Where were you?

My grandmother still remembers where she was and what she was doing when she heard the news about Pearl Harbor. My mom still remembers where she was and what she was doing when John Kennedy was assassinated.

I still remember where I was on September 11th.

My life has two parts to it. The part up through September 10, 2001 and the part from September 11, 2001 to the present. A defining moment. My life as an Army wife also has two parts. The first part was where the biggest drawback or downside of military life was a hardship tour to Korea. The second part is life as I know it right now.

The morning of September 11, 2001 I was 10 months pregnant and 5 days from my due date. I had 4 days left to go as a teacher before going on maternity leave and was only working half days so I didn't need to be in until 11am that day. MacGyver had a 7am work call and was in the shower when my alarm went off. I remember smacking the snooze button on the radio and through the haze of sleep, I heard the DJ say "a plane has hit the Pentagon.".

I woke up. Quickly.

I turned the radio back on and sat bolt upright in bed as I listened. It took me a minute to wrap my brain around what I was hearing. In that time, MacGyver finished his shower and turned off the water. I got up and out of bed as fast as my pregnant belly would let me and knocked on the door. He answered and I told him he needed to go downstairs and turn on the TV.

How many people uttered those words that day?

Everyone I talk to, every story I hear involves those words. "You need to go and turn on the TV."

We went downstairs and stood, gaping, at the television. We couldn't even cry. We were too shocked. I think the first tower fell while we were watching and that must have sparked MacGvyer to move. He bolted upstairs, threw on his BDUs, grabbed his overnight bag and some food, kissed me goodbye, and left. Still, there were no tears. I didn't know if I would see him again. In my mind, he would deploy. I don't know where I thought he was going or what I expected him to be doing but I did not expect him to come home. Mentally I was trying to steel myself to have this baby alone. And I was ok with that. Hell, after thinking about what the people in New York, DC, and Pennsylvania were going through, having a baby on my own was nothing compared to that.

Still, there were no tears.

I went to school. It was chaos and sadness all at the same time. We didn't get anything done that day (or for a few days after). We all sat and watched TV. And talked. And worried. And prayed. Yes, we prayed in a public school. Seemed like the thing to do at the time.

But still, no tears.

And then I came home. And I sat down and watched TV. And I saw this...

And, for some reason, that image stuck with me. Moreso than any other image I saw that day or any other day. I had read about Father Mychal Judge a while back. I knew who he was. I remember reading about how he tended to the families of the victims of TWA flight 800 when it crashed off Long Island and thinking what an incredible man he was.

When I realized who it was that they were carrying out of the rubble, my heart broke. And I cried.

So that's my story. Where were you?

Comments

[Susan]

I was late for work. I was crossing through an intersection and a pot hole when the radio DJ said that a plane had hit the WTC and everyone there was scrambling to find out exactly what had happened. Then the second plane hit.

Our hearts and souls are humbled for a lifetime.

[Linda]

I was home, with my 9 month old. She was sleeping late that day, and I was grateful. I was watching the Today show, enjoying the quiet time. My hubby, a military musician, was at the gym, and would be heading home afterwards as he had a military funeral to play TAPS at...the cemetery was just down the street and the powers that be at work told him to just come in afterwards.

I saw the first hit...heard the talk about how it was an accident...but I knew... I KNEW...I tried to call my hubby...cell phone was off. Then plane number two struck. I needed to talk to someone...ANYONE. I called a friend, she had not turned on the TV yet. She was dumbstruck. I called my sister at work....someone in the shop had a portable TV they brought into the office to see if what I said was true. It was.

Continued trying to call my hubby. My daughter woke up, I fed her, and tried to act normally....my hubby finally came home, unaware of what had happened. He was shocked. He called in to work to see what was happening (the rest of the unit was at a ceremony in an open field in front of the FORSCOM Headquarters). They hadn't heard anything, but shortly after, they ushered all the high ranking officers off the field and cut the ceremony off.

My hubby called his mother....and the Pentagon was hit. Then the plane in Pennsylvania, not far from Pittsburgh, where his family lives....

To this day, I remember the fear...and the feeling that I'd had...that I KNEW....and that the world as I'd known it all my life...it would never be the same. I still cry.

[Angela C.]

i was in seventh grade, we were in science class and one of the teachers came in and whispered something to my teacher and she just paused.... she didnt tell us anything, she said that we had free time for the rest of the class. a few moments later an annoucement came on, saying that the world trade center had been hit with a plane. you have to remember i was only in middle school when they said world trade center i was like 'huh'? but when people started explaining it as the twin towers i finally caught on. we were suppose to have a pep rally that day, which was obviously cancelled. but the teachers didnt really talk about it the rest of the day.when i got home i saw the videos of the WTC and i was just in complete shock why would someone want to attack us? ran through my head over and over. i was scared, i didnt know what was going to happen to our country. that night i went outside and i out my hand together and prayed, and started crying even though i was so young, i couldnt help but mourn for the people who lost their loved ones. at the time i didnt think any other countries had anything against us, i thought everyone liked us and looked up to us, kinda like we were everyones role models (remember i was young and naive). every year one this day i think about where i was, what i was doing. and how much the united states as changed how much people have changed their lives based on that day. our country will never be the same.

I'm 19 years old now and married to a marine... to think something that happened while i was in middle school would affect my married life, its just an insane thought. my husband is currently deployed to afghanistan. sometimes i wonder what our country would be like is 9/11 was prevented....

i pray that nothing like this ever happens again... its too devastating.

[blueSchatzy]

It was around 3 pm early evening and about 8 or 9 am there, I was at a good friend's apt. in Germany. My son was sucking on an apple lollipop she had given him. We were flipping through the channels and saw some devastation that was happening at the moment and we flipped past it. I'm from OK, at a city near OKC and I was thinking it was another Timothy Mcveigh or something else going on in Oklahoma, don't know why I was thinking Oklahoma. Something made me tell her to flip back and we figured out it was live, happening right at the moment. I wasn't really used to that because we weren't even in the states. So, the news caster is talking with the towers behind him and saying that a plane had Just hit the building and I'm telling my friend that it was no accident and that it was a terrorist attack and they aren't finished, and why would they just do one plane. As soon as I said that I saw a speck in the background, it was another plane and I knew they were going to crash again and I couldn't do anything, they didn't even notice the other plane until it was right there. I was frantic I didn't know who to call because the plane was moving too fast. I felt useless. The plane hit and all I could do was stare and yell at the news casters for just standing there!! I was so angry at them for standing there and letting things happen. As soon as I saw that plane I knew what it was going to do and it pissed me off that they didn't. I always knew those 2 buildings were doomed. Just after the Timothy McVeigh, I knew those two were next. There was also the world trade center in Dallas. That was so long ago. I've visited the new trade center in Dallas and it is pretty cool, lots of shopping. Didn't know you could go shopping in the trade center. Really nice stuff too. In the place of the Murrah building is a very nice memorial. I didn't have a chance to go into it when we were there this summer, but I did get to see it. They still have part of the fence up with stuff people put onto it. I felt horrible for all the people in those two buildings. This time I just felt the Murrah was being bombed all over again. It is awful.

[Tania]

I was on the west coast so when they hit I was still asleep. I was at home for the summer still, as my junior year in college didn't start yet. My parents were glued to the TV.....you should have seen the looks on their faces. When I turned to see what had them looking so serious, upset, and sad, my heart dropped. For a split second, I thought it was a movie because nothing like this could ever happen in our country! To this day I still can't believe it happened. And I still get blood-boiling mad at who did it. And I still cry. I cried so much that day and had nightmares of planes crashing into buildings, and chaos, and losing my family. We couldn't take in enough news for a long while. I remember my youngest sister getting upset and asking why were we just watching the news. My dad and I exploded at her for making such a nonchalant, insensitive comment. ("You're going to be reading about this in your history books one day!" and "Well it's not like your stupid TV shows are more important that THIS!!") I guess she was really young...I don't think she could grasp the gravity of the situation yet.

[Jen]

I was sitting on the couch, nursing my new son, so glad that he was not still inside of me - as 9/11 was my due date. I was watching the Today Show and reading a book to my almost 4 and 6 year olds when they interrupted with the first tower being hit.

I remember not being able to turn away from the TV for nearly the rest of the day, not knowing whether or not my husband was coming home. But the worst part was putting my daughter to bed that night, and having her ask, "Mama, are the planes still crashing?"

[Estrella]

I remember being on my way to english class and a classmate told me that the twin towers had been distroided. I told him that was impossible, and he told me that he got it as a breaking news message on his pager, i told him it was probably a joke. Then that same day a few classes later i was in history class, our teacher asked who knew where the World Trade center or Twin towers were (that was in Mexico, so some of my classmates didn't know) he explained what they were and where they were and told us a plane had crashed on them. I still couldn't believe it. Even in México i think everyone was glued to the tv. I remember eating with my mom watching tv wich we never did.

[HH6]

I remember just getting my older daughter off to preschool and my neighbor told me something that an airplane hit the Twin Towers! I was 6 months pregnant and thinking that this couldn't happen, not in the US. I also remember thinking how in the world could I bring another child into this world that was about to change dramatically. I remember watching the news all day and for days on end. We were still a civilian family and wondering what it meant for my husband's brother (MN National Guard) and where he was going to going and doing.

It seems so long ago but then again it seems just like yesterday.

[HH6]

I remember just getting my older daughter off to preschool and my neighbor told me something that an airplane hit the Twin Towers! I was 6 months pregnant and thinking that this couldn't happen, not in the US. I also remember thinking how in the world could I bring another child into this world that was about to change dramatically. I remember watching the news all day and for days on end. We were still a civilian family and wondering what it meant for my husband's brother (MN National Guard) and where he was going to going and doing.

It seems so long ago but then again it seems just like yesterday.

[Sarah]

I was in an early morning college class in Arlington, VA. A student came to class late and told us she heard on the radio that a plane hit the world trade center. At the time, I remember thinking it was just a strange accident. It wasn't until after class was over and I returned to my dorm that I realized something terrible was going on. People were running around frantically in the halls.. I have this distinct memory of papers floating around the hallway.. and one of the resident advisors was walking up and down the halls telling us classes had been cancelled. When I got to my room my phone was ringing. It was my roommate telling me to come over to her boyfriend's dorm quickly to watch the tv (we didn't have one in our room). My sister worked on Capital Hill in DC at the time.. so I tried calling my family but lines were busy for a long time. It was a surreal day. People hung American flags from their dorm rooms and blasted patriotic music from their open windows. I took a drive the next day and saw people all over the city of Washington DC and its suburbs standing on the streets waving American flags. It was both a devastating and hopeful time for this country. A time where the worst happened, but a time where we all came together.

[Bonny]

My kids were 6 and 4 then. I kept hitting the snooze, even though I should have been up and ready. It was about 6:30 when Hubby called and told me to turn on the tv. I couldn't believe what was on! I was fixated, like a bad dream. Only my son was in school but that morning, I kept him home. Not really sure why. After a while, I called my Mom and asked her if she was watching. She had already called her brothers and sisters, since they all work downtown, near the WTC. My Aunts were ok, one Uncle made it back home but she couldn't get hold of the other one. After a few hours, we heard he just got stuck in traffic. My sister and her family also live back in New York. My Mom and I were taking turns calling, since phone lines were tied up. All safe by 11 am CA time. I spent the rest of the day on the couch, with the kids, trying to explain what was happening. Luckily, my daughter was too young to understand but my son had lots of questions. What do you say?

[Martha]

I cannot believe that it has been 7 years. I remember like it was yesterday. I was student teaching... doing calendar with first graders, 30 miles from Ground Zero. The principal came in and told us (the teachers) there was a terrorist incident at the World Trade Center and asked us not to tell the students. I didn't really know what happened, our inclusion aide said a plane hit one of the Towers. We assumed it was a small private plane. When I left at 11:30 for a meeting with my supervisor, the vestibule was over flowing with parents picking up their children. I still didn't know what had occurred. I knew it was something more than a small plane when I heard "The New York City Police Department is requesting that all off duty and retired police officers report to One Police Plaza." I tried to call my mother, but the circuits were busy. When I got home I turned the TV in the kitchen on, but it was all snow. I went in the den and turned the DirecTV on and saw a replay of the planes hitting the Towers.

I remember sitting on the kitchen counter talking to my best friend and a neighbor, all of a sudden we heard the loud roar of a jet, scary since we knew everything had been grounded. We cheered for the fighter jets and Black Hawks which quickly became a regular sight in the sky over Huntington.

My family was lucky, no one we know was hurt or killed. Not so for many other families in Huntington.

Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) still makes me cry. I know to warn my students on September 10th that I might cry during the pledge or the moment of silence the next day. How do you explain it to second graders?

[rjcmommyx3]

I was stationed at Fort Benning on 9/11, I was also 8 and a half months pregnant. I was a dental specialist and was assisting with a patient when some one told us a plane crashed into one of the towers. I remember thinking "what do your mean a plane crashed into a building?" When we were told a second plane had hit. We all thought that this couldn't have been a freak accident. I remember us pausing with the patient long enough to go look at the tv in the lobby. We were all shocked! I remember finishing up with that patient. I honestly don't remember if we saw more patients (all soldiers) that day. I called my husband after the second one was hit, he was home with our 2 year old, he hadn't turned on the tv yet. I told him that I didn't know when I would be home, I just knew that the base would go on some sort of lock down. Being pregnant, I got sent home that afternoon. The next day it took over four hours to get on base. I did have preterm labor just a few days later (was expecting it with stress and my first was a preemie).
The hardest and yes proudest moments is when a few days after 9/11 my husband decided that he was going to into the National Guard, to do his part for our country, after already serving in the Army a few years before.
Since then I have finished my enlistment. My husband has deployed twice (1 year each), we now have three children. In less than a week, my husband is swearing back into the regular Army. He feels that he can't just go back to his civillian job knowing that he needs to finish his duty to our country. I am very proud of my husband and all those that have and are serving our great nation!