Remembering 9-11

[SMUPhil]

Since the team helmet is a 9-11 remembrance tie-in, I thought we could take a few minutes and honestly reflect on that tragic day. Where were you that day?

I was living in Shuttles Hall at SMU. I had gotten up somewhat early to go eat breakfast at Umphrey-Lee and was headed back to my room when I heard the news. At first I assumed it was an accident, like I'm sure a lot of people did, but then came the second plane. We didn't have a TV in our room, but the 1st floor lounge TV was on and several people were gathered around watching it. It was intense, but I didn't grasp the full magnitude of the event. I actually prepared for my day at that point and went to class. The professor made a brief mention of it along the lines of "Crazy world we live in, huh?" and then we continued on with class. I think I had another 1 or 2 classes before SMU announced that classes were cancelled for the day. At that point, it was sinking in how big a deal this was, and campus was buzzing. That night, or maybe the next, we had a candlelight vigil up by Dallas Hall. At some point later in the week, we had band rehearsal at the Pettus practice fields, and someone pointed out there were no planes anywhere in the sky (normally lots with Love nearby).

[dickey1331]

I was in 8th grade. Watched the 2nd plane hit live on TV in the band hall. It's part of the reason why I joined the military.

[couch 'em]

I was living in Snider and had rhetoric taught in the lounge of the dorm. I walked in just in time to see the TV on and a tower falling over.

After I had a test in Scalise's physics 130?. I walked in, maybe 10% of the class showed up. He announced "The best way to combat terrorism is to proceed as normal. Here's your test."

[stc9]

I was on a business trip in Eugene, Oregon. I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to prepare for a breakfast meeting. I flipped on the TV to catch the baseball scores right as the first plane hit the building.

Spent the rest of the day on the phone trying to find out if friends got out. Really tough since the phone network in NYC was overwhelmed. Hours later, I would hear some news... (Often inaccurate). Towards the end of the day my cell phone was alternately a source of joy and sorrow.

Tough, tough day...

[SMU89]

Live close to love field.

Specifically remember no planes allowed to fly.....silence......then random jet(s) flying over (military) in middle of the night.


If you haven't seen it...30 for 30 shorts - First Pitch. President Bush Firt Pitch Yankee Stadium after 9/11.

[smusic 00]

Was a strange day for sure. My roommates (we had just graduated) and I just ended up cleaning our house and couldn't really understand what was going on.

[bubba pony]

We live in NJ in a commuters town into NYC. Was at work in NJ at a building with 500 people. When the news hit, many congregated in the exercise room with the only TV. People were crying, we had people with family members who were NYC cops and fireman. Seeing our beloved twin towers land mark fall was surreal. I can count on one hand the times I cried, I broke down when I got home.

The next day at work, people printed American Flag and we plastered them all over the building. Others printed pictures of young handsome firemen who perished in the collapse. Men who they knew from school and their neighborhood. Then the first responders cleaned it up. After every body found work stopped, they stood at attention and the American flag draped body was removed.

Even today they are interviewing men who were first responders who have terrible cancer and many more have already died young.

FYI there was a NYC fireman names Steven Stiller. He was going to play golf with his two brothers. Heard of the crash, told his brothers to evacuate the car and drove to the Brooklyn tunnel trying to drive into Manhattan. People were walking and running out of Manhattan so he couldn't drive in. He popped the trunk, put on 60+ lbs of fireman equipment and ran to the World Trade Center. He died leaving behind wife and 4 children. Every year there is a Tunnel to Tower 5k run retracing his journey, it draws 30,000 runners. The money is used to build houses for wounded vets and education for the kids whose parents died 9-11.
http://tunnel2towers.org/

I love New York City. I love American

[Arkpony]

I was trying a case when my clerk came time and told me what was happening. I should have cancelled the trial right then, but I didn't.

[peruna81]

I was at DFW about to board a USAir flight to Tallahassee, near where we lived at the time. Had been back in Farmers Branch to visit with my mom who was battling the latest version of cancer that was after her. The USAir ticket counter clerk had another worker come up to him and whisper something in his ear, and he just stopped and stepped away from the kiosk to meet with other workers and a supervisor.

The DFW TVs were still in a news loop cycle, and hadn't been updated...Probably around 8 am CST when all this went on. The TV cycle stopped and went to direct play, and folks huddled around. The ticket counter clerk said specifically "I don't think you want to fly today, and I don't think we are going to today." He reached back, and gave me my checked bag back.

By the time the second strike happened, DFW was dropping gates, and security was ramping up. Mom (74 at the time, wouldn't have a cell phone) got the call at about 9ish, and turned around to come back to get me. No rental cars by the time I got to the agencies, everything shut down or gone.

Drove with her to Shreveport, where my wife met us, and then drove home to Madison County, Florida. Mom beat that cancer, and two others in the last few years, and is still mad ("damn mad, actually"), about the attacks. She is 88, was a Braniff stewardess and knew Audie Murphy and Doak Walker from girlfriends that dated them during those Dallas days. (She was friends with Doak's first wife, roommates with Audie's).

It changed our culture, our history, and certainly the way I view the world today. May God bring comfort to the families that suffered loss, and our nation as we remember.

[H-E-B Mustang]

I was on a business trip in Los Angeles. After the planes hit the buildings, our office building closed and the business meeting was canceled. We sat around watching TV reports and trying to wrap our heads around what had happened. LAX was closed until Friday (three days later). When it reopened, it was like a war zone. More security personnel than flying passengers. After the taxi dropped us off several hundred yards away, I went through six or seven security checkpoints. When I could finally fly home to Dallas, there were only about ten passengers on the airplane.

[SMU Pony Mom]

I was walking into work near Princeton NJ when one of my coworkers asked if I'd heard about a plane hitting one of the twin towers. My initial reaction was that it must have been a very small plane. Once in the office people were huddled around TVs and I realized the enormity of what had just happened. For about an hour we all watched as the tragedy unfolded. Finally decided to try to make my long commute home to Delaware. Normally I drove right through the center of Philadelphia over a bridge next to a naval facility. At that point not all planes were accounted for. I can remember being terrified that the naval facility or somewhere in Philly would be a target. Chose to drive I295 rather than I95. My eyes kept looking up fearing to see a plane. There wasn't any normal traffic going north on I295, only emergency vehicles and black unmarked cars with their flashers on, obviously heading towards NYC to assist. It was during my drive home that word about the plane crashing in PA was announced. Unfortunately I had coworkers who lost family members that day.

[Puckhead48E]

Was up pulling an all-nighter writing a paper at a friends apartment. Took a moment to turn on the Today show at 0730. Next thing I know (other than my friends continual complaints to turn off the tv...it wasn't going to help me finish my paper), they saying a plane hit the first building. You could see that it was a sunny morning outside the studio, and I immediately knew what was up. Turned to my friend and told him "we're at war, this is terrorism." We started to think back to recent events and started recalling bombings as the 2nd plane hit and the talking heads on TV finally pushed past their disbelief to acknowledge what was going on. The rest of the day, and for that matter, the next few months...partially a blur.

One of the prime reasons I joined and still serve today.

[SMU Pony Mom]

Was up pulling an all-nighter writing a paper at a friends apartment. Took a moment to turn on the Today show at 0730. Next thing I know (other than my friends continual complaints to turn off the tv...it wasn't going to help me finish my paper), they saying a plane hit the first building. You could see that it was a sunny morning outside the studio, and I immediately knew what was up. Turned to my friend and told him "we're at war, this is terrorism." We started to think back to recent events and started recalling bombings as the 2nd plane hit and the talking heads on TV finally pushed past their disbelief to acknowledge what was going on. The rest of the day, and for that matter, the next few months...partially a blur.

One of the prime reasons I joined and still serve today.

Thank you for serving!

[BUS]

Our Half Time Show was spot on. Perfect and had tears running down my face.
Remember always.

[peruna81]

Was up pulling an all-nighter writing a paper at a friends apartment. Took a moment to turn on the Today show at 0730. Next thing I know (other than my friends continual complaints to turn off the tv...it wasn't going to help me finish my paper), they saying a plane hit the first building. You could see that it was a sunny morning outside the studio, and I immediately knew what was up. Turned to my friend and told him "we're at war, this is terrorism." We started to think back to recent events and started recalling bombings as the 2nd plane hit and the talking heads on TV finally pushed past their disbelief to acknowledge what was going on. The rest of the day, and for that matter, the next few months...partially a blur.

One of the prime reasons I joined and still serve today.

I'll say what many here would as well...

Thank you for protecting our freedom.