story9339.xml

story9339.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-06-05

First let me say that I cannot believe that it is three months away from the 2 year anniversary of 9-11. That day will be etched in my memory forever.

I was doing my morning chores and getting ready to watch Live with Regis and Kelly. It was about 8:55 when I went into the living room with my 9 month old son and put the TV on. The first thing I saw was the first tower with smoke pouring out of it. I hear them say a plane it the building. I thought great that doesn't do much for my fear of flying. Like a lot of people I thought that it was a small plane until I heard a lady on the phone saying that it was a jet and that it looked like the pilot was drunk. She saw it happen from the top of her building. I decided to call my mother and I said "ma, did you see what happened?" "Yeah" she said "what's going on?" I don't know I tell her they said a plane hit the building. We got off the phone and I called my friend to let her know what was going on because she was at work. As I'm on the phone with her I see another explosion and say to her there was an explosion. ( I couldn't see the other building with the angle they had the camera on.) She starte screaming we're being attacked! I call back my mother and we are screaming and crying. My daughter (who was off from school that day due to fleas in her school) comes in and I tell her go back in my room and watch TV. I couldn't call my husband because he is a teacher and I didn't know what was going on there. Anyway, my husband finally calls me to see what is going on and I tell him. I see across the screen for police, firemen, emt's, paramedic's to report to work so I call my mother again because my sister and her fiance (who was already at work) to tell my sister to go to work. My sister answers the phone and is yelling at me (she's a little nasty) that is her day off!!! Can anyone believe that??? Actually she didn't know exactly what was going on. When she found out she went. Anyway I watching the news alone when the first tower fell. I was scared to death!! Through this my husband is stil calling me (when he can get through, the phones were down most of the day) asking where his father is when I realize, my brother!!! He worked for the phone company at that time and was sometimes working right across the street. Now I'm really panicking because I know he is at work and can't get in touch with my mother (the phones again) by this time the second tower has fallen. I'm crying hysterically!! I can't move away from the TV. My husband calls and I told him "They're gone" He says "What do you mean they're gone?" I said "they collapsed the Twin Towers aren't there anymore!" He was just stunned. His school was in lock down and parents were coming to get there kids. He said it was crazy there. He finally came home and we just watched TV all day and all night. Even slept with the TV on.

My sister and her fiance had the awful job of picking up debris. When I finally spoke to her she was shell shocked when I asked her if you found anyone she said there is no one to be found. Only body parts. Her fiance was working on a patient at 7 World Trade when the horn sounded and they started screaming for everyone to run. He had to leave the patient there. He said it was the hardest thing he ever had to do.

My husband's cousin lost 4 people very close to him. One his best friend and neighbor and one his cousin who was a fireman.

September 11, 2001 is a day I will never forget.

May the Lord bring peace to the families of the vicitms.