I Remember 9/11
Posted: Thursday, September 10, 2009
by Ken McCreless
RMS1437
Greetings Fellow Travelers ...
I was working nights then, as I am now. Often I would fall asleep watching television, especially if the night before was particularly stressful. Such was the case on 9/11/2001.
The channel I had been watching was now covering some sort of incident at the World Trade Center in New York. One of the buildings, the North Tower, was the subject of extensive news coverage, as it had a lot of smoke billowing from a strange, bird shaped wound. After watching in a semi-conscious state for a few minutes, and being snapped awake by the words spoken by a faceless narrator, I was stunned to learn that a commercial plane had caused the damage.
The voice turned into voices while several cameras showed the large airliner entering the side of the building like a hot knife into butter. Details were virtually non-existent but the consensus was that it was a horrific accident. There was a brief discussion of the possibility that it had been purposeful.
After about 15 or 20 minutes it was assumed that it was indeed an attack when another large commercial plane flew into the South Tower. Another plane of similar design crashed into the Pentagon, and yet another was supposed to be flown into the Capitol Building but the terrorists were thwarted by the brave passengers and crew, and the plane ended up crashing in rural Pennsylvania.
After about an hour the South Tower, which was hit second, collapsed. About 45 minutes later the first building to be struck came down.
3000 lives were lost that day- millions more were changed forever.
Schools across the nation reported parents coming by to pick up their children, fearing an attack on a much larger scale.
The sky above my home screamed in silence because normal air traffic on approach to the local airport had been ordered to stay on the ground. Authorities had reason to believe that the 4 hijacked planes were only the beginning of a day long air attack on the U.S. Flights from overseas were not allowed to land on American soil for 3 days after.
I went to work that night. When you work at a hospital you are expected to come to work during a crisis, be it hurricane, chemical spill, or terrorist attack. The mood was sullen, shock being the prevalent factor. Televisions were on everywhere, updates spread through the facility as quickly as they appeared on the screen.
Back in New York, after a couple of months, the rescue and recovery was complete, but body parts would continue to be found for a long while yet.
Here in Texas, and I'm sure elsewhere, an ad campaign surfaced that captured the sentiment of the nation. It conveys my feelings of gratitude to those folks who choose to take on the role of Police Officers, Fire Fighters, and Armed Services.
It featured the photograph of a Fire Fighter in full gear, covered in dust and debris.
The caption was simply this-
" While others were rushing out, he was rushing in."
I remember.
I was working nights then, as I am now. Often I would fall asleep watching television, especially if the night before was particularly stressful. Such was the case on 9/11/2001.
The channel I had been watching was now covering some sort of incident at the World Trade Center in New York. One of the buildings, the North Tower, was the subject of extensive news coverage, as it had a lot of smoke billowing from a strange, bird shaped wound. After watching in a semi-conscious state for a few minutes, and being snapped awake by the words spoken by a faceless narrator, I was stunned to learn that a commercial plane had caused the damage.
After about 15 or 20 minutes it was assumed that it was indeed an attack when another large commercial plane flew into the South Tower. Another plane of similar design crashed into the Pentagon, and yet another was supposed to be flown into the Capitol Building but the terrorists were thwarted by the brave passengers and crew, and the plane ended up crashing in rural Pennsylvania.
After about an hour the South Tower, which was hit second, collapsed. About 45 minutes later the first building to be struck came down.
3000 lives were lost that day- millions more were changed forever.
Schools across the nation reported parents coming by to pick up their children, fearing an attack on a much larger scale.
The sky above my home screamed in silence because normal air traffic on approach to the local airport had been ordered to stay on the ground. Authorities had reason to believe that the 4 hijacked planes were only the beginning of a day long air attack on the U.S. Flights from overseas were not allowed to land on American soil for 3 days after.
I went to work that night. When you work at a hospital you are expected to come to work during a crisis, be it hurricane, chemical spill, or terrorist attack. The mood was sullen, shock being the prevalent factor. Televisions were on everywhere, updates spread through the facility as quickly as they appeared on the screen.
Back in New York, after a couple of months, the rescue and recovery was complete, but body parts would continue to be found for a long while yet.
Here in Texas, and I'm sure elsewhere, an ad campaign surfaced that captured the sentiment of the nation. It conveys my feelings of gratitude to those folks who choose to take on the role of Police Officers, Fire Fighters, and Armed Services.
It featured the photograph of a Fire Fighter in full gear, covered in dust and debris.
The caption was simply this-
" While others were rushing out, he was rushing in."
I remember.
Ken McCreless is just a guy who loves to write, and was born to do so. He is a freelance writer with several projects ongoing, including books and magazines. A huge fan of both irony and history, Ken has dedicated his life and his writing to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
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More commentsGood article, Ken. You got the memories flowing. I figure we all remember, just as all those years ago so many remember the 'where and what' when JFK was shot. One of the things I remember most about 9/11 is thinking this can't be real - these have got to be movie special FX. The media, ever sensationalizing, kept showing people falling to the ground over and over. I remember wondering if Houston was next. It was a horrible day and I cannot even imagine what it would have been like living in NYC at the time. I imagine it took a long time before they stopped being suspicious and afraid of anything out of the ordinary.I know I had a sick feeling that the bloodshed was not over, and that all major U.S. cities were targets. Or even that some yahoo with a grudge would get inspired.Thank you so much, Lorrie.
Great reminder/article--thanks for writing it. WHILE OTHERS WERE RUSHING OUT, HE WAS RUSHING IN--amazing! The courage and selfless acts of courage regular human beings did during and after 9-11 were almost unbelievable. I bet many people also did selfless acts of courage inside the buildings that we will never hear about--giving their lives to help others etc. It's amazing what good things regular folks do sometimes.I think about those folks too, Steve, the ones in the building trying to help others get out. I can recall hearing a story about such heros, unnamed but not forgotten.Thank you so much for your kind words.
Great article, Ken,Words need not be said further. I remember.Thanks for sharing,NancyThank you, Nancy.
I remember too. Just minutes after this happened, I was being issued ammo and prepping my gear for war. Thank you for writing this article. I dread thinking about those times but when reading things like this, it is worth it.Thank you so much for your service. Watching the images again was hard, but we must not forget the horror of that day, or that there are people out there who would do it all again.
Ken! Great tribute! I remember that ad! So true! Thanks for sharing your piece with us!Thank you, Laura. I'll never forget the feeling that one picture gave me.
On such a day as this we dare not forget - I suspect too many already have dim vision of that day and events. MarijoI agree. What was that country song that said "we should show it everyday?"
hi ken,this was a beautifully written article, with a lot of feeling.i have always held police and firemen in the highest regard for risking their lives to save ours, my brother is a sergeant, and i respected them even more after 9/11. and i am not forgetting the many people-family members all, who also lost their lives on that day of awakening,my best to you,sueThank you, Sue.So many scars left over, so many loved ones affected.
Yes, I remember it well, it is still vivid in my mind. I lived and worked in Manhattan then. That unforgettable morning, the company that I worked called us for a meeting when suddenly someone exclaimed, "The World Trade Center collapsed!" "How can that be possible?" I kept asking myself, but it was true. The two towers were reduced to dust and rubble with thousands of human lives perished as the giant body of dust spreaHi Ken.d and covered every surface and nook it passed by. Then you heard of the heroic deeds the Fire Fighters, the Police Officers and the Armed Services, the Medics and other Emergency Medical Personnel selflessly did as well as the volunteers, the nurses and doctors in the hospitals, the people who made sure that the volunteers were given water and meals, the people who lined up to give and donate blood. Then, I started thinking how important my family is and how life can be snatched from you not even in a moment's notice.Thanks again Ken for sharing and for this tribute to them.Best regards to you and yours,NenitaWhat a horrible day that was. I pray we never have to endure anything like it again.Thank you, Nenita.
Ken, beautifully written. I too remember and shall never forget. I am forever grateful for our public service men and women. I honor them and pray for them always. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I could feel them. Blessings to you! T» left by Ken McCreless from Event Horizon 2 years 231 days ago.
84 fans. Follow Ken McCreless on twitter!Thank you, Sis, for your kind words and sentiment.We all carry scars from that miserable day.Blessings to you too!
Who could forget?
Thanks for sharing your memory.Thank you for reading and responding, Crystal. I very much appreciate it.
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