9-11 - Where were You? What were You Doing?

Sciencegirl08 · Sep 11, 2016

I was 11 years old, in the 6th grade. I was in English class when the teacher told the class...

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Sep 11, 2016

I was homeschooling my two youngest and my two older girls were off at college. I had the radio on and the radio voice said "Go turn on your TV- you are not going to believe this!". So I did. I saw the second hit live. I saw the towers collapse live.

The little town we lived in at the time was so small that you walked to the post office to get your mail daily- it wasn't delivered. I went to the P.O. to get my mail shortly after the collapse, and told the postmaster about it. He didn't believe me.

The victims plunging to their deaths haunts me.

My oldest daughter was in her senior year of her nursing program at a school just a couple miles from NAS Pensacola. I worried for her safety. My next oldest was studying aviation- and of course their little college airport was shut down for weeks.

I had the recurring thought "If there were nukes heading toward us- would they tell us?"

A VERY close friend was in the Pentagon and lost many dear friends and co-workers.

But my most vivid memory was the physicians and nurses standing outside the closest hospital in their yellow gowns. Waiting for the influx of casualties that never arrived.

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 11, 2016

I was in organic chem lab. The instructor gathered us together after it ended to tell us what was going on. I sat in the student union building watching it on television between classes- the school tried to continue the day as usual for a while but it hit too close to home for a lot of students since many of them were from NY and some even lost relatives.

Anonymous865 · Sep 11, 2016

I was working for a company that provided EMR, radiology, lab, accounting software and drugs, gloves, gauze, surgical supplies, etc to hospitals and drug stores. We had many customers in NYC and the surrounding area as well as the DC area.

Expecting that our customers would be overwhelmed with patients, the company quickly brought up a special 1-800 number for just the customers in that area. They called in extra support staff, so that any software or systems issues could be fixed ASAP.

They also arranged for extra supplies to be delivered from our closest warehouse ASAP. They arranged with the various police departments to provide a police escort to get the supplies to our customers and non-customers fast.

Sadly masks were the only thing they ended up needing more of.

I was scheduled to go out of town that day and had planned to leave home later than normal. I was just about to walk out the door, when I saw the news of the 1st plane hit and then watched the 2nd plane hit on live TV.

I did go on my trip, but I had to drive instead of fly. Various individuals had hung flags from the overpasses on the interstate. Each time I came upon one, I'd start crying. My radio was tuned to news the entire way.

At that time many of my coworkers and I flew 5 days a week. We were all worried that some of our coworkers were on one of the planes. Within a few hours the company sent out an email that they had confirmed that no employees were on the planes that crashed. I was relieved that my coworkers were fine, but sad that the people on the planes and in the buidlings were someone's coworkers, friends, and family.

allnurses Guide · Sep 11, 2016

I was home with a newborn and getting my 3 older kids ready for school when the two oldest asked me to turn on the tv so they could check the scores of the local high school football teams and when I did, what we saw was shocking.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2016

I was a 20-year-old factory worker in southern California. I arrived to work very early that morning (5:30am Pacific standard time) for training.

Just before 6:00am (9:00 Eastern time), a coworker blurted out that "a plane crashed into the World Trade Center." My trainer turned on the television and we watched the chaos all day. People were too distracted and/or distraught to be productive that day.

Shauntil07, CNA · Sep 11, 2016

I was beginning my first year of 7th grade. Mr. Moon was my science teacher. 9/11 had happened several hours before but one of the teachers said turn the TV on. The world trade center buildings got hit. We turned the tv on and there it was. I"ll never forget what my teacher told us that day. He said, "Kids remember what you see today because this will be in history books someday." I was 12 years old.

AvaRose · Sep 11, 2016

I was 22 and in college getting my Bachelor's in History (my first degree). My roommate and I woke up early for once and turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane hit. The school shut down since everyone was staring at the TVs on campus and they knew no one was going to go to class. Then we had a huge candlelight vigil that night in the middle of campus and they played the John Lennon song 'Imagine'.

quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN · Sep 11, 2016

I was on my way to breakfast while attending a conference with my husband when I learned of it. An hour or so later, they ended the conference. This was a pastoral conference and they ended early suggesting that the Pastors go home and plan services for that evening. We listened to the radio all the way home, about 3 hours. We had a full church for that prayer service as did many others.

allnurses Guide · Sep 12, 2016

I was 28 years old and in nursing school; I was also working night shifts as a CNA at a local hospital. I had worked the night before

and was actually in bed asleep, when my husband busted into the bedroom and announced "Two planes just flew into the World Trade Center. The World Trade Center is NO MORE." He had been at school and had just come home, which is why he was just then waking me up. I think he went to school and they decided not to have classes.

I stayed awake pretty much the rest of the day, I may have slept just a little. I remember being really, really scared. I did not have children yet. I'm glad, in a way. I was supposed to go to class that night and wondered if we would have class or not. We actually did, but

I think we spent the whole class talking about what had happened.

sevensonnets · Sep 12, 2016

I was off that day and had been sitting out on the porch with my dog drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. I went inside to turn on the Today show. There was a shot of the towers and two helicopters circling, assessing the damage, but at that point, having just happened, there was not even smoke or fire. Matt Lauer was saying, "If you have just joined us, a small plane has hit the World Trade Center." They were talking to a lady who was walking down the street toward her office when the landing gear from the first plane hit the street in front of her. As they were talking all of a sudden she went "OH! Another one hit!" Then it was clearly no accident. This country was under attack. A friend of a friend and her husband who was an Emmy award -winning television screenwriter were on the plane that hit the first tower. I've seen many terrible things in my day, but nothing that hurts my heart more and is more painful to talk about.