Where were you when … 9/11
(photo-heavy, and emotional contents)
With all the programs on the TV I was thinking back about that fateful day of 11 September 2001. I’m sure it’s one of those days you will always remember where you’ve been when you heard the news.
The day was only 4 days after our wedding, and we were looking forward to our honeymoon starting on the 20th – in the USA.
I was at work when I heard the news, some of my colleagues had internet access and had checked the news and then passed the info on – a plane (American Airlines Flight 11) flew into 1 WTC (World Trade Centre North Tower) at 8:46am local time (12:46pm UK time). We were all shocked about this “accident” and worried for the people in the tower.
When I saw the news of the second plane at 1:03pm UK time (9:03am local time) into the South Tower (2 WTC, United Airlines Flight 175) I thought it was a repeat, couldn’t be happening. At that point I started worrying about my friend Susan who was working in the banking district of Manhattan, but with no internet access at work and no internet on my phone back then I couldn’t contact her – so even more worried!! And the common thought was “This can’t be another accident!”, which was getting more and more a factual thought when we heard about American Airlines Flight 77 (plane into Pentagon building) and United Airlines Flight 93 (plane which was brought down by the passengers destined for Washington DC).
I’m not sure, but I *believe* we were able to go home at 3pm that day because of what happened. I believe that as I was home quite a bit earlier than Doug, and the news repeating pictures of the planes crashing into WTC and the Pentagon over and over again on all channels. I was crying and in shock and had sent an e-mail already to my friend Susan (who fortunately was several blocks away from WTC, so was not affected).
It is human nature to still read/watch all the news of disasters despite being shocked and not really wanting to see them. Not sure why, but it is like that. And seeing the people jumping from the towers, the towers collapsing (I’d never been to NYC before, but DH had as a child and later as a student on holiday without his family) and the rescue operations over the next week before our honeymoon.
Flights were cancelled during that time, and we looked into cancelling our honeymoon (we’d be flying into Boston) but in the end were able to go (think we were on one of the earliest international flights back into the US (not sure if it was out of UK as well, with attacks being expected here after it transpired that this was a terrorist attack.
FAST FORWARD TO 2010
Doug and I travelled to NYC as part of our holiday in March 2010. First time I visited the city, and it felt just natural for me that I wanted to go to Ground Zero. Not for sensation seeking sake, but out of curiosity and just to get my mind settled. Can’t really put it into words.
It was still a building site and we didn’t go very close to it, but I took some photos of the high-rises mirrored in the glass of the Millenium Hilton which is opposite Ground Zero.
We were staying close to Hell’s Kitchen and one evening we walked past the Engine 54 Ladder 4 Battalion 9 fire station (“Pride of Midtown”) – the station who had the biggest loss of firemen on 9/11 (15 fire fighters lost). At that point a fire truck was coming out of the fire house and I managed to take a couple of shots.
Seeing on TV and on the internet what the WTC Memorial looks like is amazing!
September 11, 2011
Lots of programs on TV this week, and I’m not too fond of the conspiracy programs (9/11 Road Trip – geesh!!). However, I loved the remembrance services held in the US all over, e.g. at the New York Jets v Dallas Cowboys game.
Reflecting on what happened 10 years ago is quite emotional, and I’m still in tears watching TV about it. Doug thinks that the 11th anniversary could be even bigger than the 10th, just because of the date.
With all the programs on the TV I was thinking back about that fateful day of 11 September 2001. I’m sure it’s one of those days you will always remember where you’ve been when you heard the news.
(photo taken from Orlando News Centre)
I was at work when I heard the news, some of my colleagues had internet access and had checked the news and then passed the info on – a plane (American Airlines Flight 11) flew into 1 WTC (World Trade Centre North Tower) at 8:46am local time (12:46pm UK time). We were all shocked about this “accident” and worried for the people in the tower.
When I saw the news of the second plane at 1:03pm UK time (9:03am local time) into the South Tower (2 WTC, United Airlines Flight 175) I thought it was a repeat, couldn’t be happening. At that point I started worrying about my friend Susan who was working in the banking district of Manhattan, but with no internet access at work and no internet on my phone back then I couldn’t contact her – so even more worried!! And the common thought was “This can’t be another accident!”, which was getting more and more a factual thought when we heard about American Airlines Flight 77 (plane into Pentagon building) and United Airlines Flight 93 (plane which was brought down by the passengers destined for Washington DC).
(photo taken from September 11 news)
(photo taken from Freedomfiles.com)
(photo taken from crystalinks.com)
Flights were cancelled during that time, and we looked into cancelling our honeymoon (we’d be flying into Boston) but in the end were able to go (think we were on one of the earliest international flights back into the US (not sure if it was out of UK as well, with attacks being expected here after it transpired that this was a terrorist attack.
(photo taken from behindblondiepark.com)
Doug and I travelled to NYC as part of our holiday in March 2010. First time I visited the city, and it felt just natural for me that I wanted to go to Ground Zero. Not for sensation seeking sake, but out of curiosity and just to get my mind settled. Can’t really put it into words.
It was still a building site and we didn’t go very close to it, but I took some photos of the high-rises mirrored in the glass of the Millenium Hilton which is opposite Ground Zero.
We were staying close to Hell’s Kitchen and one evening we walked past the Engine 54 Ladder 4 Battalion 9 fire station (“Pride of Midtown”) – the station who had the biggest loss of firemen on 9/11 (15 fire fighters lost). At that point a fire truck was coming out of the fire house and I managed to take a couple of shots.
Seeing on TV and on the internet what the WTC Memorial looks like is amazing!
(photo taken from usatravel.about.com)
Lots of programs on TV this week, and I’m not too fond of the conspiracy programs (9/11 Road Trip – geesh!!). However, I loved the remembrance services held in the US all over, e.g. at the New York Jets v Dallas Cowboys game.
(picture taken from dailymail.co.uk)
(photo taken from urbanpeek.com)
Reflecting on what happened 10 years ago is quite emotional, and I’m still in tears watching TV about it. Doug thinks that the 11th anniversary could be even bigger than the 10th, just because of the date.
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S xx