Remembering September 11, 2001 – where were you on 9/11?

One of the victims was Donald Gavagan of Cantor Fitzgerald. Donald and I had been friends when we worked together at a public relations firm, Fleishman-Hilliard. We had lunch together, gossiped, went to see Rattle & Hum when it came out. I remember when a bunch of us went to a show at The Ritz in NYC, forget who was playing. He fixed me up with a friend of his, whose name I don’t even remember anymore. Nice enough guy, sent me roses the next day at work; we just didn’t ‘click.’ I lost touch with Don as we “grew up,” changed jobs or total careers, got married, had families. I just found out from a mutual friend two years ago that Donald was lost in 9/11 and left behind a beautiful marriage, complete with children. It just wasn’t fair how so many lives were torn apart that day. So many really nice people, very talented and bright people, just wanting to give their all, keep their families happy and provide for them as much as they could. Rest in peace, Don. You were such a doll…made me laugh my ass off on a fairly constant basis. I pray for you and the loved ones you left behind.

My cousin worked for a brokerage firm as well, and his wife also, but his wife worked in Tower II. Diego worked in the building across the street which was to collapse hours later after the initial crashes. They were vacationing on some island and just as a fluke, decide to stay another day and extend their vacation. They were due back to work on September 11. His father had just passed away the year before. My comare’ (godmother) said as we sat having coffee the next afternoon, that his father must have swayed him to keep relaxing for a bit more.

Every September as the weather provides an absolutely perfect day, puffy white clouds, brisk air and cornflower blue skies, just like that day, I’m always taken back to that morning, pulling out of my driveway, getting to my job and then the phone ringing and the news coming in. Then, the news coming on. Amazing how I can remember each moment of 9/11 with uncanny acuity. I just hope everyone who’s blessed to be an American will always remember.

Striking memorial, Lani. Really beautifully done. Thank you.

I was living in Los Angeles and my wife (then girlfriend) had just come from England to the US to stay. We experienced an earthquake soon after she arrived and having never been in one, it shook her up a bit. She told me not to mention it to her parents or brother as they would worry. Three days later, we were asleep and my phone kept ringing all morning. This was back when I was a full time musician, so my phone never rang that early. I finally got up, annoyed, and started listening to the messages as I made coffee. First message was from her brother saying “We heard what happened, hope you’re alright.” Second, from her parents, same basic message. Third one I listened to was my dad in Pittsburgh saying, “I don’t know if you heard what’s going on, but they’re evacuating downtown Pittsburgh, just wanted to call and tell you we’re alright.” No one specifically mentioned what was “happening,” but they all referenced it. I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. There it was. I sat for hours glued to that TV. Being in the music business I had a lot of friends in NY, so I had a lot of calls to make. I made most of them to friends of those friends, knowing I’d never get through to the people in the city. President Bush urged Americans to go about their business. I had a appointment to open a bank account that day and I kept it. Withdrew all my money from Bank Of America and put it into a different bank (I wasn’t a big fan of my bank). Watched TVs in both banks as I completed the transactions. Set up some things to enable me to purchase my first ever home. Still remember all the little details of the day.

I remember laying in bed that night. In Los Angeles there is a constant hum from planes and helicopters. That night. Silence. Except the occasional military jet streaking across the sky. It was eerily silent for L.A. and everytime one of those jets did go by, I had to get up and watch more news…just in case.

I was asleep after quit an evening at the Mandalay Bay pool in Las Vegas. I actually didn’t even learn of the incident until 3 hours after it happened. Quite an odd feeling to be inundated with such joyous occasions and then awake to the world on fire. Drew said it best . . . surreal.

I think this very second is a fantastic time to call those you love and remind them of the fact.

I was at my first home inspection, about two months into my real estate career. My client was bored, so I pulled the television from the bedroom into the living room. I remember watching the Pentagon get hit and the planes flying into the towers – both were incomprehensible events. I called my wife, picked up the kid from school and just watched tv for the next few days.

I was in my first year of college, English class I think. Talk about a weird series of events after that.

I was at home in Mississauga, Ontario working on several projects with companies throughout Manhattan. I had been watching TV after reports of a small plane had hit the tower, nothing could prepare myself nor anyone else as we watched live as the second plane crashed into the other tower. I was chatting through MSN to a company in the area just north of the Towers, and it seemed I was getting way more information than them – despite the absolute horror of the situation that was occurring at the World Trade Center – the terror was upped a notch when word came that the Pentagon had been hit and that there was another missing plane out there somewhere and no one knew where it was coming. Luckily, no one I knew was killed in the tragedy – but everyone and their business was affected in some way or another. For the next year or so, I would get shivers just seeing a plane in the sky. Still don’t like to see plane and building within the same viewpoint.

The big news in Canada was the grounding on the airplanes from all over the world, airport runways were jammed from coast to coast with stranded passengers. People in my hometown of Halifax were driving to the airport to help strangers and take them into their homes for the several days before things could be sorted out – within the horror of the days events, seeing people come together to share their feelings and support was inspiring.

Now conspiracy theorists make me even sadder the way they somehow can’t accept that there is inexplicable evil that exists in the world – and that the simple, sad explanation is the real one.

cheers everyone from Toronto

I was working that day…in the office before everyone else. One of my associates came in and said ‘did you hear a plane hit the WTC?’. I said ‘no way, how does THAT happen.’ In came my client and we were off to look at homes. We watched the first tower fall in a stranger’s living room, standing in front of the tv dumbfounded. That client ended up working on the rescue & recovery efforts for weeks after the attack.

The Poconos is home to many people who commute to NY for work. I remember seeing one of my recent buyers on the news that night-she was stuck with a bus full of people just outside the city. And here is an essay written by one of my neighbors in my community about her close call: https://poprl.com/08C

I too had a lot of trouble explaining why to my then 9 & 7 year old daughters. They came home from school that day very scared and worried for their friends whose parents worked in the City.

The real estate market here really took off after that day. People just wanted to get away from NY. I can’t tell you how many heart-wrenching accounts of 9/11 I heard driving people around showing homes. I had to pull over more than once because the emotions overcame my ability to navigate the car. We have lots of survivors around here and lots of brave rescue workers, many of which still suffer physical and mental ills because of that day.

9/11 will not be forgotten. Ever.

I woke up with a headache that morning, which is rare. Instead of doing my morning exercises I decided to turn on the tv – a rare thing. Diane Sawyer had a camera on the first building as it was burning, and was trying her best to stay composed. As i sat there, watching with millions others, the second plane hit.

I was working at a secure government facility, Glen Canyon Dam, as the tour guide supervisor. I drove the 15 miles to the dam, just to make sure… sure it was ok, sure my friends and coworkers were ok. The visitors center at the dam was closed for a week. Tourists by the droves were stuck in the Page Lake Powell area with no flights out. Rental cars we all gone by 10:00 am.

My band, Sage, was also under contract to perform at the Rainbow Room at Wahweap Marina on Lake Powell three nights a week until the end of October. Everything here just stopped. Boats, music, tourism, recreation for the rest of the year. It was like winter hit here overnight.

Missy is right, people tend to too easily go back to their lives, jobs, families, and the memory fades.

In May we were in Hawaii. We were able to delay our flight and took a red eye back to San Diego instead. We were stuck in the last row of seats that didnt recline. While most slept, I spent most of the five hours talking to the flight attendant. A married guy with a couple of kids. Real nice with a friendly smile that put you at ease immediately.

On 9/11 I couldn’t sleep and was up earlier than normal. I went into my home office at 6 am, fired up the laptop and turned on the small set on my desk to the Today Show. When the first plane hit, they showed the footage thinking it was an accident. I called my wife and said you gotta see this, and then the 2nd plane hit. I knew immediately. I went numb and stayed that way. Later when they flashed the pictures of some of the crew. I recognized one guy immediately – the one on the Hawaii flight. I completely lost it at that point. Cant see the screen as i type this.

Senior at Eagan High School. I was in between classes, chatting with friends, walking up the stairs that I walked up so many times before. When I got to the stairs, it was chaos. Students and faculty members where running around saying so many things it was hard to believe what really happened until I, myself was able to see witness the horrific tragedy. The only school day EVER where all we did all day was watch the news.

For those that lost their lives, gone… but not FORGOTTEN

A person that used to work for me had just visited the twin towers, the week prior. I was at home, when I got a call to turn on the TVs, just as the second plane was hitting the towers. I stayed home with my kids that day and just cried.

I happened to flip on the news on TV right after the first plane hit and saw the second plane hit on live TV. I was mesmerized and remained glued to the television and internet for days. Was shaken to the core. I have had to check the news every morning since to see if something terrible has happened while we slept. I don’t want to leave the house or start working without a quick check to see`if the other shoe dropped, I have remained a little on edge every day since it happened.

The event was horrific, but listening to the personal stories of the victims on NPR, and reading about them in the Washington Post is what affected me the most. Their stories brought me to tears for weeks. This was a tragic reminder that our country is made up of so many normal, yet extraordinary good people. The human loss was staggering — something I’ll never forget.

And when we have a day like today that’s just perfect — clear blue sky, no humidity and temp in the 70s — I remember 9/11.

I am late to this post as I am currently in Brasil. I decided this year not to post my usual on the subject, mostly because I have limited internet access down here. That being said, let me answer the question of where I was…

I was living in Northern Virginia at the time and could see the smoke from the Pentagon. Some of you know I actually fly for American Airlines (since 2000), so I knew some of the crew that were on the aircraft involved. Needless to say, I received numerous phone calls that day making sure I wasn’t one of them. I was also there, with my son, when we began flying again, taking part in the ceremony which involved an American flag being flown around the country. And of course, we live in the aftermath everyday.

That day is one I will never forget!

I was in my dorm room at Hofstra University. Since I was a college student I was still asleep when the first tower was hit. My roommate had left her tv on and I woke up to the news coverage. My building had a clear view of Manhattan from the 13th floor lounge.

I made it up to the 13th floor just as the tv reporters were announcing that the second tower has been hit.

From my view, it looked like Manhattan had been decimated. Smoke filled the sky. It was devastating.