# 9-11 is coming up....



## samssimonsays (Sep 9, 2015)

My husband, a firefighter/first responder and son of a firefighter, and I participate every year in the 9-11 memorial our town hosts. It is astonishing to think that it has been as many years as it has since the strike on US soil. It still feels like it happened yesterday. We have a parade through town with all of the emergency response departments of our county followed by a memorial service and dinner at a local church. I still remember sitting in my 5th grade class room when the phone range and my usually grumpy teacher jumped up and turned on the television. We just sat there in a mix of emotions, some kids didn't care, some had no clue what had happened and the rest of us were all scared/devastated. We watched the second plane hit and the towers fall. I remember the day well even with as young as I was. 

Where were you when it happened? 
How will you remember those who were lost that day?


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## Poka_Doodle (Sep 9, 2015)

I wasn't born at the time, I just mentally celebrate it.


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## Pioneer Chicken (Sep 9, 2015)

I remember I was at home doing school.  Then my mom got a phone call from a friend and she hurried to turn the tv on.  My siblings and I weren't allowed to watch all of what was happening; only some of it.   I remember that day very well, too.  so, so sad.


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## promiseacres (Sep 9, 2015)

I was at my job at a vet clinic, we turned up the radio and attempted to stay busy as most people missed or cancelled their appointments. But we were all so numb we didn't care.


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## babsbag (Sep 10, 2015)

I was just leaving my house for an hours drive to work and the first plane had just hit the tower. Kept thinking that it couldn't be real and that it was some domestic private plane. Then the second plane hit while I was in the car and then it was clear that this was no accident.  The towers hadn't collapsed at that point, didn't even consider that possibility. Got to work and we had TV in our office and we watched it all day; watched the collapse of the towers in total disbelief. That is all I remember about work that day. It was just surreal and I just kept thinking that this couldn't be happening in America. I worked in Sacramento and all the major cities in the USA were put on alert, it was a little tense. I, like a lot of Americans, lost a sense of security and safety that day.  The renewed solidarity and patriotism that this event awakened was refreshing...too bad it didn't last.


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## samssimonsays (Sep 10, 2015)

Thank you all for sharing your stories on where you were that September day. 

9-11 affected every American past present and future. It was something no one thought could happen on American soil and since then, we have had near misses and attempts. It has affected all of our freedoms we used to have in certain areas where security is a concern for sure. But even after this many years it is still a healing scar for me. One I do not think will ever fully heal.


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## Shorty (Sep 10, 2015)

I was in 6th grade study hall when another teacher came in and whispered something to my teacher. After she left my study hall teacher turned the tv on just in time to see the second plane hit. I have never heard a class so quiet. No more then five minutes later another teacher came in and told our teacher to turn the tv off the school didn't want us to know what was happening. After she left my teacher talked to us and we decided we wanted to know what was going on so we listened to the radio. They almost closed schools early since we are about 30 miles away from Chicago, a lot of kids were freaking out because their parents worked downtown and like other big cities we were put on alert. I'll never forget that day.


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## babsbag (Sep 10, 2015)

I will show my age here but another event that I remember was being 5 and in Kindergarten when President Kennedy was shot, my teacher started crying and they did send us all home early.  I wonder what would happen in schools today if a tragedy like that took place?


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## Poka_Doodle (Sep 10, 2015)

Okay, I have no problem saying my age, 12, I made a sign about it and tomorrow when I am completely finished with my afternoon stuff I will take I picture with my chickens and it for BYH


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## Poka_Doodle (Sep 11, 2015)

I have to say THANKS to the 343 firefighters that gave their lives. If I didn't have school I would have gone to the big amphitheater to go up the stairs a bunch


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## HomesteaderWife (Sep 11, 2015)

I was in school when all of this happened, I was just in 2nd grade. My memory is not so well about my younger years, and we really were too young to understand just what had happened. This age range is so sensitive, that we were really only told that some people had tried to attack the country. We had no comprehension of how many people lost their lives, but I remember my class being pulled aside a few days later and we were all told that a girl from our class was not there, because her father had been killed in all of the events. I best remember, though, our elementary school holding remembrance events EVERY YEAR following. The year after, 2002, we all wrote messages and tied them to balloons...prayers for the people who lost their lives. In high school, every individual would be present in front of the flag, and bless the ROTC kids....they would be standing at attention for so long, that a few of them would pass out from exhaustion. 

It is a shame that children today don't understand what happened.....there are so many that no longer learn patriotism, pride/protection of their country, or respect for service members and emergency responders. May this event NEVER BE FORGOTTEN...and we pray for the families of the lost, our military, and the future of our country.


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## samssimonsays (Sep 14, 2015)

My husband, being a firefighter, and I participated in the 9-11 tribute Friday. We drove the fire truck, one of several for the department, in the memorial parade and attended the service. It was beautiful. It is very sad to see that it has dwindled down so much over the years... It seems like people have forgotten that tragic day we as a nation vowed to "never forget".  I got several beautiful photos of the service and the parade but have only had time to edit a few of them. 
View attachment 11424 View attachment 11425 View attachment 11426 View attachment 11427


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