Remembering 9/11 2001 - Where Were You?
September 11th, 2006, by Michael Stelzner
It was early in the morning and for some reason I turned on the little TV in our bedroom. My wife was 7 months pregnant with our first child.
I remember looking at the little TV in disbelief. I woke my wife up, “Honey, there’s been an explosion in New York!”
The first tower had been struck and the second one was about to be hit.
Later, as the south tower crumbled, I remember thinking that 50,000 people must have perished. I also remember praying.
I vow to NEVER forget this event.
Where were you on 9/11 2001? How has your life been changed?
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September 11th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
I was running late when I heard on the radio that a small plane had crashed into the first tower. It was so startingly that I went to the living room and turned on the TV. While the news anchors were sorting out what happened, and trying to find a witness to talk to, the second jet appeared in the background of the shot, curving in back of the first tower. And my blood ran cold. Only helicopters can fly that low in the City. And the plane didn’t look like it was in a freefall due to mechanical problems. My blood ran colder…and then froze…when the camera angle on The Towers changed and we saw the jet leveling itself for a direct strike on the second tower.
In the minutes that followed, there was news about the Pentagon strike, a lot of misinformation about other sites in D.C. getting hit, and news of a fourth jet that was in flight and unreachable. I called into work to say I wasn’t going to be in, but no one had noticed I was late because everyone was glued to the news Web sites.
I watched both towers come down, saw the Pentagon burning, and heard the news of the crash in Pennsylvania…and wondered how much worse it was going to get that day. As hellish as it was to watch unfold on television, my heart was with those who were on the scene. I watch the documentaries each 9/11 so I won’t forget, and because I don’t think the ones who were on the scene should be the only ones to live out their lives haunted by the terror of that day.
September 11th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
That Tuesday was my day off. I had slept in and was doing some morning reading when one of my wife’s girlfriends called and told us to turn on CNN. I went to school in the Bronx so I lived there for 4 years. Most days we could see the towers from campus.
I was completely glued to the TV until after the second tower fell. At that point I went in to work to relieve one of the guys I worked with. He and I went to the same school and I knew his brother was a NYC Cop. I figured my buddy wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work very well worrying so I went in and sent him home.
Fortunately it turned out his brother was going to detective school and the NYPD wouldn’t let any of them out of the building after the planes hit. Being in school may have saved his life.
Michael, I’m afraid too many actually are forgetting. They don’t want to be reminded how vulnerable we really are and how much vigilance it takes to keep us safe.
September 12th, 2006 at 6:05 am
Well on that day i was in Indian airbase at jodhpur and suddenly the security flights got increased so we thought something happen in India but when I switch on the TV we got to know the real fact.But let me tell u one we daily hear and see these kind of terriost activities in India not on soo much big level but they do it and daily near about 15-20 people were killed by terrist activities but here in India we do remember that 9/11 day.Can’t we people do something so that everyone in this world do aware of these kind of activities.
September 12th, 2006 at 6:59 am
I remember it was a Tuesday because my son was still in preschool and attended school on MWF. So he was home with me. I normally don’t watch TV and that morning a contractor was scheduled to install our new kitchen floor. He arrived with a look of fear on his face and said, “Can you turn on the TV?”
When I saw the news, my heart plummeted. My husband was on a flight to California from Boston. Later that morning he called from California to ask, “What in the hell is going on?” We spent the morning calling each other and he made the decision to drive home since all flights were now grounded.
I’ll never forget that first night — you don’t realize how much noise planes make until they’re no longer flying overhead. I lay in bed with the window open listening to the silence — it’s a sound I’ll not forget for a long time.
September 12th, 2006 at 8:05 am
Dianna, I appreciate how weird the absence of planes in the air was in the days immediately after 9/11. I am a former Naval Flight Officer and I have always been fascinated with planes. I am constantly looking up at planes in the sky.
That September we were living near Jacksonville, FL and several airways routes passed overhead. It was creepy for me to look in the sky and not see any contrails. I didn’t realize until then how fully crisscrossed our sky normally was.
September 13th, 2006 at 5:58 am
Amazing stories everyone. This is what I love about blogs! Thanks for sharing.
Mike
September 11th, 2007 at 9:45 am
While this wasall going on I was in class in 6th grade. I was young then and did not understand - but now I’ve come to see that this is very unfortunate to our country. How we are a free country and others just can come to see, we like it this way - It’s not their problem.
My toughts and prayers go out to EVERYONE who lost friends and family. Also to anyone who has family or friends in war.
Much Love