1. We are coming closer to the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks that happened in the US on September 11, 2001.

    I think there is no one of us who does not remember where he/she was when the planes hit the World Trade Center. Everyone has their own memory of this day. Everyone has something to tell, to share, about how they felt about what they saw.

    I thought we might share our own stories, our own memories of that day and the days that followed. Please, do not use this topic for discussions about politics, conspiracy theories, or any other offending statements. We have the politics topic for that as well as GC.

    I thought about this to become a respectful, private look back at that day which is burned into all our memories forever.

    Where were you when the news came up on tv? What did you feel? What did you do?
  2. I was a child and I thought 2001 was the best year I have ever had,any way,I remember a plane crushing to a skyscraper on television.
  3. I remember it clearly. I was at my grandpa's. 11th of September is when my younger auntie (my dad's small daughter) was born back in 1982, so all the family gathers and celebrates on that day... We were having a fantastic lunch at my grandparent's garden with some music and a TV (sound turned off) as background. Then, at 3 PM, the news started right away with an helicopter shot of the first Twin Tower in flames... And the rest is history. We saw the second plane crash live, and as most of you, spent the rest of the evening lamenting and grieving in front of the TV. A happy day became a black, sad day that will be marked on history forever. My poor auntie regrets being born on that day...
  4. I was a child of 9 years old at school, having P.E while the attacks took place. We weren't aware about what happened, even our teachers. I remember going back to school at the end of the day so that our parents come and take us back home. Everybody was talking with words such as "horrible", "beyond understanding" or "terrible attacks". I didn't understand anything until my mother who was at home came to school to bring me home. While we were on the car, she explained me what happened, but I didn't realize anything (complicated to explain such things to a 9 years old child).

    Then I came back home, the TV was turned on with my elder brother watching it. And then I became aware of what really happened, with that repetition of those terrible images. All of my family stayed in front of TV until 11 pm, since we couldn't go to bed. I'll never forget that, ever.
  5. I was only 5 years old, so I don't remember much, but I do for sure remember seeing the footage of the crash on television, and understanding that something very bad had happened. I also remember watching news talking about how skyscrapers could be built to withstand these kind of attacks. With the skyscrapers bending when hit.

    I also want to add what happened two years later in Sweden on the same day. Another huge shock. Our foreign minister Anna Lind passed away this day from the injuries of a knife attack in a mall. I remember that this was a very big shock for everyone, it was on everybody's mind. The flag at half mast in school, politicians from all over the world giving condolences and saying how nice she was. Then later, the trial of the murderer.
  6. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was online through the whole thing, but in 2001 it was all email and livejournal, no facebook or twitter as yet. What I remember most was the feeling of helplessness, of being so far away and knowing that I had a bunch of friends there, most of whom I couldn't contact for several days (but they all turned up). The internet went nuts with people trying to find family and friends, get information. Things were a lot more rudimentary then, for those of you who weren't around in those days.

    The other thing I remember really clearly was emailing back and forth to my friend in England and saying, "This is gonna get bad. Really bad. The US reaction is not gonna be pretty."

    I would have much rather have been wrong about that.
  7. I was 10, don't remember much of the attacks because I was in school. Didn't really understand the magnitude of it at the time, couldn't really comprehend the impact that the attacks had on everyone involved. I do remember in the immediate aftermath, not seeing many planes in the sky as you'd usually see.

    Each year since the attacks, I've watched documentaries, read stories, seen photographs etc that piece together the incredible events of that day and over time, for someone who wasn't there, wasn't directly affected and didn't quite understand the whole thing, 9/11 really strikes a chord with me today and I have feelings about what happened, see the huge impact it had on families, emergency staff, citizens of New York and even government staff.

    It was a truly horrific day, even before the first plane went in, there were civilians on board the planes who were probably terrified. I often wonder around this time of year when the documentaries are showing, what it must of been like for someone in the tower to look out of the window and see a Boeing 767 heading right at them, completely helpless. In the TV programmes we see new footage each year, new accounts from people involved and it all helps to build this big picture and it's heartwrenching to watch. This year, we've had different programmes on our documentary channels and I've watched/recorded as many as I can. A number of things in the shows I have seen have really hit hard - There was one clip of two men standing in a gaping hole just below where the first plane hit and they're on the phone, describing where they are "North tower, overlooking financial district" and the video was being played along with the audio, so you could clearly see these two men waving for help. Then they say "Oh God!" and the North tower collapses and it's like deafening silence, in a blink of an eye they're crushed to death. Another thing difficult to take in is the sounds recorded by camera crews close to the towers of bodies hitting the pavement, one after the other. How bad/desperate must it have been that jumping was considered a better option?

    A tragic day for many, but it's good to see relatives continuing on through their lives, construction workers rebuilding at Ground Zero and people worldwide remembering the unfortunate people who lost their lives. I would like to one day visit the 9/11 memorial, I think the idea of the fountains sitting in the exact spot of the iconic NY skyline towers is a great idea and from what I've seen it looks great.
  8. I was 13 years old. I was in school at the time and could tell you the exact classroom I was in as well as who the teacher was. I think it was between 8 and 9 AM when news first started getting around school. I remember there was so much confusion on what was happening. I was in school all that day, so it was fairly confusing all day. Teachers were keeping us updated on what they were hearing, but no one had solid information. I remember going to (American) football practice after school that day, and I still remember our coach talking to us after practice about it and telling us he was so angry about what happened. I went home that afternoon and just watched the news with my family.

    One of the things that still strikes me about the event is how unified we Americans were. There was a sense of togetherness that, unfortunately, doesn't seem to exist anymore. We were one nation. I'm still amazed at all those who strove tirelessly at the site of the crashes to save those. I'm particularly proud of those policemen and firemen who gave their lives going into the towers to save people. I was very fortunate to not know anyone he died in the attacks.

    September 11, 2001 will be a day I will never forget as long as I live, not only for the horror of those thousands of people dying, but also for the great sacrifices so many brave people made that day. While I know the United State is far from perfect, I am certainly proud to be an American after seeing the immediate response to the attacks.
  9. I was at home. my parents were letting me skip school because of some lame field trip. I remember sleeping in, and that it was a nice day. When I got up my dad had the news on.
  10. --sorry for the wrong post--
  11. Who deleted my post? I considered it important.
  12. I did. Important or not, it was not relevant for sure. Look at the topic's title, and read the opening post. Thanks.