Post by jptheprofessor on Sept 11, 2006 20:34:47 GMT -5
First and foremost, it's hard to believe it's already been 5 years since the day that changed America forever. I still remember vividly how that morning and day transpired for me, and how I felt as I watched it all unfold on television. I actually was awakened by my older brother when the first plane hit the first tower before 9 AM. The first thing that flashed through my mind was that this was some freak occurrance, similar to when a World War II bomber crashed into the Empire State Building in the 1940's. By the time I arrived in the kitchen and began watching the reports on the tube, the second plane hit. Then I realized that this wasn't an accident, that we were being attacked. Then word came in about the Pentagon attack, and shortly after that, word about a jet going down in Cambria or Somerset County. I remember it was a beautiful day with a clear blue sky, yet as I went outside to go retrieve mail from my mailbox, I nervously watched the sky, wondering what was going to happen next. I continued to watch the events unfold, and sat in shock as the two towers then collapsed. As everybody else was, I was numb as I arrived at Q94 for my afternoon show, wondering if anything else was going to happen. What could I possibly say on the air after the events of that morning? I made it through the afternoon, and then continued to watch the news coverage throughout that night. Even that day, we quickly realized that this was the day that would change America, and that our innocence was lost.
Since that day, I've visited the Flight 93 Memorial site twice. A friend and I have discussed doing a weekend trip to New York City sometime this fall to visit Ground Zero.
I heard an interview on the fifth anniversary with a New York City fireman, who lost a number of friends and brethren that tragic day. He said he was troubled that people are forgetting what September 11, 2001 felt like, and that people are losing the passion to fight terrorism as we get further away from that day.
I still have the videotapes I recorded of the news coverage on September 11, 2001. I watch them to mark the anniversary each year, because I don't want to forget how I felt when it all unfolded; my anger, my emotions, and more. As we get further away from this tragic day, we can't forget the sacrifices made that fateful day, from those who lost their lives, to the emergency personnel and police who got in harm's way, to our nation's innocence. This was the day that changed America. We must never forget...
Since that day, I've visited the Flight 93 Memorial site twice. A friend and I have discussed doing a weekend trip to New York City sometime this fall to visit Ground Zero.
I heard an interview on the fifth anniversary with a New York City fireman, who lost a number of friends and brethren that tragic day. He said he was troubled that people are forgetting what September 11, 2001 felt like, and that people are losing the passion to fight terrorism as we get further away from that day.
I still have the videotapes I recorded of the news coverage on September 11, 2001. I watch them to mark the anniversary each year, because I don't want to forget how I felt when it all unfolded; my anger, my emotions, and more. As we get further away from this tragic day, we can't forget the sacrifices made that fateful day, from those who lost their lives, to the emergency personnel and police who got in harm's way, to our nation's innocence. This was the day that changed America. We must never forget...