Off Topic 9/11

Wife and I had been watching the fire in the first tower on the morning news. Had been reported that an airplane had crashed into that tower. As a former pilot myself, I was watching intently because this was a pretty big fire for a Cessna 172 to cause. I suspected that it was probably a business-size plane. As I'm staring at the TV, the second jet flew into the picture from the left, and and the resulting debris and smoke came out the other side of the second tower.

Instantaneously, I chilled as I realized that this probably wasn't accidental. I called to my wife to come watch this.

I grabbed some coffee and drove over to one of my company's nearby construction sites. On the way, I heard on the radio where all planes were being ordered to land. When I got to the site, I looked out to the south and saw a huge "U" shaped contrail in the sky from a jet turning around to descend to the nearest airport. I took a picture of it with my film camera, and still have that picture on the wall in my office.

My wife and I had visited NYC over Thanksgiving, 2000, and we had gone to the observation deck of the WTC while we were there. As a result, we had a better understanding of the enormity of the destruction there.

The casualties of that day include the feeling of safety and invincibility that we Americans had developed over the preceding 40 years. We will likely be looking over our shoulder for a long time to come.

I was in Memphis. I had driven there from Atlanta. I stopped in a gas station on my way to the casinos in Tunica MS. The guy next to me had his car door open, radio on, and I could tell that something was going at the Memphis airport. I did not pay too much attention. I went to the bar in a casino for a bloody Mary around 10AM. I watched in horror the events taking place.I could not hear the sound from the TV's. There were too many people playing the slot machines behind me. Oblivious to what was going on.

I immediately returned to my hotel room in Memphis. I spent most of that day drinking and glued to the TV. I had to know if my company, DAL was involved. I debated on whether to drive back to Atlanta to help out.But decided that my co workers were professional enough to handle it.

I passed out for a few hours. Later I went to the Memphis Platinum Plus strip club. It was packed with stranded air travelers and was a very somber night. I spent an hour talking to one young stripper. She never even asked for a dance.

I cut my vacation short and drove home the next day. I was thankful that DAL was not involved and glad that I had driven, instead of flying.When I returned to work, a week later, I learned that one DAL flight from Boston to Los Angeles was being closely monitored by air traffic controllers. Then the order came to land every flight in the sky. A nightmare for travelers and air line employees.

I'm sorry but the Muslim religion is repulsive to me.Canning,stoning, beheading, lack of woman's rights are barbaric. And the extremists want to kill us because we don't believe the same way.Oh, and it is OK for them not to drink alcohol but is OK to grow poppy's.

I think that measure are now in place to insure that 9/11 does not happen again but there are many other venues that are not that protected. Can we ever be totally safe from terrorists? Report any thing that looks suspicious.

Back then my mother was a cancer patient, her first chemotherapy was on 9/11/2001. We were in the waiting room of the doctor's office, they started turning on the TV's. I wasn't glued to it like some others were, I was trying to focus on getting my mother through the 2-3 hour chemo treatment and the resulting nausea and side effects.

I was up near Wright Pat AFB in Ohio near Dayton. I know there were military planes everywhere in the air all day and into the evening. I could hear them fly over while in my hotel room. I watched what was happening on TV like most other Americans. I was working with this fellow from Israel, and I never forget what he said to me, "Now you know what we face daily in my country." I also will never forget the feeling of anger I had and what I wished to do to ANYONE responsible for what was happening!

I was in El Paso working as an intern. I was up late going to work as usual. I turn on sports radio and I didn't quite understand what they were talking about. Then I heard the "twin towers" and I thought they were referring to Tim Duncan and David Robinson, the two players of the San Antonio Spurs basketball team.

When I got to the office, there was no one there. I then went into the break room, where I saw the rest of the guys watching the TV. A couple minutes later, I saw a replay of the second plane hitting the tower.

Never forget. Never ever forget.

sygsyg,

Unfortunately many HAVE forgotten and that goes all the way to the top of our "government"!

We get the government we deserve, Clubber. If there's anything to blame when it comes to politicians, blaming the people who elected the bums is always the way to go.

sygsyg,

Not true. "WE" often get the government that others think "we" should have. That I understand and that is how it is in this representative republic. But I do blame the people that elect it.