OHIO
"Where were you on 9/11?" as remembered by those in Ohio that day.
Former Columbus firefighter Tom shares his memory of the tragedy of 9/11 and how he has coped with it over the years.
1. I was in Ohio on 9/11. I was a lieutenant for the Columbus Fire Department and I was assigned to the EMS district that includes Ohio State University. It was a scheduled day off for me so I slept in a little bit and the first I became aware of anything going on was when I turned on the radio shortly after the second tower had been hit.
I just turned on the tv and watched news all day. I ended up calling into work later that day to find out if there had been a call-in of off-duty personnel and was surprised to find that there hadn't been one. It worked out because my son had gotten upset at school because he connected my fire department job with the fact that he knew firefighters had died in the towers so at least I got to be home with family and comfort them. I knew guys with Columbus that knew guys that had died in the towers.
I just turned on the tv and watched news all day. I ended up calling into work later that day to find out if there had been a call-in of off-duty personnel and was surprised to find that there hadn't been one. It worked out because my son had gotten upset at school because he connected my fire department job with the fact that he knew firefighters had died in the towers so at least I got to be home with family and comfort them. I knew guys with Columbus that knew guys that had died in the towers.
A couple years later, my mom got me into stained glass and even though I had only ever been through New York had never really visited there, it wasn't just about New York - it was a firefighter thing. You know firefighters across the country knew what those guys had had to face and had to go through and for me it produced a lot of anxiety. I knew I had to do something so my first big piece in stained glass ended up as what I think of as my 9/11 memorial piece to commemorate the 343 firefighters who died on that day.
- Tom |
Written Stories
2. "On September 9, 2001, I was hit head on by a semi truck that had lost control and crossed the median at 65 miles an hour on the highway. I was in a coma for the next week and completely missed the September 11 tragedy. I was in the hospital for a couple weeks and my family sheltered me from the TV when I woke up.
I legitimately did not even know the towers had fallen until watching a documentary six months later."
- John R.
I legitimately did not even know the towers had fallen until watching a documentary six months later."
- John R.
3. "On 9/11, I came in for my first day of work at the then Medical College of Ohio in Toledo. I was in an email training class when someone got a text that a plane hit the World Trade Center, but we all assumed it was an accident and a small plane.
On the way back to the IT offices, the hospital and college was like a ghost town. The few people we saw were gathered in waiting rooms watching TV. My coworker and I were confused until we got to the office and the secretary came to us crying and tried to fill us in, but it was so unbelievable we were still confused. We gathered with coworkers around the boss' TV where we watched the first tower fall.
Shortly after there was so much confusion. The administration told us that the hospital was being locked down and we had to either leave now or be stuck there until an unknown time. I stayed and was assigned the task of setting up a "command" center for administration.
The rest of the day we spent in shock and disbelief, going from TV to internet (when news sites weren't down) to find out anything. The whole day there were rumors about more planes, more attacks, and everything else.
We were finally allowed to leave at about 7:00 pm. I drove home and my roommates and I just silently went to the bar and had beers and burgers for dinner not wanting to cook. The whole bar was silent and everyone just watched the news rolling in. When they started to release death tolls, I remember someone breaking down in sobs at one of the tables.
My roommates and I were mostly silent, something unheard of for college age guys. The whole day was surreal and terrifying, since a few of us were ROTC. We eventually wondered home. I remember laying in my bed with my brain fried, exhausted, and in a mood I don't know I've ever experienced before or since."
- Aaron B.
On the way back to the IT offices, the hospital and college was like a ghost town. The few people we saw were gathered in waiting rooms watching TV. My coworker and I were confused until we got to the office and the secretary came to us crying and tried to fill us in, but it was so unbelievable we were still confused. We gathered with coworkers around the boss' TV where we watched the first tower fall.
Shortly after there was so much confusion. The administration told us that the hospital was being locked down and we had to either leave now or be stuck there until an unknown time. I stayed and was assigned the task of setting up a "command" center for administration.
The rest of the day we spent in shock and disbelief, going from TV to internet (when news sites weren't down) to find out anything. The whole day there were rumors about more planes, more attacks, and everything else.
We were finally allowed to leave at about 7:00 pm. I drove home and my roommates and I just silently went to the bar and had beers and burgers for dinner not wanting to cook. The whole bar was silent and everyone just watched the news rolling in. When they started to release death tolls, I remember someone breaking down in sobs at one of the tables.
My roommates and I were mostly silent, something unheard of for college age guys. The whole day was surreal and terrifying, since a few of us were ROTC. We eventually wondered home. I remember laying in my bed with my brain fried, exhausted, and in a mood I don't know I've ever experienced before or since."
- Aaron B.
4. "It was my 16th birthday, I was in my American history class. We had the TV on and watched everything happen. A teacher at my school had family who worked in one of the buildings, or the Pentagon I can’t recall which, and was losing her mind.
The principal was going classroom to classroom telling teachers to turn off the TV, demanding it. Our science teacher was arguing with him in the hall. As their voice escalated and students were distracted I remember watching in horror as the second tower fell. When I got home from school my birthday gifts were waiting for me, but my mom was in such shock she couldn’t look away from the news."
- Joshua W.
The principal was going classroom to classroom telling teachers to turn off the TV, demanding it. Our science teacher was arguing with him in the hall. As their voice escalated and students were distracted I remember watching in horror as the second tower fell. When I got home from school my birthday gifts were waiting for me, but my mom was in such shock she couldn’t look away from the news."
- Joshua W.
5. "That morning I went to my job as an activity aide at a community center for people with mental health issues in downtown Akron called Choices. I had just started only a few weeks before and at the time was still trying to get used to how things worked there.
The center had:
- A main room for activities
- A secondary room called the TV room because it had a huge TV in it
- And a third activity room that had a small snack bar.
That morning, someone brought in a movie tape so folks were watching that instead of live TV. About an hour into my shift, shortly after 9 am or so, the snack bar attendant came to find me and ask me to follow him back to the snack bar area. He had the radio on and it was talking about a plane crash in New York City. The broadcast had a "War of the Worlds" vibe to it in regard to how it was being broadcast. I listened for a few minutes then decided to find another activity aide and our supervisor. Once I found them,
I took them into the office & told them what was up.
I went back to the snack room and the broadcast started talking about the second plane.
We gathered everybody who was at the center at the time in the TV room, turned off the movie, and told everybody what was going on. Afterwards I turned on the television to one of the main networks...I believe it was NBC...and the talking heads started talking about a third crash in Washington D.C., reportedly at the Pentagon. Everything I was hearing on the radio was apparently on time delay so a lot had happened in the interim.
Given the nature of the community center, I was worried about how they'd react to what we were all experiencing at the moment. One would think any place that dealt with folks facing mental health issues would be dealing with such people freaking out or panicking or being triggered by the events happening around the country. At the community center, nobody...not a single person...freaked out.
I would venture to say that there seemed to be more people freaking out on TV and elsewhere than at the community center that day. The only thing that really came up was, with the attacks, government services these people relied on were going to close and their appointments were being cancelled for that day and potentially the rest of the week.
I just anticipated panic and freak-outs on their part and... Boy was I wrong.
The center had:
- A main room for activities
- A secondary room called the TV room because it had a huge TV in it
- And a third activity room that had a small snack bar.
That morning, someone brought in a movie tape so folks were watching that instead of live TV. About an hour into my shift, shortly after 9 am or so, the snack bar attendant came to find me and ask me to follow him back to the snack bar area. He had the radio on and it was talking about a plane crash in New York City. The broadcast had a "War of the Worlds" vibe to it in regard to how it was being broadcast. I listened for a few minutes then decided to find another activity aide and our supervisor. Once I found them,
I took them into the office & told them what was up.
I went back to the snack room and the broadcast started talking about the second plane.
We gathered everybody who was at the center at the time in the TV room, turned off the movie, and told everybody what was going on. Afterwards I turned on the television to one of the main networks...I believe it was NBC...and the talking heads started talking about a third crash in Washington D.C., reportedly at the Pentagon. Everything I was hearing on the radio was apparently on time delay so a lot had happened in the interim.
Given the nature of the community center, I was worried about how they'd react to what we were all experiencing at the moment. One would think any place that dealt with folks facing mental health issues would be dealing with such people freaking out or panicking or being triggered by the events happening around the country. At the community center, nobody...not a single person...freaked out.
I would venture to say that there seemed to be more people freaking out on TV and elsewhere than at the community center that day. The only thing that really came up was, with the attacks, government services these people relied on were going to close and their appointments were being cancelled for that day and potentially the rest of the week.
I just anticipated panic and freak-outs on their part and... Boy was I wrong.
I learned a lot that day from people who I ignorantly didn't expect to learn from at the time. For all the politicos and officials and folks all over TV in the days and months after 9/11 who were pretty much demanding everybody be okay...cue the Animal House scene with Kevin Bacon screaming,
'Remain calm!!! All is well!!!!'
I think that those people could have taken a few cues from the resiliency and strength I witnessed from the people at the community center that day, most of whom were already going through some heavy mental health-related issues.
'Remain calm!!! All is well!!!!'
I think that those people could have taken a few cues from the resiliency and strength I witnessed from the people at the community center that day, most of whom were already going through some heavy mental health-related issues.
What I witnessed and learned may not be considered a 'major event' compared to those directly affected by it, but how the folks in the center handled the events from that day is something that had more of an effect than I may ever learn from any other day in my life and it was something that, God forbid, if anything on that scale happened again that I and others would have the kind of strength and resiliency necessary that those particular people showed."
- D. J. H.
- D. J. H.
6. "I was a new student in Stadium Elementary in Boardman, had just moved from Austintown after my parents divorced. Entering in 4th grade I was already nervous, but a wonderful woman and teacher Mrs. Hammerton welcomed me.
Everyone was still so new to me, but I vividly I remember the fear I felt from her and all the teachers of the school once they pulled the TV into our classroom to watch the news. Confusion was evident and none of the kids knew what was going on besides watching a building billowing smoke. Then all of sudden the second plane hit and the fear became even more intense.
All I personally remember feeling was an sense of fear, one that I have yet to feel that intensely again since. It was a feeling of knowing the chaos around you, the fear, and the emotions being felt by those around you but not knowing exactly why or how to help with what was wrong.
I went home that day and really didn't think much of it then because my Mom played the whole ordeal so chill. It wasn't until history classes in middle school that I began learning what happened, why, and what the United States were in the midst of.
I'll never forget that day and I never want to feel that intense feeling of fear again as long as I live."
- Z. F.
Everyone was still so new to me, but I vividly I remember the fear I felt from her and all the teachers of the school once they pulled the TV into our classroom to watch the news. Confusion was evident and none of the kids knew what was going on besides watching a building billowing smoke. Then all of sudden the second plane hit and the fear became even more intense.
All I personally remember feeling was an sense of fear, one that I have yet to feel that intensely again since. It was a feeling of knowing the chaos around you, the fear, and the emotions being felt by those around you but not knowing exactly why or how to help with what was wrong.
I went home that day and really didn't think much of it then because my Mom played the whole ordeal so chill. It wasn't until history classes in middle school that I began learning what happened, why, and what the United States were in the midst of.
I'll never forget that day and I never want to feel that intense feeling of fear again as long as I live."
- Z. F.
7. "I was working at FedEx Custom Critical in Green, OH. A bunch of us were in some tech training that morning. We took a break and got the news. Stunned silence.
We had one computer that was running a nationwide flight monitor. It was eerie to watch all the flights get redirected and land.
The map is usually nearly completely covered. In a short time the map was basically empty except for a few aircraft w/o tail numbers (military?)." - R. F.
We had one computer that was running a nationwide flight monitor. It was eerie to watch all the flights get redirected and land.
The map is usually nearly completely covered. In a short time the map was basically empty except for a few aircraft w/o tail numbers (military?)." - R. F.
8. "Was in physics that morning, senior year of high school in Canton. Another teacher ran in and said,
'Something was going on, turn on the news.'
We had it on and a few minutes later we watched the second plane hit. Our teacher made a comment about how that had to be intentional. The whole school day was a bit of a blur, we didn't do much in any class. If the room had a TV we just watched coverage. I was in English when we started hearing that the first tower had collapsed. We were hearing about the hijacked plane that ended up going down in Shanksville going over Cleveland and how we might have to evacuate the building.
I ended up going home and spamming refresh on Fark.com, watching news coverage, and talking about it on IRC (internet relay
chat)."
- E.
'Something was going on, turn on the news.'
We had it on and a few minutes later we watched the second plane hit. Our teacher made a comment about how that had to be intentional. The whole school day was a bit of a blur, we didn't do much in any class. If the room had a TV we just watched coverage. I was in English when we started hearing that the first tower had collapsed. We were hearing about the hijacked plane that ended up going down in Shanksville going over Cleveland and how we might have to evacuate the building.
I ended up going home and spamming refresh on Fark.com, watching news coverage, and talking about it on IRC (internet relay
chat)."
- E.
9. "I was outside playing fetch with my dog. I had gotten home from a midnight shift and it was such a beautiful day. I threw the ball for her and as usual she'd play until she dropped. I finally took her inside to get water just after the first plane hit. The radio was on the Howard Stern Show and once I figured out what was going on I rushed to turn on the TV.
I hardly slept that day and had to go back to work that night."
- F. B.
I hardly slept that day and had to go back to work that night."
- F. B.
10. "I was 8 at the time and I was in school. My teacher was a huge fan of Harry Potter, so she would take an hour each day to read a portion of the books to us. She was in the middle of reading when one of the other 4th grade teachers came in to the room and whispered something to her. She looked somewhat concerned, stopped reading, turned on the TV and we saw one of the towers smoking.
A few minutes later we watched the second plane hit the South Tower.
At this point our teacher turned off the TV and all the classes were marched into the hallways and we did the same routine we practiced for tornado drills. Around this time was when kids started getting picked up and I was one of the first to leave with my cousins and sister.
I had no idea what was going on. My mom picked us up from my aunt's a few hours later and all we really knew was that a plane had hit a skyscraper in New York and every adult I knew was paranoid for months to follow. I don't actually know when it sank in that this was a terrorist attack, that I had witnessed people dying on live television, and that this was the beginning of a new paranoia-fueled era of American life. I was a kid."
- H. W.
A few minutes later we watched the second plane hit the South Tower.
At this point our teacher turned off the TV and all the classes were marched into the hallways and we did the same routine we practiced for tornado drills. Around this time was when kids started getting picked up and I was one of the first to leave with my cousins and sister.
I had no idea what was going on. My mom picked us up from my aunt's a few hours later and all we really knew was that a plane had hit a skyscraper in New York and every adult I knew was paranoid for months to follow. I don't actually know when it sank in that this was a terrorist attack, that I had witnessed people dying on live television, and that this was the beginning of a new paranoia-fueled era of American life. I was a kid."
- H. W.
11. "I was in Ohio on business. An employee walked in real slow and deliberate and interrupted the class I was facilitating. Of course knew something was wrong and, with index cards covering her mouth, she quietly told me a plane had hit the World Trade Center.
Needless to say, all work came to a halt. An employee found a TV and set it up in a wide hallway. We were all glued to the set when the second plane hit and a bit later when the first tower fell. Terrified and in shock, I repeatedly called my child care provider. Cell phones were jammed for the longest time. The schools had sent all kids home, regardless of whether a parent was
there or not. It was chaos, but I eventually learned they were OK.
I turned in my rental car since all planes were down and initially opted to take a bus back to Maryland. People were naturally talking about the morning’s incidents and I overheard a man, whose son was military, state he knew for a fact that we shot down the plane in PA.
At the last minute, I suppose more terrified at being on a bus with strangers, I got the rental car back and drove the 10+ hours home. On the PA turnpike, interestingly, I drove past very near the crash site of Flight 93. Everything was surreal.
Like people always say, I’ll never forget where I was that day."
- K. B.
Needless to say, all work came to a halt. An employee found a TV and set it up in a wide hallway. We were all glued to the set when the second plane hit and a bit later when the first tower fell. Terrified and in shock, I repeatedly called my child care provider. Cell phones were jammed for the longest time. The schools had sent all kids home, regardless of whether a parent was
there or not. It was chaos, but I eventually learned they were OK.
I turned in my rental car since all planes were down and initially opted to take a bus back to Maryland. People were naturally talking about the morning’s incidents and I overheard a man, whose son was military, state he knew for a fact that we shot down the plane in PA.
At the last minute, I suppose more terrified at being on a bus with strangers, I got the rental car back and drove the 10+ hours home. On the PA turnpike, interestingly, I drove past very near the crash site of Flight 93. Everything was surreal.
Like people always say, I’ll never forget where I was that day."
- K. B.
12. "I was a teller working for National City Bank in downtown Dayton and it was supposed to be my first day of college. I remember it being announced that we were to keep the public calm and to not withdraw all of their money from the bank. We were near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and when people heard the sounds of jets scrambling overhead they thought it was bombs or more jets crashing, it panicked them even more.
Later that day I sat with my Grandma, glued to the television in pure disbelief of what was happening. We lived very close to the Base so anytime a jet scrambled out of there it rattled all our windows and dishes. All these years later, it's still so fresh in our minds."
- Trisha Bushor
Later that day I sat with my Grandma, glued to the television in pure disbelief of what was happening. We lived very close to the Base so anytime a jet scrambled out of there it rattled all our windows and dishes. All these years later, it's still so fresh in our minds."
- Trisha Bushor
13. "I was sitting in my 4th grade class room. Our teacher was in the middle of passing out that day's multiplication table test when another teacher entered and told her to turn on the news. I remember the teachers talking about what a horrible accident this was only right before a massive ball of fire blew out of the second building.
The news had just been talking with a woman who witnessed the first plane hit when this happened and she panicked and said that another plane had hit the building. My teacher said,
'Oh Christ!'
I remember thinking more about her saying that than I did about what just occurred on TV. I don't think any of us kids had any real conception of the magnitude of what had just occurred.
Over the next half hour, kids in my class began to be taken home early. It was eventually down to me and four others and somewhere during this lull of boredom the teacher audibly gasped and I remember looking up to see a building implode on itself.
The news had just been talking with a woman who witnessed the first plane hit when this happened and she panicked and said that another plane had hit the building. My teacher said,
'Oh Christ!'
I remember thinking more about her saying that than I did about what just occurred on TV. I don't think any of us kids had any real conception of the magnitude of what had just occurred.
Over the next half hour, kids in my class began to be taken home early. It was eventually down to me and four others and somewhere during this lull of boredom the teacher audibly gasped and I remember looking up to see a building implode on itself.
At this point our teacher got up and switched off the TV and told us we could play on the computers while she went to check on something in the office for a few minutes. I think at that point she realized this live death and destruction was not something we should have to see. Though I honestly don't remember ever regarding it as much more than watching Godzilla or Independence Day. I guess it being on TV and happening in a place I'd seen destroyed in a hundred movies combined with being so young just made none of it seem all that real to me.
Me and the boy next to me started playing around on the Neopets website and talking about how we were annoyed everyone got to go home except us. Our assumption was that everyone was really silly for thinking someone would want to crash an airplane into our elementary school.
Me and the boy next to me started playing around on the Neopets website and talking about how we were annoyed everyone got to go home except us. Our assumption was that everyone was really silly for thinking someone would want to crash an airplane into our elementary school.
Eventually my grandmother showed up to take me home. She said the school apparently started calling the contacts of the children who hadn't yet been taken home because by that point there were only a few left in each class. I honestly don't think I started to appreciate the seriousness of what had happened that morning until at least the next day after being exposed to non stop discussion of the event on TV and by any adult near me. Something that horrifically bad happening in real life just didn't seem possible to me until then.
- Travis Fisher
- Travis Fisher
14. "Freshman in college. Went to my math class as normal, was there when the first plane hit. Finished the class, quad was empty. Went back to my dorm, logged onto AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) where my online alter ego was from Manhattan. (Back then we were told to make it up so you wouldn't get stalked).
I had tons of messages asking if I'm ok. I'm so confused. Just then, I get a call on my land line from my mom, who told me to turn on the news. I turned on NBC4 and saw the second plane hit.
Classes were not cancelled, but nobody went anyway. We all sat in Pete's dorm room drinking and listening to 'Its The End Of The World As We Know' It by REM.
- Beth
I had tons of messages asking if I'm ok. I'm so confused. Just then, I get a call on my land line from my mom, who told me to turn on the news. I turned on NBC4 and saw the second plane hit.
Classes were not cancelled, but nobody went anyway. We all sat in Pete's dorm room drinking and listening to 'Its The End Of The World As We Know' It by REM.
- Beth
15. "I was a high school sophomore in history class when the second planet hit.
My history teacher was a war vet, and literally pacing back and forth. He had the TV on in the room while we watched in horror. He didn't really speak to us, I don't think he was in his right mind. They came over the loud speaker and said for all teachers to turn it off. He did not stop watching. About ten minutes later the principal came in and asked him to step into the hallway. Didn't hear most of the conversation but he stepped back into the door and told her to come in. She did and he pointed to the TV and said,
'This is history, this is what we're doing today.'
She left without another word.
- L. S.
My history teacher was a war vet, and literally pacing back and forth. He had the TV on in the room while we watched in horror. He didn't really speak to us, I don't think he was in his right mind. They came over the loud speaker and said for all teachers to turn it off. He did not stop watching. About ten minutes later the principal came in and asked him to step into the hallway. Didn't hear most of the conversation but he stepped back into the door and told her to come in. She did and he pointed to the TV and said,
'This is history, this is what we're doing today.'
She left without another word.
- L. S.
16. "4th grade art class. I heard the janitor talking with the teacher in a hushed voice about something serious happening to the twin towers. The only twin towers I knew of at the time were the dorms at OSU near the horseshoe, so I assumed something serious happened at Ohio State. My
school decided to carry on the day as normal and I didn’t find out what really happened until I got home."
- I. K.
school decided to carry on the day as normal and I didn’t find out what really happened until I got home."
- I. K.
17. "I was at work, and I remember thinking someone at air traffic control was going to get fired - like I thought it was some kind of routing mistake when the first plane hit.
Lots of people left work early that day. I called my fiance and said I think a lot of people are going to have trouble making it to our wedding on Saturday. All the vendors involved with the wedding were extremely generous with letting out of our minimums since a lot of people couldn't make it. Wedding day was strange, happy but people were still kind of shell shocked. Had a friend that flew Continental Airlines for the wedding- said he and others deplaned there were a bunch of folks at the airport clapping. I think he was the only guest that was able to fly."
- H. D.
Lots of people left work early that day. I called my fiance and said I think a lot of people are going to have trouble making it to our wedding on Saturday. All the vendors involved with the wedding were extremely generous with letting out of our minimums since a lot of people couldn't make it. Wedding day was strange, happy but people were still kind of shell shocked. Had a friend that flew Continental Airlines for the wedding- said he and others deplaned there were a bunch of folks at the airport clapping. I think he was the only guest that was able to fly."
- H. D.
18. "I worked at UUNet (internet provider) at the time as a network engineer. My office was right outside the door of our Network Operations Center monitoring room. The NOC door flew open and I heard,
'A plane just hit the World Trade Center!'
A bunch of us ran into the NOC, they always had TVs on with news and weather as it could impact our equipment. Just as the second plane hit the node monitors all started going off. Our gear in the towers wasn't calling home anymore and the screen flooded with red (down) equipment.
There is always that guy, some manager told us all to get back to work.
That whole week we spent getting enough networking gear into the Nasdaq so it could reopen and getting fireman to use the payphone truck we brought near ground zero. Many fireman hadn't called home and their families were worried.
- B. M.
'A plane just hit the World Trade Center!'
A bunch of us ran into the NOC, they always had TVs on with news and weather as it could impact our equipment. Just as the second plane hit the node monitors all started going off. Our gear in the towers wasn't calling home anymore and the screen flooded with red (down) equipment.
There is always that guy, some manager told us all to get back to work.
That whole week we spent getting enough networking gear into the Nasdaq so it could reopen and getting fireman to use the payphone truck we brought near ground zero. Many fireman hadn't called home and their families were worried.
- B. M.
19. "I was on Midwest Express Flight 411 en-route to Washington D.C. from Milwaukee. Boarded at 7:45 am. - Took off at 8:10. We got near Detroit and flight attendants were running up to the cockpit. Pilot came on and said we were going back to Milwaukee. Then said we were landing in Columbus due to an ‘emergency’. People had phones on the plane, heard about NY and thought we had a bomb on our plane.
Once on the ground in Columbus, our pilots took all their stuff and said no one was going anyplace. I got to a bar in the terminal just as the first tower fell. Only then did I get an idea of what was truly going on. My wife did not know which plane hit the Pentagon and I wasn't able to call her for a while. I found a ride back to Milwaukee and drove through Chicago which was a ghost town at rush hour. To this day I feel like I was spared. I cannot watch any documentaries of the brave heroes of that day. It’s just too sad for me. Never forget. I’ll never get over this sad day.
- E. P.
Once on the ground in Columbus, our pilots took all their stuff and said no one was going anyplace. I got to a bar in the terminal just as the first tower fell. Only then did I get an idea of what was truly going on. My wife did not know which plane hit the Pentagon and I wasn't able to call her for a while. I found a ride back to Milwaukee and drove through Chicago which was a ghost town at rush hour. To this day I feel like I was spared. I cannot watch any documentaries of the brave heroes of that day. It’s just too sad for me. Never forget. I’ll never get over this sad day.
- E. P.
20. "I was in bed after working an overnight shift doing 9-1-1 dispatching. My roommate called telling me to turn the news on and then work called to recall me. No one knew the scale of this thing at the time and we wanted to be ready. I sat and watched it go down on the news.
A few years later in a training class, I had the opportunity to listen to some of the 9-1-1 calls from the Towers - Calls where the people knew they were going to die in there.
I can't imagine being the call taker for that."
- C, B,
A few years later in a training class, I had the opportunity to listen to some of the 9-1-1 calls from the Towers - Calls where the people knew they were going to die in there.
I can't imagine being the call taker for that."
- C, B,
21. "Just got back from lunch/band in 6th grade. I was sitting in math class when the teacher came into the room in tears. We were all young and didn't quite understand why the teacher came in crying. She had to present the news that we were attacked on American soil to a bunch of 6th graders.
She's one teacher that I will never forget. Not only because of that moment but because of how brave she was and the strength it took to relay that information to a bunch of 6th graders."
- B. D.
She's one teacher that I will never forget. Not only because of that moment but because of how brave she was and the strength it took to relay that information to a bunch of 6th graders."
- B. D.
22. "I had just just gotten up and was checking the weather when I wondered why the same thing was on every channel. That's when the second plane hit and figured it out.
Immediately, I called my mom and we watched a bit. Mom went to wake up my 22 year-old sister by saying,
'We’re under attack!'
My sister replied,
'Aliens?'"
- K. M. M.
Immediately, I called my mom and we watched a bit. Mom went to wake up my 22 year-old sister by saying,
'We’re under attack!'
My sister replied,
'Aliens?'"
- K. M. M.
23. "I was a Junior in Undergrad and had just broken up with my longtime girlfriend the night before. Sure enough the next morning I ran into her walking to class right after the first plane hit. She told me what was happening and I thought it was some kind of trick. We ran into the history building and they had broadcasts on everywhere where we saw the second plane hit."
- J. Ward
- J. Ward
24. "Freshman year at University of Akron. Got the news that a plane had flown into the first tower before my first class of the day. We just assumed it was an accident and went on with our lesson. Afterwards seemed the whole campus crammed into the old student center to watch the news.
They sent us home and I remember I had a terrible headache at work that night. I worked on campus in the dining hall, so it was 'emergency services' and still open. We figured the school's Polymer Center was important enough to get blown up if anyone decided to attack, so we were on edge."
- B. I.
They sent us home and I remember I had a terrible headache at work that night. I worked on campus in the dining hall, so it was 'emergency services' and still open. We figured the school's Polymer Center was important enough to get blown up if anyone decided to attack, so we were on edge."
- B. I.
25. "I was in 8th grade English class, I sat on the left side of the room in the 2nd or 3rd row. Another teacher came in and walked to the front of the room and said something to our teacher. Our whole class then got up and walked to the computer lab across the hall that was projecting the news on the white board.
Most of us stood there in a room full of upperclassmen, not truly understanding what we were seeing. We watched the 2nd plane fly into the towers. The bell rang and everyone moving in a daze on to the next class. I know there was an announcement made at some point in the day about the tragedy that happened to our country.
My volleyball game was cancelled that night and my whole family was in the car waiting in line at the only gas station in town, which was at least a mile out. I remember being frustrated and crying because I couldn’t comprehend how anyone could do something like this. It was the first time in my life that I recognized things that have nothing to do with me still affect me. My sister and I were tired of seeing the TV on nonstop for an entire week. Every channel, every hour, on repeat.
It amazes me now, being a teacher now, that my students know virtually nothing about it. I mean, they know facts, but that’s... nothing. Not the way it felt, it changed people, it was stressful for anyone who could grasp understanding. I can’t wrap my head around people not having that experience in their lives because I was almost 13, it was a defining experience for a lot of people, especially millennials.
It was our first tragedy."
- Sarah B.
Most of us stood there in a room full of upperclassmen, not truly understanding what we were seeing. We watched the 2nd plane fly into the towers. The bell rang and everyone moving in a daze on to the next class. I know there was an announcement made at some point in the day about the tragedy that happened to our country.
My volleyball game was cancelled that night and my whole family was in the car waiting in line at the only gas station in town, which was at least a mile out. I remember being frustrated and crying because I couldn’t comprehend how anyone could do something like this. It was the first time in my life that I recognized things that have nothing to do with me still affect me. My sister and I were tired of seeing the TV on nonstop for an entire week. Every channel, every hour, on repeat.
It amazes me now, being a teacher now, that my students know virtually nothing about it. I mean, they know facts, but that’s... nothing. Not the way it felt, it changed people, it was stressful for anyone who could grasp understanding. I can’t wrap my head around people not having that experience in their lives because I was almost 13, it was a defining experience for a lot of people, especially millennials.
It was our first tragedy."
- Sarah B.
26. "I had just turned 18 and started college just a few weeks before, my first paper was due that day. I heard the news filtering in after a few snooze cycles on my alarm clock. I thought it was an ad or a story of some kind. As soon as I realized what I was hearing, I jumped out of bed and went to turn on the TV. My parents joined me and we just watched in paralyzed horror as the second tower was hit in real time. We knew exactly what that meant; it was a deliberate act of terror. The reports of the other planes came in and fear and sadness exponentially grew.
I still cry every September 11th."
- S. P. A.
I still cry every September 11th."
- S. P. A.
27. "I was 23 years old, on my way to work and listening to Howard Stern, which is broadcast from NYC. I had to stop at the bank on the way and I pulled into the parking lot just as the first plane hit. I listened to the news for a few seconds, thinking,
'Man, that's nuts, what a crazy accident.'
Which of course is what everyone on the news assumed as well.
I finished in the bank and got back in my car just as they announced that the second plane had hit. The world just fell out from under me.
'Oh my God, someone is DOING this!'
At the time, I worked in Columbus for a small internet startup that did webstore design, telephone customer service, and warehouse fulfillment for third parties. One of which was Nasdaq, so we spent the day explaining to people over the phone that we weren't actually located at the Nasdaq building and we were all ok. We didn't have the heart to tell them we weren't even in NYC because they all seemed so emotional.
As I was about to be done for the day, one of my night shift colleagues called in having car trouble, so I said I'd stay. I ended up working a full 24 hours that day and I'm sure half of it was just shock.
As I was driving home the next morning around 8 am, I saw an airplane contrail in the sky and honest to God about had a panic attack on the highway. Then the thought hit me,
'I'm driving west. That's west. I'm facing west.'
West meant that plane was coming from Wright Patterson Air Force Base, so it was ok.
I don't remember sleeping, but I do remember that my husband and I were listening to the radio because we didn't have cable. We decided to go to our favorite restaurant just to be able to watch TV.
A week later, I got called in on my day off to be told that our venture capital funders had pulled out and we were all being laid off. God bless the guys running that company. They gave us checks for six weeks pay right there on the spot and told us to drive to THEIR bank, not our own, to cash them to make sure we got paid before any of the accounts got frozen.
I was one of a handful who stayed on for two weeks while they tried to secure funding from any other source, but they couldn't. It was very sad. I loved that place."
- E. V.
'Man, that's nuts, what a crazy accident.'
Which of course is what everyone on the news assumed as well.
I finished in the bank and got back in my car just as they announced that the second plane had hit. The world just fell out from under me.
'Oh my God, someone is DOING this!'
At the time, I worked in Columbus for a small internet startup that did webstore design, telephone customer service, and warehouse fulfillment for third parties. One of which was Nasdaq, so we spent the day explaining to people over the phone that we weren't actually located at the Nasdaq building and we were all ok. We didn't have the heart to tell them we weren't even in NYC because they all seemed so emotional.
As I was about to be done for the day, one of my night shift colleagues called in having car trouble, so I said I'd stay. I ended up working a full 24 hours that day and I'm sure half of it was just shock.
As I was driving home the next morning around 8 am, I saw an airplane contrail in the sky and honest to God about had a panic attack on the highway. Then the thought hit me,
'I'm driving west. That's west. I'm facing west.'
West meant that plane was coming from Wright Patterson Air Force Base, so it was ok.
I don't remember sleeping, but I do remember that my husband and I were listening to the radio because we didn't have cable. We decided to go to our favorite restaurant just to be able to watch TV.
A week later, I got called in on my day off to be told that our venture capital funders had pulled out and we were all being laid off. God bless the guys running that company. They gave us checks for six weeks pay right there on the spot and told us to drive to THEIR bank, not our own, to cash them to make sure we got paid before any of the accounts got frozen.
I was one of a handful who stayed on for two weeks while they tried to secure funding from any other source, but they couldn't. It was very sad. I loved that place."
- E. V.
28. "I was 7 years old at the time, sitting in the eye-doctor's office for an appointment with my parents. I remember it was a Tuesday, because I was bummed that I was missing chicken sandwich day at the school lunch.
We were watching Spongebob on the television in the waiting room, when all of a sudden the channel changed and I saw a bunch of buildings on the screen.
I looked up at my mom, wondering why we weren't watching Spongebob anymore - and she gasped with her hand over her mouth.
I asked her what was happening, as I was too young to understand - and she ignored me and said under her breath,
We were watching Spongebob on the television in the waiting room, when all of a sudden the channel changed and I saw a bunch of buildings on the screen.
I looked up at my mom, wondering why we weren't watching Spongebob anymore - and she gasped with her hand over her mouth.
I asked her what was happening, as I was too young to understand - and she ignored me and said under her breath,
'Oh my God, this is going to start a war.'
I remember being terrified, because I thought my dad was going to be drafted and have to fight, like I'd heard my mom tell me about her WWII veteran father.
The rest of the day was very eerie for me, even though I was only 7 years old. I knew that something really bad had happened. It wasn't until I was older and able to look back at the memory of that day to realize just how intense it must have been for my parents to keep their calm in front of me to not worry me."
- William Shepard
I remember being terrified, because I thought my dad was going to be drafted and have to fight, like I'd heard my mom tell me about her WWII veteran father.
The rest of the day was very eerie for me, even though I was only 7 years old. I knew that something really bad had happened. It wasn't until I was older and able to look back at the memory of that day to realize just how intense it must have been for my parents to keep their calm in front of me to not worry me."
- William Shepard
29. "I was 15 years old and my family had just experienced the tragic suicide of my grandfather two weeks before the attacks. I was in my sophomore year of high school, just walking into my English class when the second plane hit. I was the first person to get to class that day and, I didn't know it at the time, but my teacher's cousin-in-law worked at WTC (and survived the attacks). I didn't know what I was seeing on the TV at first - I initially thought it was an accident. Then I saw my teacher's face and knew something terrible was happening.
The rest of my classmates got to class and our teacher turned off the lights and we sat through the entire period watching the towers burn. When they began to collapse, I turned around in shock and watched my classmate's faces as they individually registered what was happening. The rest of the day was spent still in shock as we watched news coverage in every class.
My mother was at my grandfather's house cleaning it up in preparation to sell it. She had already gotten rid of his TV and radio and was in the house alone with only a phone as a connection to the outside world. My aunt knew she was at the house and called her to tell her what happened. She didn't understand at first but soon realized she should probably get some money out of the bank and head home. When she got to the bank, it was pandemonium. She was able to get some money out and started the hour drive back to our house. What was on the radio was so horrifying that she expected to encounter roadblocks on the way back. She was so relieved when she got close enough to town and knew she could walk the rest of the way if she had to.
My mother was probably the only person I knew who didn't see visuals of the attacks until much later that day."
- Elizabeth Tussey
The rest of my classmates got to class and our teacher turned off the lights and we sat through the entire period watching the towers burn. When they began to collapse, I turned around in shock and watched my classmate's faces as they individually registered what was happening. The rest of the day was spent still in shock as we watched news coverage in every class.
My mother was at my grandfather's house cleaning it up in preparation to sell it. She had already gotten rid of his TV and radio and was in the house alone with only a phone as a connection to the outside world. My aunt knew she was at the house and called her to tell her what happened. She didn't understand at first but soon realized she should probably get some money out of the bank and head home. When she got to the bank, it was pandemonium. She was able to get some money out and started the hour drive back to our house. What was on the radio was so horrifying that she expected to encounter roadblocks on the way back. She was so relieved when she got close enough to town and knew she could walk the rest of the way if she had to.
My mother was probably the only person I knew who didn't see visuals of the attacks until much later that day."
- Elizabeth Tussey
30. "The morning of 9/11, my ex-husband and I were on our way to take his semi truck into the dealership for service. He was driving the semi and I was following him in my car. The radio was on and tuned in moments after the first plane hit just as the news was filtering out across to various sources. I listened and initially thought the story was either a radio DJ joke or a review of an upcoming movie. I quickly realized the event pouring out of the speakers in my car was not fictional and was utterly stunned as I continued listening.
Our short caravan arrived at the dealership. The ex-husband parked his semi and immediately went into the service department leaving no time for me to inquire if he too had heard the news. I was sitting in the parking lot at the Freightliner dealership when the radio announced the second plane. At this moment, I was shocked to my core and believed the USA was under attack. I wondered and worried about my family’s safety. An attack like this on America’s soil was something I was having a hard time wrapping my head around. After all, America is the greatest country on Earth where we are safe, secure and free!
Our short caravan arrived at the dealership. The ex-husband parked his semi and immediately went into the service department leaving no time for me to inquire if he too had heard the news. I was sitting in the parking lot at the Freightliner dealership when the radio announced the second plane. At this moment, I was shocked to my core and believed the USA was under attack. I wondered and worried about my family’s safety. An attack like this on America’s soil was something I was having a hard time wrapping my head around. After all, America is the greatest country on Earth where we are safe, secure and free!
A short time later, the ex-husband came and got in the car and immediately said folks inside were talking about two plane hits in NYC and maybe a building in DC too. We left and drove to the local bar that opened at 8 am and just watched the TV….and in those first few minutes feeling absolutely horrified. Our dog was sleeping when we left that morning so I grabbed my keys off the bar and quickly drove home to let the dog out. I saw my neighbor in her yard and she yelled over to ask me if I’d heard the news coming out of New York and I said yes. Where we lived was under air space commonly used by a nearby military base. So when a commercial plane flew over our heads at a lower altitude, with the roaring engines quite pronounced, my neighbor and verbally agreed we’d talk later and she hustled into her home. I hustled to get the dog in the house and drive back to the bar where my ex-husband was waiting for me.
Looking back, and after talks with my neighbor about the plane flying over us… and so low on that day…we’ve often wondered if it was Flight 93. Back at the bar, everyone watched as the first tower fell. I turned to the ex-husband and said,
'This is the beginning of our world never being the same ever again.'"
- Noelle Hollis
Looking back, and after talks with my neighbor about the plane flying over us… and so low on that day…we’ve often wondered if it was Flight 93. Back at the bar, everyone watched as the first tower fell. I turned to the ex-husband and said,
'This is the beginning of our world never being the same ever again.'"
- Noelle Hollis
31. "I was in Ms. Reapsummer's 6th grade reading class. She was a tough old battle axe, and she calmly began informing us, extremely matter-of-factly, that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers in New York. It was so calm and matter-of-fact that I thought this was some sort of writing prompt where we were supposed to be the President. Didn't really have a handle on what was going on until we switched classes and went to Mrs. King's English class. She was very much the emotional opposite of Ms. Reapsummer and wore every emotion on her sleeve. I'll never forget her crying, and then bawling when the second plane hit. I had no idea how I was supposed to behave as a pre-teen with my teacher bawling in front of me. We just stared at the TV and a lot of kids' parents started coming to get them. I don't know what that would solve, we were in northeast Ohio. I just remember the rest of the day being pretty much a wash and getting home where my parents told me in no uncertain terms that this was going to change everything.
On a somewhat related note, I also vividly remember watching the live coverage of the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. Most of my friends made fun of me because they all said it would be over in a few days just like the Gulf War. But I was convinced that this was something that we'd be talking about for a while. I was more right than I realized."
- Evan Coombs
On a somewhat related note, I also vividly remember watching the live coverage of the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. Most of my friends made fun of me because they all said it would be over in a few days just like the Gulf War. But I was convinced that this was something that we'd be talking about for a while. I was more right than I realized."
- Evan Coombs