I was at my hairdresser's home when her husband rushed in and told us to turn on the TV. It was then that we all saw the second plane fly into the second tower! I rushed home, got on the internet and spoke to some of my Viet Nam Veteran friends who wrote to me, "THIS IS WAR!" They all wanted to go overseas and get the perpetrator. My cousin died a few days before and was due to be "viewed" on 9/11 and planes were grounded so very few of our relatives from out of state could attend his funeral in Davidsonville the following day. I remember hearing Billy Graham speak a few days later at Nat'l Cathedral and he said, "Your loved ones who perished do not want to come back here. Once you've seen the face of God, you are in total bliss. They do not want to come back." I'll never forget his words! They seemed to put my heart at ease....MA

At work as DC F/F. Commanded the DCFD units operating at the Pentagon. I had seen the reports of the 1st plane into the WTC and left for the Pentagon shortly after that. Our focus was of course on the task at hand there and only learned of the collapse of the towers later in the afternoon, something I just couldn't grasp until I saw the replays later that evening on TV. Quite a day, remembering all my fellow F/Fers lost that day and the ones we continue to lose as a result of working "the pile".

I was at FAA HQ, and was part of the large team that shut down our nation's airspace that day. I was on the phone with Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center, trying to establish contact with FLT 93 when it augered in at Shanksville. I will never forget.

I was driving to work in DC from Southern Maryland, where we lived at the time, listening to WMAL. When the first plane hit, I was on the South Capitol Street Bridge, and I thought, "What a horrible accident!" When the second plane hit, I was on "I" Street westbound headed for my office near Farragut West, and I thought, "Osama Bin Laden. My God, he's finally done it!" I now really understood how my parents' generation felt on December 7, 1941.

At the time, my brother flew for a commuter airline that bore United's colors, and the radio said it appeared to have been a small United plane that hit the second tower. My stomach must have dropped to my knees when I heard that. When I reached my desk, the first thing I did was find my brother, who was off work that day, and by then, glued to the television set. By then, my family in Tennessee had called, making sure I was okay.

I was living in San Diego waking up the kids for school, when my friend called and told me to turn on the news....horrified, scared all those emotions we all felt. Husband went into his medical Navy mode and went into work, walked the kids to school with the other moms trying to be normal. After kids were in the school we all just stood outside on the sidewalk and cried. To make it even worse, when I got back home, my mom called from the East Coast to tell me my Grandmother had just passed away (not 911 related)...those events kept overshadowing her passing and I felt horrible for that. We couldn't go to her funeral either because of the planes being grounded for so long.

I was homeschooling my 2 children and I got a call from my mother and said turn on the tv. I turned on the tv and couldnt believe what was happening. Such sadness I couldnt hardly take it all in. We watched tv and I remember thinking all those people in the buildings. I couldnt stop crying for them. I will never forget the sadness and shock that day brought. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families today and all the emergency workers that gave all that day to try to protect and help the people.

Dr. Cheryl Sawyer's poem to commemorate that day:
http://www.pageonelit.com/Tragedy/Powerofone.html

I was a freshman in hs and my 7th grade brother and i were currently being home schooled. My mom had left for her part time job so instead of starting school we had decided to watch tv for a bit. I was watching a morning talk show when it flipped to coverage of the first tower being hit. My brother called me into the room he was in to watch it with him. We sat and watched as they tried to figure out what happened and were still watching as the second tower was hit. I think I realized how bad this was when the news caster said nothing for a few moments and then could only say " Oh, my gosh," over and over again. My brother and I walked down the street to our grandparents and stayed with them waiting for our parents. When we were finally able to get in touch with my dad who worked near DC he asked us what the smoke was that he could see in DC, moments later we heard about the pentagon. My view of the world changed that day. I had felt like no one could get into our 'American bubble' before and that day showed me that wasn't the least bit true. I am so thankful for all of the emergency responders who were willing to risk their lives to go and be hero's for our country during this catastrophe.

I was sitting on our couch feeding my 4 month old son watching the Today show. Kayla was at school Edgewater Elementry 3rd grade. Matt Laur was showing footage of the 1st tower being hit as we were watching the 2nd plane hit. My now Husband was still sleeping he worked crazy hours catering I woke him up not sure but felt the need to have him close to us Ryan and I news was breaking that all planes were directed to landed ASAP I remeber Rob and I walk outside seeing planes low ( we live close to BWI) and then thinking after was that the one that hit the pentagon? After the plane went down in PA and the phones were so busy you could not get through to talk to anybody I felt the need to go get Kayla Kurczewski from School and somehow we talked to Robs parents and we went to Pick Dianna Jones from school south river 10th grade (i think) and we all watched in horror as the towers fell and not understanding at the time the feeling I felt but later to know the whole country felt the same way closer to our neighbor all of us united and all angry and sad and stronger as Americans! I WILL NEVER FORGET 9/11/01