#neverforget: Pad Patter 9.11.15

[jenevang]

I remember the day like it was yesterday. I remember every detail of it and exactly where I was. I will never forget.

Feel free to post an image, memory or small tribute here. Or don't. I just couldn't let this day go by without acknowledging this terrible day in my nation's history. There have been many, but few that rival it in my lifetime.

 

[lmccandless]

It's a day that's definitely burned into my heart and mind always. #neverforget

 

[cfile]

I agree Jen... Our home town lost a lot of people in 9/11...


This photo is the plaque in honor of all the people from our town that we lost that day. It stands in front of the Deer Park, Long Island, New York Volunteer Fire Department. RIP,... we will never forget.

Deputy Chief Raymond M. Downey Sr.

The home town Post Office has been renamed in honor of Chief Downey - Streets in the town are also renamed for Joe & John Vigiano and others we lost. Besides being FDNY and NYPD, they also belonged to the home town's Volunteer Fire Dept.


John & Joe Vigiano ... also an animated story by their Dad (ret. FDNY) who lost them both .."His Twin Towers"

http://storycorps.org/animation/john-and-joe/

 

[sarahbhb]

We moved to Washington State a few months after the attacks. I was working in a Childen's Library in Arkansas before the move and when a couple of the kids (I think they were about 5 and 3 at the time) found out we were moving to Washington they both broke down into tears. Apparently not understanding the difference between Washington DC and Washington state they were convinced that someone was going to fly a plane into us (how hard this whole thing was for us as adults to understand, I can't even imagine how a child could even begin to try). Of course, I remember so much about the day of the attacks, but this thing that happened 3 months after makes me weep just as hard.

 

[KarenB]

It is absolutely right that we take time to remember that awful day. I too remember where I was and the complete disbelief seeing what had happened. I can't find the words to truly convey how I feel. Just want America to know that I am thinking of you today x

 

[jk703]

I will never forget. I was simply lucky.

I was asked to start the 10th at a new job in the city. I decided to take a few extra days to myself and start the 17th. Unknowingly, I may have saved my life. I would have been walking out of the towers that morning when the first plane hit.

14 years later and there is always so much I want to say, but it never comes out the right way. Goosebumps on my skin, lumps in my throat, swirling thoughts in my head, memories remembered, and heart heavy reflection.

Hugs, everyone.

 

[Danyale]

Unfortunately, we live with the memory most everyday. My husband is a federal firefighter so that means we meet fire family all over the world all of the time. We had friends and family that were killed that day and and some in the after effects. My family lives in Boston and is filled with mostly huge fire/police career members, and I am often reminded as we have holiday events who isn't here anymore and why.

I have journaled about it until my brain hurts. I have tried to forgive, but can't. It is sad when I know that I am so blessed to have my own husband walk in the door after every shift. I am just thankful that we have these everyday heroes and hurt when I see that in today's society they are again targeted for providing that service and given a similar sentence those terrorists gave innocents 9/11. I just have to send out positive thoughts of healing to myself, my family, and the many others still effected ♥

 

[Lindzee]

This day was my wedding anniversary before it became one of the biggest tragedies I have ever known.

I was going to take vacation that week for my husband and I to visit Disney World with the kids for the first time. My boss wanted to say no because his anniversary was also the 11th. We discovered we were married at the same time, same year, same city, different churches. Which we hadn't known previously. We decided together we both deserved the celebration and let his boss know we would be gone that week.

As life happens, my father-in-law became ill enough to have his leg amputated right before we were scheduled to leave, and the day of our anniversary,my husband and I were in the bedroom doing some DIY on a window looking over the family room.
my oldest son was studying for finals at McGill and ran down the stairs shouting - turn on the TV, a plane crashed in New York.

we all watched silently as the events unfolded and changed our lives. We saw the second plane live and the towers and lives crash down in front of our eyes.

I worried that my boss and his wife might be stuck with all the planes down. Some anniversary for either of us, I thought.

Because we are all connected, I think, he called me in the midst of all the anxiety. They had not gone away either, their kids were sick, so they were safe and together too.

I'll never forget that day. As long as I live, and while it is a happy day for me because of my marriage, it is bittersweet when I think of the tragedy and suffering it brought to my home country.

I can never forget our heroes who risked and sometimes sacrificed their lives to protect our own.

Let this day Honor them.

 

[IntenseMagic]

We've been talking about it at school for the last couple of days. The students I have now were mostly toddlers when it happened and only know about it through stories. I was at the same school then and remember the overwhelming feeling of sadness. The school was so quiet that day, everyone glued to the tv and wondering what next. All I wanted to do was get home to my own two children who were 10 and 6 at the time. I know that for my oldest, this is what led him down the path to joining the National Guard and becoming a Paramedic. So much tragedy that day and so many heroes. We were talking to the students today about different generations and their "where were you when..." stories and one of them said "I wonder what ours will be". We told them that we hope they never have one...

 

[jenn mccabe]

Went through the WTC concourse everyday for 2 years (but a few years before 9/11/2001) ... took the Path in from NJ, worked at 3WFC nearby, walked those underground passages to get to my office, had my hair done on occasion down there, shopped there, ate there, and spent sunny warm breaks out in the WTC plaza soaking up the sun or listening to a band play... and many mornings I would spent time up in those towers, before the stock market opened, as I worked for a Financial Market Data Provider & those financial firms were among my client lists. So I wasn't there at that time, but it still hits hard. I actually just was in the downtown area at the end of August ... days ago ... for the first time to see the 9/11 Memorial Museum. There are no words. Knowing what that space was before, knowing what it was like that day, and what is looks like today ... its just overwhelming sad and horrific.

 

[MrsPeel]

I have tried to forgive, but can't.

This.

I remember exactly how it was, I had just split up from Andy and I was doing something to do with my rent in a new computer we just had bought, my ex next door neighbor from where we lived with Andy calls me and almost in tears urges me to turn the TV on....he says is something out of a movie, but isn't a movie.....
it was surreal...
both of us have family in the US- I remember trying to get through to my cousins and uncles and the lines were so overloaded we couldn't get through.... it went 6 hours until I was able to find out my cousin, who worked at the Trade Centre, was unwell and had not gone to work, and my uncles were in Maine......
I lost a few friends though....

I just cannot find it in my heart to forgive.

I know one should be forgiving and I try for most things, but in cases like this? no way-

 

[dvhoward]

My dad had just died unexpectedly a couple days before, and my daughter and her new husband had just moved to NYC when I heard about the first tower being hit as I drove to school that morning. I found out hours later that my daughter and SIL were safe. I have to admit I was already numb from my dad's death so the towers tragedy just piled onto that. My dad was buried Sept. 12. Numb was the prevailing feeling then; sad, just sad, now. What's this world coming to....

 

[weaselwatchr]

We were supposed to go to Cancun on 9/12. I was at work when it happened. My husband called me and said a plane had crashed into the towers. We all went into the break room to watch the replay. I couldn't believe that someone would do that on purpose. It was crazy to me. Then my vacation started, and we didn't know what was going on with our trip. the travel agency and charter airlines both said we were still leaving the next day...umm, have you watched television? All airports are closed. We would not go on our trip, and for one week, all I did was watch the coverage because I could not cancel my vacation on such short notice. All I did was watch and cry. It was bad.

 

[jaye]

I was at work, my work partner and I had the radio on as per usual when suddenly the music stopped for a news alert. We both both rushed to the radio and couldn't believe what we heard and we just stood there in stunned silence for a few minutes.

My son who was 3 at the time had overheard something on the news so I had to explain best I could to him. It was hard when he asked me if because we were in Canafa that meant we were safe and I couldn't answer him immediately with a yes. We are not religious people at all, but that night we went outside and lit a candle holding it up to the sky feeling we had to do something.