Today is the 25th anniversary of the 9/11/01 attacks on the United States by four sets of al-Queda hijackers…
These images were burned into our consciousness that day, if you were alive then…
American Airlines Flight 11, and United Flight 175 hit the two towers at the WTC.
American Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.
And United Flight 93 (destined for Washington, DC and either the capital or the White House) crashed in Shanksville, PA after fighting between the hijackers and the passengers, bringing the term “Let’s Roll.” into the lexicon.
I heard the term “defining moment” thrown around a lot, especially in the last years…
My recollection from that day-
On 9/11, I was in my office at the University when I got a call from one of the University pilots who is a retired Marine helo pilot; he told me to “get to a TV, somebody just hit New York with an airplane!”
I finally found one in a conference room upstairs and turned it on, as it happened it was on CNN…
Others started to wonder in to see why I was ‘violating’ University policy, and the pilot called me back, about that time. I do remember something to the effect of “a terrible accident has occurred” being said on TV about the time the pilot saying this wasn’t an accident, it was an airliner and something bad was going down.
As we talked, the second airplane hit the second tower, and we agreed about the fact that America was under attack, but at that point we had no idea who had done it… Anger was the prevalent feeling, and frustration, since there wasn’t anything we could directly do for those folks…
About a half an hour later, I was called into a meeting with law enforcement about securing/protecting facilities and infrastructure; we were interrupted by the announcement that the Pentagon had been hit, and the tone of the meeting changed from what if, to we need to prepare NOW! I also remember driving back to my office and hearing about Shanksville and UA 93 during that time. We set our emergency response plan into effect, sending folks home and going into a 24 hour response cycle.
I stayed at work, coordinating with various folks, but I noticed a lot of my co-workers were in shock that anyone would attack America, much less why attack us… I wasn’t shocked, I was PISSED…
The few of us that were ex-military tended to not say anything after the first couple of arguments, since we had a significantly different perspective. We knew the military had been placed on elevated alert, and folks were either airborne or sitting in cockpits on strip alert…
In the days that followed, I didn’t get a lot of sleep; watched a lot of coverage. When the list of casualties came out, I found out I’d lost three good friends in the Pentagon, and I wrote to Navy Personnel volunteering for recall to active duty. Sadly, I wasn’t recalled…
Why did I post these pictures? Because they are REALITY… Not sugarcoated, apologized for, sanitized talking points, or spun by whomever. We, the USA were attacked on our home soil by terrorists who are STILL determined to bring America to her knees, since we are the “Great Satan”… 25 years later, the terrorists are still after us, and Iran is still leading the charge…
Today, politicians will horn in on the various memorials for the obligatory photo ops even when asked to stay away. They won’t speak, and will keep those who actually DID THE WORK out of the memorials. Friend of mine who is a nurse and worked the pile for over 2 weeks at the Towers asked, and was told not to bother showing up, she wouldn’t be allowed in.
Where were you, and what was your response, and more importantly, what are your thoughts today???
Capt Larry Getzfred, USN; Capt Jack Punches, USN ret; AW1 Joe Pycior all died in the Navy Ops Center in the Pentagon. Never forget…
And steel from the Towers was used to build the bow of the USS NEW YORK (LPD-21).
She, and the USS ARLINGTON (LPD-24) and USS SOMERSET (LPD-25) were named for the other locations where the planes hit. All three ships are San Antonio Class Amphibs.
Learn the actual history of 9/11, not the pablum being spun by the left and most of the media.
Never forget, never forgive!
Hey Old NFO,
I was on the 2nd shift at the Ford Plant here in Atlanta, and my wife woke my up and told me that a plane hit the World Trade center, I turned on the TV and saw clips and thought it was a movie or an accident at first and then saw the 2nd one hit and immediately knew it wasn’t an accident and we were deliberately attacked. I drove into work to sign in to get paid then go home. on that day, my plant was right by the airport, and that day was eerie, there was no planes flying. and the sky was clear blue…but it was really quiet.
Heads on swivels, folks. Keep an eye out for anything even slightly out of the ordinary or suspicious.
Muslims LOVE terrorism anniversaries for causing further chaos, pain, and death.
Where was I? Kansas City Missouri, heading to work with a start time of approximately 8 am Central.
I turned on 98.9 FM “The Rock” and was expecting to listen to the Johnny Dare and Murphy morning zoo show, as normal. Nope… ABC News Radio. WTF, format change overnight? But I listen anyway, and there’s reports of something hitting one of the World Trade Center towers, maybe a plane, nobody’s sure, but there’s a lot of fire, and smoke, and conjecture.
As I’m driving to work, I hear the report come in that a second plane has just hit the South tower of the World Trade Center, and it was a jumbo jet.
My first thoughts? “Oh crap, we’re under attack, this is no coincidence. This is a coordinated terrorist attack. We’ll be at war by the afternoon. The USA is probably going to revoke all VISAs and will be deporting foreign nationals. I’d better prepare.”
(I was on a TN 1-year infinitely renewable VISA to work and live in Kansas City. My wife had a TD – permitted to reside, but not to work, and she didn’t. She stayed home with the kids while I worked.)
Hey, these are the things you think about when you’re a properly-permitted and papered foreign national living in a nation that just had the crap hit the fan in a “War were declared” sort of way.
I get to work, and everyone’s watching the old small CRT TV that the office had (no idea why they had one, but they did.) The supervisor of the department kept walking over and turning it off and telling everyone to get back to work. That went over like a lead brick. Someone would get a call or a page, and they’d be right back to turn on the news. Something this big? Forget getting any work done for the rest of the day.
Once the first tower collapsed, the higher ups stopped trying to get anyone to concentrate on their work, they realized this was one of those moments in history where the events overtake anything else. By the fall of the second tower, I was both sad at the loss of life, and angry at those who caused it.
At lunch, I walked across the street to a Catholic church. I’m not Catholic, but I wanted to lend my support to the community with my presence, and I probably wanted to feel a little of that back as well. The place was packed, and the Priest was giving an unscheduled Noon mass, because, well, one was needed. Let’s just say that his message was not one of peace, but of judgement on those who did this, and his prayers specifically asked for God’s retribution and judgement on those who attacked us. Can’t say I was exactly displeased either, you could tell the priest was PISSED.
Went back to work, it was still a lot of milling around and trying to find stuff out. By 2 PM, since KCI had been closed and national airspace had been shut down, and many other businesses had already sent their people home, the company I was at sent us home as well.
And then I stayed glued to the TV and on my computer for the rest of the day trying to find out more about this, most importantly, who done it and who was going to get carpet bombed in response. Like OldNFO, I wasn’t scared but pissed off, and by now I didn’t care if the USA asked/demanded foreign nationals to get out of the country, I just wanted them to open up several 55 gallon drums of whoop-ass on whoever attacked them, or maybe even open a few of the canned-sunshine devices for a few unscheduled sunrises.
A month went by and no war (paint me seriously surprised at that.) I figured the States would unleash absolute hell on whoever did that to them, but Bush stayed remarkably calm.
I stayed in the USA until September of 2002, and by then economic winds had changed significantly, so I moved me and my family back to Canada. A job opportunity opened up and by 7 years in, I was getting seriously tired of dealing with renewing my work permit and my wife’s dependent permit with the INS. You Americans think the IRS is scary, it’s NOTHING compared to the INS (now the USCIS.) Seriously, most of you have no idea.
Okay, that’s my tale. Thanks for reading.
AGT, I know the feeling about letting the whoopass loose up to and including canned sunshine. The problem was that this was not a recognized nation state that did this. The question was who do we loose it on? Eventually, we figured that one nation state, Afghanistan, was a player in this and we let some go on them but fudge that up.
I was driving to work listening to the reports of the first plane and arrived just in time to see the second on the breakroom TV.
Capt Larry Getzfred was leaving VP-6 at the time I arrived so I never got to know him.
In the office on the 6h floor of the Atlanta Fed building when the 2nd plane hit. TV sitting on the low file cabinets.
We must demand that the sheik that was the mastermind be tried and executed for his crimes. 25 years and still no justice for the families of the deceased.Presidents Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, and Trump again and the sheik is still unpunished for this attack.We MUST get the sheik to trial for the sake of those families still looking for justice!
I had just walked into my office at work and was told an airplane had hit one of the World Trade Center Towers. That was all that was know there about what happened. I speculated that it might have been a light plane that was flying there and the pilot had a physiological incident.
As the news unfolded about what was happening, it became apparent that we were being attacked. All I could do was get angry and sad. When I saw a picture of one of the jumpers, I cried.
I have a rant about this that I am not going to put here. I am sure many others feel the same.
Remember those that died that day, the victims of the terrorists and the first responders.
On September 11, 2001America, and the rest of the World changed forever!
On that September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 innocent people were killed! Some were mealy going to work, some had boarded airplanes, and began ordinary mornings never knowing they would become part of the darkest day in modern American history.
That was the terrible, Horrible day that the towers fell. The Pentagon burned., And Flight number 93 crashed in a Pennsylvania field.
Now, Twenty-five years later, we remember the lives that were stolen, and the heroes who Ran Toward Danger, and the Courage of a Nation That Refused to Be Broken. We must Never Forget.
September 11, 2001, is a date that should be, and that is etched into the heart of our Nation forever. A day when the world watched in Horror as the Twin Towers fell, the Pentagon was struck, and a quiet field in Pennsylvania became a final resting place for American Heroes. A day that nearly 3,000 innocent lives were taken that morning, people of every age, race, and background. Mothers, Fathers, Children, First Responders, and Everyday Citizens. All Caught in the Terror and Tragedy. Their Stories Are More than Just Numbers; They Were Neighbors, Friends, Mentors, and Dreamers whose presence enriched our communities in countless numbers of ways
But along with the grief, there was a profound display of humanity. Strangers helped other strangers, communities came together, and the courage of first responders shone as a beacon of hope. Our country seem to Unite! People drove their cars with American Flags attached to the window, Office workers stopped what they were doing and shared in the grief. From the rubble emerged stories of Bravery, Compassion, and Unwavering Resilience, it was a testament to the enduring spirit of the American Spirit that seemed to had been lost before and was now regained.
On this solemn day, we pause to remember all of them that were lost, and honor the bravery of those who ran toward danger to try to help, and we gather to reflect on the enduring impact of that terrible day . We hold their memory in our hearts and strive to live with the compassion, courage, and unity they inspire. And we Pledged to Never Forget or Forgive, But did we? Did we forget? Did we forgive the hijackers on American Airlines Flight 11? Did we forget the act of Horror that cost nearly 3000 people their lives? Did we forget or Forgive the 19 criminals that knocked down the World Trade Center?
And what is the point of even remembering the attacks if the country is so freaking stupid that we allowed the Borders to open and let Islam continue its Horrible March into every home in America! And to take over our Government, and to change our lives again!
We NOW have Muslims in positions of power including in New York City. And already the New Yorker’s are sorry, and they are wishing that they could take back their Vote!
So the bottom line, WHAT IF ANYTHING DID WE LEARN?
We learned that Once a City Is Attacked by Islamic Terror, the next Step Is to Elect an Islamic Mayor to Try and Get Them to like Us ! Is that what we learned? Boy Are WE SUCKERS!
What is clear is whatever our Kids learned in school was a waste of taxpayer money….we are as dumb as they come! And what is also clear , is that we allowed our Kids to learn the Crap that they wanted us to learn!
What we should have learned that 9/11 wasn’t a war of religion, it was a group of terrorists created to turn on us Americans and to turn America into Communism.. And trust me, this is exactly what they are doing.
I was in the first days of a new job, having moved from NM to Texas. I was angry on that morning, 25 years ago, and I’m still angry. It seems we can’t learn from our (many) mistakes!
We should also never forget the four Americans killed in Benghazi, Libya on this same day in 2012: U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service Information Officer Sean Smith, and former Navy SEAL security contractors Tyrone “Rone” Woods and Glen “Bub” Doherty.
Never forget, never forgive!
Bob G
The core of the Democratic Party then was communists who think that the crazier Muslims are fighting men enough to balance out and destroy the ordinary decent Americans. The communists are theory obsessives, they are murderous, and they use untested flawed theory to filter out any observations of reality that they directly perceive.
The Islamic terrorism of the last eightyish years is partly culture, partly low cost high speed transportation, and partly that the Russians were not confident that their native warrior medicine alone could counter that of western church Christendom, so they wanted Muslims as patsies.
Our own native cultural perception is that if they are still warring so terribly, it is simply because we have stupidly stopped short of killing so many of them that the survivors are willing to accept peace.
Three things that made that day far worse than people are told.
1. There were, thanks to Clinton, no stand-alert armed aircraft available anywhere in the US. Yes, fighters were finally scrambled to take down the missing plane that hit Pennsylvania, but the commander of the 2 plane flight told his 2nd pilot that he would ram the cockpit and for her to ram the tail.
Instead, we had brave passengers that took it out from the inside.
How bad would it have been for us to lose 2 pilots and planes because of ramming?
2. The shutdown of the ATC and grounding of all flights stopped the 2nd wave. There were, potentially, up to 10 additional hijackings planned for that day or subsequent days.
The media and the official sources have been silent about this for over 20 years. Why?
3. We lost a lot of people that day. We’ve lost more since from the physical and emotional fallout. Why aren’t those victims talked about? Deaths from the side effects of breathing the air on that day or from working the pile or from moving back into one’s apartment before complete remediation of the dust and ash continue the Butcher’s Bill (the Blue Bloods episode “The Job” is one of the best addressing of this issue.) Deaths from mental issues also continue to kill, from depression to PTSD to a variety of other issues.
The victims still are dying. Where’s the media on this?
On a different note, one of my favorite scenes in “An American Carol” (a parody of Michael Moore and the whole leftist enemedia world) is the one with the ghost of George Washington. It is also the only one played truly straight, and is sobering, dark, introspective and a brutal punch in the face. The movie is funny and stupid and worth a watch. And then pay attention when George shows up. I’ve actually paused it, gone to the bathroom and cried quietly over this scene as it is that good and powerful.
I was at home in Chico, CA that morning. I had slept late, don’t recall why now. I was just getting up when my wife came in the bedroom to tell me of the first plane. That morning fanned a glowing ember into a burn that continues to this day, and not just at the bad guys. Back story —
I joined the California State Military Reserve in 1983 (C.S.M.R., now called the State Guard). My unit HQ was at the National Guard Armory in Oroville. Some time in the early 90’s, we received a request from the Butte County Sheriff’s office to write some terrorist training scenarios wherein we would play the OPFORS (bad guys) against them. Those training exercises never came to pass.
In the mean time, three of us were tasked to come up with the scenarios. I was Bn S3 at the time. We were: one former Army enlisted (me), one former Navy enlisted, and one former Air Force enlisted (served in Vietnam). It was no epiphany to any of us that we were wide open to attack. With the intent of making that point, we wrote an off-the-cuff scenario. It went like this–
Intelligence indicates that an individual of middle eastern decent, here on a student visa, intends to beg, barrow, or steal a general aviation aircraft, load it with explosives or possibly a nuclear device, and ditch the aircraft into the lake behind Oroville dam. Likely the explosives will have delay fuse, giving the aircraft time to sink. Think Dambusters.
The reaction from our chain of command (including our CO) was to verbally pat us on the head like small children, and then tell us to go “Write something more realistic”. That was the glowing ember.
I continued to serve, eventually become Bn CO in 1996. I also eventually burned out on trying to deliver a message few wanted to hear. I submitted my letter requesting retirement on 09/01/2001.
I heard later that on 09/11, the CSMR CG ordered everyone to stand down and sit by the phone. They did, and waited for a call that never came.
Today, wife and I live in Texas. We shall see.
I was running a Radio Shack at that time, and I heard about the first plane on the radio while driving to work. Watched the day’s events on a wall of TVs.
My store had one of the best sales days of the year, with people coming in to get portable TVs, radios, batteries, stuff like that. Not the way I wanted to make my sales goals.
All- Thank you for your perspectives and comments.