We tend to see in anniversaries a little earlier than others down my way. That includes the good and the bad. Anyway... weirdly, today seems to resonate for me, even without any direct ties to the U.S. or 9/11.
There are so many things I could think of to say on a day like today, but most of all it is that many of us don't forget the trauma that so many experienced, or forget the sacrifice so many made to secure the survival of others 22 years ago in New York. So many lives were forever changed in ways I cannot begin to imagine. I also know the same sacrifices are made by so many on a daily basis, not just in the U.S., but around the world, and not always reported to the same extent. None of those efforts are any less significant, it is just that a day like the 11th of September provides what became a global reminder of the selflessness people can exhibit in the face of such terror.
I grew up in the era of the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers, commercial successes of Coke and Nike, MTV and the Hollywood blockbuster movie. My view of the United States was one of success and excess, un-wavering confidence and positivity. 9/11, for all it's horrors, confirmed the same values I had grown up with of mate ship and helping out someone in need were not something uniquely Australian.
I've probably written enough already... For those who do it tough at this time of year, know there are people thinking of you.
I remember this well, I am from Newfoundland, Canada. We had 1000's of people, mostly Americans grounded here when the aircraft came to a screeching halt. It was quite an experience.
I work a few blocks away from where the towers once stood. 9/11/2001 marks the one year anniversary of my start date at this job. It is a day I will never forget. When the 1st plane struck the 1st tower, the windows in my building shook, so one can imagine how forceful the impact and explosion was. As resilient I think NYC and all New Yorkers are, for me, NYC will never be the same. To all those affected by the events of that day, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
I was in St Johns when it happened -- my C-130 squadron was coming back from supporting Bosnia/Kosovo stuff and we always stop at St Johns coming/going across the pond... My crew was up there catching planes with maintenance support to make sure everyone else could continue on home in a timely manner.
After getting everyone else through by the 10th, we were planning to head home the morning of the 11th. That obviously didn't happen... The St Johns airport quickly got pretty crazy to say the least, but the town of St Johns was awesome - they all really stepped up to make sure everyone on all those planes had a warm bed and some good community - it was very cool.
St Johns is one of the greatest places on earth - it will forever have a special place in my heart!
@hydro311 , yes that's exactly the scenario! people were opening up their homes to complete strangers so everyone had a place to stay until it was sorted. They say we are known for our hospitality like that. It's really a great place to live.
I have looked at this thread a few times thinking about that day. It saddens me on several levels not only for what it ment to us in the USA then, but thinking about the state of the country today and how divided it is.
That song has it so right in the greatest power we have to give is love and caring for each other.
Every year I say I need to do this, but I really need to sit down and write out what I was doing that morning before the details get any fuzzier. The "big" details are still crystal clear, it's just some of the times, names and train numbers involved that have gotten fuzzy over the years.
I'll try and keep it short (because it would be way too long if I wrote it all here). I was a Conductor on a freight train waiting for the morning commuter train rush to end to get into the yard. Finally, the dispatcher called and told us to start up for the yard. There was a big track project going on and we were trying to get permission through it. Before we got a hold of the foreman someone else called him and told him word came down from HQ that they needed to clear the track ASAP. odd. but o.k.. We did get cleared and got into the yard. As we came to a stop, we heard the yardmaster on the radio telling everyone "The tower fell!". We still had no idea what was going on. We thought it was a tower in the yard. Shortly after we heard there had been an attack (I think my Engineer may have asked on the radio) I tried to call my wife before she went to work, but I couldn't get a line in Chicago. I tried calling my parents in New Mexico and was able to get a line OUT of Chicago. My mom quickly told me what had happened, that they were grounding all flights, but there were still a few flights they couldn't account for and one was headed to Chicago, and they thought specifically the Sears (now Willis) Tower! Shortly after we finished our work, we were told to take our train into downtown Chicago (not far from the Sears Tower). They had begun calling all of the commuter trains back from the yards and were running a reverse commuter rush to try and evacuate downtown Chicago. It was Nuts!! All kinds of trains we weren't expecting making stops they never made.
As we got to the switch we needed to use to get into the next yard, it struck me how clear, and peaceful it was. Not a cloud in the sky, no traffic, no civilian or commercial planes. just a flight of F-16s flying a patrol over the city. I never thought I would see that in the US. It was early afternoon before I had my first opportunity to actually SEE any news reports of what happened. We were watching the reports in the yard office while we waited for our ride back to our terminal.
That is the short and dirty. I do need to write the whole story out and add in the details before they get any fuzzier.
The heroism of folks like Capt. John Ogonowski serves as a reminder of the good in each of us, which is so easy to forget amidst the petty political and social squabbles that inundate our world.
