Where were you on 9/11/2001?

[Strider]

Glad that you both made it! Are you up for telling us more?

.

This is not meant to be rude, so please don't take it as such. I don't know what I can tell you that you haven't already heard or don't already know. We saw the first plane hit. In the ensuing chaos of people fleeing, she slipped and fell while we were running (it was difficult to really get anywhere with any degree of speed), spraining her ankle so badly she couldn't walk. I picked her up and held her in my arms so she wouldn't be trampled, and trust me, that was a very real possibility at the time, and ran as fast as I could. The cramp in my stomache from running was almost unbearable after awhile.

What choice did I have?

I ran.

I guess that still makes me a coward in Bill O'Reilly's eyes.

 

[up196]

Coward?

. . . she couldn't walk. I picked her up and held her in my arms so she wouldn't be trampled, and trust me, that was a very real possibility at the time, and ran as fast as I could.

It sounds like that makes you a rescuer, too . . . Tom

 

[Strider]

Thanks, Tom. I really appreciate that, honest. To this day, even though we are no longer dating, she still sends me some sort of New York themed gift every year for my birthday. This year was a Yankee Stadium pin. I've been known to wear it on my tie.

I only said the Bill O'Reilly thing because shortly after the attacks, Bill had two men on his show. One who ran toward the scene of the attacks to see if he could help anyone, and one who ran away. O'Reilly called the man who ran away a coward, and praised the other one as a hero. I actually saw the broadcast.

 

[Matthew Dalton]

It was around 12:30am-1:30am or so and I had the TV down low and I was using my computer facing the opposite direction. I was annoyed because they were delaying Star Trek, quite normal for that TV station.

I didn't pay much attention to what was actually on the screen for around 20 more minutes. At that point I looked and and got the gist of what was being said, ran down to my parent's study and exclaimed "America is under attack."

 

[scotrace]

Strider, my only thought in reading your description was "wow... few of us get the chance to be truly herioc like that."

Buried somewhere among the feelings of horror, fear, confusion and grief of that day, you can also feel some sense of quiet pride.

 

[Story]

I was in Wuerzburg, Germany at the headquarters of the Army's 1st Infantry Division. On the morning of September 12, the (now locked) front gate at the base was piled high with flowers that had been put there by local German residents out of sympathy. It still chokes me up as I'm typing this.

The German Navy did their part as well.

E-mail from the USS Winston Churchill (DDG-81)

You might have seen or heard about this one, thanks to Helmut Linghor for placing this in the newsletter for the Cannstatter, a American-German ethnic organization dedicated to promoting good works in our local community. Germans have stood fast with our country during this time, in fact German special forces were among those first deployed on the ground north of Afghanistan in support of US forces in the area (they have equipment to detect biological and chemical weapons).

This is an e-mail from a young ensign aboard the USS Winston Churchill (DDG-81) to his parents. The Churchill is an Arleigh Burke class AEGIS guided missile destroyer, commissioned March 10, 2001, and is the only active US Navy warship named after a foreign national.

Dear Dad,

We are still at sea. The remainder of our port visits have all been cancelled. We have spend every day since the attacks going back and forth within imaginary boxes drawn in the ocean, standing high-security watches, and trying to make the best of it. We have seen the articles and the photographs, and they are sickening. Being isolated, I don't think we appreciate the full scope of what is happening back home, but we are definitely feeling the effects.

About two hours ago, we were hailed by a German Navy destroyer, Lutjens, requesting permission to pass close by our port side. Strange, since we're in the middle of an empty ocean, but the captain acquiesced and we prepared to render them honors from our bridgewing. As they were making their approach, our conning officer used binoculars and announced that Lutjens was flying not the German, but the American flag. As she came alongside us, we saw the American flag flying half-mast and her entire crew topside standing at silent, rigid attention in their dress uniforms. They had made a sign that was displayed on her side that read "We Stand By You." There was not a dry eye on the bridge as they stayed alongside us for a few minutes and saluted. It was the most powerful thing I have seen in my life. The German Navy did an incredible thing for this crew, and it has truly been the highest point in the days since the attacks. It's amazing to think that only half-century ago things were quite different.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Bill [O'Reilly] had two men on his show. One who ran toward the scene of the attacks to see if he could help anyone, and one who ran away. O'Reilly called the man who ran away a coward, and praised the other one as a hero.

Like all other demagogues, past, present and future, Mr. O'Reilly seeks to entertain an audience. He can run toward any collapsing skyscrapers he likes; I won't stop him.

You saved your girlfriend and yourself. Mr. O'Reilly's opinion doesn't matter.
.

 

[The Reno Kid]

The German Navy did their part as well.

Dear Dad,

We are still at sea. The remainder of our port visits have all been cancelled. We have spend every day since the attacks going back and forth within imaginary boxes drawn in the ocean, standing high-security watches, and trying to make the best of it. We have seen the articles and the photographs, and they are sickening. Being isolated, I don't think we appreciate the full scope of what is happening back home, but we are definitely feeling the effects.

About two hours ago, we were hailed by a German Navy destroyer, Lutjens, requesting permission to pass close by our port side. Strange, since we're in the middle of an empty ocean, but the captain acquiesced and we prepared to render them honors from our bridgewing. As they were making their approach, our conning officer used binoculars and announced that Lutjens was flying not the German, but the American flag. As she came alongside us, we saw the American flag flying half-mast and her entire crew topside standing at silent, rigid attention in their dress uniforms. They had made a sign that was displayed on her side that read "We Stand By You." There was not a dry eye on the bridge as they stayed alongside us for a few minutes and saluted. It was the most powerful thing I have seen in my life. The German Navy did an incredible thing for this crew, and it has truly been the highest point in the days since the attacks. It's amazing to think that only half-century ago things were quite different.

Thanks for posting that.

 

[scotrace]

...About two hours ago, we were hailed by a German Navy destroyer, Lutjens, requesting permission to pass close by our port side. Strange, since we're in the middle of an empty ocean, but the captain acquiesced and we prepared to render them honors from our bridgewing. As they were making their approach, our conning officer used binoculars and announced that Lutjens was flying not the German, but the American flag. As she came alongside us, we saw the American flag flying half-mast and her entire crew topside standing at silent, rigid attention in their dress uniforms. They had made a sign that was displayed on her side that read "We Stand By You." There was not a dry eye on the bridge as they stayed alongside us for a few minutes and saluted. ...[/B].[/I]

Nor in my office this morning. Very moving.

 

[deanglen]

Just found this. Needed it today. Thank you.

dean

 

[Willi_Goat]

Ironically I was doing about the same thing as I was on the fifth anniversary.

On 11 Sep 2001 I was preparing equipment for a readiness exercise, which was cancelled. Our advance team was in the air and had to divert. Other than fighters, our bird was probably on of the first allowed to fly afterward. My commander rode by and told us a plane hit the trade center. We thought someone flying a Cessna or a like aircraft flew off course. About 45 minutes later we took a break and made it to a television and saw what was happening.

This year I was on the ground at the deployed site helping set up a field armory and our spares packages.