World Tade Center

“The Twin Towers will be measured by the souls that inhabited it, not the amount of steel and concrete.

Memories may fade and time is all too short. Soo many lives were lost two years ago, I cannot fathom all the pain and suffering.

The best we can do, my TT brothers and sisters, is to honor those lost souls, to respect and love one another, and to live the TrailTalk dream.

Here's to meeting you all on some trail on some day.

: )”

“Thanks, Pathman! Nice sentiment from you and Bobo...”

“On 9/11/01, I was 200 miles away from NYC, in central PA. It was a beautiful day, and work had been cancelled for the day by order of the governor.

So I decided to go for a hike.

I still remember driving down Big Valley and passing all the Amish buggies, I wondered if they knew about that day's events; I wondered what their feelings were and what their reactions were. It was like passing a parallel world that seemed to be unaffected by that day's monstrous events. It was sort of reassuring, in a way.

I reached the trailhead and hiked along the ridgeline. I was nearing Hawk Watch, a favorite for bird watchers to look for eagles and hawks. I passed a guy who had been there all day counting hawks. He had no idea what transpired that day, I had to tell him. He was speechless. I still remember my voice breaking when I told him.

I finally reached an amazing vista, still a personal favorite, where you could see for miles. The sun was fading, the chill was creeping in the air. Only the vultures and hawks kept me company. The view was incredible. And there wasn't a single plane in the air; it was so quiet, so serene. I just sat there, not knowing what to think. I was just glad to be on the mountain and alive.”

“I remember hearing something on the radio as i drove to work at 6:50 Mountain Time. At that point it wasn't clear what had happened; they thought a small plane had accidently crashed into the tower. By the time I got settled in we had the TV on and the second plane went in. After that we were all numb, just standing there with our coffee cups.”

“I rode my bike to work that day. It was a spectular day just like today. As I walked in, somebody told me about the first attack, shortly after getting to my office I heard about the second. After that I was on TT and listening to the radio in horror and anger, as I had to suffer working a normal day, while thousands suffered unfathomble agony, pain and fear. The third attack, the Pentagon. Rumors of a fourth in DC, then no, a plane down in Pittsburgh. All unfolding live on the radio and on the internet.

september11.archive”

“We shall never forget,
We shall overcome!

”

“Everytime this thread comes back, I re-read it. It wild how things unfolded at that time and who was saying what back then.

I miss biz.

There was a lot of people outta their skulls at that time. I remember that day very well.”

“I just read this thread and relived the horror of that day. As I read, the hair on my arms was standing up and I felt sick to my stomach all over again.

I remember waking up the next morning and my first thought was that I had had an awful terrible dream. And then it was like getting hit by a train when I remembered that it wasn't a dream.”

“May peace be with the families and friends of the fallen.”

“My husband is an airline pilot (who is afraid of nothing and reacts to things not often). He was in the sky that day and was listening to all the air chatter...United trying to find there down planes, and the general aviation call to all aircraft "All aircraft above the continental United States be prepared to deviate to alternate landing sights" He doesn't talk much about it but he thinks about it all the time.....A tragedy...I wish the familys and those effected well.”

“I just got back from a memorial hike to raise the flag on all 48 major peaks in New Hampshire in commeration. This is part of a new tradition, started the Saturday after the attack - to commemorate the loss and the lives of loved ones.”

“and every time I see archived footage or hear someone talk about 9/11, I still feel the hairs stand up on my neck.

Sad thing... in Nov. 2000, my sis, bro, hubby & I went to the WTC to try to go to the Windows on the World restaurant. We didn't go up because my brother had shorts on and they had a dress code... figured we'd go back some day in the future....

The next time I went to NYC was the summer of 2002.... Even then, my bro, hubby & I visited the "viewing platform" and were amazed at the number of personal tributes written & left behind at the church which was at the base of the 2 towers.... I took some photos.... To this day, my sis, who lives in Broooklyn has not been down to the WTC area.... (her boyfriend at the time of 9/11 worked in the bldg and due to a stroke of incredible luck, was outside on his cell phone talking to his dad. He witnessed EVERYTHING from the base of the bldg.... saw what appeared to be splinters coming down after the plane hit and realized they were 6 foot beams.....

This incident will be permanently burned into my memory for the rest of my life.”

“September 11th I got up early.

I don't know why but I did.

I took a shower, made a pot of coffee and dragged a razor across my face, my daily ritual.

Still groggy, I sat at the edge of my bed nursing the coffee and watching the news on channel 4, the NBC affilliate. I heard Bryant Gumbal break in with the fire in the first tower. They didn't know what happened, but the tower was on fire. First reports were of a plane possibly crashing into it.

The speculation was that of a bad accident.

Then it happened.

As the camera focused on the towers, a second plane banked as it came into camera view. The commentator was discussing the situation in New York when suddenly she screamed in a tone that I will not soon forget.

The second plane had struck the other tower.

I sat on the edge of my bed in complete disbelief. I actually wept which I don't do.

I sat for an hour or two, I really don't remember how long. My roommate finally got up for work, and all I could think to say to him coldly in passing was,

"We are under attack."

He didn't reply or respond and instead gave me that funny, "huh?" look.

I couldn't think to explain any more.

Godspeed to those personally affected by that utterly amazingly disgusting day.”

“After 9/11, I think the world clearly got "smaller".... it seemed to me that the 6 degrees of separation became more like 1, 2 or 3.... almost everyone I knew had contact or knew of a person who died or whose body was never recovered....

Also, with the internet, and digital cameras, much of the world got to see the events happen almost immediately....

Most of us who witnessed the events either live or in person will never forget.... (how could we-- with the news broadcasting 24/7... I couldn't sleep for several days... had to finally turn the TV off because we couldn't stand it anymore.)

When coming home by plane from Alaska a few days ago, we were again reminded of how 9/11 has affected our world--what used to take a few minutes (security) now took us an hour of waiting as each passenger obediently took off his or her shoes and had every thing in their possession x-rayed and sometiimes rifled through. I made the unfortunate error of leaving a pocket knife in my carry on (a gift to my brother which I had forgotten about!) and of course, it was confiscated-- was told that I had 2 choices... 1) leave it there and never see it again or 2) mail it to myself (but I would have to stand in the security line for yet another hour.)

Of course I chose 1--we still nearly missed our plane home....(we ran through the airport and I nearly passed out because of my asthma.)

Not to say that I don't appreciate the feeling of security being careful, but it is sad to see that our world has succumbed to being suspicious about everyone and everything....Gone are the days of people being neighborly because it was the right thing to do... now it seems that if you are too friendly or kind, people are suspicious of your motivations.... No longer is a "cigar a cigar" or a "nail clipper a nail clipper".... now the question is "what potential does the item have to harm?"

What seems ironic to me is that pens and pencils aren't being banned.... If you really think about it, someone could stab another person with a pencil, a spoon, a chopstick, a tube of lipstick (the long thin kind) just as well as they could stab someone with a nail clipper....or a disposable razor.

But then, we now live in a post 9/11 world... I guess I can't complain too much because at least I had the option to fly home from a beautiful state vs. those who are no longer here to have that option.

(Sorry 'bout the long post!)”

“I gotta tell you, it was kinda emotional last night -- I spotted the twin lights memorial from as far as Brewster, NY (near Danbury, CT -- halfway to Massachusetts) driving home from New Hampshire last night, and it kinda continued the haunt the skyline for the next 2 hours all the way home to near Princeton, NJ. Kinda eerie actually.

Being from North Jersey and all, just way too many people I know are somehow associated with it and all...”

“I was at the world trade center site today.(9-12-04) Have a bunch of pics from the (previous)top of them. Can find & send digitally.”

“I visit the site every year when I go to NY. Everyone quiety walks around the site and looks at all the memorials that are up with pictures and names of the deceased. There are no words to describe the experience.”

“Moment of silence. I'll be thinking of NYC on my long ride today.”

“I recall sitting with Walindude in Liberty park the day before it happened. We were just back from hiking in the Whites and he wanted to see the NYC sky line before he went home to Tenn. We walked through the park, stopped and took pictires of NYC and the statue of liberty and then we left.”

“Up untill May, I was probably looking at the NY skyline once a week for work. Sure looks different. My wife & young daughter took a bunch of pics from the top, but I would never go in those buildings. Not even when they were brand new.”

“I was in the World Trade Center back in 1982 for work. I was visiting the FHLB offices on the 102nd floor. It was kind of strange being up so high while indoors. Open office doors would sway back and forth on a gusty day.

I remember someone at work saying something about a plane hitting the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. We all went into a conference room and watched the early news reports and saw the 2nd plane hit the World Trade Center live on television. It was a sad day for the U.S. and one that will be long remembered.”

“Sirpete, all I can say is WOW.

I am very sad today, remembering all those innocent people.”

“I had just finished a hike in the fingerlakes national forest and was heading home when i turned on howard stern and first heard the news, it was a long ride home after that.
last edited: 9/11/05 6:42:13 PM”

“It happened during my second hour planning period. I watched the TV with my Advanced English class during the next hour.

If you can believe it, students had lost interest by my last hour. We watched for half the class and got back to school work for the second half.

I saw an aerial intercept the next day just west of Ann Arbor. A small government plane was flying west without proper clearance. My sister and I thought it was strange to see something in the air. Then, very quickly, two jet fighters screamed in behind the plane. Of course, they didn't shoot it down, but it seemed pretty dramatic at the time.

BTW, I am not completely convinced that we should commemorate this day. I don't like commemorating failure. I also think that 911 has been used to justify many poor decisions. And I think that Memorial Day can be a day to remember those who died on behalf of the nation.

I tend to think that Steven Speilberg had it right in his most recent movie. Following democracy scrupulously and spreading it gratuitously will do more to innoculate us from terrorism than anything else.

And once we decide to stop fearing the terror, its power will diminish.”

“My mom and aunt had just left N.Y. city before the planes hit. My mom came back to Montreal and my aunt went back to Chicago. I had just woken up when my aunt called and said, "Don't worry, we landed safely in Chicago"....I said, "Ok, I'll let the family know". I didn't realize she meant that two planes had crashed into the twin buildings....and it wasn't their plane.”

“I was at a McDonalds drive thru when the first plane hit. I was in graduate school when this happened and I was teaching freshmen level communications. Never forget the discussions we had in class for about a week. The lesson plan went right into the garbage.

My cousin and his new bride were on their honeymoon in Maui. They got stranded there a few extra days.”

“I have a friend that worked for Fila HQ at the time, and was in NY working a tennis match that week. She was part of the hell trying to get away from the area - and she was on the subway already on her way to NJ when it happened. She got off when they stopped the system, and the image of the tower burning when she got above ground and looked back still shakes her. Cash was king if you wanted water or food or smokes. Kind of like any disaster area.

Moral of the story, pull together disaster supplies if you haven't already.”

“I was working on a large project in the Midwest when there was a disturbance in the hall. This was the critical meeting of the project and things were going well. We took a break. There were TV monitors all over the place (this was at an insurance company). The first plane had already hit the tower. We watched stunned as the second plane came in.

After 30 minutes I said that obviously we should postpone the negotiations. There were over 30 people involved and I was sure many of them had flown in or had friends or family on the east coast.

I was shocked that I was almost unanimously voted down. I learned an important lesson that day.”

“I was in NYC Saturday helping my son out (he's a Freshman in college and his dorm is in lower Manhattan). I saw some fireworks over the Hudson around 9PM - part of the commemoration I guess.

He loves NYC, I took him there in August of 2001. One morning we'd planned to go to the WTC, buy some discount theater tickets at the ticket outlet there and do the WTC tourist stuff. I messed up with the hotel alarm clock and we over slept. We decided to skip the WTC. I figured, "there will always be another chance." I think twice now whenever I catch myself saying that.”

“You can visit the site before it�s redeveloped. It�s basically a huge hole with a fence around it. Some of the surrounding buildings are still scarred. There are official displays, but what I find most moving are the handwritten messages to lost loved ones people have left on the fence around the stairs to the new transit center. People still cry in public there.”

“how tragic, that day is still so raw.

the memorial for flight 93 was recently unveiled. it is very well done, nature takes a prominent role in the memorial; i even think there will be hiking trails.”

“I was in the Citigroup Building on 53rd St on the 26th floor. One of the lawyers called me 7 minutes after the first plane hit. His apartment was six blocks from the site. He was screaming that 8 floors were missing from the WTC. I called Maple and she was outside her office having a cigarette. She was in view of the towers and saw the second plane hit. I spoke with the other lawyers in the firm and we agreed that the 4th (at the time) largest building in NYC was worth bailing out of at that point. Made my way downtown to Maple's office. We then tried for hours to get off the island. It was difficult. Hard to forget, too. Seems like yesterday.”

“I was at our printing plant. When we got out, I watched TV coverage at a Turnpike rest stop before continuing home. First thought was, these things happen. A bomber flew into the Empire State Building after the war, and it was still standing. When the second one hit, we knew it was something big.

People were getting cell phone calls from family and friends and relaying bits of information. Some people had relatives in NYC or Washington and were very worried.”

“Thinkbubelz & I were in NYC about 2 weeks ago. This time, we didn't have enough time to visit the WTC site. I wish we had been able to see it agan...

We had visited the WTC "viewing platform" about 6 months after it happened. It was very moving to see the written messages on the walls-- and my brother had a college friend who perished on that day. He wrote her a little memorial... Just walking up to the area made our hair stand on end-- even if you had been out of the loop, you could feel that something terrible had happened there when you saw the memorials left by friends and family on the fences of the church at the base of the WTC.

We also visited the smashed "world peace" sculpture... it was quite moving....

I believe to this day, my sister, who lives in Brooklyn has not been to the site. Too many painful memories (her boyfriend at the time was almost killed on that day) and too much chaos-- I can understand why she won't go...”

“Seeing the seven story piece of one of the towers that was left standing upright shortly after the incident was the most chilling thing to me. I went down there one night prior to Thanksgiving. Before this, you couldn't get very close to the site and visual barriers were up. I decided to muster up the gumption to finally get that close, knowing the emotional impact was going to be like fist to the jaw. As soon as I got up from the subway at Rector Street, walked around the corner and did a 180, there it was, big as day. I swear, my legs went limp for a moment or two. That, too, I will never forget...

This was shortly after we finished our relief efforts at the supply outpost Maple found. We worked for over three weeks there.”

“I thought about you and Mapes often yesterday. I remember her saying that you guys had some residual lung problems. Hope that is better now. Thanks again for taking Geo and me by the site when were up there. I will never forget that.”

“That was quite an evening, wasn't it?

Yeah, the severity of it lasted six months with me. But, I developed a bit of an ashmatic condition that is somewhat exertion related. That has not quite subsided, to this day...”

“My husband woke me up after the first plane hit the tower. I still can't bear to watch that bldg collapes on itself.

I visit the site every year I go to NY except this past July went I visted my family there. It's strange to look across the now empty site to see Century's (a dept store) that was not visible before.

I remember the first year I visited the site; I felt an uncomfortable feeling in my throat and my asthma bothered me after that. There still had to be residual dust in the air. I can't remember off hand which month I visited after the plane hit.”

“I had spent the night before out in the dunes up on the coast with friends and strangers. We had a giant bonfire and had danced to drums and guitars, we were full of beer and cheer. The black sand reflected the stars and moon and every step in the damp sand glowed green. I felt so happy, so at home and at peace. I fell asleep out in the dunes, no sleepy bag, no tent, jsut the stars and good people. In the morning I rode home in the back of a truck hitch hiking. When I got home my roomates told me what happened...we had no tv and I thought this was a sick practical joke untill they dragged me over to our neighbors (who had a tv). I was in shock....big time.”

“tough to get a good picture now, this was June this summer.

”

“I think I'm still in denial. I've even seen "the hole." Still have trouble believing it. Horrible thing to happen. I'm thankful that none of my family worked in that building. Even my uncle's friend who worked there had called in sick that day.”

“My family's neighbor in NY just left the WTC for a meeting someplace else, so he nearly got killed. He missed the attack by 15 minutes.

That was a day where little things made all the difference. Who decided to call in sick, who didn't make the job interview or got a job the day before and cancelled going to the WTC. Who decided they would stop for breakfast, who arrived late for work......who lingered to have a conversation that was ready to leave the bldg....the list goes on and on.

Friends, relatives are all saying if she or he only......they would be alive.

Happenstance. Three 28 year old women were driving in one vehicle in WA on Saturday along a road where a large boulder the size of their vehicle came down and crushed the entire car with and of course killed them.

There are signs in WA to warn about falling rocks, but what do you do, drive fast, look up when you drive? Can you out run a falling boulder the size of your car?”

“Lipstick, it was 1 am... it was pitch dark.”

“Treebeard - speaking of that piece that was left standing... for the first time in many months I saw a full video of the collapse (I think it was the tribute to Jennings, when he was covering it). I was shocked to see that the outer structure that was left standing actually extended about 2/3 the way up the building for a good 5-10 seconds after the rest disappeared. That brought back all those sick feelings all over again.”

“I spent 9/11 alone in my office, listening to the radio, scanning the internet, with TT. Not so different today, 5 years later. I have to re-read this each year. I can't light a fire outside tonight, but all of the outside lights are on and the flag still flies.”

“I don't like GW. I don't like the war. I don't like feeling like we are on our own Holy Jihad.


But, God Bless America!”

“To reread this thread should be required reading for all of us. It sure brings back emotions for me--bewilderment, shock, fright, insecurity, anger.
last edited: 9/13/06 11:45:35 AM”

“Pick those scabs. Sounds like good reasons to NOT read it.”

“The wound will fester as long as the war on the terrorists has not been won. An abcess has to be lanced and drained to heal, ignoring it allows it to grow and harm the patient.”

“I went to a memorial (all Captains were required to attend). And I spent the day giving thanks we can argue, disagree and no one ends up in a soccer stadium with their head rolling away.”