Where Were You...9/11

allnurses Guide · Sep 11, 2018

We were on vacation, the kids and I. Exactly two years after my husband's death.

Up in Idaho, in a motel that night instead of camping. Came out of the shower to find my kids watching this horrible movie that turned out not to be a movie!

We continued our trek towards home, stopped at Custer's Last Stand monument, which of course was not open as everything federal was shut down. The rangers let tourists in to do the outdoor part though, they didn't have anything else to do that day except guard. The museum and all were closed, but there is a winding car route following the way the soldiers were trying to escape, on foot, in lines; eventually ending up on the hill where they all died. Also the spot where the supply train was pinned down; they could hear the fighting and shooting but weren't able to move. All along the route were plaques describing people's memories of it, from both sides; and stones in the ground marked "a Union soldier died here" or "a Cheyenne warrior died here", marking the running battle.

It was utterly quiet, no highway traffic, no flights overhead, just sunlight, breezes over the rolling hillocks and grasses, totally eerie.

cleback · Sep 12, 2018

In the kitchen with my mom and brother. I was listening to radio and couldn't make sense of what I was hearing but could tell it was serious. I pulled out the headphones so others could hear. My mom said "what the hell" and turned on the tv. My mom and I cried for the rest of the morning. I think we were all glued to the tube for the next 72 hours. All I could think about was being scared for family and friends. I was young and assumed everyone would have to go to war.

That day was horrible. But I keep reading about the health issues of the first responders to this day... sad that it isn't distant history for everyone.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2018

I was in Spanish class, a senior in high school. Another teacher on her prep period came running down the hall to tell us when the first tower was hit and then we turned the news on the radio and heard the news of the second tower being hit.

In my next class, all of us students heard but our teacher hadn't. He wondered why we were all standing around talking instead of taking our seats. Then we told him what happened, he turned the TV on and we didn't do anything for the rest of class.

**Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN** · Sep 12, 2018

In court for jury duty! No one had smartphones and they wouldn't allow us to watch TV. Someone said they are bombing NYC and people started freaking out. After filling out papers they let us go. Called my work but they had left (was not a nurse then). Finally went home and saw what happened.

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 12, 2018

On a plane headed to NYC.

Daisy4RN · Sep 12, 2018

Sirl:

Oh my gosh, how very scary!!

allnurses Guide · Sep 12, 2018

In my bed. Pregnant with man-cub and thinking about getting up a vomiting. Heard a car screech into driveway and boots running to door. Husband bursts in and yells don't be alarmed but we are under attack.

Hppy

silverbat · Sep 12, 2018

I had worked a 12 hr night shift. I was asleep. My daughter called me in time to watch the towers fall. Glued to TV all day and went to work that night. Crying.

Kitiger, RN · Sep 12, 2018

I was working nights, so was sleeping all that day. My husband wisely didn't wake me up, since I had to work that night.

When I got up, he told me about it before turning on the news. I saw the videos of the planes hitting the 2 towers, and the towers collapsing. I didn't realize that there had been a period of time between the planes hitting the towers and the towers collapsing. I was actually relieved when I finally realized that "only" about 3,000 people had died.

I had assumed the death toll was far higher - I had thought that none had escaped.

OldDude · Sep 12, 2018

NEVER FORGET!!!!!!!!!

djh123 · Sep 12, 2018

At a contract programming job in Dallas. Came out of the bathroom and another programmer said 'Did you hear? A plane hit into the World Trade Center in New York!'. Because of course none of us would've imagined what happened, I thought it was probably someone in a Cessna who was crazy, disoriented, drunk ... but of course I found out shortly later what actually happened.