Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Funny how September 11th always seems to come around this time of year.

10 years ago I was working for Scholastic Books, boring job but great people and I was in the most beautiful office I've ever worked in. It was in SoHo, lower Manhattan, with a rooftop garden that gave us a full view of the city.

On Sept 10th I attended an art exhibit, it had several works by a Japanese kid who'd won a TV game show and his prize was having his works shown in SoHo. It was a good time, I ran into a buddy of mine there and we made plans to get together in Brooklyn.

Sept 11 I was late for work after voting in the mayorial primary. And for some odd reason the trains were running slow. When I got out of the subway I saw the clear blue sky, except for a line of smoke. I asked the guy at the bagel card what was going on and heard some nonsense about a plane hitting the WTC but it didn't mean anything to me. Not till I went to the roof and saw it with my own eyes.

My pictures are here:
http://www.pbase.com/kidkyoto/september_11

I'm back in NY for this weekend and going to one or two events.

I can't believe it's been 10 years.

I wonder if I can watch Independence Day without crying now.

I doubt it.

I was a registered nurse in a hospital in a small (800 person town).

Working night duty I came over 15 minutes early and after handover I did my rounds to make sure it was all locked up (there were no patients).

I then turned on the TV at 10.50pm (remember I am in Australia for time difference) and saw the first tower burning.
Thinking it was a movie I tried another channel, same images, different source.
I rolled up 4 TVs into the foyer and had BBC, CNN, NBC and SKY News all running at once and then raced over and hooked up my laptop to dakka.

The users from the US seemed to have little idea of what was happening.
One guy in Chicago who worked in the Sears tower had been sent home.
Anothe said the National Guard were on the streets of Houston
One guy lived near Halifax airport and as the closest major airport to Europe where redirected planes could land he said that as planes landed they taxied onto the grass and unloaded, so more planes could immediately land.

I stayed up watching the whole night at work, and then through to the next morning (about 12 hours after it occured) when I had to get to sleep.

Oh yeah, I forgot that the Sears and the Hancock were evacuated.

I was working at the School then. Around lunchtime, Mrs Maynard, English Teacher came into the Office, asking if we'd heard the news. Apparently, a plane had hit the world trade centre.

Interest perked, I downed tools and jump on the BBC Website, thinking the plane would likely be a Cessna or similar.

A frantic 12 minutes later, and having jury rigged the old VR equipment back into life, we get a live satellite feed from an American News Channel. Just in time for the second plane to hit.

I couldn't believe it. I was so overwhelmed, I could not tell you my reaction. My brain had ceased to process information at that time