It has been 8 years since that horrific day occurred. Sometimes it seems like it only happened last year. And maybe it should seem that way. Although it is part of our history and we humans tend to forget about historic events and focus on the future instead, we should never forget such a monumental day. Our country was changed forever, in an instant.
September 11th, 2001 will forever be etched into my memory. My family was living in South Carolina and I remember watching the shocking events with my twinling, Jax as they happened live on TV, terrified, wondering if my husband and other twinling Jem, were safe. You see they were on a plane at the very moment that those planes hit the World Trade Center.
My family was lucky, though, and the plane my husband and sons were on wasn’t hijacked by terrorists. I could breathe a sigh of relief when they finally arrived home, but that was bittersweet, because my heart was aching for all those people who died that day, and for the loved ones they left behind.
I remember feeling shell-shocked and depressed for weeks afterwards. I would cry anytime a memorial song for 9/11 came on the radio or when I saw the terrible images on the TV or in the newspapers.
Maybe you did, too? Did you feel like the world, as you knew it, had changed? That you weren't as safe as you thought you were? Maybe we all suffered from some post-traumatic stress syndrome?
I can’t help but get goosebumps and feel deeply emotional when I watch the following video. Budweiser only allowed this commercial to be aired one time. And not to advertise their products, but to offer a moving tribute for all those who were affected by that heart wrenchingly, tragic day. I hope you will watch this video with me today, too. (Turn off the music on my player at the bottom of this page first.)
Do you remember where you were on September 11th 2001? Do you remember what you were thinking, feeling?
Never Forget.
From the Tower of,
26 comments :
That day must have held an extra horror for you (with your men all away and flying!)
8 years is a long time but I still cry and still feel angry when I think of that day.
It wasn't just American's that were affected. Canadians (and others) were on those planes and working in the towers. It changed the whole western world.
The ramifications of that day still make me angry. I was at work, and we found out accidentally. We're not supposed to be on the internet doing anything but work-related stuff, but heck, when you're there all darn day, it's nice to see what's happening. A young woman said out loud, "Something bad has happened" in such a way that we all gathered at her computer. Then we took off to the executive lounge, where there's a TV. We arrived just in time to see the second tower get hit.By the time we saw images of DC and PA, we all were wondering if any of us would ever feel safe again.
Months later, I had to fly. We parked our car at a park & fly place. When we got on the shuttle, someone had left a bag in the front. I broke out in a cold sweat and refused to sit down until they either checked what was in that bag or took it off the bus.
Thank you for sharing the video Lisa. I had never seen it. It made me cry. God bless all those who died and survived that day...
Hard as HELL to ever forget that experience for me! I had just recently become a brand new Lt. in the USAF a few months before, and only been at my permanent base for two weeks or so when the planes hit. SO new I was still on orientation and I was still unpacking my new house right on the outskirts of Washington D.C. My son was sick that day so I was not on base and received a call from my son's stepmom telling me to turn on the TV NOW! Of course it was on, cartoons filling the screen. I started to watch the first footage come in and then around the time the second plane hit or thereabouts, heard a BOOM and the house shook a bit. I was probably 10 miles or a bit more away from the Pentagon, but I am convinced that I heard that plane hit. The phone rang, and of course I was being recalled to come onto base and report to my unit. My son was four and I was told to bring him with me. Driving into DC was scary and surreal. NOONE was coming out from downtown and that traffic is always insanity personified. My hands were shaking on the steering wheel. What the HELL was I doing? Driving us into danger onto a base right NEAR where a terrorist attack had happened was what I was doing. With my little four year old in the backseat. That was so WRONG! I was all geared up in my BDU's and I'm sure looked every bit the little 2nd Lt. with NO CLUE that I was. So I made a game out of it so Miles wouldn't understand or get scared. When we had to get out at the gate and have bomb dogs search the car inside and out, the MP's let Miles give one of the dogs a quick pet--me, Miles, that MP and that dog all needed a moment of humanity right then to be sure. Then when we got to my unit (I was a nursery/L&D nurse) we just sat. We all took turns watching/entertaining Miles and sat. A day later I was tasked with an extra duty, IF I wanted to help. I was given the duty of going with a Dr. and pronouncing the dead at the Pentagon. I won't go into that here. It was horrible, and autopilot was my bag that day. The norm for the next few months (or more) was to hear the fighter planes flying over my house at night. It was the only way I could sleep. I had to hear OUR planes. A SAD case when the sound of a fighter plane is comforting. I LOVED our pilots and how much bravery that took. I still do. Our country and our military were very BRAVE at a difficult time. They still are. I was hyper-vigilant for a LONGGGG time after that, and the base was on Threatcon DELTA (the highest alert) for a year or two. I would even check under my car at home, at work, anywhere I went before driving it to see if anything might look strange. One of my friends, a Brooklyn firefighter lost his life that day. 9/11/01 will be with me forever. RIP Tom.
Oh you must have been terrified with your guys on a plane at that time!! OH I can remember everything to the minute of what I was doing when each thing went on...That whole day I just sat on the floor and just cried...I don't think I moved all day, I was so shocked and so deeply upset and sad for all of the victims and their families..
And thank you,
Never Forget...
in looking around online today for stories on 9/11, i was mostly disappointed by the forgetfulness of reporters. (sigh)
it looks like obama has worried some family members of the victims by changing the tone of the day to one of change, a day of service?? in my opinion the best service would be to help in the fight against terrorism*. but then i read this:
The phrase "war on terror" has fallen out of favor: Obama avoids using it, he says, to keep from offending Muslims.
wait, the phrase was formulated specifically against terror, not a particular religion.
*if i still lived in seattle, i would want to help out with the war on terror by working for cococorp, a company that works developing a first response sytem.
°lytha
Well said with honor.
You must have been a wreck. It was a horrible day. I still get nervous when I hear a low flying plane.
I still get a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach when I see these pictures. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. I was a work, and listening to my radio when Sam Donalson came on the air with a special announcement. I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. I told the girls in the office and we all went into the boardroom and turned on the TV. We could take ourselves away, and spent most of the morning watching the TV, little work got done that day. :(:(
Amen Lisa.
I'll never forget where I was. And I'll never forget those we lost.
Yes, I remember. And every year I fly our flag, wondering what happened to "United We Stand."
Because I came very close to losing my brother that day. He won't talk about what he witnessed there, and I know it will stay with him for the rest of his life. But at least he has a rest of his life.
Thanks for this tribute.
Just read your post, those feelings will never go away. My tears still come, too. My son wasn't flying that day but was stationed just 50 miles from NYC on that day. Within minutes he was totally armed and on guard duty at his base in Newburgh. No word from him for several days and I was nuts! He's still serving and I'm still proud. Glad many of the blogs are recognizing the day. Thanks.
A Semper Fi Mom
Sharon
TheEggGather
oh my gosh you brought a tear to my eyes! Great post today and the Bud video never gets old.
*wiping away tears*
I remember exactly where I was, watching it on TV as it happened. I had that news program on before it even occured, and watched in horror and it all took place.
My son was on his way to work in Manhattan that morning and we were terrified when we couldn't get through to him for hours.
He said he went down into the subway on a normal, but very beautiful New York morning--people hurrying to work and not really paying much attention to each other--and came up out of the subway to a changed world. Strangers were holding each other and taxis were pulled over at corners with their doors open and radios turned up so people could hear the news together.
I still get up in the middle of the night and check the news, anxious that something awful has happened. You're right, we will never be the same.
I remember.
I bless the Lord that my friend was late to work that morning. He lost every one of his co-workers that day, but kept his own life. How many people were saved by chance? We'll never know, but I know that he'll never be the same as he was before, and neither will I.
Oh, yes, how vividly I remember. It happened just moments before I walked into our office, and we gathered in the conference room in front of the TV for most of the morning.
Lisa, thank you for sharing the video - I never saw it, and it - and your lovely post - brought tears to my eyes again. Which is as it should be. We should never forget.
Nancy in Iowa
I thought the video was great and posted it on my blog too, thx.
Oh my gosh - I had never seen that Budweiser tribute!!
Very nice post - the video was a nice touch!
Thank you for sharing that beauiful tribute from Budweiser...it took my breath away. You must have been just terrified to have your loved ones in the air...I was in New York City that day and I too have terrible memories of it being very personal!
That commercial gave me all over chills and made me cry. Thank you so much for sharing it. Beautiful tribute.
I remember watching live on TV, I was in Singapore then. We had been to the Twin Tower and couldn't believe our eyes.
What do you think of the conspiracies?
My husband and his sister had been at the Windows of the World restaurant a couple of years prior to 9/11. That morning, as I was leaving for school (early), I heard the first reports, ran back inside to tell my husband to turn on the news, and sat in disbelief as the second plane hit. Yes. We MUST remember and NEVER allow this to happen again. So many lives lost and affected.
Oh Lisa that Budwiser commercial was beautiful, brought tears to my eyes. I had not seen that before.
I have a tribute to a Guide Dog that brought out his blind person, they were on the 78th floor of one of the towers, on my blog.
Thanks for this post, the photos and the video. I hadn't seen the video before. I just watched it twice in a row. Have tears in my eyes now. I will share it with others.
Beautiful tribute, Lisa. I had never seen the Budweiser video. What a scary day for all of us!
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