NEBRASKA
"Where were you on 9/11?" as remembered by those in Nebraska that day.
A Nebraska resident remembers seeing Air Force One fly above Nebraska.
1. "I was driving home from school since classes were canceled due to the morning's events. The towers were burning, but still standing. I'm listening to the radio trying to get as much information as possible. Part of the news I heard was all flights were grounded when I see out of the corner of my eye a HUGE jetliner flying pretty low and parallel to me.
It was Air Force One with President Bush on board, he was landing at Offutt Air Force Base - home of strategic command.
I will never forget that day."
- Ryan
It was Air Force One with President Bush on board, he was landing at Offutt Air Force Base - home of strategic command.
I will never forget that day."
- Ryan
Written Stories
2. "I was just 6 years old. I don't remember much from those days, but 9/11 sticks out.
It started as any normal day until someone came and told my teacher what had happened. After that nothing would be normal about that day. I grew up in a military family and was used to my parents being gone. Since they were out of town again, my grandma picked me. She was crying.
With all travel grounded, I didn't know when I'd see my parents again."
- Tyler S.
It started as any normal day until someone came and told my teacher what had happened. After that nothing would be normal about that day. I grew up in a military family and was used to my parents being gone. Since they were out of town again, my grandma picked me. She was crying.
With all travel grounded, I didn't know when I'd see my parents again."
- Tyler S.
3. "I was in 8th grade, walked into history class and saw my teacher hurriedly moving a large TV into the room. Once hooked up, he switched it on and we watched the second plane hit. Class was completely silent, we were just old enough to understand the gravity of what we were watching.
After about 45 minutes, the school district rounded up buses to take us all home. I only lived about 10 blocks away so I walked home. When I got there I found my mother crying in the kitchen. I just stood there for a moment until she noticed me and ran to give me a hug. That's when she told me the other news.
Just before the planes hit, she had received word that Pita, my uncle who was in for gastric bypass surgery, had died on the operating table. He was doing the surgery so he could be alive long enough to watch his daughter graduate high school. It was a shock. Not right away, because I just didn't know how to process both personal loss and empathy for the families of all those lost on that day, but man - it hit hard."
- Connor D.
After about 45 minutes, the school district rounded up buses to take us all home. I only lived about 10 blocks away so I walked home. When I got there I found my mother crying in the kitchen. I just stood there for a moment until she noticed me and ran to give me a hug. That's when she told me the other news.
Just before the planes hit, she had received word that Pita, my uncle who was in for gastric bypass surgery, had died on the operating table. He was doing the surgery so he could be alive long enough to watch his daughter graduate high school. It was a shock. Not right away, because I just didn't know how to process both personal loss and empathy for the families of all those lost on that day, but man - it hit hard."
- Connor D.
4. "I worked midnights and rolled out of bed around noon, hopped into my car, and turned on the radio.
“Why is there news on a rock channel?”
Switch dials - News
Switch dials - News
I give up and go back to rock station. The first words I heard were: '
...and then they took out the Pentagon...'"
- S. T.
“Why is there news on a rock channel?”
Switch dials - News
Switch dials - News
I give up and go back to rock station. The first words I heard were: '
...and then they took out the Pentagon...'"
- S. T.
5. "I was in first grade, we had a substitute that day. They wheeled a T.V. into our room and turned on the news. Our substitute was as stoic about it as she could be, but broke down when one of the boys in my class started screaming and crying because his grandma worked in the Twin Towers. That's when I became scared.
What I find weird is that I was never given any context for it when it was happening, I had to learn about it on my own or from classes later.
I vividly remember a few days after the attack, my dad was watching T.V. and the commentators kept talking while this clip of people running and screaming from the dust cloud played on repeat. I asked my dad what people in New York sounded like (I thought they spoke a different language), and why they were running. He told me they were attacked and asked me to go play somewhere else.
That's my biggest memory of it, is seeing all of these people on T.V. in such pain and having no idea why or what was going on."
- N. S.
What I find weird is that I was never given any context for it when it was happening, I had to learn about it on my own or from classes later.
I vividly remember a few days after the attack, my dad was watching T.V. and the commentators kept talking while this clip of people running and screaming from the dust cloud played on repeat. I asked my dad what people in New York sounded like (I thought they spoke a different language), and why they were running. He told me they were attacked and asked me to go play somewhere else.
That's my biggest memory of it, is seeing all of these people on T.V. in such pain and having no idea why or what was going on."
- N. S.
6. "I was 12 years old when September 11th happened. That day was also our first middle school football game, so I was focused on that more than anything. I remember sitting in class waiting for morning announcements when we heard about the attack.
Our principal was almost out of breath over the intercom,
"Hopefully.... this is the.... the end....."
... and just like that he stopped. I thought maybe he meant the end of the world or something.
The rest of the day, we mostly talked about what happened in class, and then I got on the bus for the football game. My parents came down and I don't really remember much of the game since I rode the bench, but afterwards they took me and my brother and sister out for pizza. We hung out until a bit after closing time."
- Anonymous
Our principal was almost out of breath over the intercom,
"Hopefully.... this is the.... the end....."
... and just like that he stopped. I thought maybe he meant the end of the world or something.
The rest of the day, we mostly talked about what happened in class, and then I got on the bus for the football game. My parents came down and I don't really remember much of the game since I rode the bench, but afterwards they took me and my brother and sister out for pizza. We hung out until a bit after closing time."
- Anonymous
7. "Second grade, I remember waking up a few minutes after the first plane. I was groggy, mozied out to the living room to watch the news for a few minutes before getting yelled at to get ready for school.
Then it hit - In just a few seconds, an accident turned into complete confusion and panic from the newscasters.
Suddenly no one thought it was an accident, news crews were rushing to interview anyone around. There was a press conference from the president. This was an attack
The President was addressing the nation from Florida and suddenly the footage cut out. Right in the middle of George W. Bush talking, the our local station cut to a WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK scrolling message. This terrified me.
My mom told me I had to get ready and head to school, I didn't get to watch any more of the live coverage. Instead, I had to witness the madness, and carry on with my innocent life as if I hadn't just witnessed a murderous event.
I went school; confused as hell, and immediately ran to the supervising teacher on the playground. I tried to talk to her about the morning's event and she was just as confused about it as I and the children were."
- P. K.
Then it hit - In just a few seconds, an accident turned into complete confusion and panic from the newscasters.
Suddenly no one thought it was an accident, news crews were rushing to interview anyone around. There was a press conference from the president. This was an attack
The President was addressing the nation from Florida and suddenly the footage cut out. Right in the middle of George W. Bush talking, the our local station cut to a WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK scrolling message. This terrified me.
My mom told me I had to get ready and head to school, I didn't get to watch any more of the live coverage. Instead, I had to witness the madness, and carry on with my innocent life as if I hadn't just witnessed a murderous event.
I went school; confused as hell, and immediately ran to the supervising teacher on the playground. I tried to talk to her about the morning's event and she was just as confused about it as I and the children were."
- P. K.
8. "My school had these large common areas, one for each grade, and they brought out my entire class into said area to watch it unfold together. I remember being rather pissed off because they news kept cutting away to a commercial and something would happen during the break.
There were a few kids freaking out as their parents were flying that day and there was a bit of a rush to contact family members. School wasn't cancelled, but quite a few kids got picked up early and my classes were all half-full by noon.
The other thing I remember is that my parents were freaking out a lot less than other parents were, although in retrospect that was likely because they both worked for the Feds and had already been through the aftermath of the Oklahoma City Bombings, which emotionally affected a lot of government workers in the Great Plains"
- R. D. L.
There were a few kids freaking out as their parents were flying that day and there was a bit of a rush to contact family members. School wasn't cancelled, but quite a few kids got picked up early and my classes were all half-full by noon.
The other thing I remember is that my parents were freaking out a lot less than other parents were, although in retrospect that was likely because they both worked for the Feds and had already been through the aftermath of the Oklahoma City Bombings, which emotionally affected a lot of government workers in the Great Plains"
- R. D. L.
9. "Tuesday. Sept 11, 2001. Omaha, Nebraska. It was my second day at a new job in an ophthalmology clinic. Our office manager came in to tell us there had been a two 'plane crashes' in NYC. We didn’t have a TV in our waiting room, but the neighboring office did. We would pop over and catch glimpses of news reports. No smart phones at the time, so we just had to rely on the snippets we were seeing from the office next door, and the what few patients, that did show up for their appointments, were telling us.
I didn’t quite grasp the implications of the events that morning until my boyfriend called me that afternoon. He had been watching the news all day and the worry in his voice resonated with me. I knew if he was calling me at work, on my second day at a new job, things must be bad. Offutt Air Force Base where the President addressed the nation was just down the road.
In the following week, I remember we’d hear a very occasional air plane fly over and just hope it wasn’t another attack."
-F. B.
I didn’t quite grasp the implications of the events that morning until my boyfriend called me that afternoon. He had been watching the news all day and the worry in his voice resonated with me. I knew if he was calling me at work, on my second day at a new job, things must be bad. Offutt Air Force Base where the President addressed the nation was just down the road.
In the following week, I remember we’d hear a very occasional air plane fly over and just hope it wasn’t another attack."
-F. B.
10. "I was a sophomore in high school. Right before home room, a friend came up and said,
'I just heard a helicopter hit the Pentagon!'
I thought well that's kinda stupid, why would a helicopter hit the Pentagon? When we went into homeroom, I saw the first tower fall.
School administration didn't want us to watch TV because they wanted it to be a normal day, but most teachers let us watch anyway. By the end of the day all the seniors were convinced they were about to be drafted"
- L. F.
'I just heard a helicopter hit the Pentagon!'
I thought well that's kinda stupid, why would a helicopter hit the Pentagon? When we went into homeroom, I saw the first tower fall.
School administration didn't want us to watch TV because they wanted it to be a normal day, but most teachers let us watch anyway. By the end of the day all the seniors were convinced they were about to be drafted"
- L. F.
11. "I was 5 years old, sitting alone at the dining room table and eating some plain Cheerios while a news broadcast was on in the living room. I hated plain Cheerios and wanted Count Chocula, but my dad didn't like feeding us sweet things.
At some point there was some commotion on the news and my mom said,
'Oh my God!"
I went into the living room to see what happened and saw the news station's yellow graphic's frame over a lot of grey smoke.
I wasn't sure exactly what the issue was so, while everyone was distracted, I went into the kitchen and took a spoonful of sugar to sprinkle on my yucky, plain cheerios. Even though I didn't realize the significance of the news that day, I remember that morning better than anything else when I was that little."
- Z. N.
At some point there was some commotion on the news and my mom said,
'Oh my God!"
I went into the living room to see what happened and saw the news station's yellow graphic's frame over a lot of grey smoke.
I wasn't sure exactly what the issue was so, while everyone was distracted, I went into the kitchen and took a spoonful of sugar to sprinkle on my yucky, plain cheerios. Even though I didn't realize the significance of the news that day, I remember that morning better than anything else when I was that little."
- Z. N.
12. "I was a senior in high school. My friends and I always smoked a bowl before early morning band practice and that morning was no different. We marched around the field for a couple of hours then made our way back into the school before second period.
I remember walking in and something was wrong, kids were running from classroom to classroom. One girl was in a catatonic state while her friends were comforting her. The break between classes wasn't for another ten minutes so this was highly irregular. I thought I was dreaming or just really high.
My friends and I went into the band room to put our instruments away with the rest of the band while the choir teacher was talking to the band teacher. He immediately turned on the dusty box TV that was never used and started flipping through the channels. It seemed like every single channel was of the first tower burning. How the hell did the news travel so fast? It was only around 9 am but everyone in school knew about it. Just then, the second plane came in!
The rest of the day was surreal. Actually the rest of the week was, but on that day it was very different. The administration basically cancelled classes and every student was allowed to do whatever they wanted. The teachers and students were so glued to the televisions that everyone just went to their favorite teacher's class and stared at their TV. When the buildings collapsed, you could hear the gasping throughout the entire building... then just silence."
-D. H.
I remember walking in and something was wrong, kids were running from classroom to classroom. One girl was in a catatonic state while her friends were comforting her. The break between classes wasn't for another ten minutes so this was highly irregular. I thought I was dreaming or just really high.
My friends and I went into the band room to put our instruments away with the rest of the band while the choir teacher was talking to the band teacher. He immediately turned on the dusty box TV that was never used and started flipping through the channels. It seemed like every single channel was of the first tower burning. How the hell did the news travel so fast? It was only around 9 am but everyone in school knew about it. Just then, the second plane came in!
The rest of the day was surreal. Actually the rest of the week was, but on that day it was very different. The administration basically cancelled classes and every student was allowed to do whatever they wanted. The teachers and students were so glued to the televisions that everyone just went to their favorite teacher's class and stared at their TV. When the buildings collapsed, you could hear the gasping throughout the entire building... then just silence."
-D. H.
13. "I was 20 and living on my own in my first apartment. It was my day off from work and the night before I had gone to the store to buy a rather large TV that I had saved all summer for. It had an on-screen guide so I knew what was being broadcast and was replacing my dinky little 10 or 13 inch TV. I remember that guide well because of how useless it was in the days that followed. I had set the TV up the night before but none of the other wires to the VCR/DVD/cable box/etc. so I was up early to get everything organized. I turned on the Today Show with the volume low and went to check my email in another room.
My sister called me after the first plane hit and told me I needed to turn the TV on so I went back into my living room just 5 minutes or so before the second plane hit. I was on the phone with her when it did and I can still remember the gasps. I watched everything live from that point on for the rest of the day. I did spend some time chatting on a couple of message boards I frequented at the time to relay what our local Omaha news was reporting about President Bush being at Offutt Air Force Base.
I don't remember moving from the couch much until late afternoon when I was too tired to watch any more and turned it all off. Definitely absolute shock and fear about what was going to happen."
- T. S.
My sister called me after the first plane hit and told me I needed to turn the TV on so I went back into my living room just 5 minutes or so before the second plane hit. I was on the phone with her when it did and I can still remember the gasps. I watched everything live from that point on for the rest of the day. I did spend some time chatting on a couple of message boards I frequented at the time to relay what our local Omaha news was reporting about President Bush being at Offutt Air Force Base.
I don't remember moving from the couch much until late afternoon when I was too tired to watch any more and turned it all off. Definitely absolute shock and fear about what was going to happen."
- T. S.
14. "I was a senior at the time. TVs were going in every room- until we ran out of TVs and then classes where they didn't get one just let all the seniors go to a room that did. This was the world we were being thrown into in less than a year.
In one of the rooms with a TV we sat in shocked silence as the second tower fell. Meanwhile, the class in that room was sophomores and freshmen. Unable/willing to comprehend what was going on, they considered this 'screw around in class' time and began throwing some beanie-baby sized thing at each other, half-assedly trying to be 'sneaky' but mostly because they thought it was funny that no one was paying attention to them. Why would we, with what was on the TV? It happened to be thrown at a kid sitting near me and I looked over, saw what was going on, and unloaded,
'Pay attention. This isn't time to goof off. History is being made. You are literally watching people die!'
At the time I couldn't grasp that maybe they were just too young to understand.
I remember looking over at my friend at the time and our eyes met. We were in shock. The draft hadn't been in use for decades, but it didn't take a genius to see that we were about to go to war with someone. The question was: who? And would we all, being of prime age, be forced to enlist?
I had a few classes that day that were mostly seniors. Every time the teacher offered a choice of what to do that day: carry on, talk about it, or go to a nearby room with a TV and watch. I couldn't tell you what we opted for in each one. Some teachers tried to put it into context, most were just as lost as we were. There was something about being a senior at the time that made it hit a little harder. This was the world we were being thrown into when we graduated that May. The world was forever changed for us in ways we couldn't yet grasp because we never got to see what they were like before all this.
Over the next few weeks we brought in a blood mobile (because that's all anyone could really think to do) and as a class we organized fundraisers to send to the salvation army. Again, no one really knew what we could even DO to help. We just knew we needed to do SOMETHING. during this time schoolwork became secondary. Entire class periods were devoted to talking about it, especially in the senior-only classes."
- Anonymous
In one of the rooms with a TV we sat in shocked silence as the second tower fell. Meanwhile, the class in that room was sophomores and freshmen. Unable/willing to comprehend what was going on, they considered this 'screw around in class' time and began throwing some beanie-baby sized thing at each other, half-assedly trying to be 'sneaky' but mostly because they thought it was funny that no one was paying attention to them. Why would we, with what was on the TV? It happened to be thrown at a kid sitting near me and I looked over, saw what was going on, and unloaded,
'Pay attention. This isn't time to goof off. History is being made. You are literally watching people die!'
At the time I couldn't grasp that maybe they were just too young to understand.
I remember looking over at my friend at the time and our eyes met. We were in shock. The draft hadn't been in use for decades, but it didn't take a genius to see that we were about to go to war with someone. The question was: who? And would we all, being of prime age, be forced to enlist?
I had a few classes that day that were mostly seniors. Every time the teacher offered a choice of what to do that day: carry on, talk about it, or go to a nearby room with a TV and watch. I couldn't tell you what we opted for in each one. Some teachers tried to put it into context, most were just as lost as we were. There was something about being a senior at the time that made it hit a little harder. This was the world we were being thrown into when we graduated that May. The world was forever changed for us in ways we couldn't yet grasp because we never got to see what they were like before all this.
Over the next few weeks we brought in a blood mobile (because that's all anyone could really think to do) and as a class we organized fundraisers to send to the salvation army. Again, no one really knew what we could even DO to help. We just knew we needed to do SOMETHING. during this time schoolwork became secondary. Entire class periods were devoted to talking about it, especially in the senior-only classes."
- Anonymous
15. "I was a high school junior in British Literature class when the first plane hit, but word hadn't gotten around yet.
I had just walked into my second class when I noticed that the TV was on. While I was in the process of asking what movie was on, the second plane hit.
The rest of my school day was a blur of fear about what would happen next and excited, juvenile chatter about who was getting bombed back to the stone age. What sticks out the most in my memory is lunch.
Of the eight people sitting with me at that table, five would go on to die in Iraq or Afghanistan."
- P. S.
I had just walked into my second class when I noticed that the TV was on. While I was in the process of asking what movie was on, the second plane hit.
The rest of my school day was a blur of fear about what would happen next and excited, juvenile chatter about who was getting bombed back to the stone age. What sticks out the most in my memory is lunch.
Of the eight people sitting with me at that table, five would go on to die in Iraq or Afghanistan."
- P. S.
16. "I was living in Omaha and my roommate woke me up to tell me,
'The towers are gone!'
I had no idea what she was talking about. Every single station showed the same thing: the plane hitting, again and again.
I can remember just how quiet the city was, barely any cars on the roads and no planes in the sky. Air Force One and its fighters were so loud overhead as they headed to Offutt Air Force Base where my father was stationed. He was set to retire in 2002, but we weren't sure what would happen anymore. Would they let him retire? Would he get to his third war in his 25 year career? We were yelling at the TV to stop saying the President was in Omaha, long range bombs can hit Omaha.
My roommate and I stumbled through the day, called the call center we worked at and were told,
'Of course you have to come in, it didn't happen in Omaha. We just aren't calling NY, DC or Pennsylvania.'
I worked as an outbound telemarketer on 9/11 and I still feel dirty about it.
I tried to donate blood but because I lived overseas in the 80s & 90s, I couldn't. I've never felt so helpless and scared in my life. I spent months watching the webcams of the tower rescues, recoveries and rebuilding."
- Christine Hale
'The towers are gone!'
I had no idea what she was talking about. Every single station showed the same thing: the plane hitting, again and again.
I can remember just how quiet the city was, barely any cars on the roads and no planes in the sky. Air Force One and its fighters were so loud overhead as they headed to Offutt Air Force Base where my father was stationed. He was set to retire in 2002, but we weren't sure what would happen anymore. Would they let him retire? Would he get to his third war in his 25 year career? We were yelling at the TV to stop saying the President was in Omaha, long range bombs can hit Omaha.
My roommate and I stumbled through the day, called the call center we worked at and were told,
'Of course you have to come in, it didn't happen in Omaha. We just aren't calling NY, DC or Pennsylvania.'
I worked as an outbound telemarketer on 9/11 and I still feel dirty about it.
I tried to donate blood but because I lived overseas in the 80s & 90s, I couldn't. I've never felt so helpless and scared in my life. I spent months watching the webcams of the tower rescues, recoveries and rebuilding."
- Christine Hale
17. "I was a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in an undergrad class focused on law. It was still early, so people were only talking about the first plane as soon as we got out. I got to my next class just after hearing about the second plane. The professor turned on news coverage instead of covering the day's curriculum and everyone sat in silence. She didn't make us suffer through it and gave the option for students to get up and leave if anyone didn't want to see this.
No one got up, no one talked.
I drove home late morning to my off-campus apartment. I stop to fill up gas at a place by my house because I needed to anyways, but word must have spread fast. Cars were already lining up.
I got home and started watching the news with my roommate. I sat in silence while was more emotional and was beside himself."
- Anonymous
No one got up, no one talked.
I drove home late morning to my off-campus apartment. I stop to fill up gas at a place by my house because I needed to anyways, but word must have spread fast. Cars were already lining up.
I got home and started watching the news with my roommate. I sat in silence while was more emotional and was beside himself."
- Anonymous
18. "My wife and I were both at work and set to fly to Europe on 9/12 for a two-week trip we'd been planning for more than a year. I was always one of the first people in the office, as was a guy who sublet an office from us. He always had the TV on in the morning, and we watched the second plane hit the South Tower live. I refreshed CNN.com all morning long for more info.
When Omaha's Eppley Airport reopened, we were on the first flight out. It was a great trip - the outpouring of support for Americans in all the places we visited was heartfelt. But I can't remember that trip without thinking of the other event."
- Anonymous
When Omaha's Eppley Airport reopened, we were on the first flight out. It was a great trip - the outpouring of support for Americans in all the places we visited was heartfelt. But I can't remember that trip without thinking of the other event."
- Anonymous
19. "I was 30 years-old, working for a small private college. I walked into the main office to find some of the other staff watching a tiny TV in the back. They told me that a small plane hit the tower and I went to my own separate office, wondering how that poor pilot made such a big mistake. I went online to follow the news all day and that's where I learned what really happened.
The office, the building, the college, and the small town were all so quiet.
After the FAA had shut down U.S. airspace, I heard a plane overhead and it freaked me out! To hear such a sound when everything was almost silent was unsettling. I lived and worked about 30 miles north from of the Omaha area and airport. It was common for planes to swing up north while waiting to land in Omaha, but it felt so odd that day. Then I learned Air Force One would be landing with President Bush at Offutt Air Force Base, which is just immediately south of Omaha. Strategic Air Command is there and while I understood why they chose it, I really wanted him to go elsewhere in case of nuclear attack. It sounds dumb in retrospect, but I didn't know what might happen.
I went home that night and couldn't stop watching the news. No matter where you were, it never leaves you."
- Anonymous
The office, the building, the college, and the small town were all so quiet.
After the FAA had shut down U.S. airspace, I heard a plane overhead and it freaked me out! To hear such a sound when everything was almost silent was unsettling. I lived and worked about 30 miles north from of the Omaha area and airport. It was common for planes to swing up north while waiting to land in Omaha, but it felt so odd that day. Then I learned Air Force One would be landing with President Bush at Offutt Air Force Base, which is just immediately south of Omaha. Strategic Air Command is there and while I understood why they chose it, I really wanted him to go elsewhere in case of nuclear attack. It sounds dumb in retrospect, but I didn't know what might happen.
I went home that night and couldn't stop watching the news. No matter where you were, it never leaves you."
- Anonymous
20. "Stationed at Offutt Air Force Base. Needless to say things were hectic. A bunch of us were outside smoking, trying to wrap our heads around what just happened. Next thing we knew, two F-16s flew over the runway and turned around for another run. The problem with that is there are no fighters stationed there, only C-135s. Low and behold, the next plane that landed was Air Force One. The undisclosed location where President Bush left to after leaving Florida was in the building I worked in."
- K. R.
- K. R.
21. "I was a cabinet maker in Lincoln. We got to the job site as the second plane hit. All the radios were tuned to the same station, listening to breaking coverage. It's the only time in my life I have seen a silent job site.
I wrote the date on the back of every cabinet I installed that day."
- Dave Herroon
I wrote the date on the back of every cabinet I installed that day."
- Dave Herroon
22. "I was working as a recent college grad and my company issued a global voicemail saying,
'You can all go home if you want.'
So, I left the client I was working at.
I was driving from downtown Omaha to about 132nd and Maple and I took I-80. There was so little traffic it was eerie. Around the 72nd exit I see a massive plane flying super low. I’d never seen a plane that large flying that low! I crane my head out the window and was like,
'Holy crap, I think that’s Air Force One!'
It was later confirmed that Bush landed at Offutt AFB that day."
- Anonymous
'You can all go home if you want.'
So, I left the client I was working at.
I was driving from downtown Omaha to about 132nd and Maple and I took I-80. There was so little traffic it was eerie. Around the 72nd exit I see a massive plane flying super low. I’d never seen a plane that large flying that low! I crane my head out the window and was like,
'Holy crap, I think that’s Air Force One!'
It was later confirmed that Bush landed at Offutt AFB that day."
- Anonymous
23. "I was in geometry my sophomore year at Omaha Creighton Prep High School. Mr. Nizzi, who was then the Dean of Students, came into the class, interrupted my teacher by saying,
'Just so you know, two airliners slammed into the World Trade Center. Other than that, not much is known.'
I'll be honest, my world was Omaha and then everything else. It's since expanded a little, but not by a ton. I had heard of the WTC and seen the buildings in NYC, but had never heard the buildings referred to by their names. I had no idea what the WTC towers were when Mr. Nizzi came in. I knew something happened but not what, just that it was bad.
But not how bad?
All throughout the day, I remember classmates just itching to go home, moaning things like,
'Why are we here?' - 'We need to go home.'
Nobody's head was in it at school.
Football practice that day was weird. Again, no one really wanted to be there, even the coaches. I am certain I saw Air Force One fly overhead toward Offutt, carrying President Bush to the bunker.
Not sure where this is going. I know things have changed, many things very tangibly, many things clandestinely. Boarding a plane in still stupid hard. This, despite the TSA never stopping a single terrorist (as said by their head guy). We know some of our info is being collected and stored, but only a very few know exactly how much. Maybe that was going to happen anyway, but it sure seems our government accelerated that program after 9/11.
Are we a better country? If we are, are we better because of, or in spite of, the myriad of changes that has come upon us? I'm not smart enough to answer that. I'm not sure there is someone out there who is. I get the feeling if there was, I wouldn't have to ask the question."
- Anonymous
'Just so you know, two airliners slammed into the World Trade Center. Other than that, not much is known.'
I'll be honest, my world was Omaha and then everything else. It's since expanded a little, but not by a ton. I had heard of the WTC and seen the buildings in NYC, but had never heard the buildings referred to by their names. I had no idea what the WTC towers were when Mr. Nizzi came in. I knew something happened but not what, just that it was bad.
But not how bad?
All throughout the day, I remember classmates just itching to go home, moaning things like,
'Why are we here?' - 'We need to go home.'
Nobody's head was in it at school.
Football practice that day was weird. Again, no one really wanted to be there, even the coaches. I am certain I saw Air Force One fly overhead toward Offutt, carrying President Bush to the bunker.
Not sure where this is going. I know things have changed, many things very tangibly, many things clandestinely. Boarding a plane in still stupid hard. This, despite the TSA never stopping a single terrorist (as said by their head guy). We know some of our info is being collected and stored, but only a very few know exactly how much. Maybe that was going to happen anyway, but it sure seems our government accelerated that program after 9/11.
Are we a better country? If we are, are we better because of, or in spite of, the myriad of changes that has come upon us? I'm not smart enough to answer that. I'm not sure there is someone out there who is. I get the feeling if there was, I wouldn't have to ask the question."
- Anonymous
24. "I was riding the bus to middle school when road workers started yelling about the Trade Center and traffic came to a crawl. A few hours later, they wheeled one of those big TV carts into the school library and put on the news."
- B. V.
- B. V.
25. "I was home on leave from the US Navy, as our ship was set to change home ports. I went out with friends the night before and was sleeping off my foolishness the next morning when my mother came in and told me a plane had hit one of the WTC towers. I woke up immediately and got to the TV just as the second plane hit.
I sat waiting for the rest of the day to see if we would be recalled."
- Anonymous
I sat waiting for the rest of the day to see if we would be recalled."
- Anonymous
26. "I had lived in NYC when the WTC towers were built but on 9/11, I was in Omaha and undergoing chemotherapy. I was asleep that morning when news broke of the planes hitting the towers. Later that day, a live coverage video from a local tv station showed Air Force One landing at Offutt Air Force Base (SAC/StratCom headquarters) here in Nebraska. News anchor Peter Jennings puzzled on live air about why the President was landing in Nebraska, but the news director of a local station had anticipated the possibility and dispatched a camera crew which captured the only video of the landing.
Being the command center for the entire global fleet of USAF bombers throughout the Cold War, the base contained an emergency executive command facility underground; built in case of a nuclear war. Later that day, long after all air traffic in the country had been grounded, I heard the roar of a jet above and went outside. Two young girls who lived next door came running out of their house too. Looking up, we saw a large airliner in a climb and heading northwest. It made a sharp right turn to the east above our neighborhood. It was Air Force One."
- M. O’Donnell
Being the command center for the entire global fleet of USAF bombers throughout the Cold War, the base contained an emergency executive command facility underground; built in case of a nuclear war. Later that day, long after all air traffic in the country had been grounded, I heard the roar of a jet above and went outside. Two young girls who lived next door came running out of their house too. Looking up, we saw a large airliner in a climb and heading northwest. It made a sharp right turn to the east above our neighborhood. It was Air Force One."
- M. O’Donnell
27. "I was in college at Grace University and first learned what was going on from my history professor, Dr. Eckman, at the beginning of class. A bunch of other students crowded into a dorm lounge following class and we watched the towers fall. After it was over, we had chapel. The dean of students, Dr. Burkholder, first read to us Psalm 46 and then the rest of the chapel was prayer - both for the victims and for the people behind the attacks.
In the afternoon I drove to my job, and the streets were weirdly empty. I worked at Schmitt Music across from Crossroads and the mall was shut down. I heard the sound of a jet and looked up, surprised because all air traffic was grounded, and saw a massive airplane coming from the south and banking east. Later I put together that it was probably Air Force One leaving Offutt. I checked in at work, but shortly afterwards my manager sent me home because there was no point in staying
It honestly took a couple days for the weight of what happened to hit. It was too big to comprehend in the moment."
- Anonymous
In the afternoon I drove to my job, and the streets were weirdly empty. I worked at Schmitt Music across from Crossroads and the mall was shut down. I heard the sound of a jet and looked up, surprised because all air traffic was grounded, and saw a massive airplane coming from the south and banking east. Later I put together that it was probably Air Force One leaving Offutt. I checked in at work, but shortly afterwards my manager sent me home because there was no point in staying
It honestly took a couple days for the weight of what happened to hit. It was too big to comprehend in the moment."
- Anonymous