Remember: 9/11

[SuBe]

This will probably be my only post in this thread. As all the 9/11 Truthers will come out of the woodwork, or some of those that have reverted to 9/10 Americans. I wanted to share something with all of you. I feel that 9/11 is an America Defining event. Similar to Pearl Harbor, and the Alamo before it. We must Remember 9/11.

Not only do we owe it to the people, our brothers and sisters and friends, that died that day, we owe it to ourselves. We must never forget that numb feeling. That anger and unity.

I will never agree with anyone that says we need to move on. Or that we need to get over it.

On 9/11/01, I was in Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (Boot Camp). We had to no TVs, no Internet, no newspapers. I didn't find out about what happened until my Senior Drill Instructor sat us down, cried, and told us that America was attacked that day. I will never forget exactly where I was. Senior Drill Instructor Staff Sergent White the next day brought in a TV and played a Video Tape for 15 minutes, showing us Dan Rather giving the news from the day before. We saw the towers hit, people jumping out of the buildings, and then the towers fall. For the next 2-1/2 months, we trained hard. We prayed hard. We fought hard. 2 weeks before Graduation, I broke my hip. I was implanted with Metal Plates and Screws, and was told I won't be a Marine. The next 6 Months I rehabiliated, and was eventually sent home. I wouldn't be able to fight those that brought us to a Post-9/11 world. When I flew home, I saw what the world changed into. Security at the AirPort was different. Everything was different.

September of 2002, I watched the rebroadcasting of all the events of 9/11. It really was the first time I time I saw this. It was worse than I thought.

I wanted to share this with all of you. I will never forget. Below I am posting an article from my favorite Commentator, Neal Boortz, this is what he posted on his blog on 9/11/01

Today's Nuze: September 11, 2001These program notes are meant to offend everyone equally. If, for some reason you are not offended, please write me with a description of yourself including your name, race, weight, religious views, political party, strong opinions, physical disabilities, weird sexual preferences, or anything else that you are touchy about, and I will try to offend you in a future issue. You need it and if I can't do it, nobody can. If I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself. Failure is a choice. Poverty is a mental disease.

Complaints should be emailed to: biteme@findsomeone****eallycares.com

TERRORIST ATTACK!!!

Foreign enemies have finally brought warfare to American soil. Both of the World Trade Towers in New York City have been destroyed, as has World Trade Building No. 7. The Pentagon in Washington DC has been attacked. Another attack was attempted on Camp David. Four, possibly five commercial airliners have been hijacked -- their passengers and crews killed. It's an all-out terrorist attack on freedom, on liberty and on the United States and all of its citizens .. with 10,000 possibly dead.

Boortz returns to the air at 9:00 a.m.

By now I'm sure you know the story. America, liberty and freedom have been attacked. Both of the World Trade Towers have been destroyed. Thousands of lives have been lost. Some estimates put the dead in New York City at 10,000 souls. Direct attacks against the American government have been staged. There was an attack on Camp David which failed, an attack on the Pentagon which succeeded.

For now Americans are, or should be United. No matter who you voted for in 2001, George W. Bush is now YOUR president and he needs your prayers. The decisions that will be made in the coming hours, days and weeks are horrendous beyond your comprehension. U.S. Air Force fighter planes are now circling New York City and Washington DC. US Navy warships are on their way to New York and the National Guard has been called forth to help in rescue attempts.

This is an attack on freedom, liberty and on all of America and all Americans. It's also an attack on tall civilized nations throughout the world. The questions are almost too numerous. Who did it, of course, and how does America retaliate? What actions can be taken to prevent similar attacks on other targets in New York and other cities?

I was in Texas when JFK was assassinated. Within hours people were attacking those they felt to be responsible -- people who weren't responsible at all. It's time for Americans to absorb as much information as possible, to pray, and to reflect. Then it will be time for us to support our leaders in the actions they take to address these attacks, and to make sure they never happen again.

We'll see you on the air at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Updates anytime.

The WSB newsroom in action:

Scott Slade is delivering constant updates on the terrorist attacks.

Forefront to rear, News Director Chris Camp directs the staff while Veronica Waters and Mike Kavanaugh prepare the latest reports.

Random talking points on the terrorist attacks ...

We will need a unified response. An international response. There are civilized nations – and there are nations that are not civilized, nations that have no place in the international community. These nations need to be isolated – and, if they continue to present a threat, removed.

Its time for America to show strength. Part of true strength is a thoughtful but forceful response to this terrorist action. The response should be defined and strong -- forceful enough to make any other potential terrorists, or those who would harbor them, think very strongly about the consequences of their actions. Two simple steps. First, get it right. Second, respond.

Any nation who supported, protected or harbored the people who are responsible for the attacks on America – those nations must be dealt with strongly.

This was a well-organized and initiated attack. It went flawlessly. Not one set of hijackers failed to reach their goal of seizing American airliners. It is not the act of any small, poorly funded terrorist group.

One of the principal protectors of terrorists – of Osama Bin Laden and his ilk – would be Afghanistan. If the Taliban is behind this. If Afghanistan is complicit. If Osama Ben Laden, protected by Afghanistan, is responsible --- then the government of Afghanistan must be dealt with..

Budgets for American intelligence services have been decimated over recent years, starting with Carter. One has to wonder, if those budgets had not been savaged, would this have happened?

Virtually all of the hijacked airplanes were coast to coast flights. Why? Because they had full loads of fuel, that's why. Flying bombs.

I have spoken many times of the pitiful level of competence of those people who man our airport security checks. Don't we now know for an absolute certainty that our system of screening passengers and their luggage is completely inadequate? When it comes to protecting me on a commercial flight, I don't want to depend on people who's only viable second career choice would be cooking French fries. We have seen a total and complete utter failure of the security system protecting our nation's airports.

Did you know that American Airlines was recently fined by the FAA? The reason? Poor passenger screening.

Manhattan is littered with women's shoes. Why? Women trying to flee the scene of the terrorist attacks were abandoning their high heels.

Barbara Olson was reported to be on the hijacked airliner which crashed into the Pentagon. Barbara Olson is the wife of Solicitor General Ted Olson. She's also the woman who wrote the book "Hell to Pay," a rather unflattering portrayal of Hillary Clinton.

Heard today on MSNBC ... Andrea Mitchell saying that "It would be a challenge for a less articulate president to rally the country." Now that quote isn't exact ... but the "less articulate president" was there. It is time for the nation's leftist media to abandon this "Bush is a dummy" campaign.

We've all see those videos of Palestinians dancing in the streets. Ugly? Yeah, it's ugly. But put it in perspective. Those are kids, teenagers. They have no real concept of what America is, who Americans are or what has happened here. For some of the older ones you saw on television --- if you were to put them on an airplane and fly them to New York to see the bodies, the burned, the injured ... they would be horrified. Horrified not only at what they saw, but at their very own demonstrations of glee. Those aren't the people we need to blame. In a sense they're victims too.

You have to ask ... would this tragedy have happened today if America had shown the resolve to rid the world of Saddam Hussein in 1991? Shows of weakness or timidity invite actions of this type. Bullies love to pick on big guys who won't fight back.

I wonder of the hideous cowards who launched this attack on innocent American civilians have any idea just what they have done and the almost certain consequences of their actions. Were they fooled by the apparent dissention in American political life? If so, that will turn out to have been a fatal error. Someone is soon to learn that you don't screw with Americans or America. We may argue among ourselves -- but we are perfectly capable of binding together to respond with dangerous resolve against terrorists who attack us on our own soil.


There were other items today on Nealz Nuze -- though they hardly seem important at the moment. Here they are ... we'll deal with them later.

Thank you for your time, and if you like, please share your experience on that day.

 

[arachnid-guy]

I was at my first Karate lesson and I was waiting in the lounge to go in, when I saw everyone looking at a TV. Looking up @ the TV, I was wondering why everyone was watching an action movie.

It was the next day, when I realised what had happened.

 

[Prison Mike]

I was in german class (10th grade) at the time. My German teacher broke out of speaking her usual German (she said on the first day that she would only speak in German for the rest of the year) and announced the WTC towers were attacked. She brought in the TV and we saw the news for the rest of the class. During lunch time, I saw some kids being yanked out of school by their parents (I live in PA, about 2 hours from NYC). In the afternoon, I had my English class and I vividly remember my english teacher not allowing us to watch the news. It seemed to us she didn't care. She was an ass anyway. But she did apologize the next day and offered to talk about it. I heard some students complained about her and the principal made her talk about it with us.

 

[StrainedEyes]

I was in 9th grade. My health teacher first told us about it, but wasn't very descriptive. 2 periods of gossip later they finally made an announcement and let us all go home. I live in Jersey, so it was very possible that relatives, parents, etc.. of some of the students were in NYC at the time.

My mom was home and didn't know anything was going on, she wasn't watching the news. I spent of the rest of the day watching.

I was not directly effected by it.

 

[moraldeficiency]

RIP Jeremy, you are missed.

 

[kytrigger]

I was a senior in highschool. I was in a computer lab finishing up a science paper when we heard about it. I remember feeling almost relieved because I was suppossed to be in New York ona college visit to NYU that week, but had to cancel.

We had a memorial service here today and while it was still a little depressing, it got everyone fired up more than anything. After that service, I almost feel bad for anyone that even attempts to attack one of our patrols today.

 

[RAMORE]

I was off at college in my dorm watching the morning news with my roomate (which we never do) When they showed one had been Hit, then while we were watching the second plane hit...we both said that's no accident it terrorist...my roomate and I were stunned. I ran to wake up a friend and tell him I immediately started calling family. This was when it was rumored there might be as many as 13 planes Hijacked and I was thinking if we start nuking this could be the end of the world or at least World War 3. I called my best friend 2 hours away and told "Jeff are you watching please go and get Xochil (my girlfriend who is now my wife) Keep her with you, don't let anything happen i'm on my way, I know it's gridlocked I don't know how long it will take me but keep her safe i'm coming." Then I left.

 

[The Senator]

I was in art class, in high school, when the attacks happened. At first, the idea that someone crashed an airplane into the World Trade Center sounded incredibly absurd to me, so I didn't take it all that seriously. Then I went to science, and my teacher's daughter was working in the Pentagon at the time of the attacks. She survived, but the fear that this resilient, strict teacher showed spoke to me. When I arrived home, at the end of the day, the extent of the attacks were clearer to me than they had been all day (we did not watch any news coverage on television in school, so all we heard was second-hand information from our teachers throughout the day).

Four years later, when I moved to DC, I learned that several of my classmates from NYC had actually witnessed the attacks. One of my friends lost an uncle in the WTC attacks, another friend of mine from NOVA lost his step mother in the Pentagon, and one of my professors was actually driving over the Potomac, near the Pentagon, when the attacks happened.

So I'm not personally affected by the tragedy that day, but I know several people who were.

 

[Goddessreicho]

I was at the New York Museum of History.





















Worst. Day. Ever. No. Joke.


I absolutely hate it when people use this to FURTHER THEIR CAREERS!

 

[moraldeficiency]

I absolutely hate it when people use this to FURTHER THEIR CAREERS!

avoid all tv for the next 48 hours. Trust me, it'll just piss you off.

 

[danoyse]

I was in midtown Manhattan, my second day at my new job (which I've since left). I had been out on 5th Ave and able to see the towers as I walked into work around 8:40.

A few minutes after getting to my desk, someone said the WTC was on fire. Didn't know many details, but my dad called a few minutes later from his midtown office, and he'd seen the whole thing from his window. He wanted us to leave the city right now, but by then all the bridges and tunnels to NJ were closed and there was no way out of the city.

We decided to stay at our own offices, because we didn't know how safe the streets were. We were also worried about how safe we were there, since we were right near the Empire State Building and didn't know if that had been targeted as well.

I saw the towers collapse on TV in a co-workers office. I left for my dad's building after that--and I saw what was left from 5th Ave. Someone was standing in the street taking a picture. Another woman was crying. That smoke was higher and blacker than anything I ever saw on TV.

Spent most of the rest of the day at my dad's office. One of the most surreal things I remember was sitting in his conference room and watching the TV coverage and the real thing at the same time. I also remember leaping out of my seat when an military plane flew over so loud that the windows shook. I thought it was another plane.

I remember us going out for pizza and talking to a cop who said they had hundreds missing. I saw police cars covered in dust racing up the West Side Highway. I heard Building 7 collapse from my dad's window.

They finally opened up Penn Station around 6pm. Our first stop had ambulances waiting because they were transporting some of the walking wounded. The girl sitting next to me had been on 39th floor of Tower 2 and kept nervously laughing about how she'd gone back for her jacket before leaving the building.

I remember seeing the highways empty from the windows of the train. I also remember seeing a truck with searchlights headed for the city. Seeing that, I remember being amazed that this damn day was actually going to end. I was supposed to go to the Yankee game that night.

I'm NYC today, and I've been there nearly every day since 9/11. It's OK here, just quiet. People are just happy when the anniversary is past.

I'll be happy when there's finally a memorial downtown.

 

[Raiden]

I remember on Sept. 11, 2001 that morning, I was actually asleep because I'm on West Coast and it was early for us. I was awaken by my brother, who insisted that I must see the TV. So I went and saw that the first WTC was in smoke, which I still couldn't believe what I've seen. Then the 2nd plane stuck, and we were literally shocked in disbelief. I used to live in Brooklyn and had visited WTC once, and even went up to its 100+ floor so we can see the city down below, so it was a surreal experience for me.

 

[Visionary]

Edited: COMPLETELY inappropriate comment.

 

[JLBats]

Edgy.

 

[The Chairman]

I had just started 5th grade. Aside from several kids being picked up early, we had no indication anything was wrong.

It wasn't until 2:00 that afternoon that our principle gathered us for an assembly. I can't quite recall what my reaction was - fear, anger, confusion, perhaps a bit of all three - but I remember a wave of shock hit me. Unaware of our politcal climate with the Middle East in the past (I was only 10), I thought this was such an incredibly occurence.

We were told the school buses weren't running that day, and since I live in State Island, my first thought was how to get home. Fortunately, my uncle worked in the Tower 4 of the WTC and ran 40 blocks covered in soot and without shoes to pick me up. We were told that there was no conceivable way of getting home that night and that we had to sleep out at my cousin's (who worked on the 103rd floor but thankfully took off from work that day. Unfortunately, most of his wedding party perished.)

As we were walking there, I remember seeing the destruction first hand. It was the most frighrning thing I had ever seen in my life. The most indelible image I saw that days was of a mother and a daughter covered in black soot, sitting on a stoop, hugging, crying the most pain ridden tears I had ever seen in my life. Thinking about it now, I feel almost bad that I myself was not able to muster a single tear that day.

As we spent the night at my cousin's, we watched the heinous events of the day spread out on tv. I still remember seeing I think the 7th tower go down live. Going home the next day, I never New York (not just the city, but Brooklyn and Staten Island) so dead. It was chilling.

I didn't go to school for the next two weeks. When I came back, things were remarkably different. The city seemed to be up and running little by little. (Traffic was still a mess, but that was another story.)

To this day, the events still haunt me, and the fact that here has seemed to be such a shift in the political and social climate since those 7 years have passed is even more frightening. Still, I remain prouder than ever to be an American and even moreso a New Yorker. My thoughts and prayers go out to the vctims on this day and everyday. The sacrifices they made will never be forgotten.

 

[The Chairman]

EDIT: Inappropriate comment.

Wow, you're not funny.

 

[CBGB]

I remember when that happened, I was just about to pass my friends house on the way to school, and they pulled me in to watch the news. I wasn't aware of the WTC and everything because I had never gone to New York or anywhere outside of Canada. But looking back now, it was truly unbelievable (in a bad way).

 

[Excel]

I was in class...teacher came in and told us to watch the news...saw the 2nd one hit live...scary stuff man. What I found shocking is I have flown outta Logan dozens of times; to think the people who did that crap were in the same place I had been many times were extremely wierd.

 

[Excel]

I'll be happy when there's finally a memorial downtown.

That unfortunately aint gonna be for a while.

 

[The Geek Vault]

I was in fifth grade, no one told us anything while we were in school. I remember getting out and going home and my sister told me I needed to watch TV. I remember watching the second tower go down. I remember at first I didn't quite understand what was going on. I remember my mom called a lot and told us not to go anywhere. I remember it was the day after that everything really sunk in.

 

[Tanin]

I was watching the news waiting for a update on the stock exchange for class when it hit the news. The first plane crashing in and then I sat and watched the reports til the second plane hit.

After that I turned off the TV and went to check on all my friends in NYC. Luckily for me all my friends were safe.

 

[Hole Shot]

I was in jail during the attacks. That's no joke. I got arrested the night before for stupid immature guy drinking too much tough crap which I was guilty of it. When I was let out of the holding tank to get my mug shots the deputy taking my prints told me what was going on thinking it was an accident and then another deputy came over and told him a second plane hit the WTC. From there I went into another holding cell and was cut off from the outside world not knowing what was going until I was released at about 5PM that day.

My dad picked me up from jail and didn't even have it in him to get pissed at me or tell me what a screw up or how dissappointed him and mom were about my behavior. He didn't even really talk about the attacks either he was just quite.

On the drive back to my house we were driving along the Bay and my dad said one thing, "Jesus, look at the bay." I looked over at San Diego Bay and that's when I it hit me what was happening. The entire Fleet was GONE. Not a single U.S. Navy ship in sight. I lived here all my life and never seen anything remotely like that before, I'll never forget that moment. Because of the circumstances it's really the only "live" 9/11 experience I had.