The 14th Anniversary of 9/11

[Pixieglitter]

The 14th anniversary of 9/11 is coming up, in only a few weeks. It's unbelievable that it's been so many years. Most of us are very patriotic and full of compassion for the events of that day, the day that changed our world forever. The 9/11 videos still make me cry, sob actually. However, it's so important for us all to watch them, and remember. It was a horrific day for our world, not just the United States. That terrible day changed us all, forever.

I'd like to share a story about what happened to some of my friends and co-workers on that tragic day. At that time, I worked for the Army as a secretary, and on that horrific morning, I had 7 guys from my office at the Pentagon. They went up there to attend a meeting and were only there for a day, September 11, 2001. I was able to get in touch with them on their cell phones about 9:30 am, and I could hear all the screaming, crying and sirens in the background. I could also hear the police cars driving through downtown Washington, DC, with their loud speakers on, telling everyone that another plane was coming. There was nowhere for them to go to get away from it all, and be safe. The group of them were on their knees in the middle of the sidewalk, praying for a way to get home. That was all they wanted, a way to get home to their families and loved ones. They couldn't get any rental cars to, the rental cars were all already rented.

There was a man who lived about a mile away, he felt compelled to walk to the downtown area. He came upon my guys' group when they were on their knees, his name was Jeff. At first, Jeff thought that someone was hurt, but he quickly discovered that they were praying, praying for a way to get home. He took them to his house, they all walked a mile to Jeff's home. He tended to all of their needs, and they were able to see the events happening on TV. One of my guys had a severe asthma attack, and Jeff was able to get him the medical care he needed. Jeff helped my boss and co-workers to rent U-Haul trucks to drive back home to Alabama. Fittingly, Jeff was a very spiritual man, and he was also a carpenter by trade.

I remember back in the 1970s, when I was in middle school, there was an article in Newsweek magazine that talked about how passenger planes could be used as deadly missiles, at any time. And even though I was very young, I remember thinking at the time how unbelievable that would be, and that it couldn't possibly ever happen. But it did.

There will always be a sad place in our hearts for the tragic and horrific events that happened on that terrible day for our world. I was going to post a 9/11 video of that abominable day, but there is bad language in most of them, which may be offensive to some. They all show people jumping from the World Trade Center, and it's just too sad, and disturbing, for some to watch. It's so important for all of us to never forget that horrific day for our world.

Hugs to all,
Shelley

[Winnie2013]

Thank you Shelley for sharing your experience of 9/11. While most of us did not know anyone there as you said it was such a horrific time I'm sure none of us will ever forget what we were doing, where we were when we saw those evil acts occur and the terrible sense of loss we all felt that day. I can hardly stand to watch any of the videos like you I just sob when I see the horrors of that day like the people jumping from their offices to escape the fire knowing it would be the last thing they would ever do. May God have mercy on the USA and protect us from further attacks, even though we don't deserve it since we, as a country have turned our backs on God. It always reminds me of the verse If My people which are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven forgive their sins and heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14 God bless love Winnie

[Jean Marie]

Shelley, Hi,
You told us about the men who were on their knees praying and when the other guy that took them to his house. There is power in prayer. I believe their prayer was answered.
There is a movie coming out in theaters about the power of prayer .
Jean Marie

[DonnaPBradshaw]

Shelley, thank you for your post! It was very interesting to read. My birthday happens to be 9-11 not that year but still I was born on September 11 many years before this horrific day! My daughter called me and I thought she was calling to wish me a happy birthday, all she said was:"are you watching tv mom?" I wasn't but did turn it on, and my birthday has never been the same. They now put flags out on my birthday in our state! they hadn't done that before.

[Pixieglitter]

Shelley, thank you for your post! It was very interesting to read. My birthday happens to be 9-11 not that year but still I was born on September 11 many years before this horrific day! My daughter called me and I thought she was calling to wish me a happy birthday, all she said was:"are you watching tv mom?" I wasn't but did turn it on, and my birthday has never been the same. They now put flags out on my birthday in our state! they hadn't done that before.

That's so sweet, Donna. On that terrible morning, my parents were living in Florida (I live in Alabama). I called them and mom answered the phone. I just said, "Are you watching the TV?" And she said yes, she was. And we both just cried. Neither one of us had any words. It was so tragic, neither of us could even speak.

[Poinciana]

Thanks for sharing your memories and that very touching story, Shelley. It's a day we'll never forget. I especially remember being in my sewing room working on a new jacket. And having the tv on. I don't remember what channel I had on, but it was a news program. I heard and glanced up at the tv and they were saying a plane crashed into a building. At first it didn't register because I thought it was an ad for a movie!

I had previously enjoyed a very sumptuous dinner at Windows on the World, the fabulous restaurant atop one of the WTC buildings. I also have numerous photos I took from the observation deck on one of the buildings during a day visit to Manhattan.

A month before 9/11 I had finished reading a book named High Flight by David Hagberg which dealt with terrorism in the air on commercial planes. Quite a book.


Donna, don't let the fact that it occurred on your birthday overshadow the delight of celebrating the day your mom was blessed with you!

[DonnaPBradshaw]

Thanks for sharing your memories and that very touching story, Shelley. It's a day we'll never forget. I especially remember being in my sewing room working on a new jacket. And having the tv on. I don't remember what channel I had on, but it was a news program. I heard and glanced up at the tv and they were saying a plane crashed into a building. At first it didn't register because I thought it was an ad for a movie!

I had previously enjoyed a very sumptuous dinner at Windows on the World, the fabulous restaurant atop one of the WTC buildings. I also have numerous photos I took from the observation deck on one of the buildings during a day visit to Manhattan.

A month before 9/11 I had finished reading a book named High Flight by David Hagberg which dealt with terrorism in the air on commercial planes. Quite a book.


Donna, don't let the fact that it occurred on your birthday overshadow the delight of celebrating the day your mom was blessed with you!

Oh how sweet of you to say that about my birth! Poinciana! if you only knew the history of my birth! that's another story that will be told when I write my life story!!

[LI Roe]

I remember exactly what I was doing on that day and where I was going. I was driving to the library to return some videos before meeting with my financial advisor (who called and we cancelled that day) and listening to the news on the car radio and thought at first, it was a small plane that had gone awry and slammed into the building. But then when I went into the library, there was more news and I just looked at the librarians and we all were shock. My boyfriend at that time, who was a volunteer firefighter for a local, then paged me and I called him back and the first thing he said was for me to go home. He was heading, with members of his department to the city to help in rescue efforts. I then drove home, but walked to a friends house a few blocks away and she and her sister and I just watched for hours at the horror unfolding in front of our eyes. Then I came home and went to my Jazzercise class and everyone was milling about and we never had the class, some of the people knew people who were unaccounted for. Then I found out one of my cousin's daughter (who was then on the Larry King Show and interviewed by him about that day) had walked out of the building she worked in before it collapsed. She actually managed to catch up with her dad who worked nearby (my oldest cousin) and they were all fine.

I didn't know anyone personally who passed away on that horrific day. I just can't believe how there are such cold-hearted people in this world who have no qualms about hurting and destroying so many lives. There is and never will be an explanation for this senseless act of hatred.

Every time, usually around the anniversary of that fateful day, when they show some of the video, I cringe and have to close my eyes as the people were attempting to save their lives as they jumped from the building. I just hope and pray that there is never anything like this again, though it seems like there have been smaller attempts. I will never understand the why of it. My mind just doesn't think that way to hate people.

May they all rest in peace.

[DonnaPBradshaw]

I remember exactly what I was doing on that day and where I was going. I was driving to the library to return some videos before meeting with my financial advisor (who called and we cancelled that day) and listening to the news on the car radio and thought at first, it was a small plane that had gone awry and slammed into the building. But then when I went into the library, there was more news and I just looked at the librarians and we all were shock. My boyfriend at that time, who was a volunteer firefighter for a local, then paged me and I called him back and the first thing he said was for me to go home. He was heading, with members of his department to the city to help in rescue efforts. I then drove home, but walked to a friends house a few blocks away and she and her sister and I just watched for hours at the horror unfolding in front of our eyes. Then I came home and went to my Jazzercise class and everyone was milling about and we never had the class, some of the people knew people who were unaccounted for. Then I found out one of my cousin's daughter (who was then on the Larry King Show and interviewed by him about that day) had walked out of the building she worked in before it collapsed. She actually managed to catch up with her dad who worked nearby (my oldest cousin) and they were all fine.

I didn't know anyone personally who passed away on that horrific day. I just can't believe how there are such cold-hearted people in this world who have no qualms about hurting and destroying so many lives. There is and never will be an explanation for this senseless act of hatred.

Every time, usually around the anniversary of that fateful day, when they show some of the video, I cringe and have to close my eyes as the people were attempting to save their lives as they jumped from the building. I just hope and pray that there is never anything like this again, though it seems like there have been smaller attempts. I will never understand the why of it. My mind just doesn't think that way to hate people.

May they all rest in peace.

Thank you for sharing this story! If we record our memories of momentous days to our posterity it will help them in their lives.

[Pixieglitter]

I remember exactly what I was doing on that day and where I was going. I was driving to the library to return some videos before meeting with my financial advisor (who called and we cancelled that day) and listening to the news on the car radio and thought at first, it was a small plane that had gone awry and slammed into the building. But then when I went into the library, there was more news and I just looked at the librarians and we all were shock. My boyfriend at that time, who was a volunteer firefighter for a local, then paged me and I called him back and the first thing he said was for me to go home. He was heading, with members of his department to the city to help in rescue efforts. I then drove home, but walked to a friends house a few blocks away and she and her sister and I just watched for hours at the horror unfolding in front of our eyes. Then I came home and went to my Jazzercise class and everyone was milling about and we never had the class, some of the people knew people who were unaccounted for. Then I found out one of my cousin's daughter (who was then on the Larry King Show and interviewed by him about that day) had walked out of the building she worked in before it collapsed. She actually managed to catch up with her dad who worked nearby (my oldest cousin) and they were all fine.

I didn't know anyone personally who passed away on that horrific day. I just can't believe how there are such cold-hearted people in this world who have no qualms about hurting and destroying so many lives. There is and never will be an explanation for this senseless act of hatred.

Every time, usually around the anniversary of that fateful day, when they show some of the video, I cringe and have to close my eyes as the people were attempting to save their lives as they jumped from the building. I just hope and pray that there is never anything like this again, though it seems like there have been smaller attempts. I will never understand the why of it. My mind just doesn't think that way to hate people.

May they all rest in peace.

Roe, I'd forgotten that you lived just outside NYC. Back in the early 90s I lived on Long Island, too, and it was during that time that terrorists tried to bring down one of the WTC towers with a bomb in the parking lot underneath. I remember watching it on the news and asking my then father-in-law, how would the towers fall? Would they topple over sideways onto the other buildings Manhattan? He just said he didn't know. I couldn't get that image out of my mind. And then 9/11 happened, and the world tragically saw how those towers fell, straight down. Remembering it breaks my heart.

Hugs,
Shelley