On this day...

[Razor]

On this day 14 years ago the world changed forever, today we remember those who lost their lives in the attacks, as well as those who have given their lives in pursuit of guaranteeing our safety, security and freedom.




-FSX Blue Angels

[Wingman]

On this day 14 years ago...

I was sleeping in and skipping class (I've grown out of that, thankfully), and awakened by the sound of the dorm room TV being turned up. It was in a peculiar dormitory for a college campus -- eight roommates living in bunk-beds-over-desks in a spacious gutted-out library positioned between normal two-person-dorm-room hallways. With eight roomates and no privacy, peace and quiet were non-existent. But, as we all watched the television and United 175 impact the South Tower, the room -- the campus -- was silent.

As one whose family hails from and mainly still resides in New York, not far from the City, I was lucky to have not lost anyone on this day 14 years ago. I know many who were not so lucky.

We are all still lucky to live in a world where the events of this day 14 years ago are the exception and not the rule, and we all share a part in keeping it that way.

[Storm]

On this day, 14 years ago...

It was my youngest daughter's 22nd birthday. My 25 year old son had died just three months before. The company I'd worked for in the City of London had cut its workforce massively, and I'd just been laid off in the second wave of redundancies. I was at home.

I heard the news on the radio and straightaway contacted a friend in New York via internet text chat. It was all happening around him at that very moment. He couldn't get reliable information; everything was in chaos. He couldn't get hold of his wife, who worked in the Empire State Building, and he feared that that would be the next target.

For the next few hours I gave him minute by minute updates, in text, gleaned from any web source and video feed I could get hold off. Even today I remember relaying to him the moment a tower collapsed. Other friends joined, and eventually there were four of us, keeping him connected and holding off the panic. It was his only lifeline.

Only later did I recall walking, eight years before, through the debris in the City of London to get to work after the IRA Bishopsgate bombing there. I'd thought at the time that that was massive, but this was on a different scale.

It's a personal story. But it's the one I remember.

[Trev91284]

Unfortunately for me my birthday is September 12th, 1984 and yes my birthday is tomorrow. I was 17 years old just about to turn 18 years of age, I have been attending a school called Trinity Academy located in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. I just transfered from my original high school Kettle Moraine High School. I just arrived at my new school I've been going to Trinity Academy for about 1 month. I'll never forget that day. I just parked my car driving a Toyota Camry Wagon. Got out of my car and Mr. Palucheck said hello and asked if I heard about the plane that crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. I asked you mean to the two tall buildings in New York City. He said yes I asked him knowing about planes what kind of plane was it? He said an airliner just crashed into one of the buildings. Then obviously we all know everything else that happened. We had visitors from England traveling to our house friends we met at my cousin Kirsten and Kelman's wedding. Kelman is from England, Jeff and Amanda were his friends from England, Jeff and Amanda kept in touch with us and wanted to come to the states. Well what a time to pick to come. They were definitely delayed. They finally arrived on my birthday September 12th at about 5pm at night they had to drive up fro Chicago to get here because there flight had to land in Chicago during the emergency landing procedures. 2001 was a very unforgiving year for me at least. February 18th 2001 During the last lap of the Daytona 500 my most favorite icon of any sport Dale Earnhardt crashed and died on the last lap of NASCARS biggest race the Daytona 500. Well, that is after all in the past and I hope that everyone enjoys there helicopter flight tonight.

[Razor]

On this day, 14 years ago...

I was only 4 years old, but I remember waking up just before 9 am eastern time and walking into the living room where my mom was sitting on the couch with the TV on(witch was and still is rare for her to do) seeing the north tower burning, and only a few minutes later watching United Flight 175 hit the south tower, I remember knowing something was really wrong, but didn't completely understand the realm of things until my mom answered my "what is happening" question with "we are under attack." Whether sub-consciously or simi-consciously that was the moment I made the decision that eventually I would join the air force and server my country, something I still plan to do after college.

[Travis]

On this day, 14 years ago...

I was in third grade about to start class. The teacher put the T.V. on the local news channel and it showed the first tower with smoke coming out. I was still fairly young and not exposed to this sort of violence. I really didn't understand the full extent of things till I went home that day. I found out later that the other tower was attacked and that It was terrorism. A word I learned very quickly. Fortunately for me, I do not have any relatives that were directly affected by this tragic day in U.S. history. However it will effect my life as I am planning for a career in aviation. The people of many different nationalities and cultures that paid the ultimate price will not be forgotten, especially the brave first responders that didn't turn back at a life changing scene of devastation.

[Scooter]

I was 1