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Our View: Where Were You That September Morning?
September 11, 2020
We publish this piece on an annual basis, and we encourage you to comment below, answering the question ‘Where Were You That September Morning?
September 11, 2001. It’s been 19 years.
Life, at least when that morning began, seemed good. I’ve always been a work at home dad, so I was home with my two girls. The youngest was almost four months old, and the oldest was approaching her fourth birthday. It was a normal morning. The little one was asleep, “fat and happy” as we used to say, after a morning bottle. The oldest was in the living room just a few feet from my office watching PBS Kids on the TV as I worked on a project for a client.
Then this arrived in my inbox:
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 08:52am– World trade center damaged; unconfirmed reports say a plane has
crashed into tower. Details to come.
I got up, walked to the living room and flipped the TV to CNN. They were talking about how a pilot could make such an error, hitting such a large building. They were speculating that it was just a small plane. But then as the TV news helicopters zoomed their cameras in closer, the anchors were beginning to notice what I had already thought….those holes the tower were to big to have been a small plane.
(continues below photo)
I called my wife at work in Atmore. She had seen the breaking news email, and had tried to visit the CNN website to see the story. If you remember trying to use the internet that morning, it was near impossible to get a news website to load; they were all overloaded. She was unable to see the pictures. I was describing what I saw on the TV to her.
I managed to grab a picture from CNN via my web server and then download and email it to her. We were speculating about how it could happen when the second one hit.
I remember saying “wait, hold on, wait…”. I told her what I just watched on the TV. The second plane had hit the other tower. We quickly decided that we were at war as the anchors on TV speculated again that perhaps there was a problem with some navigational system, causing jetliners on a beautiful, clear morning in New York to fly into some of the tallest structures in the world.
Another breaking news email arrived:
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:21am– Second plane crashes into World Trade Center.
She and I began to speculate ourselves that we were at war. What would we do? What should we do? What about the kids? It was not panic, understand, but just that protective momma and daddy instinct, I suppose. Prayer. That was a good idea. Maybe go to the bank and get out a little cash. That seemed like a good idea. How would you prep for a war on American soil? We were not sure.
I continued to relay information about what I was seeing on TV to my wife at work, who, in turn, would relay the information to her coworkers. They had a TV, but no cable service or antenna. They ended up fashioning a homemade antenna to see a fuzzy picture.
Meanwhile, the breaking news emails kept arriving…
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:32am– Sources tell CNN one of two planes that crashed into World Trade
Center was an American Airlines 767.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:42am– President Bush calls plane crashes at World Trade Center a
terrorist act.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:45am– Significant fire at the Pentagon. Details to come.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:46am– White House evactuated. Details to come.
The Pentagon on fire? The White House evacuated? Notice that in CNN’s email they were in such a hurry that they misspelled “evacuated”. One sentence at a time, the situation became more grave.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:55am– CNN confirms a plane hit the Pentagon
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 10:03am– One of World Trade Center towers collapses; fire forces
evacuation of State Department
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 10:30am– Second World Trade Center tower collapses in Manhattan
Over and over, we watched those towers collapse on TV, and we watched our Pentagon burn.
Our almost four year old asked a lot of questions. “Were people hurt? Did they need a Band-aid?” The magnitude of the event was lost on a four year old. Looking back at those first few hours, I think the magnitude of the event was lost on all of us.
Like many Americans, I sat glued to the TV that day, continuing to watch the video of the towers falling. Our almost four year old asked if another building fell down or if it was the same one. It was time to change the channel on the TV.
You might remember that many of the entertainment TV stations ran network news feeds. Others just simply ran screens about the day’s events. There was no USA network, no ESPN, no MTV. But on PBS, we found children’s programming at a time it was not normally on. For a little while, sitting in the living room floor holding my kids, the world stopped turning that September day, as we watched Big Bird and the Cookie Monster.
Country artist Alan Jackson later wrote a song “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?”.
Some of those lyrics:
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cryDid you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don’t know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left belowBut I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
Where where you when the world stopped turning that September day? Your comments are welcome below.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Bethany (Reynolds) Landis, click to enlarge.
Comments
34 Responses to “Our View: Where Were You That September Morning?”
I was in my K-2 Classsroom at PJA. Another teacher came running to my classroom door and told me to turn on the tv. My children and I were horrified seeing the 1st tower on fire. While we were watching, we saw the 2nd plane fly into the 2nd tower. I knew immediately that it was not an accident, but an attack. I turned the tv off. My little ones were all crying. We talked and prayed. I especially remember one of my children whose daddy was a Navy pilot. He kept asking me if it was his daddy and I continued to assure him that it was not. It was a very sad and disturbing time for my students and me. I have never forgotten. It breaks my heart that many Americans have forgotten based on what covers the news today.
I was attending a vocational class at George Stone and the instructor had the television on showing the second tower coming down. A sad day indeed.
Mrs. Byars 1st block Ag class at Northview my senior year.
I was in Canada goose hunting with 3 guys from Pensacola, fl.
We were in the field shooting geese when the farmer came out on
his 4 wheeler and said, the U S is under attach. We left everything
in field, went back to motel and watch the news and replays showing
the planes hitting the towers. Took us 3 days to get back into the U S
on account of locked down borders.
I was in 11 grade at Northview in math class when the teacher turn on the news and had ROTC next remember my two Navy ROTC teacher they was not happy it was a sad day
Stationed aboard USS Mount Whitney, Norfolk Naval Station. I remember at least 3 aircraft carriers in port, a couple of large deck amphibious ships, along with everything else. By 5 pm, Norfolk Naval Station was a ghost town. Every ship that was able to get underway was gone.
I was a breadman in WM stocking the selfs when my wife came by told me. I was Pissed!!!!! Still Pissed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was coming home from work
Listing to Marty and Linda on102.7
Heard what was going on
I was like, how can you crash a plane in a building
that big?? Can you not see it??
Then I got home I heard of the second plane
I knew it was not going to be good
But you know what is worst???
This country has forgotten about it
All of it
I was in 7th grade homeroom at Ruckel Middle School in Niceville, Fla.
I was on duty with Escambia County Fire Rescue, E519
Station 5 in Century.
I was watching GMA and watched it happen…called hubs and son and both called me liars and said that could never be true here. They both went to local food place with a tv and saw i was right…Watched news all day long in shock and sadness….
Was sitting at work in New Orleans when a former Marine coworker came in and told me what was happening. I instantly regretted retiring 3 years early from the Navy because I was now unable to help our country get back at those who hurt us. I even called the Bureau of Naval Personnel in DC and tried to come back in. It still upsets me that I wasn’t able to help!
I had recently relocated from Houston back to Gulf Breeze, temporarily staying with my parents. My kids had left for school, I sat at the kitchen table eating Cheerios and reading the PNJ. Mom was watching the news and exclaimed, ‘a plane just hit one of the towers’. I turned around to take a look, assuming it was a small personal plan, then turned back to my cereal. My dad came down the hall quickly, from the bedroom to the den where Mom and I were. “Ground the planes! Get the planes down NOW! Get every plane out of the sky!” My dad was retired Federal Aviation Administration, he had been in Air Traffic Control his entire adulthood, retiring as Deputy Chief at the Pensacola Airport. He saw it for what it was, terrorism, and he just knew what was going on. I had never heard my Dad like that before, nor since. He sat in his recliner, glued to the TV, calling his FAA and Navy buddies around the USA. Mom and Dad have both been gone for several years, September 11th is still emotional for me, thinking back to Dad’s reaction all those years ago. My Dad, he was a very smart man, and I miss him and his wisdom.
God Bless the families and friends affected by this terror, and may God Bless America.
~S
This day was very traumatic. Alot of people lost their lives and alot of families have been without their loved ones. This day is sad to me alot more ,this was my Mothers birthday ,as well as the day she went to heaven ,she always told me when the twin towers happened she told me she didn’t want to celebrate her birthday cause it was too painful to her.. it’s been along hard 10 years and alot of us have tried to move on ,god has his way of taking what he wants for reasons unforeseen. May god bless everyone.
I was on my way to work, running late as usual. It came over the radio that a plane had hit a building. I didn’t know what to make of it. Then when I arrived at work, everyone was gathered around one cubicle of a coworker who had CNN live streaming……I remember asking if they had evacuated the building and someone said we don’t know yet and then another plane hit…….we were all quiet, we knew this was no accident!!! Don’t remember if we got any work done that day……everything after that was a blur.
I was working in the horse barn of a Dude Ranch, so all we had was a radio, but our boss called her husband at home to turn the TV on. We were all in shock at what was described to us. I was 21 at the time, and I didn’t understand what it meant, until I served in Afghanistan.
I grew up in Gonzalez (and thankfully have returned), but for about 10 years I worked for the Wal-Mart Home Office in Bentonville, Arkansas. One of the people who worked for me went downstairs to get coffee and saw something about a fire in the first tower on the breakroom TV. My team and I all went downstairs to see the news coverage, and all witnessed the second plane hitting the second tower, and then the other coverage about the Pentagon. Needless to say, I sent my team home afterwards, as it was very emotional for them.
I was only about 2 weeks old and my dad says he was feeding me apple sauce while watching the news when it all happened. To be alive during that time and not remember anything puts such a heavyweight on me, knowing that so many people had lost their lives and I couldn’t even comprehend any of it.
I was starting my day at FBI Headquarters in Washington DC when my boss called me and said that apparently a plane hit one of the Twin Towers. I immediately thought of a small Cessna type plane. As my job was to coordinate manpower resources to areas of need, I met with my unit and told them of the incident and the possibility NY FBI may need extra personnel.
A short time later I walked to my boss’s office and as I entered I watched his television in awe as the second jet hit. It seem unreal, almost like a movie was playing. I remember looking out of his window as a jet was departing Reagan National Airport and commenting that I hope they ground all flights. As we continued to watch the television coverage, I heard someone scream and look out the window just in time to see a large plume of smoke rising from the Pentagon. I knew for certain we were under attack.
I worked through the night coordinating personnel resources for NYC, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. I finally went home at noon the next day and vividly remember the smell of smoke as I passed the Pentagon on I-95. I was sad to later learn that a friend of mine, FBI Special Agent Lenny Hatten, died rescuing others when the towers collapsed. During the past 19 years there have been countless first responders and those who worked the crime scenes in NYC, Washington DC and Pennsylvania die of illnesses related to contaminates. The pain of that day unfortunately will continue to haunt many for years to come.
I was in 3rd grade, Flomaton Elementary School. I can remember our teachers crying, being frantic. Some turned the tv on just to see the second plane hit and realized what was shown might be too sensitive for us kids. I can remember not doing any work that day, getting home off the bus and the only thing on any relative channel was what was happening in the world. I may have only been 8 years old but I can remember that day like it happened yesterday.
I was at work at Pen Air FCU in Administration. Our president, Mr, Davis had the TV on and I heard it as I was sitting at my desk in the lobby. Me, Penny, John, Ken, and Maritza all went in there to see what had happened. So terrifying….heartbreaking.
A day I’ll never forget…..
I was in Orientation at the saw mill (International Paper) when our boss came in and told us what had happened, he then turned the TV on and we all just sat there staring at the screen in silence (and disbelief) at what we were seeing! I can remember thinking – I just need to get to my kids and take them home with me. It was a very scary feeling to have – one I had never had before or since.
**Follow up. My mother was and is ok. She had not left Pensacola and the Englishman calling her was a friend from many years ago. Turns out he was calling all his American friends to check in on them.
Thank you for such detailed remembrance, William. I always rush back to that morning and what happened every year.
I was awoke by a call around 9AM. A man with an English accent asked if my mother is ok…I replied yes, Last I spoke with her, she was fine (I was not living with her at that point and was a young adult). He said he just wanted to make sure his old friend was ok. I was a little confused and advised I’m pretty sure she’s fine. My father and grandfather called…turn on the news. I was shocked. At the time, I was working for an Airline, in Web Support. I called the office and they said “come on in, we’re not doing much right now, but we need all hands on deck because it’s about to get crazy”.
Listening to Rudy Giuliani on the radio on my drive in has always stuck out in my memory. He was so calm, assured, and had no fear. I got to my office and the TVs were all set up with the news. I remember watching people celebrate in the middle east. That made us very angry. Nevertheless we pressed on. I stayed with that company til December and decided to go back to school in Spring. I changed careers because of 9/11/01. My prayers are still with the families of all those affected, past and present.
I was active duty, a Navy petty officer first class on 9/11. Together with another shipmate, I was at a meeting at a defense contractor’s office about four miles south of the Pentagon. A receptionist interrupted the meeting to tell us about the first plane into WTC, and after the second plane hit I called the meeting over and decided to try to get back to our hotel near Reagan Int’l Airport to contact our command for orders. By the time we were able to get on the road the Pentagon had been hit. I remember driving through the plume of acrid smoke and seeing some damage, but I was concentrating mostly on not being run over by government and civil emergency vehicles and SUVs. We finally reached our hotel, checked in with our C.O. and were told to stay put until further instructions. The following several days were spent watching TV, donating blood and wondering what the future would look like. Ultimately as no commercial aircraft were flying, we wound up driving our rental car cross-country, from Washington DC to Whidbey Island, WA.
I had left my office at the Pentagon to attend a conference on terrorism at the Army-Navy Country Club. Main speaker arrived late, saying that some pilot had flow a plane into the WTC. His speech started, then was interrupted by everyone’s beepers going off. He restarted his speech, and the second plane hit. We stopped the conference to gather information (many DoD political appointees and senior flag/general officers in the room), when an aide ran in and grabbed a Brigadier General by his arm and pulled him to an awaiting car. As that general drove to the Pentagon to run the military support operations, he saw the third plane hit the Pentagon. We heard that hit, and smelled the burning smoke.
Two days my boss announced the mobilization of the Reserve Components.
Burn in hell Bin Laden…
Working on a security project in Kiev, Ukraine at the US Embassy. Flights were canceled to the US from Europe for a while so we couldn’t get out for a week. All the major hubs in Europe were a disaster due to flight cancellations.
My students and I were in my classroom at ECHS, I also had a Snap-on tool salesman with me. When we figured out what had happened I call the remainder of my students to the classroom so they could see what was happER FORGETened. I with them had a discussion as to how this would change the United States and what maybe happening down the road. “NEVER FORGET AMERICA”. This day that changed America forever.
I was carrying my youngest son to Bellview Middle School. Nine years later I was at Parris Island watching his graduation from boot camp before three trips to Afghanistan.
Too many people in this country have forgotten!
I was at West Florida Hospital waiting for my daughter to be born that afternoon, such a beautiful child to be born on such a horrible day. Today she is a proud member of the National Guard soon to be starting college.
I was working my second day at Springhill Medical Center. I went to the waiting room to get a patient and heard it on the TV…. All I could think was
“God Bless America”. Apparently I said it out loud, because my patient said Amen.
I was teaching 2nd grade at PCA and didn’t find out until after school. I remember the exact spot in the hallway where I was when a coworker told me.
i was on my way to the dentist with my husband crossing the railroad tracks in cantonment listening at 93blx shocked