Where Were You...9/11

Nurses General Nursing

Updated:   Published

Some of you might not remember because you were too young. We as Americans came together on that fateful day 9/11 when we were brutally attacked. I have hope that we can come together, realize that we all have things in common, and work together to solve our countries problems. God Bless America and all those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Thank-you to all our military, police and first responders who sacrifice every day!!

We should never forget!

Specializes in Ambulatory Care-Family Medicine.

In middle school walking from art class to algebra when all of the TVs in the school turned on to the news (they were all connnected to the office). Walked into algebra just in time to see the second tower get hit. My aunt picked us up from school not much later as our whole area was going into lock down (we lived not far from President Bush's ranch in Crawford). They had thought his ranch and the schools near it could be another target.

2 Votes

I was working at Manhattan, Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, which was located on 64th street between 3rd & Lexington Ave in Manhattan. I was a lab supervisor then and attending Nursing school. My co-worker was listening to a radio station that used to do "phone scam" jokes. He then jumped up a said that a plane flew into the WTC. I didn't believe it at first because I thought it was a joke. But then everybody was saying a plane hit the WTC. We went to the lobby and, sure enough the top floors were on fire.Then. in real time, we saw to second plane hit. We then went into disaster code. The lobby was emptied out because we were going to be a staging area. We were a small specialty hospital. We later learned the president of the board of trustees of the hospital, who worked for Morgan Stanley, was killed.On a more personal note, my nephew lost to brothers-in-law.So sad.

3 Votes
Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

Deleted. Could not bear to read it. Don't know why it has me so upset 17 years later.

3 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
glencovediva said:
I was working at Manhattan, Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, which was located on 64th street between 3rd & Lexington Ave in Manhattan. I was a lab supervisor then and attending Nursing school. My co-worker was listening to a radio station that used to do "phone scam" jokes. He then jumped up a said that a plane flew into the WTC. I didn't believe it at first because I thought it was a joke. But then everybody was saying a plane hit the WTC. We went to the lobby and, sure enough the top floors were on fire.Then. in real time, we saw to second plane hit. We then went into disaster code. The lobby was emptied out because we were going to be a staging area. We were a small specialty hospital. We later learned the president of the board of trustees of the hospital, who worked for Morgan Stanley, was killed.On a more personal note, my nephew lost to brothers-in-law.So sad.

What a tragic event to witness first hand...God's Grace and Peace to you...Never Forget!

4 Votes
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

It was the second day of my new job as an MDS nurse at a skilled-nursing facility. Needless to say, I was late getting to work that day. My sister who lived with me woke me up yelling "We're under attack, the World Trade Center's on fire, the Pentagon's on fire, and God knows how many people are in those buildings!" I ran out to the living room to see the news report and try to console my kids, most of whom were crying, shocked at what we all were seeing. We couldn't believe it when the towers crumbled into dust and were afraid that many thousands of people had perished. The kids never did go to school that day, although I finally pulled it together enough to go to work. One of my residents, a Pearl Harbor survivor, had seen the news and suffered a heart attack; they were bundling him up to take him to the hospital as I arrived. We managers tried to keep the TVs off to avoid upsetting the residents further, but as soon as one was shut off another one was turned on, and staff members and residents alike gathered around them to watch endless recaps of the horror.

That night I went home and hugged my husband and kids just a little tighter than usual, and fell asleep to the sound of "Taps" being played on bagpipes...a song that makes me cry to this very day.

I love this song, by the way. Gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Two of my kids went on to become soldiers because of 9/11; in fact, my daughter wrote about it on Facebook today and talked about how it changed America, and her life, forever. (She is an Iraq War veteran, as is my oldest son.) I didn't know anyone who died that day, or even anyone who was directly affected by these events, but like millions of others, I will NEVER FORGET.

4 Votes
Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I was sitting on the couch with my baby who was going to be 3 months old on 9/12. Had my coffee and was going to watch the Fox news as I always did. I turned on the TV just after the first plane hit. I was living on a horse farm in upstate ILL at the time. I called one of the girls that also lived on the farm and she came over. We sat there for hours watching the horror. She had a friend that lived in NYC and she tried desperately to get in touch with him (it was a couple of days before she found him, safe).

I will never forget it. :(

3 Votes

Taking the first test of the year in my A&P class, senior year of high school. Another teacher came into the class and told the teacher he had to turn on the TV, planes had crashed into the Trade Towers. That effectively ended the test. We watched the TV the rest of the period. As we moved to our next class, those students who knew were trying to tell others what had happened. I remember telling my sister to get her teacher to turn on the TV as planes had crashed into the towers.

When I got to my next class, my teacher didn't know and didn't believe us when we told him. We had a performance coming up. We practiced, but as soon as we were done, we turned on the TV. He said "I didn't believe you guys!" (Why would we lie about that and why would we all have the same lie?!?!) By that time, the towers had fallen and Flight 93 had crashed.

Some of the teachers tried to conduct class as usual, but most let us watch the news.

It is crazy to think that it is history now to all the people in grade/middle/high school. This was news for me; it's my history.

3 Votes

I'd just got home from art college and I saw footage of the first tower being hit. I remember half-watching the footage (as I dumped my bag and portfolio) and not hearing it - I said "There's no way that was accidental." But I didn't quite grasp it until a few moments later... I didn't realize a passenger plane had hit it, I thought it was something much smaller. I didn't anticipate the 2nd tower being hit a short time later. I'll never forget it.

3 Votes
Specializes in Oncology.

In 8th grade social studies class. One of the other 8th grade teachers ran into our classroom and told our teacher to turn on the TV after the first tower had been hit. We sat and watched everything unfolding on TV until the second tower was hit; at that point our teacher turned it off to prevent the students from seeing any more horrible live footage. Shortly after that we were dismissed early from school as we were not far from NYC. The first time I saw the 9/11 Memorial it truly took my breath away just standing there, remembering that day and imagining all of it unfolding in that very spot. It really is a beautiful tribute.

2 Votes
Specializes in ED.

AP Bio my junior year of HS. We watched the news all day.

2 Votes
Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
sirI said:
On a plane headed to NYC.

Were you diverted? How fast were you grounded? Too close for comfort, hugs my friend {{}}}

3 Votes
Specializes in ER.

Working in a military hospital in the UK. Five hours ahead, so it was just after lunch when it all happened.

2 Votes
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