Thank you for posting this. We need to stop and think about what happened 10 years ago from today. I turned four just 9 days after this all happened. I had no idea what happened. Yesterday I watched videos of people actually jumping out of the tower so they could end their lives right now instead of being burned alive. Some were even holding hands as thay jumped. I also remember watching a video yesterday about a man named Kevin Cosgrove. He was on the phone inside one of the towers. He said he had young kids. And then in the middle of him talking he yelled, "OH,GOD!OH..." as the building collapsed. The phone conversation suddenly stopped right after he yelled OH. It was very disturbing to think about it. He even had young kids as I preveously stated. Another video is from someone named Bettey Ong. She said,"I think we have been hijacked" Then the operators were talking to each other for awhile and then one said somthing like,"Betty? Betty are you there?" No answer. The plain had already hit one of the towers. My history teacher had a 9/11 discussion on Friday and she said somebody that was on the plane that chashed in PA called his wife and said that they have been hijacked and that they were going to try to take over the terrorists and that he wouldnt be home. Its all so sad..
Luckiy nobody I knew was there. I have relatives in NYC but I have never met them. It makes me wonder if they or Alex saw anything on that day since he lives in NYC. Laura, Im sorry about your brother's friend. May he rest in peace.Laura, Id be scared to fly for awhile. I know its your job,though. I hope the all of your flights go smooth and nothing happens.
-Hunter

While it is important for those all around our country to remember, and know that they were ALL a part of this terrible tragedy, for those of us that live and work in NYC, and Washington D.C. / Northern Virginia we need no flags, no eagles, no iconic imagery or anything of the sort to remind us of this terrible day. We live with it, and its reminders day in and day out.

I was working 1 block from the white house, basically right next to it. I was working in Television / Video production back then, mainly in downtown Washington D.C.. I had been in almost every single building of the highest security from the pentagon, to the U.S. Capital, to the FBI, to the Whitehouse and almost every other building in between. All of my adult working life, in the back of my mind, I had a fear that one day, given the city in which I lived and worked, that I would be caught up in the midst of some kind of war or attack. Ultimately, that came true.

That morning I arrived at my work site early at the Capital Hilton, just a block north of the Whitehouse. I was the script editor for the speakers of the NADA conference that was happening that day. (National Automobile Dealers Association). 3 high ranking senators were speaking at this event, which required all of us on staff to have a security clearance. My station was just offstage, but within clear sight of the podium. I worked closely with the director of the event, the director of the NADA, and with the senators themselves on their speeches in previous days leading up to the event. I came in very early, set everything up and had it ready to go. I took a nap at my station. I was awoken by others trickling in, and began my work. I met with the director, and all 3 senators chiefs of staff, as well as the senators themselves making final changes. Just before the event was set to begin, we received news of a terrible accident in NYC. The director took to the stage, and with a shaky voice explained that there had been (what was thought at the time) a horrific accident involving a plane crash into one of the WTC towers in NYC. by this time the auditorium was about full with almost 1,000 attendees for this conference. Then, about 20 minutes later, after feverishly making changes to several speakers speeches, the secrete service rushed in and began gathering the senators and their staff. Just then, almost instantly, every single persons cell phones began to ring, including mine. I answered, and no one was there. Amid the confusion, one of the senators and the director came to me and told me they were going on stage to make an annoucement about a 2nd plane that had hit the WTC, and that it appeared we were under attack. I was advised along with other workers there, that they were going off script, and would not need our services at that time, and to pack up as quickly as we could and leave.

They proceeded onto the stage, and the crowd at this time was beginning to exit, and people were clearly in a state of semi panic. They made the announcement, and asked people to remain calm, although at least 1/3 had already exited. I quickely packed my computer, locked it away and left my equipment as it was. I exited and went up stairs to ground level and into the hotel bar, where about 300 people were watching on 4 or 5 different TV's. It was dead silent. SOme were crying, but most, including me were just standing there in disbelief. I left the bar, and kept attempting to call my partner at the time, but no use. I left the hotel and began walking down the street towards the white house. Things were still relatively calm then, but some were coming out of buildings. Then, reports were coming in of possible attacks / airplanes heading for DC. I was told by someone that they were evacuating the whitehouse, and that we were all being asked to head the other direction. The streets began to fill up with people in panic. Then I heard what sounded like loud thunder. Most people just stopped. Then silence. A moment later someone started screaming about a bomb and smoke. The area around the whitehouse is less cluttered with buildings and has more open sky. Then people started pointing and I turned around and could see a huge black cloud of smoke coming from what looked to be about a mile or so away. It was enormous. After a couple of minutes of people standing around in disbelief, the panic began to set in again and people were running. People streamed out of buildings as I was making my way back north towards where I was working. Hoards of swat teams dressed in black with machine guns were running down 16th street towards the white house. We were being told to get away from the area and take cover as there was possibly going to be an attack on the white house. Cars were pointed in every which direction, fire trucks trying to get through, and cars up on the sidewalks. THe streets filled with people trying to go somewhere, anywhere. No one knew much of anything, only that we needed to get out of the city. I went back to the hotel and attempted to go to the metro station close by, but it was closed. No subway service. It was complete pandamonium in downtown DC. Rumors were flying of bombs at the state department, and US Capitol building, and of another plane coming for the whitehouse. The only thing most people seemed to know was that a plane had hit the pentagon. I have never in my life seen anything like it. It was like I was on the set of some apocalyptic movie. It was just surreal, the amount of sheer chaos on the streets of D.C.

I finally came to the stunning realisation that war had finally come to D.C., that I was in the middle of it, and that I may not get out of it alive. I started to cry, and walked slowly back to the hotel I was working at, trying to compose myself on the way.

Not being able to make any calls, and not go anywhere, I went back into the hotel, back into the bar, and watched TV with couple hundred others in silence, stunned and in shock. It was there, we saw the Pentagon on fire, and the twin towers collapse, on live TV, and people begain to scream and cry. The woman next to me shuddered and started to yell that her son was in that building when the first tower came down. I hugged her, and held her hands as she cried, not knowing if her son had made it out.

I spent the next several hours at the hotel, going in and out to chain smoke cigarettes, and trying to get through to my partner at the time. FInally, the payphones started working, and some were able to get calls out. I waited for about an hour to get a phone, and after about 10 tries I finally reached my partner. He was OK. He was a school bus driver for Arlington Co Schools, and was taking kids back home, and then was at home. I had left my car with him that day. After talking for a couple minutes, we decided to meet in Rosslyn, VA where he would pick me up. After an hour walk back across the river, along with many others, I finally found him near where we were supposed to meet. We drove home through back streets, as all main roads were either closed or were forced to go outbound.

Our apartment was on the 14th floor of a building facing the pentagon, about 1/3 mile away from it. We walked to the hill where the military barracks are located next to the pentagon late that afternoon / early evening, and watched it burn, up close. Hundreds of people walked there. All the roads were closed, and the freeway was all flowing outbound but there was no more traffic. Later that night we were able to get into DC and attended several impromptu candlelight vigils around the Monument and Lincoln memorial.

After a day, the wind switched direction, and the smoke from the pentagon came directly at our building, filling our apartment, and every building around there with the smell of acrid smoke, jet fuel, and what smelled like burnt flesh.

That was where I was on this day, 10 years ago, and those are my memories. I remember it all like it happened 5 minutes ago. For all that I saw and experienced that day, when I try to think of what those in the immediate area of the WTC's in NYC, I often just cant fathom it, and it makes me just cry. The sheer and utter terror I felt and experienced that day, for as bad as it was, was probably nothing compared to what those in NYC went through. I thought my world was ending around me. I can only imagine what that must have been like in NYC.

Fortunately all of my many friends in NYC, including 1 that worked in the WTC, were fine. My friend at the WTC had just gotten ready to leave for work when the first plane hit. He worked in the other building, but decided not to go in that day. He worked on the 86th floor. Most of his co workers that did go in that day and were there, died in the collapse.

Anyway, Thank you for posting this Laura, and thank you for listening to my memories of that day. I think of it often, even to this day.

I apologise for any typos, but honestly, I just don't have it in me to go back and edit this.

10 years ago today was a terrible and sad day. Its a day I really would never forget, and it should be remembered for all the brave people who risked their lives to save others and for all the innocent people who died.

I could see the smoke from my neighborhood, and unfortunately almost everyone nearby knew someone who passed away that day. Its a terrible day that changed this country forever. At every time today, I was thinking about where I was at that time 10 years back and its amazing to think it was 10 years ago because I remember it so well.

Today one of the main streets had small flags on every telephone pole for miles, and I thought that it was very nice to see people respect the day and remember those who passed on.

I hope that a tragedy like this never happens again, but that it is remembered and respected forever.

-Alex

Hello Everyone,

Hunter,

Thank you for all of the thoughts that you want to share on this sad time in history.

Even though you were only four years old when this happened, it is still fresh in all our minds and it seems that youu now get the sense of what it was like that terrible day.

It from people like Ken and his amazing story that take me and you back to that day . He made me feel like i was walking right beside him.

Ken,

MY heart goes out to you and your partner that day. I witnessed people trying to connect to their loved ones and i can only say tht after that day we decided to pick a friend that lives in another state to be a "center" to call and check in since all of the lines are overwhelmed. We could get out to other states but not into the cities affected. So my family has a "center" if anything like that ever should happen agian to check in with a familyy frien ad they can pass along info as needed.

Your story was inspiring yet made me feel so on edge, I felt like i was there all over again. Some of our crews in DC were under overpasses and bridges because they thought that that was the best place to be ...

Im so sorry that you were in the center of it all. The stress you must have been thru could not even be understood by anyone...

Words are even hard to describe how and what you went through, but i will say that you did a great job expressing yourself..

Thank you for all of your stories ..they were so touching!!!

Alex,

Thank you for ll of your thoughts too!
I know it was hard to see what yu saw that morning...i will never forget how it looked seeing the smoke as well...

Now.... Life goes on!!!

Time to go check on the trees and the plants!!!! : )

Take care
Laura in VB