September 11, 2001 Remembrance
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Anonymous
I was a GW freshman! My dad was supposed to be on the plane that hit the pentagon, Flight 77 flying to LA where I was from, but the day before he’d had a meeting on the hill scheduled for Tuesday morning so he changed his flight. He was then unable to fly home until about 10 days later. I had a very hard time adjusting to school and almost dropped out after going home for winter break. I did go to my next class but learned it was canceled on the way and had just gotten back to my dorm and felt the impact of the plane hitting the pentagon a moment later. |
Anonymous
| I think what a lot of people forget is the sheer terror of all this happening in real-time. There were literally reports of 2 or 3 other planes headed to various targets across the US. Reports of plans being shot down. Parents going to schools to pick up kids. |
Anonymous
Yes, I agree. We were stunned and thought more attacks were coming. My grandfather, a WWII vet, was extremely upset and afraid. |
Anonymous
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Trigger warning/ loss. I was at home with my toddler DC, Great Falls area. I was 2.5 months pregnant. I had just put DC in the high chair and as always, was listening to the 107.3 (Jack Diamond radio show) and would switch back and forth to Howard Stern (NY). Jack Diamond abruptly mentioned that something, either a helicopter or “small plane” had crashed into the World Trade Center tower and questioned aloud if this was perhaps a news helicopter. Stacey Binn (traffic and news reporter) immediately answered, “not at that level and not there.” I switched over to Howard and he was broadcasting similar and tone of his showed changed. I kind of had the dismissive, “well, that’s all the way in NYC/how awful” feeling and hurried DC through breakfast. Together we went to watch the only tv in the house and it seemed minutes later the second tower was hit. Talk then of a terrorist attack and that it was a commercial airliner both times. Then the Pentagon was hit and I became frantic-my sibling worked there. Tried to reach my local parents-busy signal and then creepy old recording that “all circuits are busy.” Finally my dad got through to me to say my sibling had gotten home safely but thought the CIA HQ would be next. Then the report of landing all planes. I grabbed DC and began packing a Go Bag for us; I figured we’d need to escape our close-in house. DH evacuated from his office. We watched the coverage until we couldn’t any longer. Fielded calls intermittently from family and friends asking about my sibling, DH, families. I had a miscarriage around midnight and was in surgery 9/13. |
Anonymous
I just posted with a trigger warning. Most chilling was when I got my retired military officer dad on the phone; he suddenly wasn’t my dad but a two time war veteran who said this was a terrorist attack and the US Capitol and CIA HQ and the White House would all be next. It felt like Doomsday. |
Anonymous
+1 We were at our house in Kensington getting a late start to work, my DH in DC and me in Bethesda. We had been out late the night before watching the Giants on Monday Night Football. We hadn’t been watching TV and our neighbor across the street shouted at us that a plane had hit the WTC. Went back in and turned it on, saw everything, and there were reports of a bomb at the State Department which was a couple blocks from my DH’s office. That’s when we decided to stay home. |
Anonymous
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“Are you ready? OK. Let’s roll.”
Todd M Beamer 1968-2001 |
Anonymous
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DH & I were walking out of our apartment building, 8 blocks north of the north WTC tower. We were in a hurry, running late, and feeling vexed by an inordinately loud droning noise that made it impossible to hold a conversation. Stepped outside to see the underbelly of a plane.. way too close for comfort.
Our first thought was that we were witnessing an accident in progress & surmised the pilot was trying to steer to the river. When the plane hit the tower, we were shocked with horror and disbelief and profound pity for those in the tower. We bought a pack of cigarettes, sat on a nearby stoop and chain smoked while trying to figure out what to do. We went back to our apartment to call into our respective offices when the second plane hit and we understood immediately that none of it was accidental. Our loft windows all pointed downtown to the towers. So that was what we watched all day. The windows shuddered as the towers fell. Thinking they were going to break, we ran into the one room of our flat with a door: our bathroom, and hid there until the rumbling stopped. Over the course of the day, we watched a river of people coursing up Hudson Street on foot, underneath our windows. We stayed that night after hearing that if we were to have gone above Canal st.. and later the boundary became 14th St., we wouldn’t be able to return to care for or collect our cats. So we duct taped the windows closed to keep out dust and hunkered down. NYFD came along and saw our lights on and sprayed down our windows periodically through the night, to help with the dust.the next day, it looked like we were in the middle of a war zone or dystopian movie set. It was eerie. After two days, my boss was able to find a short term executive rental in midtown for us. We packed the cats into cages and walked/hauled them 20ish blocks north, until we could connect with a town car. I will never. Ever. Forget. |
Anonymous
| Working in NYC, just out of college. Terrified, couldn't get in touch with my parents, so much confusion. Will never forget that feeling. Think about the lives lost often. |
Anonymous
True hero. |
Anonymous
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My 2.5 yr old niece had spent the night with me. We lived on the west coast. All night I had dreams about being attacked by middle eastern men--then I woke up and found out it was true. I didn't have a TV so I heard it all happening on the radio until I took my niece home and watched my sister's tv for hours. It was surreal. It was scary because we didn't know if there were any other targets and if they would be on the west coast (tons of military bases to hit!)
I think it's the kind of day you never forget, no matter where you were. |
Anonymous
| Getting ready to go to the airport for flight home for a work trip. |
Anonymous
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I was working in my Metro Center office when a colleague called and told me about the first plane. We saw the second plane hit and then watched the Pentagon burn from the roof deck. My boss was on the Hill for meeting and was taken to an underground bunker. We were very concerned about what could be hit next and feared for his life as well as our own.
My boyfriend (now DH) was at his office next to the Capitol. Phone lines and cell signals were jammed and it was very hard to make contact with anyone. We lived to together in an apartment in White Flint and had no idea how we could get home seeing as Metro was shut down and traffic was at a standstill everywhere. He eventually walked to my building because it seemed the safer choice. I managed to convince the VP of my company to squeeze us in to his already overcrowded car and we spent hours and hours just trying to head north out of the city. I'm someone who's very good in high stress/panic situations and kept my composure, except I can still vividly remember feeling a feeling I had never experienced before. It was like the world was screaming but all I could detect was silence - similar to being exposed to a large blast/sound that temporarily renders you unable to hear. |
Anonymous
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Todd: Hello… Operator…listen to me…I can’t speak very loud. – This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco.. We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?
Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone? Todd: No Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane? Todd: There are three that we know of. Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have? Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over the plane with knives. Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives? Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters. Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from? Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east. Lisa: Have they said what they want? Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board. He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet. He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake! Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name. Todd: My name is Todd Beamer. Lisa: Ok Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you can’t remember, it’s on your ticket. Todd: It’s United Flight 93. Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened? Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit. A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up. front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to his waist with a red belt of some kind. Lisa: So is the door to the cockpit open? Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them. Lisa: Has anyone been injured? Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class. There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded. Lisa: Where is the 3rd hijacker now Todd? Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the passengers into first class. There are fourteen of us here in the back. Five are flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in the rear of the plane……….oh Jesus.. Help! Lisa: Todd….are you ok? Tell me what’s happening! Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re ok. I think we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions. Do you hear me….we’re flying east again. Lisa: Ok Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers? Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true?? Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad. The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed. Todd: Oh God —help us! Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid that your plane may be part of their plan. Todd: Oh dear God. Dear God…….Lisa, will you do something for me? Lisa: I’ll try….if I can….Yes. Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s happened. Promise me you’ll call.. Lisa: I promise – I’ll call. Todd: Our home number is 201 353-1073…….You have the same name as my wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our 3rd child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)..I’ll always love her..(clearing throat) We have two boys.. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s 1…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due January 12th…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa? Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd. Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will… Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?…… Lisa: (dials the phone..) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a United Airlines Flight 93….Yes I’ll hold. Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin.. I understand you have a hijacking situation? Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed. Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination? Lisa: The flight left Newark New Jersey at 8 A.M. departing for San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff, and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east. Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane. Can you get me thru to the planes phone? Lisa: I still have that line open sir, I can patch you through on a conference call…hold a mo….. Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there? Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on the line and will be talking to you as well. Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the World Trade Center and all. Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building. Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back.. Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington? Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away. Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot. Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do? Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me? Lisa: Yes…What is it? Todd: Would you pray with me? They pray: Our father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive our trespassers, And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory Forever…..Amen The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… He makes me to lie down in green pastures He leads me beside the still waters He restores my soul He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me… Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder) Are you guys ready?…….. Let’s Roll…………………… |
Anonymous
Todd Beamer was one of the many good young people who have died since 9/11. Who knows how much better our world would have been had they not been killed or maimed in the last 20 years. |