September 11

Amazing how a bunch of us hoodlums had something in common before 9-11 and more in common after?! I have never met a lot of you, but the tightness that day on the HAMB brought a bunch of greasers together. I remember we were worried about Nads since tensions were high and some weird shit was going down.

 

I like many others here have served we knew going in the price of freedom is costly and like our fathers and mothers of all wars accept that price however the people working in the towers were not in the Army/Navy/Corp/Air force. they were people
just making a living. they were killed by faceless cowards that hide in the dark and could not fight a war like a true warror or for that matter will even show there true face. The middle east issue will never be solved they have been fighting for 1000s of years and will keep fighting why I dont know ! I know we need to remove our troops
from the middle east.

 

I remember standing on the corner of 3rd ave and 15th st just looking at the top of the south tower as thick black smoke was just pouring out of it like it was yesterday. I can't believe it was 9 years ago.

 

I respectably submit that I no longer believe that truth has much to do with politics...this was not my belief in my younger days...however since we are still a Republic..and allowed to vote..I urge you all to search you hearts and try to bring this Nation together again...





If this is O/T ...I ask that this reply be deleted...But please think...d32

 

I was driving a truck into L.A. to make a couple of deliveries that day. I was listening to a local L.A. radio talk show as I dropped down off the Ridge Route on I-5. The host was talking about a plane accidently hitting the WTC. Then later another and it became obvious that this was an attack. I didn't see any footage of the incidents till way later that evening, so had to rely on the description on the radio. When I finally saw the footage all I could think was "Oh my God,...no." I bought a small American flag and taped it to my rear view truck mirror. That first little flag was on the truck with me for almost a year, and was so dirty and thrashed that there is only the blue field and a couple of stripes left when I took it down to change it. I don't drive anymore but that flag is on my "wall of memories" right next to my monitor in my office. I can't help but think about this on a pretty regular basis. God bless and keep those that lost their lives that day and the days, months and years that have passed. My son left his family and us twice on active duty and we still thank God that he was able to come back. I am not a hater, but why is it political to be pissed off when seeing on TV whole neighborhoods of people who came to this country, and are enjoying the benefits of living in this country, flooding out into the streets, celebrating this death and destruction? Why is it political to question the motives of some supposedly peaceful religious leaders, when I see that their modus operandi is to claim peaceful intentions in other countries until there are substantial numbers and then start agitating for their own laws and special treatment. Why must we bow to their wishes in order to be fair, when they are just taking advantage of our increasingly PC system? My ancestors left Europe and fled to this country because of religious persecution, so I am quite sensitive to that. We were founded in part on religious tolerance, or live and let live according to our constitution and laws, this small core of people want to kill us if we don't eventually succumb to their religion and that is just not right. Not here, not now, not ever. Why is that political?

 

Tonight.
The view looking east towards lower Manhattan. Slim

 

I remember turning on the news on my lunch break.Every channel from the U.S. and Canada were broadcasting live and comercal free.Still hard to fathom.

 

Had family in the Tower in '93 during the bombing. Luckily, for me, they were not there in '01. I think about this very often - not just on the anniversary.

My heart goes out to those who've lost and my prayers are with all who serve.

 

I just came in from my front porch where I sat a while and just stared at the column of light they have shining into the sky from ground zero. The day it happened I was on my way home from a fishing trip on Lake Ontario with my Dad (now deceased) and a neighbor and his buddy. The man came on the radio and said that the towers had fallen. I remember thinking that there had to be a mistake. It wasn't possible for one skyscraper to just fall down, let alone two. My neighbor who is an older man was about in tears as we drove because his son in law is a financial guy that worked on one of the top floors in one of the towers. I mentioned about the loss and many stories of close calls over here in New Jersey in an earlier post that was deleted by the mods. (It had politics in it, no hard fellings). As fate would have it, my neighbors son in law was scheduled to travel to London on business and his wife begged him to not to go as she had plans and wanted him home. He finally told her the trip was too important to skip and left for London. Had he listened to her he would have been in one of the towers that morning. Another friend works on computers and was scheduled to report to one of the towers when he recieved a call from his boss asking if he could go stop in at their office in Jersey City first. He did and it saved his life. One of my wifes friends had a boyfriend working in one of the towers. He spoke with her a couple times that morning and on the last call he told her, I don't think I'm gonna make it out. That was the last time she ever spoke to him. I got tears in my eyes as I type this. There are a miliion stories out there and lives that will never be the same again because of these murderers. I'm gonna end my post now because I am a man of principle and common sense and common sense will not let me go any farther without going into the political side of this that only a fool could ignore.

 

As a firefighter in Missouri this will always be a special memory to me.

"This fire fighters memorial was dedicated May 18, 2002. On the black granite walls the names of all the Missouri fire fighters who have died in the line of duty since the first Fred Turnbull, St. Louis VFD, 1838 to the present. The Fire Fighter in Prayer statue is actually the second one. The first one was in transit through New York City on September 11, 2001 enroute to this memorial. On September 19, 2001, the New York Fire Department accepted the gift of the first Fire Fighter in Prayer statue from Missouri Fire Service. The gift was in honor of the 343 fire fighters who died in fall of the World Trade Center. The original remains in New York City at 8th Avenue and 41st Street and is probably one of the first 9/11 Memorials."

 

Still hard to grasp that this happened on our own soil! They caught us asleep at the wheel. I will never forget what I saw that day on my television. God Bless those we lost and the brave soldiers that are out there protecting us everyday.

 

I will never forget nor ever forgive. God Bless America Spike

 

I couldn't stop cryin' for months after it happened......

 

yea, i remember, i was in 7th grade math class, i left school early, and i walked around the corner from my house, i could see the smoke from the buildings....

 

This post might tread on politics; I don't know, and if it does I guess the mods will zap it.

My belief is that the HAMB is populated by a lot of people who are happy to do things for themselves. Need a frame or bellhousing, weld one up. Need a bracket or body, form one.

For me that is refreshing as I, too, like to fend for myself.

On 9/11, as far as I know, only one airplane had passengers that fought back. Anyone who has flown a lot of commercial flights knows that airlines like to treat passengers like cattle, and there is zero tolerance for anyone standing up for themselves. That in fact is the airlines operational paradigm - fool the crap out of passengers with big smiles and clever ads, but keep them in line at all costs.

I wonder if the passengers on the other planes were just so used to being told to stay in their seats and, god forbid, not to start any trouble? Could it be?

Turn on the news. If it is snowing, the talking heads tell you to be afraid and to stay inside and, god forbid, don't DO anything. They say the same thing if it is raining, or if is cold, or if it is hot, or if the wind is blowing.

Bu11sh1t.

You know what? (Here comes the potentially political part, so maybe few will ever see this.) Instead of taking away knives and scissors from anyone getting on a plane, how about the airlines issues you a knife with your boarding pass? Why? Simple: not everyone is a terrorist, and maybe if everyone is armed that would stifle any thoughts of terrorism.

We need to get back to where US citizens are more self-sufficient. Let's build things here. Let's not shirk responsibility. Let's pay attention to what is happening around us. Let's not look away. Let's get involved, man up, and become hand's-on responsible for our own destiny.

 

I was sitting at my desk working and listening to the local talk radio station when the host said that he picked up a bulletin that a plane had hit the WTC. I thought it might have been a traffic copter or small plane. Then they interrupted the broadcast when the second plane hit. The guy in the next office had a small tv that we used for screening commercials. We got a fuzzy picture but we both knew that it was no accident. The whole office crowded around in stunned disbelief. We we a pretty talkative group and always making jokes, but this day cast a pall over everyone. There were tears and anger but mostly disbelief. In the next few days everyone seemed the be drawn a little closer to each other. To bad it takes such a disaster to clear everyone's thoughts.

So few people created a profound impact on a whole counrty.

 

i had the same experience......

i live very close to lehigh valley international airport. and the body shop i worked at at that time was even closer to it. you get so used to aircraft flying around overhead all day and night. it was so weird not hearing or seeing an airplane. even though i knew that all aircraft had been grounded, the silence didn't really hit me until later in the afternoon.

 

Being all the way over here in Australia I guess it isn't all that relevant but I still remember exactly what happened that night. We knew without the brass telling us what was going to happen.
We had just returned from doing night jumps into Jervis Bay, we were going back the next morning so much of our gear was left at the Navy base, the assault boats we used for retrieval tied up on the pier.
I had just walked into my room in the barracks, still drenched, dripping and shivering. I began to remove some of my gear when the guy in the room next to me burst it asking,
"Fuck man, have you seen it?"
I just looked blankly back at him in wonderment,
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
He turned on my TV and the first image was a jet hitting the first tower. Being a part of the unit I was we are trained in Counter Terrorism, we all knew this was no accident. I sat on my bed and watched, still dripping wet.
Not long after that a second jet hit the other tower. By this time there were about 6 of us in my room watching.
No one said anything.
The other guys walked out silently.
Soon after that I had changed and walked up to the HQ building, as I walked in all of the Brass were there already, most of the guys were there too. It was instinctive, we all made up our minds, got our gear ready and went to work.

Not long after that I was in a foreign desert............and we didn't even jump in!

Whether you agree with the war and its reasons or not, Just remember the sacrifice that so many have made for YOU.

Lest We Forget.

Not only is America in this, many country's are fighting alongside.
Australia.
KIA 21
WIA 149
Britain.
KIA 332
WIA 1410
Canadian.
KIA 151
WIA 529
Danish.
KIA 30
WIA 36
Dutch.
KIA 19
WIA 140
Estonian.
KIA 8
WIA 43
French.
KIA 38
WIA 21
German.
KIA 44
WIA 180
Italian.
KIA 27
Norwegian.
KIA 9
Polish.
KIA 19
WIA 100
Romanian.
KIA 89
South Korea.
KIA 2
Jordan.
KIA 1
Turkey.
KIA 2
Georgian.
KIA 1
WIA 1


My brothers, who shall always be remembered.

Sergeant Andrew Russell, SASR, died of wounds sustained when his patrol vehicle struck an anti-tank mine on 16 February, 2002

Trooper David Pearce, 2/14 LHR QMI, was killed when his ASLAV was struck by an IED on 8 October, 2007.

Sergeant Matthew Locke, SASR, was killed by Taliban insurgent small-arms fire on 25 October, 2007.

Private Luke Worsley, 4RAR(Cdo), was killed by Taliban insurgent small-arms fire on 23 November, 2007.

Lance Corporal Jason Marks, 4RAR (Cdo), was killed by Taliban insurgent small-arms fire on 28 April, 2008.

Signaler Sean McCarthy, SASR, was killed when the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by an IED on 8 July, 2008.

Lieutenant Michael Fussell, 4RAR(Cdo), was killed when struck by an IED during a dismounted patrol on 27 November, 2008.

Private Gregory Sher, 1st Commando Regiment, was killed in a rocket attack on 4 January, 2009.

Corporal Mathew Hopkins, 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, was killed during an engagement with the Taliban on 16th March 2009.

Sergeant Brett Till, Incident Response Regiment, was killed by an explosion during a route clearance task on the 19th March 2009.

Private Benjamin Ranaudo, 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment was killed as a result of an IED on 18 July 2009.

Sapper Jacob Moerland, 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment was killed as a result of an IED strike on 7 June 2010.

Sapper Darren Smith, 2nd Combat Engineers Regiment died of wounds sustained during an IED strike on 7 June 2010.

Private Timothy Aplin, 2nd Commando Regiment died as a result of a helicopter crash on 21 June 2010.

Private Scott Palmer, 2nd Commando Regiment died as a result of a helicopter crash on 21 June 2010.

Private Benjamin Chuck, 2nd Commando Regiment died of wounds sustained in a helicopter crash on 21 June 2010.


Private Nathan Bewes, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment was killed as a result of an IED on 09 July 2010.

Trooper Jason Brown, Special Air Service Regiment died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained in an engagement with insurgents on 14 August 2010.

Private Tomas Dale, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment was killed as a result of an IED strike on 20 August 2010.

Private Grant Kirby, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment was killed as a result of an IED strike on 20 August 2010.

Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, was killed during an engagement with insurgents on 24 August 2010.

Doc.

 

Being an Airline pilot when this happened it always hits me HARD!! Today I flew 4 legs on the west coast in and out of San Fran and it was B E A utiful all day!!

Never Forget


Check it out,

http://www.pentagonattack911.com/wtc.htm

 

Thanks for that reminder Doc.

As a new firefighter (about a year in on Sep 11 2001) this event has been a pivotal moment for me. I was fortunate to be in NYC recently and met some of the guys from 10 house and engine 8 / ladder 2. Great guys. Also visited ground zero for my first time. My wife didn't want to come but I had to. I'm glad I was alone to take it in. RIP 343.

 

After revisiting this thread a few times I will now try to post. It is my usual manner to type a lot but for today I'll just say "God bless those who were involved at the scene of that tragic day and God bless those who stand in harms way today securing the freedom that has been so dearly won". Finally, God Bless America, may her inhabitants realize how precious what we have here is and once again become the country our founders invisioned.

Frank

 

Never forget! I get so angry watching those poor people jumping form the buildings....
I wish they would catch and kill that mother fu^%$3(Bin Ladin) already

 

DOCWATSON,thanks to you and the brothers you and many lost because of this crap......I also forget about all the others fighting this along with us..........I cant for get (I still remember when JFK&Bobby were murdered) that day out of my mind a very good friend called and woke me up as I had been out all nite the note before,he said turn on the fuckin TV NOW,just in time for me to see the second plane hit,it took a while to register and I was glued to the TV and phone all day,I was Pissed off and cryin from time to time hell who wasnt,it was unreal and then the days to follow were kinda surreal,about two days later I went to a bike nite in portland and when the ANG flew over really low and tipped there wings (during the no fly) and the roar of cheers went up I felt like Hell yeah Im a AMERICAN and lets kill the fuckers that hit us............a couple years later my ex-wife told me my step daughter was in her apartment in NJ and watched it all thru a telescope,to this day she cant fly......yeah I REMEMBER and god damn those who fucked us cause we shouldnt show any mercy!

 

GOD bless America

 

May the lights shine bright upon her always.....

 

God bless our flag!

 

Very well said...