9/11
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9/11
It seems impossible that it is 15 years today since the atrocity that was 9/11. The September 11 attacks killed 2,996 people and injured more than 6,000 others. These immediate deaths included 265 on the four planes, 2,606 in the World Trade Center and in the surrounding area, and 125 at the Pentagon. Being slightly parochial, 67 were British, one had been son-in-law of a colleague for just 3 months. Perhaps we should all pause for a while, remember the dead and injured, and the day that the world changed.
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It all happened in the early AM in Australia. I was up around 2:30am having to be in about 4 for a 4:30 briefing. I remember switching on the tv and watching it unfold live and thinking to myself at the time that the world will never be the same again.
And that was about right.
And that was about right.
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Like Hempy, I just happened to be up at that time and turned the TV on (not my normal habit).
Within about 15 minutes, the program cut to live news from NY.
When I saw that an aircraft had hit the tower, I was mindful of that B-25 accident with the Empire State Building in 1945.
While I'm wondering how this could have happened, the second one hit.
Sheeit! says I.
I was immediately on the phone to my friends and being greeted with "Don't you know what time it is?" etc.
My response was "I don't give a stuff what time it is - get your arse out in front of your TV, NOW!"
Didn't get much sleep that night.
Within about 15 minutes, the program cut to live news from NY.
When I saw that an aircraft had hit the tower, I was mindful of that B-25 accident with the Empire State Building in 1945.
While I'm wondering how this could have happened, the second one hit.
Sheeit! says I.
I was immediately on the phone to my friends and being greeted with "Don't you know what time it is?" etc.
My response was "I don't give a stuff what time it is - get your arse out in front of your TV, NOW!"
Didn't get much sleep that night.
I was in my shop and the lady from the shop next door came in to say she had heard a confused radio report that an aircraft had crashed into the tallest building in the world. I had an immediate mental image of a light aircraft hitting the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur which were in fact slightly higher than the WTC. How wrong I was!
I was on holiday just before attending AITC, after a number of years in the ground trade. I remember walking through the foyer and seeing dozens of people watching the TV so I stopped to watch. My blood seemed to freeze when the second plane went in and I turned to my wife, who had just joined me, and said that the world had just changed.
We spent the night, like millions of others, watching the TV with horror and in mourning.
We spent the night, like millions of others, watching the TV with horror and in mourning.
Last edited by Toadstool; 11th Sep 2016 at 19:42.
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9.11.2001 is a day of celebration for many people.
and war seems to be in no sign of ever ending...and so from the point of some people, including the ever so many arms makers and dealers of every hue, 9.11.2001 was an unmitigated success.
HH and HS
this thread is about remembering that day and those that died during the attacks.
Whilst there are some that may agree with you both regarding what happened post 9/11, perhaps you could voice that in another thread or on JB.
this thread is about remembering that day and those that died during the attacks.
Whilst there are some that may agree with you both regarding what happened post 9/11, perhaps you could voice that in another thread or on JB.
Well done to Wander for the fine words.
I was on holiday with family in Tenerife on 9/11.
I'd been out all day and returned to our apartment late afternoon. I remember clearly walking into the living area where my dad was watching TV pictures of what looked like an airliner crashing into what I recognised straight-away as The WTC.
"What film is this?" I said. "It's not a film" he said. We then sat rivetted for several hours as events unfolded.
On the flight south I'd spent an enjoyable 30 mins as a guest in the FD of the A320.
On the way back (4 days later), we were allowed no cabin baggage (aside for essentials for our 2 year old daughters) and no one spoke, even when we were treated to a great light show of night-time TS near to Madeira. Back at LGW armed police everywhere.
My parents had been to the top of The WTC a few years earlier. 2 years ago I visited GZ and it's still difficult to take in what happened when you do.
I was on holiday with family in Tenerife on 9/11.
I'd been out all day and returned to our apartment late afternoon. I remember clearly walking into the living area where my dad was watching TV pictures of what looked like an airliner crashing into what I recognised straight-away as The WTC.
"What film is this?" I said. "It's not a film" he said. We then sat rivetted for several hours as events unfolded.
On the flight south I'd spent an enjoyable 30 mins as a guest in the FD of the A320.
On the way back (4 days later), we were allowed no cabin baggage (aside for essentials for our 2 year old daughters) and no one spoke, even when we were treated to a great light show of night-time TS near to Madeira. Back at LGW armed police everywhere.
My parents had been to the top of The WTC a few years earlier. 2 years ago I visited GZ and it's still difficult to take in what happened when you do.
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On duty as a student constable in my first station.
Like many when I heard a plane had hit I thought of a light aircraft.
Then the second one hit.
The canteen was full of staff of every rank and almost silent as we watched the towers fall.
The day passed with everyone looking over their shoulders wondering 'what next?'
Like many when I heard a plane had hit I thought of a light aircraft.
Then the second one hit.
The canteen was full of staff of every rank and almost silent as we watched the towers fall.
The day passed with everyone looking over their shoulders wondering 'what next?'
I remember it quite clearly. Sitting in my room of my first sh*tty uni shared house after halls. I had the TV on as background noise whilst doing something geeky with aeroplanes. The TV cut to the news as the second aeroplane hit - the video was from one of the bridges. I sat there astounded. I felt pretty sure that that day changed the world as we knew it.
I shouted to the rest of the house to switch the TV on and that was all we did for the rest of the day - watch the news.
I shouted to the rest of the house to switch the TV on and that was all we did for the rest of the day - watch the news.
My first thought was light aircraft. I was on duty that night.....me and my colleagues sat in silence (unheard of before!) and watched the repeats in disbelief. Me and my family were travelling to Florida 10 days later. My request for a travel insurance quote was met with "no more insurance quotes until we know what's going on"! On arrival at Manchester airport....chaos! On arrival at Sanford Fla, homeland security on edge......armoured vehicles and troops packing some serious heat! The parks were very quiet due to cancellations and we were thanked profusely for holidaying in America! The journey home was worse......jittery airport staff confiscating virtually everything apart from the clothes on your back. None of it mattered to us.....we just thought of the poor victims. Imagine my surprise when two years later on another trip to Fla, I was able to visit the flight deck (same crew) there and back and stay in for the landing there and back! My then 10 year old son stayed up with me for the landing and I did my best to explain to him that he would never, ever experience that again......unless he was doing the flying!
MD
MD
Our branch at HQ STC had just moved into the former HQ AIRNORTHWEST building and our gp capt had one of the RAF PWHQ CCTV briefing monitors in his office. He routinely had CNN on in the background and, when the news switched to the initial reports, he invited us to watch. Whilst we were discussing what might have transpired, the second aircraft hit and there was little doubt.
There were an astounding number of actions of bravery that day - particularly from members of the emergency services. FDNY casualties included the Chief of the Fire Department, the First Deputy Fire Commissioner and 13 battalion chiefs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_J._Ganci,_Jr.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_M._Feehan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerge...ber_11_attacks
There were an astounding number of actions of bravery that day - particularly from members of the emergency services. FDNY casualties included the Chief of the Fire Department, the First Deputy Fire Commissioner and 13 battalion chiefs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_J._Ganci,_Jr.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_M._Feehan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerge...ber_11_attacks
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I was at home, sat in my study, when a friend phoned and said "watch the news on TV". I turned the TV on and watched the horrendous event evolve ... and stuffed a cassette in the video recorder. I have never been able to watch that cassette.
A couple of weeks later, we flew to Washington Dulles for a 3-week holiday in the Greater DC suburbs City of Alexandria, VA). Our aircraft was half empty. All the Americans we encountered were amazed that we had dared to travel (!) and were hugely grateful that we had continued to visit their country. We had never known, to this day, a welcome like it.
We are again there on holiday, and unsurprisingly the TV is solid with coverage of the event, and documentaries and commentary on related issues, such as OBL and AQ.
A couple of weeks later, we flew to Washington Dulles for a 3-week holiday in the Greater DC suburbs City of Alexandria, VA). Our aircraft was half empty. All the Americans we encountered were amazed that we had dared to travel (!) and were hugely grateful that we had continued to visit their country. We had never known, to this day, a welcome like it.
We are again there on holiday, and unsurprisingly the TV is solid with coverage of the event, and documentaries and commentary on related issues, such as OBL and AQ.
Last edited by MPN11; 11th Sep 2016 at 22:51.
Thread Starter
Since hearing The Star Spangled Banner played by the Guards Band in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace the following morning, I have never been able to hear it without tears in my eyes.
I was home on Time Off from Saudi.....awoke and wandered in to the Kitchen and grabbed a cup of Coffee. The TV was on but muted and as I looked through the Pass Thru into the Loungeat the TV...I saw the WTC Tower billowing smoke and thought "Gee....some folks are having a bad day!".
Then...I watched the second aircraft fly into the other Tower.
My Mom asked me what was going on....and I replied...."We just went to War with somebody!
My hometown was home to Piedmont Airlines which was at that time USAir and my sister has worked as a Reservationist for Thirty Years, and if you are involved in Aviation we tend to bump into a lot of folks during business and social events...so it makes for a very small world when bad things happen.
A Flight Attendant on United 93 was the Wife of a USAir Pilot.
Sandy Bradshaw was a Mother and a Wife and will never be forgotten in our community especially knowing what took place onboard that flight when Passengers and Crew fought back against the Terrorists.
If you ever get the opportunity to visit Shanksville....take a moment to think about those folks and what they did that day!
Then...I watched the second aircraft fly into the other Tower.
My Mom asked me what was going on....and I replied...."We just went to War with somebody!
My hometown was home to Piedmont Airlines which was at that time USAir and my sister has worked as a Reservationist for Thirty Years, and if you are involved in Aviation we tend to bump into a lot of folks during business and social events...so it makes for a very small world when bad things happen.
A Flight Attendant on United 93 was the Wife of a USAir Pilot.
Sandy Bradshaw was a Mother and a Wife and will never be forgotten in our community especially knowing what took place onboard that flight when Passengers and Crew fought back against the Terrorists.
If you ever get the opportunity to visit Shanksville....take a moment to think about those folks and what they did that day!