destruction of Alderaan, I always think I know what he feels.

Thanks Crue.  It's really good to see how people from around the world see 9/11 from their perspectives so thank you for sharing and your support, brother.

Thank you for sharing that.  Can not be said enough but thank you for your service.  You and I aren't to far away from each other in age and like you and many other young men who witnessed that event (including Kylo Ren himself, Adam Driver was a Marine but was injured before his first deployment) my resolve to serve was solidified.  Sadly because of...things... I wound up not joining.  Honestly it is a big regret for me.  You bear a great burden for only seeing a few decades on this earth.  Again, thank you for your service and we're all here for you whenever you need us brother.

You're welcome, Tepes and thank you for your support.  It's good to know someone around my age in this forum.  Adam being a Marine was one reason why I followed his acting career close as Marines support one another even life at service.   The fact that you wanted to join but couldn't do to factors in your life speaks volumes about your character and who you are as an individual, don't regret that one bit.  To me, those that wanted to join but couldn't are just as brave in my eye.  

A little history about my parents: they were refugees of the Cambodian genocide of the 70s who lost siblings due to the war, malaria, and starving to death.  They lived from refugee camp to refugee camp for a little over 4 years.  In fact, my oldest sister was born in an Indonesian refugee camp while the last three of us were born here in the United States.  The US among Australia and Canada granted them a visa but my parents chose the US since they were the first ones to grant it.

Fast forward to my high school years, I was 16  and was kicked out of the house by my dad and his second wife surfing the couch until my graduation my senior year.  My buddy was joining the Marines and invited me to a Saturday poolee PT event so I ended up going and talked to his recruiter.  I wasn't living the best nor the straightest path since I started to get involved with selling and doing drugs.  Long story short, I got into a small incident and my recruiter found out and bailed me out with one condition, that I joined which I was going to anyhow. I did and shipped out the following week to basic training instead of 10 months later (I was part of the delayed entry program).  The US saved my parents life and in turn, saved my siblings and my life, they did so again when I had no where to go and the Marine Corps became my family.  

Thanks again, Tepes.  I sure will count on you guys/gals.  Believe it or not, you guys do help me when I have episodes, I'll log on here to get away or to focus on something else and it does help for the most part.

Infinit01- Your words touched me very deeply. Thank you for sharing and of course for your service.

Hey there, Musashi and thank you for your support as well.  I'm glad it did, I've held onto this for a long time, not talking about it but I feel that the people on here makes sharing things (it's already hard for me to do so), a lot easier.  


Points back to everyone and thank you for sharing your stories as well as listening and your support.

[Sani2341]

Kudos for everyone sharing their experience of that day.

I do have to disagree about gratulating people for making a living from killing though.
Especially seeing as this thread Was started to share an article about the consequenzes to actual heros that were searching for surviors and remains of the deceased days after the towers colapsed.

[Racona Nova]

Was my first day of school after the summer holidays. Don't really know what we did, but in the afternoon between 3 or 4 pm, we turned the TV on and just saw what happened. Before we realized what that was, we saw the second plane hitting the WTC. My mother didn't notice that it was live, she though it was a replay of the first hit...horrible. And when they mentioned the attack on the Pentagon, we were sure this wasn't an accident. I still see the pictures of the smoking towers in the skyline, the collapses, the hole in one of the sides of the Pentagon...this was truly history-making - from the negative side, of course.

Point for sharing your story, Infinit01!

[Infinit01]

I do have to disagree about gratulating people for making a living from killing though.

We're all sharing stories and they're not congratulating me for "killing people" but for serving since I talked about where I was at and what I've decided to do because of it.  I was just unfortunate enough to join during the war and it wasn't as if I took jobs to "kill people" but to follow orders.  

Especially seeing as this thread Was started to share an article about the consequenzes to actual heros that were searching for surviors and remains of the deceased days after the towers colapsed.

Heroes aren't just ones that run into buildings either.

To each his own though, have a good day everyone.

[Darth Tepes]

deleted

[Sani2341]

We're all sharing stories and they're not congratulating me for "killing people" but for serving since I talked about where I was at and what I've decided to do because of it.  I was just unfortunate enough to join during the war and it wasn't as if I took jobs to "kill people" but to follow orders.  

this is not ment against you, but no Matter why they joined up, in the end a soldier is someone killing the other guy, and that is not something to be celebrated, at least in my humble opinion.

Heroes aren't just ones that run into buildings either.

Not saying anything like that, just that soldiers should not be handed that label for being part of the military.

Anyway I said my piece, and won't drag this out in this thread.