9/11 20th Anniversary- Where Were You When Our Country was Attacked, the Twin Towers Fell and America was Changed Forever?

20 years have passed since the unimaginable terror attacks of 9/11.  Our country, our world, and our lives were forever changed that day.  The images are etched in our minds...  So many lives were lost...

20th Anniversary Commemoration | National September 11 Memorial & Museum

Please share your experiences of that day the days that followed.  Where were you? What were you doing? Who did you call?  Who did you hug?  

We will never forget...Thank you to all who make personal sacrifices to protect us and our freedom.  

[Davey Do]

I was working at a community mental health clinic in the crisis stabilization unit when the attack was shown on TV. It was a terrible time.

I ran a group so the clients could voice their feelings about the attack.

Thereafter, I went to a blood drive and waited in line for hours. As I waited, I drew and made notes in my journal.

 

 

The entry read, "I drew the image that wouldn't leave my mind as I stood in line to give blood listening to comments like, "Where's Fox Mulder when we need him?'".

To your appreciation, Mary, for those who made sacrifices, I say, "Here, here!"

[whalestales, ASN, RN]

I was in the first grade, nobody (students) really knew what was going on but kids were getting pulled out of school. The principal had elected we were too young to know when it first happened.

Once we were allowed to know my teacher sat us all on the rug and gave an age appropriate explanation. We were scared, I remember crying because I thought my dad might have tried to go help (He is a paramedic and was also a firefighter at the time)

[Emergent, RN]

I was asleep. I had dial up internet and checked my email in the morning and someone had sent me a short clip of a tower collapsing, which I thought was a hoax, or a promo for a movie. 

[Wuzzie]

Packing the car for an afternoon departure to DC of all places. We ended up going because we weren't sight seeing just dropping some stuff off to my friend's son. We headed from there to SC down 95. On almost every overpass the entire way down someone was standing and waving an American Flag. It took my breath away. I still tear up thinking about it. 

[DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN]

I was in London, I used to work in corporate finance. I just kept thinking of all the people I knew who worked there that I used to speak with daily or weekly.  Then knowing we would go to war. Later there was this surreal silence of no planes flying overhead. London has three airports.  Whenever I see footage it makes me want to cry. 

[Orion81RN]

Waking up in my door room right before the second plane hit the 2nd tower. Just weeks before, my roommate and I had 2 ladies come visit us in our dorm asking to see the room where they roomed together when they were younger. They told us how they were in that room when they heard of JFK being assassinated. 

[RNperdiem, RN]

I was working in the same ICU I work in still today.

It was in the middle of morning assessments when the unit secretary came out of the breakroom and announced that a plane had crashed. No worries, I went back to charting. When there was an audible gasp from the breakroom, I turned on the TV in the patient room and watched the day unfold while doing patient care. Luckily my patients were not acutely ill; they just needed trach collar trials and supportive care. 

[Erskinechild8]

I was working as an admin assistant at 200 Vesey Street on the 31st floor. Tuesdays were my early days so I was already at work. I heard a loud boom, saw a coworker who was on the phone fall on the floor and start hyperventilating. He pointed to the window and I looked outside. Turns out he was talking to a friend in the north tower. I saw bodies flying through the window of the north tower……a few minutes later I heard another boom. A few of us left the building before management told us to, and started to head north. Walked across the Williamsburg bridge to get home to Brooklyn……

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN, RN]

3 minutes ago, Erskinechild8 said:

I was working as an admin assistant at 200 Vesey Street on the 31st floor. Tuesdays were my early days so I was already at work. I heard a loud boom, saw a coworker who was on the phone fall on the floor and start hyperventilating. He pointed to the window and I looked outside. Turns out he was talking to a friend in the north tower. I saw bodies flying through the window of the north tower……a few minutes later I heard another boom. A few of us left the building before management told us to, and started to head north. Walked across the Williamsburg bridge to get home to Brooklyn……

OH MY!!!  How terrifying.  It was bad enough for me watching the terror projected on a wall-size screen from hundreds of miles away... But to be so close...  I cannot even imagine!

[Erskinechild8]

18 minutes ago, tnbutterfly - Mary said:

OH MY!  How terrifying.  It was bad enough for me watching the terror projected on a wall-size screen from hundreds of miles away... But to be so close...  I cannot even imagine

18 minutes ago, tnbutterfly - Mary said:

It was a frightening experience. 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

I was in bed! Pregnant with the Man cub. I was morning, noon and night sick so I was debating the merits of getting up and trying to eat something.
 

Suddenly I heard a car pull into the drive and boots running up the driveway. My husband came into the room and said “Don’t panic but we are under attack!”

hppy