I still remember that morning. I was driving to work in Kansas City, turned on the radio to 98.9 FM “The Rock” and expected to hear Johnny Dare and Murphy doing their normal morning show nonsense. But they weren’t on the air, instead it was an ABC news simulcast. I wondered if the radio station had changed formats overnight. The information coming from the radio seemed live and people were scrambling trying to keep up with whatever was going on.
And then I heard it: “A second plane has just hit the second tower of the World Trade Center.”
When you hear something like that, things congeal very quickly.
1. Second plane? Second tower? That’s not an accident, that’s intentional.
2. We’re going to be at war by the end of the day.
3. I’m on a work permit. I’m a foreigner here. I’m so getting deported.
I continued on into work, and when I got there they had a small television out and people were paying attention to it. One of the managers kept trying to turn it off and get people to focus on the work, but people were in shock and that wasn’t going to happen.
We heard about how the airspace around the country was being shut down. People were worried about other possible terrorist attacks around the country.
I attended a mass at noon, just around the corner. I’m not Catholic, but when something like this happens, you just want to connect, you want reassurance. The place was packed. I remember the priest wasn’t in all that much of a “love and forget” type of mood. I remember he prayed for God’s justice to be visited upon those who did this awful thing. Can’t say I blamed him one little bit.
A little bit after 2 PM central time, they sent everyone home. Things didn’t return to “normal” for about 3 days, and then everyone was on pins and needles for weeks. As that time stretched on, I kept wondering if Bush was going to do something because it felt like he was just sitting there and taking it. If you’ll remember, it took about a month before things kicked into gear, and it was October 7 that “Operation Enduring Freedom” was launched.
As I finish this comment, it’s 07:53 AM Eastern. At 8:06 AM I’ll press play on one of those groups of audio I linked at the top.
What is really frightening is that there is now a whole generation who never knew the world before… and can’t appreciate what we all — the whole world — lost that morning.
I’ll never forget or forgive. I didn’t know anyone in either of the tragedies, but I didn’t have to, to be angry, shocked and mad. I hate that you knew three of the men personally in the Pentagon. I also hate that the US lost its anger and loyalty to each other for a few months. Hopefully the US will get its head out of its ass and become a great nation again. With God’s blessing…
There was, in my mind, a deep level of anger that a friend had been attacked , unjustifiably, by a common enemy.
There was also a hope that America could get over its self-absorbtion, pull together and deal with that enemy as they had in the past.
Too many forgot too quickly. You are very right to say “Never Forget”.
Amen!!!
The FDNY radio audio covering that morning:
https://archive.org/details/911_fdny_dispatches
I still remember that morning. I was driving to work in Kansas City, turned on the radio to 98.9 FM “The Rock” and expected to hear Johnny Dare and Murphy doing their normal morning show nonsense. But they weren’t on the air, instead it was an ABC news simulcast. I wondered if the radio station had changed formats overnight. The information coming from the radio seemed live and people were scrambling trying to keep up with whatever was going on.
And then I heard it: “A second plane has just hit the second tower of the World Trade Center.”
When you hear something like that, things congeal very quickly.
1. Second plane? Second tower? That’s not an accident, that’s intentional.
2. We’re going to be at war by the end of the day.
3. I’m on a work permit. I’m a foreigner here. I’m so getting deported.
I continued on into work, and when I got there they had a small television out and people were paying attention to it. One of the managers kept trying to turn it off and get people to focus on the work, but people were in shock and that wasn’t going to happen.
We heard about how the airspace around the country was being shut down. People were worried about other possible terrorist attacks around the country.
I attended a mass at noon, just around the corner. I’m not Catholic, but when something like this happens, you just want to connect, you want reassurance. The place was packed. I remember the priest wasn’t in all that much of a “love and forget” type of mood. I remember he prayed for God’s justice to be visited upon those who did this awful thing. Can’t say I blamed him one little bit.
A little bit after 2 PM central time, they sent everyone home. Things didn’t return to “normal” for about 3 days, and then everyone was on pins and needles for weeks. As that time stretched on, I kept wondering if Bush was going to do something because it felt like he was just sitting there and taking it. If you’ll remember, it took about a month before things kicked into gear, and it was October 7 that “Operation Enduring Freedom” was launched.
As I finish this comment, it’s 07:53 AM Eastern. At 8:06 AM I’ll press play on one of those groups of audio I linked at the top.
I can’t forget.
The first crash happened at 8:46 AM Eastern. I suggest the “Fire Manhattan 1” audio feed.
I was also reminded that this is the anniversary of attack on Benghazi embassy as well.
I can’t believe 22 years have passed since those airliners hit the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and that crash drive into that field.
And the United States of America has not eliminated all of islam from the face of the Universe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj6rMcVNQbw
What is really frightening is that there is now a whole generation who never knew the world before… and can’t appreciate what we all — the whole world — lost that morning.
I’ll never forget or forgive. I didn’t know anyone in either of the tragedies, but I didn’t have to, to be angry, shocked and mad. I hate that you knew three of the men personally in the Pentagon. I also hate that the US lost its anger and loyalty to each other for a few months. Hopefully the US will get its head out of its ass and become a great nation again. With God’s blessing…
All- Thanks for the comments! Never forget!
There was, in my mind, a deep level of anger that a friend had been attacked , unjustifiably, by a common enemy.
There was also a hope that America could get over its self-absorbtion, pull together and deal with that enemy as they had in the past.
Too many forgot too quickly. You are very right to say “Never Forget”.
Peter- Thank you!
Never Forget.