Where Were You on 9/11 and How'd You Learn About it? - Page 2

JD5652 · 09-11-2009, 10:46 AM

I was on the first morning flight from NY to Chicago.....about the time the first tower was hit we were on final approach to Midway coming in over Lake Michigan past the Sears tower.... a day and experience that changed my life forever.....

It was the first day that the "new" Midway terminal was open. I saw a large crowd gathered around the TV in the main terminal as I came in from the new and unfamiliar concourse....at that time no one even knew that it was jet...lots of people, including me, thought that it was a small plane from the earliest televised photos.... then my cell phone starting ringing off the hook with all my friends and family trying to find out if I was "OK"......

tom@marlinstar · 09-11-2009, 11:25 AM

I will never forget that day as we were fishing the first of three Catalina Tournaments on 9/11. I remember the first words regarding Tower 1 were spoken over the VHF....we all thought...damn how could this happen?..what a tragedy. The tv's were turned on as we trolled that glassy,hazy morning to view the plumes of smoke and devestation.

As the shouts over the radio and salon came screaming to fruition, word of a second plane hitting Tower 2 pierced our ears like an ice pick. Captain Mike looks at me with a pale face and says three words that I will never forget...Osama Bin Laden.

As we finished the day in a very somber mood, the chaos in New York was felt ten fold as we hit the streets of Avalon. We immediately went to the Marlin Club (a bar) and ordered a drink and watched the replays over the news. So much of the first breaking raw footage was never seen to us as we were on the water with limited tv reception.

As everyone viewed the tv screen the bar was eerily silent....very few words were being said and I can tell you that many a hard nosed fisherman stood there watching this tragedy with a tear in their eye.

Our team stood around the bar and I noticed that most everyones drink was still full. As the second hour began we all put our glasses down and began to exit the door. As I neared the opening an older gentleman in his 70's spoke out..he looked at the tv and he looked at me and said..."The world as we know it will never be the same...all the children growing up...and their children..will never have lived the same way as we have." I'll never forget those words....the old salt was right...

The tourney finished and we went through the motions of the banquet dinner. Leaving Avalon roughly around 11 pm we had to make the 32 mile run in the dark while the ban on aircraft and boats/ships had just taken effect. Running at 28 knots into the midnight,not a word was uttered.We finally arrived at the docks..tied her up..and everyone just mumbled their goodbyes and drove home.

I will never forget 9/11...I will never forget the innocent lives lost...I will never forget the heroes who risked their lives to help another...I will never forget that being American means being family....east,west,north and south..we are all brothers and sisters here...

GOD Bless to All of You....

AK_angler · 09-11-2009, 11:44 AM

I was on the island of Crete, Greece in a nice resort just outside Heraklion. I had just came back to the room after my morning routine of hitting the beach and swimming. I had just poored a nice sized shot of Ouzo and turned on the TV to the only english speaking channel I could get. I could not believe my eyes, I thought some movie was on that I had never seen or heard of for that matter. At the time only 1 plane had hit the towers and the 2nd plane made contact as I watched....in horror...I couldn't believe my eyes. The next day I was traveling to St. Petersburg Russia. When I was going through passport control the female officer said she was sorry for what happend and hoped that we "get those bastards that did this".
The world had changed overnight. Traveling through Frankfurt airport was as if I went back in time to the days of world war II. There were armed military personel and military dogs. People that even looked a little bit of Arab descent were lined up along the walls and military men/woman were going through their belongings with sticks as the dogs were sniffing through their belongings.

Robja · 09-11-2009, 11:59 AM

I was on my way to the post office listening to John Boy and Billy on the radio and they said a small plane had hit one of the towers so I decided to go by my house to see if it was on the news. I sat there and watched in sadness for the rest of the morning. I couldn't believe something like this was happening in our country. I never realized till a short while later that even though everything happened in the northeast it still affected people I know close to home. I had a policyholders son who was working in the Pentagon and had left his badge in his car and had returned to his car when the plane hit the pentagon. His friends that he rode to work with perished as they had already gone in the building. Another policholders husband had missed his train that morning and had he been in his office he would have perished as well. I spent alot of time that morning of the 11th in prayer for the families who lost loved ones in the tragedies that day.

Captain Michael Buffington · 09-11-2009, 12:23 PM

we had two trips off from the long range boat and me and some friends from other boats went acroos the border for afew days. When we got back to Tiajuana there was a 10 mile long line of cars. We got out of the taxi and started walking after like 2 hours of not moving. About 3 or 4 miles from the border we found the pedestrian line that also did not move. There were 4 of us in Mexico not knowing what the hell has happened when a mexican cab driver held up the Tiajuana times or whatever and it had a mushroom cloud superimposed on the nyc skyline

We spent two days at an offtrack betting place watching fox news on all the tv screens waiting to cross. It was a surreal experience.

Mike

FXRScotty · 09-11-2009, 12:34 PM

I was on my way to pick up a new pressure washer I had ordered getting ready for haulout. I have never felt so angry and helpless in my life! I was stopped by a trouper doing 100 mph heading home to arm myself and get my family together and the cop fully understood told me to stay cool and let me go. To this day my blood still boils when I think of it and am disgusted with those that want to forget and forgive or blame our gov. for it. NEVER forget, NEVER forgive! Scotty.

tolmaz · 09-11-2009, 12:56 PM

I remember I was on Indian Head Hwy. Coming back from a building site. At the time I was working for a flooring company. It seemed weird...I couldnt figure out what was up...It seemed "quiet". I could see the smoke from the Pentagon from where I was...Then I heard all air traffic was halted....Hurried back to the main office...They were closing it down people were frantic...

Capt. Brian Daley · 09-11-2009, 01:00 PM

I was working at the dealership and watched it all unfold,

mean while my girlfreind Joannie was working with the fire dept at the foot the of trade center where they were timing the bodys falling from the plane and the jumpers hitting the ground, trying to get out and draging bodies across the street,
till the building fell they ran Joannie was burried under a fire truck for 9 hrs and lived so today is a very special day for her and she on her way to see me now. shes a doctor at st. vincents hospital and teaches @ NYU a very special person

La Gringa · 09-11-2009, 01:14 PM

I was in my office in Livingston, NJ. We didn't have a television but we started getting calls telling us what was going on. My company is owned and operated by Emergency Room physicians. They immediately put the word out and mobilized to their various area hospitals on or near the Hudson in anticipation of mass casualties that never came.

Those of us in tech support were also asked to mobilize to the various sites in case they had any issues with their computer systems during this time. I was asked to remain in the office as the point person. At some time we heard about the Pentagon and the USAir plane that went down outside of Pittsburgh - my family's hometown. My father and brothers travel quite a bit on business but we had no information as the communications were getting very iffy by now. The hardest thing for me at the time was not knowing... about my children who were an hour drive away, family in Pittsburgh and family that lived in NYC. Information was sketchy at best - everyone was zombie-like with the surreal nature of what we were hearing.

The worst part was when we heard that the towers had collapsed. We knew then that there would be few casualties. The next few days were spent frantically trying to get information and find people. All of us, without exception, knew one or more people that died in that tragedy.

c-witch · 09-11-2009, 01:14 PM

I was at work as a Police Dispatcher when we got the word. I turned the FM radio to 101.5 and they were having people call in with what they were seeing. I remember a guy describing what he saw from his car just outside the lincoln tunnel. Then he starts screaming incoherently and manages to get out that a 2nd plane had hit. We all listened and watched intently until the first tower fell. It was at this point that my Chief of Police came in and told me to go to my firehouse because the county was mobilizing to assist in the rescue efforts. So as a Captain I started calling my "core" guys and telling them that we were going and to pack for a "few" days. We departed as a county and headed to the Meadowlands only to later be sent home by the Port Authority. They said FDNY didn't need any help, they had it under control. We made it back to Burlington. Late that night a friend on the USAR dog team called to see if I had any guys that could assist him and his team. So 4 of us went up to Jersey City and boarded a tug for the North Marina (Marina right behind the towers). Once we arrived I reported in to a Battalion Chief who immediately assigned us to work with Engine 201 (Sunset Park Brooklyn) We assisted them with acquiring a reserve engine sue to mechanical problems with their engine. We reconnected the hoselines to the fireboat and we were back to pumping water. My brother ended up taking over the pump operator duties and the rest of us assisted them in trying to search for the 4 members of their station that were missing. We worked with them for a few days and then returned home.

In the ensuing months I would continue to drive up to E-201 on my days off to attend funerals, or fill an extra seat on their engine.

I had personally met or attended classes taught by quite a few of those 343 firefighters. Not a day goes by that I don't think about them or their loss.

09-11-2009, 11:44 AM	#13
AK_angler Guppy Breeder Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 32	I was.. I was on the island of Crete, Greece in a nice resort just outside Heraklion. I had just came back to the room after my morning routine of hitting the beach and swimming. I had just poored a nice sized shot of Ouzo and turned on the TV to the only english speaking channel I could get. I could not believe my eyes, I thought some movie was on that I had never seen or heard of for that matter. At the time only 1 plane had hit the towers and the 2nd plane made contact as I watched....in horror...I couldn't believe my eyes. The next day I was traveling to St. Petersburg Russia. When I was going through passport control the female officer said she was sorry for what happend and hoped that we "get those bastards that did this". The world had changed overnight. Traveling through Frankfurt airport was as if I went back in time to the days of world war II. There were armed military personel and military dogs. People that even looked a little bit of Arab descent were lined up along the walls and military men/woman were going through their belongings with sticks as the dogs were sniffing through their belongings. Last edited by AK_angler; 09-11-2009 at 11:48 AM.

09-11-2009, 12:23 PM	#15
Captain Michael Buffington Life is not a popularity contest... Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: SLAYERVILLE Posts: 2,955 Boat: I WALK ON WATER Home Port: Venice Best Catch: Sportfishermen.com Occupation: I kill stuff and piss people off...	I was in Mexico... we had two trips off from the long range boat and me and some friends from other boats went acroos the border for afew days. When we got back to Tiajuana there was a 10 mile long line of cars. We got out of the taxi and started walking after like 2 hours of not moving. About 3 or 4 miles from the border we found the pedestrian line that also did not move. There were 4 of us in Mexico not knowing what the hell has happened when a mexican cab driver held up the Tiajuana times or whatever and it had a mushroom cloud superimposed on the nyc skylineWe spent two days at an offtrack betting place watching fox news on all the tv screens waiting to cross. It was a surreal experience. Mike

09-11-2009, 12:56 PM	#17
tolmaz Cuttin chunks! Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Queenstown, Maryland Posts: 1,967	I remember I was on Indian Head Hwy. Coming back from a building site. At the time I was working for a flooring company. It seemed weird...I couldnt figure out what was up...It seemed "quiet". I could see the smoke from the Pentagon from where I was...Then I heard all air traffic was halted....Hurried back to the main office...They were closing it down people were frantic... __________________ www.cnksaltwatertackle.com GET YOUR SPRING STRIPER GEAR NOW...WE GOT IT ALL

09-11-2009, 01:14 PM	#19
La Gringa I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,025	I was in my office in Livingston, NJ. We didn't have a television but we started getting calls telling us what was going on. My company is owned and operated by Emergency Room physicians. They immediately put the word out and mobilized to their various area hospitals on or near the Hudson in anticipation of mass casualties that never came. Those of us in tech support were also asked to mobilize to the various sites in case they had any issues with their computer systems during this time. I was asked to remain in the office as the point person. At some time we heard about the Pentagon and the USAir plane that went down outside of Pittsburgh - my family's hometown. My father and brothers travel quite a bit on business but we had no information as the communications were getting very iffy by now. The hardest thing for me at the time was not knowing... about my children who were an hour drive away, family in Pittsburgh and family that lived in NYC. Information was sketchy at best - everyone was zombie-like with the surreal nature of what we were hearing. The worst part was when we heard that the towers had collapsed. We knew then that there would be few casualties. The next few days were spent frantically trying to get information and find people. All of us, without exception, knew one or more people that died in that tragedy. Last edited by La Gringa; 09-11-2009 at 01:23 PM.

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09-11-2009, 11:59 AM	#14
Robja I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 5,798 Boat: Need more friends with boats!!! Home Port: Southport Best Catch: 150 lb Tarpon & 65 lb Dorado Occupation: Insurance	I was on my way to the post office listening to John Boy and Billy on the radio and they said a small plane had hit one of the towers so I decided to go by my house to see if it was on the news. I sat there and watched in sadness for the rest of the morning. I couldn't believe something like this was happening in our country. I never realized till a short while later that even though everything happened in the northeast it still affected people I know close to home. I had a policyholders son who was working in the Pentagon and had left his badge in his car and had returned to his car when the plane hit the pentagon. His friends that he rode to work with perished as they had already gone in the building. Another policholders husband had missed his train that morning and had he been in his office he would have perished as well. I spent alot of time that morning of the 11th in prayer for the families who lost loved ones in the tragedies that day.

09-11-2009, 12:34 PM	#16
FXRScotty Sit down Shut up And fish Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Webster Mass Posts: 567 Boat: 2250 Stratos WA hard top Home Port: Gloucester Ma Best Catch: 66" toona on spin Occupation: I build steel mills.	I was on my way to pick up a new pressure washer I had ordered getting ready for haulout. I have never felt so angry and helpless in my life! I was stopped by a trouper doing 100 mph heading home to arm myself and get my family together and the cop fully understood told me to stay cool and let me go. To this day my blood still boils when I think of it and am disgusted with those that want to forget and forgive or blame our gov. for it. NEVER forget, NEVER forgive! Scotty.

09-11-2009, 01:00 PM	#18
Capt. Brian Daley fishalcoholic :) Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: pt.pleasant nj Posts: 3,379 Boat: 42 Bertram & 19 Mako CC Home Port: Pt. Pleasant NJ Best Catch: Many and more to come Occupation: charter captain	I was working at the dealership and watched it all unfold, mean while my girlfreind Joannie was working with the fire dept at the foot the of trade center where they were timing the bodys falling from the plane and the jumpers hitting the ground, trying to get out and draging bodies across the street, till the building fell they ran Joannie was burried under a fire truck for 9 hrs and lived so today is a very special day for her and she on her way to see me now. shes a doctor at st. vincents hospital and teaches @ NYU a very special person

09-11-2009, 01:14 PM	#20
c-witch Hardcore fishacholic Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Waretown, NJ Posts: 84 Boat: 22 Mako, 26 Twin Vee, 26 Grady white Home Port: Waretown Occupation: Charter Capt.	I was at work as a Police Dispatcher when we got the word. I turned the FM radio to 101.5 and they were having people call in with what they were seeing. I remember a guy describing what he saw from his car just outside the lincoln tunnel. Then he starts screaming incoherently and manages to get out that a 2nd plane had hit. We all listened and watched intently until the first tower fell. It was at this point that my Chief of Police came in and told me to go to my firehouse because the county was mobilizing to assist in the rescue efforts. So as a Captain I started calling my "core" guys and telling them that we were going and to pack for a "few" days. We departed as a county and headed to the Meadowlands only to later be sent home by the Port Authority. They said FDNY didn't need any help, they had it under control. We made it back to Burlington. Late that night a friend on the USAR dog team called to see if I had any guys that could assist him and his team. So 4 of us went up to Jersey City and boarded a tug for the North Marina (Marina right behind the towers). Once we arrived I reported in to a Battalion Chief who immediately assigned us to work with Engine 201 (Sunset Park Brooklyn) We assisted them with acquiring a reserve engine sue to mechanical problems with their engine. We reconnected the hoselines to the fireboat and we were back to pumping water. My brother ended up taking over the pump operator duties and the rest of us assisted them in trying to search for the 4 members of their station that were missing. We worked with them for a few days and then returned home. In the ensuing months I would continue to drive up to E-201 on my days off to attend funerals, or fill an extra seat on their engine. I had personally met or attended classes taught by quite a few of those 343 firefighters. Not a day goes by that I don't think about them or their loss.