COLORADO
"Where were you on 9/11?" as remembered by those in Colorado that day.
A Colorado resident remembers how he thought 9/11's biggest news of the day would be Bronco's Monday night football.
1. "I was a freshman in high school that year. A friend who was listening to NPR on the way to the bus stop mentioned that there was some kind of attack going on in NYC but we didn't really have any details yet. Tuesdays were late starts but the bus still got us to school at the same time, so I would go to the library and read until my first class started. I got sucked into my book and was running late to class by 15 or so minutes. This is the part that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
Ed McCaffrey Injury - September 10, 2001.
(ABC) |
As I was walking through the empty halls, I looked in on the classrooms on my right and each classroom had the T.V. in the far right corner. The first couple classrooms I wasn't really paying attention but I noticed the T.V.s were on, and by the 4th or 5th one I realized they were all showing the same thing, a pair of skyscrapers smoking. I walk into the next class room, not mine just the very next one, to get a closer look. There really is a building on fire and I really am seeing what I'm seeing. I run down the hall to my homeroom. And that begins my day of each class discussing the situation.
I will never forget walking down the hall seeing T.V. after T.V. showing the exact same image, it haunts me now, nearly 19 years later. As a Broncos fan I thought the worst part of my week was going to be Ed McCaffrey breaking his leg on Monday Night Football the night before. How quickly that was forgotten." - Nick L. |
Written Stories
2. "It was a beautiful morning with a clear blue sky as I drove to work in Englewood that morning. The radio said that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers and I thought how odd that was. It was still being reported as an accident so I called my wife to see if she had heard anything else. She hadn’t and turned on the TV to see what was going on.
We had recently been to New York and our plane had to circle Manhattan before landing at LaGuardia. That also was a beautiful day and we had a fantastic view of the Twin Towers as we circled.
It sticks out in my mind because of what a nice day it was. We saw the towers from every direction as we circled.
By the time I arrived at work the second plane had hit and we all knew it was not an accident.
We returned to New York about a year later and seeing Manhattan without the towers... how odd it seemed."
- Reid S.
We had recently been to New York and our plane had to circle Manhattan before landing at LaGuardia. That also was a beautiful day and we had a fantastic view of the Twin Towers as we circled.
It sticks out in my mind because of what a nice day it was. We saw the towers from every direction as we circled.
By the time I arrived at work the second plane had hit and we all knew it was not an accident.
We returned to New York about a year later and seeing Manhattan without the towers... how odd it seemed."
- Reid S.
3. "I was 10 years old, getting ready for school. I had the TV on and the news took over whatever I was watching, talking about a plane hitting a huge tower, displaying the graphic footage. I didn't understand, but I knew it was important. My dad was slowly waking up and asked me to help clean up a shredded magazine our dog had eaten. As I walked over to help him I said,
'Dad, some plane flew into a tower.'
He didn't understand,
'What kind of tower? A small plane, like a Cessna?'
'No dad, a commercial flight has flown into a tower in New York, it's on the news.'
He sprinted out from his room to turn up the TV and immediately sat down on our couch putting his face in his hands and saying things along the lines of 'Wow this is bad -- This is not good -- This is awful.'
My mom came in and asked if we had heard the news yet. She was also in shock of it all.
That day we were moving into our new home. I remember how quiet the skies were, especially living near the Denver Airport.
I remember the heavy feeling that day. Everyone's somber faces at school.
I joined the Navy at 18."
- Amanda L
'Dad, some plane flew into a tower.'
He didn't understand,
'What kind of tower? A small plane, like a Cessna?'
'No dad, a commercial flight has flown into a tower in New York, it's on the news.'
He sprinted out from his room to turn up the TV and immediately sat down on our couch putting his face in his hands and saying things along the lines of 'Wow this is bad -- This is not good -- This is awful.'
My mom came in and asked if we had heard the news yet. She was also in shock of it all.
That day we were moving into our new home. I remember how quiet the skies were, especially living near the Denver Airport.
I remember the heavy feeling that day. Everyone's somber faces at school.
I joined the Navy at 18."
- Amanda L
4. "It was an absolutely beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. I was in high school and while we were watching the news in my second period, my mom picked me and took me home early. I lived in Colorado Springs and we have five bases here.
I remember listening to the military planes flying over.
I kept the news on all day.
My dad worked in NORAD at the time and couldn't leave. To get on any base after that, you had to weave your vehicle through these large concrete barriers."
- I. T.
I remember listening to the military planes flying over.
I kept the news on all day.
My dad worked in NORAD at the time and couldn't leave. To get on any base after that, you had to weave your vehicle through these large concrete barriers."
- I. T.
5. "I was a freshman in high school in 1st period computer lab when the teacher made a passing comment that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Most of us shrugged it off as someone in a Cessna and continued with class.
I don't think hardly anyone at my school had a TV on to see the second plane hit live, but I remember there was an announcement after it happened. The principle actually tried to keep business as usual and not have people glued to the TV, so classes continued with limited success.
Rumors started to fly right and left about who was responsible and how many planes were hijacked. All after-school sports and activities were cancelled and everyone went home in a stunned silence, trying to process how it is even possible for a skyscraper to collapse.
It took less than a day before people started talking about who was going to get bombed. We all knew war was coming and everyone was on board at the time. There was a really unique and special sense of unity that lasted for the next few months. It was probably the last time the country has experienced anything resembling unity."
- K. N.
I don't think hardly anyone at my school had a TV on to see the second plane hit live, but I remember there was an announcement after it happened. The principle actually tried to keep business as usual and not have people glued to the TV, so classes continued with limited success.
Rumors started to fly right and left about who was responsible and how many planes were hijacked. All after-school sports and activities were cancelled and everyone went home in a stunned silence, trying to process how it is even possible for a skyscraper to collapse.
It took less than a day before people started talking about who was going to get bombed. We all knew war was coming and everyone was on board at the time. There was a really unique and special sense of unity that lasted for the next few months. It was probably the last time the country has experienced anything resembling unity."
- K. N.
6. "I was driving my Lotus Esprit at 9 AM on my way to work, listening to Pearl Jam, when the broadcast was interrupted. At first I thought they meant a single engine aircraft and that it wasn't an issue, but I wondered why they would interrupt a broadcast in Denver for it. I kept listening, and got to work before the second plane hit. Because I worked in a skyscraper, they actually made us go home.
I got home and just watched news for a while, before I walked my dog."
- Anonymous
I got home and just watched news for a while, before I walked my dog."
- Anonymous
7. "I was in college and my radio alarm went off at 7 am for class, but instead of music it was the DJ talking. 7 AM Mountain Time was right in the middle of the attacks, but for me it wasn't clear what was going on.
I had biology class on Tuesdays and my professor was so upset about what had happened, he made it through 10 mins of his lecture until he stopped and said,
'Your lives will never be the same after this.'
I don't think I understood at the time what he meant, but he was dead on. He cut class short and we all left. I can't remember what other classes I had that day, but that one stuck with me.
I called my dad to ask about my stepmom who was a flight attendant for United Airlines and based in Boston. She wasn't flying that day, but he had no idea why I was asking. I just said 'turn on the TV.'
When I got back to my apartment it was all over the news, there was nothing else on. I remember I went for a run to burn off some energy, it was such a tense day. For days afterwards everything was so strange, it was like the world took a collective breath. Nobody knew what had happened and everyone was just stunned. I remember how eerie it was not to have any planes flying.
Just like my professor predicted, everything changed."
- Jen Henry
I had biology class on Tuesdays and my professor was so upset about what had happened, he made it through 10 mins of his lecture until he stopped and said,
'Your lives will never be the same after this.'
I don't think I understood at the time what he meant, but he was dead on. He cut class short and we all left. I can't remember what other classes I had that day, but that one stuck with me.
I called my dad to ask about my stepmom who was a flight attendant for United Airlines and based in Boston. She wasn't flying that day, but he had no idea why I was asking. I just said 'turn on the TV.'
When I got back to my apartment it was all over the news, there was nothing else on. I remember I went for a run to burn off some energy, it was such a tense day. For days afterwards everything was so strange, it was like the world took a collective breath. Nobody knew what had happened and everyone was just stunned. I remember how eerie it was not to have any planes flying.
Just like my professor predicted, everything changed."
- Jen Henry
8. "I was 8 years old and woke up for school late that day. It was weird because the sun was too high in the sky and I knew I had overslept so why hadn’t mom come and woken me up? It was too quiet in the house.
My parents weren’t moving around, the animals were still, and even my baby brother wasn’t making a peep. The only sound was a very quiet TV playing in the living room. It was a short walk from my bedroom to the living room and when I rounded the corner my mom was just standing in front of the TV with tears running down her face. My father was nowhere to be seen as he had gone on a drive (something he does when upset).
I don’t remember how she explained it to me. I remember she was afraid, probably even more so than I picked up on. In the days that followed even when school started up again everything was still just so quiet. Teachers walked around speaking in muted voices and even most of the kids seemed quieter for at least a few days."
- J. R.
My parents weren’t moving around, the animals were still, and even my baby brother wasn’t making a peep. The only sound was a very quiet TV playing in the living room. It was a short walk from my bedroom to the living room and when I rounded the corner my mom was just standing in front of the TV with tears running down her face. My father was nowhere to be seen as he had gone on a drive (something he does when upset).
I don’t remember how she explained it to me. I remember she was afraid, probably even more so than I picked up on. In the days that followed even when school started up again everything was still just so quiet. Teachers walked around speaking in muted voices and even most of the kids seemed quieter for at least a few days."
- J. R.
9. "I was getting ready for work and running late as usual when a friend called and said to turn on the TV. They wouldn't elaborate. I turned on the TV and immediately sat down to watch. The first tower was on fire and there was so much confusion and panic- Then the second one hit live!- Then the Pentagon! Typing this now has me in tears, all this time later. It's hard to revisit that day.
The TV footage kept looping with reporters trying to make sense of the limited information alongside the burning, and then collapsing towers. We were afraid that this was just the beginning of an era of terror in the US, or the start of a war that could be fought on our shores. This wasn't supposed to happen here.
I had a 'skip level lunch' with my manager's manager scheduled that day and I called into work for advice on if I should come in. They told me that obviously the lunch was cancelled and everyone was doing what they thought best for themselves and their families.
I was so overcome with patriotism and a need to do something that I tried to sew my own flag."
- S. G.
The TV footage kept looping with reporters trying to make sense of the limited information alongside the burning, and then collapsing towers. We were afraid that this was just the beginning of an era of terror in the US, or the start of a war that could be fought on our shores. This wasn't supposed to happen here.
I had a 'skip level lunch' with my manager's manager scheduled that day and I called into work for advice on if I should come in. They told me that obviously the lunch was cancelled and everyone was doing what they thought best for themselves and their families.
I was so overcome with patriotism and a need to do something that I tried to sew my own flag."
- S. G.
10. "I was watching the Today Show on a 2 hour tape delay when Katie Couric cut in and said that one of the towers had been hit. They showed the first tower burning and when the second plane hit, live on air, I screamed. This was not an accident, this a deliberate act of terrorism! I had my radio on while I drove to a job interview and the towers fell during my drive.
The rest of the day was a blur, but I do remember going outside and looking up at the sky which was devoid of airplanes for the first time in my life, except for the occasional fighter jet.
'My God, we're flying cover over our own cities now.'"
- Annie
The rest of the day was a blur, but I do remember going outside and looking up at the sky which was devoid of airplanes for the first time in my life, except for the occasional fighter jet.
'My God, we're flying cover over our own cities now.'"
- Annie
11. "I was sleeping-in and heard a friend’s voice on the answering machine telling me to turn in the TV. Whatever he said initially made no sense, I thought he was joking or drunk or something.
During that time of the year, a group of us would go to an annual state festival planned this year for the 13th. We had already bought our tickets, so off we went. Strange mood that year. It started raining during a slow point so we all headed back to camp for a snack. We returned to the festival and, not having brought rain-wear, somehow all seven of us were dressed in camo or army issue jackets. That poor girl at the gate was a volunteer and for all she knew, we were terrorists. The look on her face when she first saw us was a mix of fear and confusion. She asked for us to back-up, we were frisked and went on in"
- L. F.
During that time of the year, a group of us would go to an annual state festival planned this year for the 13th. We had already bought our tickets, so off we went. Strange mood that year. It started raining during a slow point so we all headed back to camp for a snack. We returned to the festival and, not having brought rain-wear, somehow all seven of us were dressed in camo or army issue jackets. That poor girl at the gate was a volunteer and for all she knew, we were terrorists. The look on her face when she first saw us was a mix of fear and confusion. She asked for us to back-up, we were frisked and went on in"
- L. F.
12. "I was living in Greeley and heard about the first plane hitting the Twin Towers as I was getting ready for work. I didn't get a lot of details, so I was thinking it was some accident like when a small prop plane hit the Empire State Building all those years back.
I heard about the second plane on the radio as I was driving to work in Loveland. Of course, everyone knew it was a planned attack after that happened. That's also when I found out that both planes were large commercial jets, not a small tourist charter. At work, they set up a projection TV so we could watch the news on our breaks. We just watched in stunned silence as they replayed that footage of the towers coming down over and over again. Then we heard about the plane that crashed in PA and the one that crashed into the Pentagon. I remember thinking that tens of thousands had died.
All flights were grounded across the country for a while after the attack. I was a little freaked out the first time I saw a plane in the sky after that ban was lifted.
For years after that, I would cry every time I heard the national anthem.
To this day, I still can't watch anything related to the attacks: it's too emotional for me. It was traumatic enough watching that on cable news every night, I don't particularly want to relive it by watching a movie about it, whether it's a documentary or a fictional account."
- Alicia White
I heard about the second plane on the radio as I was driving to work in Loveland. Of course, everyone knew it was a planned attack after that happened. That's also when I found out that both planes were large commercial jets, not a small tourist charter. At work, they set up a projection TV so we could watch the news on our breaks. We just watched in stunned silence as they replayed that footage of the towers coming down over and over again. Then we heard about the plane that crashed in PA and the one that crashed into the Pentagon. I remember thinking that tens of thousands had died.
All flights were grounded across the country for a while after the attack. I was a little freaked out the first time I saw a plane in the sky after that ban was lifted.
For years after that, I would cry every time I heard the national anthem.
To this day, I still can't watch anything related to the attacks: it's too emotional for me. It was traumatic enough watching that on cable news every night, I don't particularly want to relive it by watching a movie about it, whether it's a documentary or a fictional account."
- Alicia White
13. "Does anyone else know the 'Bad News Ring?' Like how it seems the phone rings differently when there's bad news? Maybe it's a gut feeling because the timing of the call is a little bit off or whatever.
Anyway, I heard that. I answered the phone. It was my mom. She didn't say hello, she didn't ask if she'd woken me up, she just said,
'Turn on the news.'
So I did and I saw the second plane hit. I saw firefighters go in to help with evacuations, figured they had everything handled. I mean, it was tragic, people would die, but others would be saved. I grabbed some cereal and checked my live-journal.
Then I saw the tower come down, and I fell apart. All those people!
I was 20 years old, old enough to know that even though, 'I'm grown up and I know everything' the whole world was going to change in ways that I couldn't predict or control, and some of it was going to be super messed up.
Even now, when I see that footage, I get that sick, sad, angry feeling in the pit of my stomach. For the 20th anniversary, I'm gonna have to stay off social media from my birthday on the 9th until about the 20th, and skip a whole month of TV."
- Jen Nelson-Cave
Anyway, I heard that. I answered the phone. It was my mom. She didn't say hello, she didn't ask if she'd woken me up, she just said,
'Turn on the news.'
So I did and I saw the second plane hit. I saw firefighters go in to help with evacuations, figured they had everything handled. I mean, it was tragic, people would die, but others would be saved. I grabbed some cereal and checked my live-journal.
Then I saw the tower come down, and I fell apart. All those people!
I was 20 years old, old enough to know that even though, 'I'm grown up and I know everything' the whole world was going to change in ways that I couldn't predict or control, and some of it was going to be super messed up.
Even now, when I see that footage, I get that sick, sad, angry feeling in the pit of my stomach. For the 20th anniversary, I'm gonna have to stay off social media from my birthday on the 9th until about the 20th, and skip a whole month of TV."
- Jen Nelson-Cave
14. "I was 10 at the time, and we had a small tube TV in the kitchen. My mom had the news on while she made us all breakfast. It was a quiet, somber morning, as we got on the bus and went to school. By the time I got there, the second tower had been hit. We said the Pledge of Allegiance like we did every morning, then the school sent us back home on buses. There was talk about how Colorado Springs could be the next target, due to all the military bases around us. I don't remember my parents talking about it much. My dad was a United Airlines pilot, so it makes sense to me now why it was especially devastating to my family. Besides largely effecting my dad's job (including a pay cut that caused us to lose our house), his buddy was flying one of the planes that crashed into the towers. Years later, I traveled to NYC and found his friend's name on the memorial. I left a flower, and sent my dad the picture."
- Christina Robichaux
- Christina Robichaux