story3162.xml
Title
story3162.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
I was returning back to the Pittsburgh PA area (I live in Washington, PA) from a trip to Los Angeles. I was not supposed to actually leave until 9/12 - however, I decided I wanted to return home 1 day early.
As I was walking to the gate area to get my flight I passed by a TV screen - where everyone was staring at. I saw the smoke and the tower - it didn't register really.
We boarded our flight (which was to take off at 6:58AM PT. It was well past 7 AM and we weren't going anywhere - just sitting there. I heard everyone talking on their cell phones and then people started to say that planes had crashed in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and then I heard the city Pittsburgh, PA (I was getting really frightened at that point).
We were advised that all the planes had been ordered down and no flights would be taking off until further notice. I didn't know what to do as I was all alone.
My husband was franctic because of what was going on and I was 3,000 miles from home and there was no way I was going to get back home anytime soon!
I sat in the sports bar area of the Burbank Hilton and just stared and watched the big screen TV for the next 3 hours or so.
The next few days were really very stressful. Going to the airport, having your flight cancelled - not knowing when I would be able to get back home.
I also kept thinking about all the lost lives all the families. My problem was "nothing" compared to what they were and are dealing with now!
I was stranded in CA - but luckily my husband's brother
lived in the area and I stayed with them until I could finally get back home on Sunday th 14th.
I got back to PA - to my husband and other family members and to my home.
There are over 3,000 people who did not!
I think about that quite often. It's not as intense now as it first was, but it's always in the back of my mind!
It's so ironic, I didn't know until a couple of months ago, that where I work (which is now 30 years)- my start date is 9/11.
9/11 is a date that will always be with me in more ways than one!
MAY GOD GRANT PEACE TO ALL THOSE WHO DIED -
GOD BLESS ALL THOSE HEROES (POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, EMS, CONSTR WORKERS AND ON AN ON!).
THE TERRORISTS FORGOT ONE THING!
WE AMERICANS HAD TO FIGHT FOR OUR "FREEDOM"!
NO MATTER WHO WE ARE OR HOW MANY DIFFERENCES WE MAY HAVE -
WE ARE ALL "AMERICANS" AND NO ONE OR NO THING WILL EVER TAKE OUR "FREEDOMS" FROM US!!!! EVER!!!!!
As I was walking to the gate area to get my flight I passed by a TV screen - where everyone was staring at. I saw the smoke and the tower - it didn't register really.
We boarded our flight (which was to take off at 6:58AM PT. It was well past 7 AM and we weren't going anywhere - just sitting there. I heard everyone talking on their cell phones and then people started to say that planes had crashed in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and then I heard the city Pittsburgh, PA (I was getting really frightened at that point).
We were advised that all the planes had been ordered down and no flights would be taking off until further notice. I didn't know what to do as I was all alone.
My husband was franctic because of what was going on and I was 3,000 miles from home and there was no way I was going to get back home anytime soon!
I sat in the sports bar area of the Burbank Hilton and just stared and watched the big screen TV for the next 3 hours or so.
The next few days were really very stressful. Going to the airport, having your flight cancelled - not knowing when I would be able to get back home.
I also kept thinking about all the lost lives all the families. My problem was "nothing" compared to what they were and are dealing with now!
I was stranded in CA - but luckily my husband's brother
lived in the area and I stayed with them until I could finally get back home on Sunday th 14th.
I got back to PA - to my husband and other family members and to my home.
There are over 3,000 people who did not!
I think about that quite often. It's not as intense now as it first was, but it's always in the back of my mind!
It's so ironic, I didn't know until a couple of months ago, that where I work (which is now 30 years)- my start date is 9/11.
9/11 is a date that will always be with me in more ways than one!
MAY GOD GRANT PEACE TO ALL THOSE WHO DIED -
GOD BLESS ALL THOSE HEROES (POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, EMS, CONSTR WORKERS AND ON AN ON!).
THE TERRORISTS FORGOT ONE THING!
WE AMERICANS HAD TO FIGHT FOR OUR "FREEDOM"!
NO MATTER WHO WE ARE OR HOW MANY DIFFERENCES WE MAY HAVE -
WE ARE ALL "AMERICANS" AND NO ONE OR NO THING WILL EVER TAKE OUR "FREEDOMS" FROM US!!!! EVER!!!!!
Collection
Citation
“story3162.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 21, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/4684.