Where were you on 9/11?

Okinawa. It was nighttime there, and we were out drinking like Marines who are coming back from float do. This was before everyone carried cell phones, so someone stuck their head in the bar and yelled “everyone needs to get back to base right now, we’re under attack” and a bunch of drunk Marines ran down the street. I remember crowding around the TV in the ready room watching the coverage on CNN, and being drunk in formation afterward when first sergeant told us to be ready to go to war.

We set sail for Afghanistan a few days later, and invaded soon after. I was in the second wave of Marines into Rhino, in December of 2001. I didn’t get back to the States for almost another year.

I was in preschool in NJ. I remember my mom coming to pick me up and take me home but I didn’t know why. My dad was a cop and he didn’t come home for three days. I remember wondering why he wouldn’t come home, but I was unable to understand the magnitude of what had happened at that time.

When the towers were hit, all transportation came to a halt. The George Washington bridge was effectively shut down and the only way to cross it was to walk. My dad had been helping all of the survivors who were walking over to jersey trying to get home. He said they were covered in dust like you couldn’t imagine. It’s crazy how much of an impact this attack had on not only the city, but also the surrounding suburbs. And it’s even crazier how everyone came together to help one another, regardless of anything that would otherwise set us apart.

Nonetheless, New York is resilient and tough, and was built back stronger than ever. It’s a shame that the museum has shut its doors due to lack of funding. We must never forget those lost and those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure as many people as possible returned home that day.

Coming out of class and it was a ghost town. Friend drove up to tell me what happened and then I frantically called my dad who works at the pentagon. I caught him after the 20th call. He said he’s ok and they were evacuating. I freaked out and made my friend drive to the pentagon. We couldn’t get there, but he drop me at my parents. The next morning, I could smell the burnt smell from the pentagon. Crazy..

I was on the corner of Church & Liberty when the 2nd plane hit. Prior to that moment, I was in the midst of my commute - the walk from the subway, past Century 21 and the fire house, to my building was the last 5-7 minutes of my daily commute. When I came out of the subway, the 1st plane had already hit. I watched the fire at the top of the building not knowing what to do. People were saying it was a news helicopter but no one actually knew what was going on. I couldn’t get through to my husband or parents (via my very modern flip phone) which we now know was b/c the cell system was out. I decided the safest place (as opposed to being out in the open) was my building. I started to make my way in that direction but took a moment to regroup in Century 21. I felt the tension and slight panic in the air though and opted to leave the building. When I exited and was back on the street, I tried to make my way towards my building but someone stopped me. He asked me where I was going and when I told him, he said there were plane or helicopter parts in the road. At that point people were starting to jump from the tower. The crowd began to panic. The 2nd plane hit and I’ve never felt the earth shake like I did in that moment, the sound was deafening. Pieces of debris were falling from the sky, more people were jumping, the crowd started to stampede. I literally thought I was going to die. I grabbed a man’s suit jacket and he said to hold on. We ran. I saw people picking up pieces of debris and remember thinking WTF, keep running. The stars aligned - I was able to get to midtown and on the last train out of the city. When I was on the train, someone said the pentagon had just been hit. When I finally got to my station, there was a crowd of wives and others waiting to see who got off the train. There were only a handful of us though. :-/

At work in Manhattan. Arrived after the first plane hit but before the second. Everyone thought the first plane was an accident. After the second we knew it wasn’t.

The office shut down soon after and we felt like the next attack could come at any time. I walked 3 miles home to my apartment, and there were thousands of people in the streets, everyone walking home.

Lockdown in High School (lived in Bronx, NY). That was a very sad + scary day for anyone who lived in NYC or the surrounding boroughs. Didn’t get released to go home until about 6PM.

Sitting on a United Plane waiting to take off at Ronald Reagan airport

I was a Jr in HS in way upstate NY walking between classes when I overheard a teacher talking about it. When we got to our next class our teacher rolled a TV in and we watched the coverage. I think we saw the 2nd plane hit but it’s all a blur. I just remember watching it all day and not fully comprehending how someone could hate us this much. I still get emotional every year when they replay the footage.

Up early and finished my morning workout and was in the fraternity house kitchen making breakfast.
News cut to a picture of the WTC on fire. Lots of speculation and then I remember the 2nd plane coming into view and crashing.
I committed to serving the country later that week.
The world, and mine, changed literally before my eyes.

In NYC living a few blocks below Canal St. I was a transfer student, and it was my second or so week in NYC. Our building was evacuated - the smoke didn’t quite reach my building, but it was a few blocks south.

My whole dorm walked uptown, along with many other people. I still didn’t know the city well. I did grocery shop on Hudson St. near the towers the day before, and walked back to my dorm.

We were allowed back in our dorm a few days later, and had to spend most of the semester going through checkpoints and smelling that acrid metal.

My school played along with the whole ‘we’re tough, let’s carry on as normal’, but a lot of students were really hurting. There was little empathy or care for students at the time. I hope that has changed.

In school (second grade).

In a small town in egypt. I remember coming back back from primary school, seeing all my relatives pinned in front of the tv, watching the news, crying and praying for this tragedy. May they rest in peace.

In school in the UK. ‘2nd Grade’ equivalent. My teacher was late as he had been watching it in the staff room. None of believed him as it seemed impossible America could be attack like that.

My grandfather fought in the war so I was aware of how much support America has given us. It frightened me because if the terrorists could do that to America, imagine what they could do to us.

Where were you in 1939?

Freshman year, Villanova. When they said a plane hit the WTC, I didn’t know how bad it was or what it meant, but I was thinking “please let this not be terrorism.” A lot of kids from New York at Villanova of course, everyone was scrambling. Cell phones jammed. My dad worked at the State Department in Dc, I don’t think we could get ahold of him. It was chaotic. I honestly remember very little, maybe the stress of it.

I was late to school. My grandparents drove me. We showed up and no one was there. Everyone was told to go home before we arrived. Sat watching the tv all day after and listened to rumors with friends on the phone that the Golden Gate Bridge was next. I was 8

Playing counter-strike

Contracts class. Upper west side, Manhattan.
At first when the first plane hit no one really knew what was happening. Phone lines were not working so could not call my family. Luckily I was using some messenger to communicate with my family back home. So tragic…

At work, watching with my staff in the conference room. Couldn’t believe this could happen in the U.S. Remember thinking that if they can hit the Pentagon then they can hit any of us anywhere in the U.S. Also remember thinking that we should do whatever we have to do to bring these people to justice.