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Topic: 9/11: Did you remember? (Read 703 times)
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ZboX
Founder
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Posting Maniac
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Posts: 1695
What 'ya got there??
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Did you remember where you were when you heard the news five years ago today? I did. I was just pulling into a super market chains distribution center in Springfield MO, when news of the first plane hitting the WTC broke. I was listening to the news on National Public Radio. Shortly after I backed into the dock to have my trailer loaded was when the second plane hit. There was a lady commentator describing the scene from a television in NPR's studio. Then she said "Wait, there's another plane!" And then she screamed! I will never ever forget that. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and a cold chill went down my spine. Right then I knew. We were at war! I didn't see the events of that morning and afternoon live on TV like so many of you did. And frankly I feel for those of you who saw it. That must have been horrible. I didn't get out of the dristribution center until that afternoon. I finally stopped at a truck stop just east of Joplin MO, at about 5 PM as I wanted to fuel up and bed down as I had a delivery to make in Kansas City in the morning. After fueling up I went to the fuel desk in the truck stop. As I walked up there was a TV behind the desk which usually shows weather info. But not that day. It was showing a replay of the collapse of the second tower. I'm not a religious man but upon seeing that for the first time the words that came out of my mouth were "Oh God!" The lady behind the fuel desk with tears in her eyes told me it was on in the tv lounge also. I went to the lounge and it was standing room only. For many of the truckers standing there like myself they had only heard it on the radio. The next thing they showed was the second plane hitting. There was a collective "Oh no!" And we all had tears streaming down our faces.
All of that played through my minds eye once again today. And yes I fought back tears. Just as I am now, writing this.
Never Forget!
Bert
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mlski
Serious Poster
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Posts: 193
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Ironically I had just finished a newscast & we had started Dr. Laura. I went into the bullpen and was just sitting down to the computer there when I had a call from a friend/listener who told me a plane just hit the World Trade Center. So I popped up the Assoc Press wire to see if there was anything - and just sat there going "Oh my God!"
My boss said what - and I told him and we both called in to the studio to monitor ABC - and when we heard them come on with information - we dumped Dr. Laura and went to full network coverage.
For the first hour we were all stunned and basically listening to ABC - I was in the news studio on my other PC trying to get online news from NYC - an impossible feat as all the major news networks had their towers ON the WTC! When the planes hit - they all went down. News for the networks was being rerouted all over the place.
I still had not seen any coverage - we had no TV in the bullpen (we do now). I started making calls - but couldn't get thru to the Governor's office, any state officials at Legislative Hall, the Air Force Base, etc. During a National Emergency - access is limited until the nature of the threat/problem is determined (that access was limited for about 1 hour or so), but I was able to get thru to one of the Gov's aides because I had her personal cell number (she was a former co-worker)
My PM news anchor showed up a short time later with video he taped from TV so we could see what was happening (I don't think the first tower had fallen at that point). It was devastating. We then went into interview mode - A stayed (I didn't leave work that night till about 6:30 pm - and I get there at 4:30am!!) and I think between the two of us we talked to everyone humanly possible from man on the street to the Governor to the Bishop of Wilmington. I still have not all the interviews, but most of the cuts that we used on the air (a lot of that is in the Sheryl Crow song on my tribute page http://www.mlski.com/9-11.htm
I'm originally from NJ - been in & out of the WTC many many times and my Dad, who thank god is retired, worked only a few blocks from the WTC. I was afraid that people I went to school with or grew up with might be there - I checked the lists of the dead and missing on a daily basis. No names stood out - and there was a guy from my HS who died in one of the towers, but he graduated long after me, although my Mom knew who he was (she worked at my HS).
Since 9-11 my flag has flown outside my house every day (well - I retired my old flag at a flag cremation ceremony at the American Legion in May - after I bought a new one). 9-11 - the day Americans woke up and realized we're vulnerable.
If you want to read an eerie book - it's fiction and was written long before 9-11, but wow - how close it comes to what actually happened. - Nelson DeMille - The Lion's Game
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dawhip
Posting Maniac
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Posts: 315
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boy do I remember, I was channel surfing and saw right after the 1st plane had hit, then it kept repeating and repeating, so I started surfing again. Then I caught the 2nd plane hitting, knew it was a terrorist plot, and from then on I was glued to the tv for the 2 days. I called Dan right after the 2nd plane hit, and my clinic, and kept them both updated as more and more tragedy hit. on the 12th, i took a tv down to the clinic so they could all watch it while at work. I did a LOT of praying for all involved, and crying. I pray I never see such a tragedy again.... d
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