9/11

[DarterBlue]

I vividly remember the morning of 9/11/2001. I had chosen to work from home that day. I got a call from Carl P, the white supremacist colleague I described to you in a post over a year ago. He simply said: "Turn on your TV." I did and saw smoke billowing from the first tower that had been hit. And then, within minutes, I saw the second plane hit the second tower. I simply said: "This is deliberate." Little did I know that I was watching, in living color, a pivotal moment in American history. A moment that still haunts us to this day and while it did not start us down our current path, certainly exacerbated policies that were to take us the current darkness we face as a country. 

Each 9/11 since has been a moment of reflection for me. I can only pray that the current one will be the beginning of brighter times. 

 

[Nolebull813]

 That was a pretty backhanded recollection of what happened.  I would expect nothing less from someone with your point of view 

 I guess you’re part of the “some people did something” crowd 

[DarterBlue]

1 hour ago, Nolebull813 said:

 That was a pretty backhanded recollection of what happened.  I would expect nothing less from someone with your point of view 

 I guess you’re part of the “some people did something” crowd 

I can't even begin to comprehend what's going on in your mind. You need to get help, man. You need to let the hate go. I pray for you, but fear you are a lost cause. 

[HSFBfan]

I remember 9/11 like yesterday 

I was a sophomore in HS sitting in class. This girl comes into the room hysterically crying. Not something you usually see in Hs at 830am. So I remember leaning over to the student next to me and asked whats going on. The student said you didn't hear. I said no what happened. The WTC has been hit by a plane. So for the next few minutes the world stood still for me. My dad being NYPD worked in downtown Manhattan. All I could think of was where is my dad. Is he OK is he dead. Im 14 years old at the time. We went to the TV studio room and saw the 2nd plane hit. My brother and myself got pulled early from school as my mom being a nurse had to go to Manhattan to go to work naturally it was all hands on deck. 

To make a long story short both of my parents survived the attack but ill never forget that day and how I felt and still do to this day 

[concha]

15 minutes ago, DarterBlue said:

I can't even begin to comprehend what's going on in your mind. You need to get help, man. You need to let the hate go. I pray for you, but fear you are a lost cause. 

[DarterBlue]

5 minutes ago, concha said:

The irony is yours not mine. You are such an idiot!

[ngdawg]

I know you guys aren't big band people, but here is the Broken Arrow band playing their 2018 show about America. It's very very good.

[imaGoodBoyNow]

 

[Bormio]

5 minutes ago, GardenStateBaller said:

 

Like a boss

[tommygun58]

1 hour ago, GardenStateBaller said:

I was on a bus entering the Lincoln Tunnel as the first plane hit. Those sitting on the left side of the bus saw the direct hit. Thank God our driver has the wherewithal to make a U-turn and keep us in NJ. 

RIP LG, CW and DD. You’ll never be forgotten. 

 

Many I know were in transit that worked in the towers.If the attack was an hour later many more would have been lost.As it was I lost 2 friends,2 neighbors .one lived to the left & the other to the right of my house & one customer.All great people.All greatly missed.

[HSFBfan]

14 minutes ago, tommygun58 said:

Many I know were in transit that worked in the towers.If the attack was an hour later many more would have been lost.As it was I lost 2 friends,2 neighbors .one lived to the left & the other to the right of my house & one customer.All great people.All greatly missed.

I'm very sorry for your loss. 

[Blueliner]

I'll never forget. EVER. This will always be imprinted in my mind. 3000 miles away, I was working at Station 9. We had been out working a structure fire on Wildwood Court which came in at about 0130 PT. We had 19 firefighters and 2 Battalion Chiefs on the scene. Unfortunately, the fire had to big of a head start, and the house was a total loss. But everyone was grateful that the family that had just lost everything and all firefighters were all unhurt and safe. Mission accomplished

We arrived back to station at around 0500. We got the rig back into operational readiness and took showers. I crawled back into bed hoping for about 2 hours of sleep. At about 0645, the lights and bells went off. We all jumped out of our racks thinking we had another call when the dispatcher then followed directing that all stations to turn on the TV for a major situation developing. I thought that was odd for the comm. center to be telling us to turn on tvs. But we did what was instructed and we all saw the first tower on fire. We all (5 of us) looked at each other in complete disbelief. We all knew that this was terrorism right away. And we all knew there were a lot of firefighters going up.

That's when the second plane hit. Clearly terrorism. Clearly hundreds of firefighters (and cops) were going to be going up  to save people. Both buildings burned for what...about 45-60 minutes or so. We knew that those brave FDNY and NYPD officers were likely about 50-60 floors up...when the South Tower collapsed. We all looked at each other knowing that MANY firefighters and others we just lost. We witnessed the deaths of hundreds of our brothers. And when the North Tower came down, we knew that we'd lost more because you can only go so fast up or down with all your gear and equipment. 343 FDNY, 72 NYPD/Port Authority. That 343 lost would be 2/3 of my fire department. 

I couldn't even begin to imagine what those firefighters must have thought as the jumped off of their rigs and looked up. Knowing that they had to walk up 80 flights of stairs just to get to hell. But they knew it was their duty. Many of them probably figured that they weren't coming back. God Bless all of the civilians, firefighters, cops, and families of the fallen. Sadly and ironically, that would be the last time that we would see our country united only like the United States of America can be. Maybe we'll get there again one day. 

(Hand Salute) my American brothers and sisters.

[Ga96]

Imagine if someone said "all buildings matter" or "all lives matter"  see the irony? With that being said I still remember this day like it was yesterday. Didn't loose any family members that I know of in this horrific day but did have some that were first responders and others that help rebuild. Very sad day. I hope that for those people's sake the truth eventually gets revealed.

[DarterBlue]

My employer at the time had maintained office space in the WTC but did not renew their lease because of the aborted terrorist assault on it in 1993. Good for them! If they had, many of my former NYC colleagues would have likely died. Back when they had space there, when I joined the firm, I spent the first 4 months on the 93 floor of the second tower before transferring up to mid-town. 

It is always surreal when I reflect on all this. 

[noonereal]

5 hours ago, DarterBlue said:

I can't even begin to comprehend what's going on in your mind. You need to get help, man. You need to let the hate go. I pray for you, but fear you are a lost cause. 

@Nolebull813 is a good egg just steeped in the "good ole boy" world of yesterday.

[DarterBlue]

Just now, noonereal said:

@Nolebull813 is a good egg just steeped in the "good ole boy" world of yesterday.

I am not sure there is anything good about him, but hope you are right.

And, in a sense, he is my neighbor. We live about an hour's drive from each other on the I-4 corridor. 

[noonereal]

1 hour ago, Blueliner said:

I'll never forget. EVER. This will always be imprinted in my mind. 3000 miles away, I was working at Station 9. We had been out working a structure fire on Wildwood Court which came in at about 0130 PT. We had 19 firefighters and 2 Battalion Chiefs on the scene. Unfortunately, the fire had to big of a head start, and the house was a total loss. But everyone was grateful that the family that had just lost everything and all firefighters were all unhurt and safe. Mission accomplished

We arrived back to station at around 0500. We got the rig back into operational readiness and took showers. I crawled back into bed hoping for about 2 hours of sleep. At about 0645, the lights and bells went off. We all jumped out of our racks thinking we had another call when the dispatcher then followed directing that all stations to turn on the TV for a major situation developing. I thought that was odd for the comm. center to be telling us to turn on tvs. But we did what was instructed and we all saw the first tower on fire. We all (5 of us) looked at each other in complete disbelief. We all knew that this was terrorism right away. And we all knew there were a lot of firefighters going up.

That's when the second plane hit. Clearly terrorism. Clearly hundreds of firefighters (and cops) were going to be going up  to save people. Both buildings burned for what...about 45-60 minutes or so. We knew that those brave FDNY and NYPD officers were likely about 50-60 floors up...when the South Tower collapsed. We all looked at each other knowing that MANY firefighters and others we just lost. We witnessed the deaths of hundreds of our brothers. And when the North Tower came down, we knew that we'd lost more because you can only go so fast up or down with all your gear and equipment. 343 FDNY, 72 NYPD/Port Authority. That 343 lost would be 2/3 of my fire department. 

I couldn't even begin to imagine what those firefighters must have thought as the jumped off of their rigs and looked up. Knowing that they had to walk up 80 flights of stairs just to get to hell. Many of them probably figured that they weren't coming back. God Bless all of the civilians, firefighters, cops, and families of the fallen. Sadly and ironically, that would be the last time that we would see our country united only like the United States of America can be. Maybe we'll get there again one day. 

(Hand Salute) my American brothers and sisters.

I had heard the first tower was hit so I went to the roof of my building to watch. That is when I saw the second plane hit. I came down and told my significant to get my youngest out of school. She was the very first to grab her from school. We got in the car and headed to our home in the country. I didn't even stop to pay the toll. I just got out of town moments before all the roads were closed down. 

I wondered what would be attacked next and what might be in that smoke which were were sure to be in. 

I could see the buildings burning in my rear view as we fled. 

When we returned things were different. Our ice rink had been converted to a morgue, our park had been converted to a staging site for the military... helicopters coming and going. Our soccer field was set up as a triage center. 

My subway stop had solders patrolling and even a tank in front of the mosque  where the first attack on the trade center was planned. 

Most my buddies were fire and police and they were over at the site. Several times rumors started and people started running up the streets. 

I kept my youngest out of school on teh 11th after that, to never forget. 

I lost friends that day too which I found out later.

Indeed, I will never forget. 

 

What was interesting was when I got to my home in the country. The people there were going about the day mostly fairly normally. Yes, they returned home early but mowed the law, did a little shopping, had a couple beers and did chit chat. It was so very different from people running up the roads and sirens blaring from where I had come.  It realized it was a TV event to them. Like I said, I always found the contrast, being so stark, very interesting. 

[noonereal]

19 minutes ago, DarterBlue said:

I am not sure there is anything good about him, but hope you are right.

And, in a sense, he is my neighbor. We live about an hour's drive from each other on the I-4 corridor. 

Now that would give me pause. lol

[noonereal]

1 hour ago, GardenStateBaller said:

So true. My three friends all worked at Cantor Fitzgerald. 

Same! 

 

small world... two decades earlier I had turned down the job my buddy accepted there. (he had to jump that day)

[HSFBfan]

Let's not get into the conspiracy political angles 

3000 innocent people died today 19 years ago and it hurts. 

If your not still angry over this day you have no soul. I understand if ur not a NYer and u can kinda remove yourself but if your from this area and ur not still angry and upset than like I said no soul. 

Yes the answer to this attack was completely messed up but I will not go into that on this post no not on this day 

[tommygun58]

2 hours ago, GardenStateBaller said:

So true. My three friends all worked at Cantor Fitzgerald. 

The neighbor on my right worked for them as did many from my area.Ridgewood,Wyckoff,Ho Ho Kus.She would be on her way to work at 6am.You could set your watch to her.

[tommygun58]

6 minutes ago, GardenStateBaller said:

We live in the same area

I'm in Midland pk.

[HSFBfan]

Just now, tommygun58 said:

I'm in Midland pk.

My brother worked in midland park 

Jacobsen landscaping 

I get my baseball cards from the baseball card store 

[tommygun58]

3 minutes ago, HSFBfan said:

My brother worked in midland park 

Jacobsen landscaping 

I get my baseball cards from the baseball card store 

Baseball Card Store owner is a great guy.After the elementary schools get out they head there & he gives them a piece of Double Bubble.

[HSFBfan]

4 minutes ago, tommygun58 said:

Baseball Card Store owner is a great guy.After the elementary schools get out they head there & he gives them a piece of Double Bubble.

Yes he does everyday. He is so generous and so knowledgeable. Helped me out so much. I actually pulled a pretty good card from a pack one day he gave me the going price so I sold it to him and it went into the glass case. U could spend hours there