story838.xml
Title
story838.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-06-27
911DA Story: Story
I had graduated from Ohio State University and I was living at home for the summer, looking for work. On the morning of 9/11 I remember walking through our kitchen and looking at the clock, which read 9:24 a.m. I went into the den to catch the news and saw the first tower of WTC burning. What I didn't know was that I was viewing a replay, and I saw the plane fly into the second tower. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Shortly thereafter, CNN was showing President Bush speaking at Sarasota when a man approached him and obviously informed him about the second act of terror. I knew this was going to be big when the President cut off his speech and left immediately.
While I was watching the towers burn, news struck about the Pentagon. By now I thought that this was the beginning of WWIII. I called my father at work and told him to turn on the news. He'd already heard about the first tower, but nothing more. He was stunned when I told him about the Pentagon. I was so in shock that my initial reaction was to drive to a nearby town and enlist in the military (I had taken Air Force Officer Qualifying Test not long before).
My girlfriend called and asked if I was watching the news. I drove to her house and we watched all day as the events unfolded. I remember feeling a constant lump in my throat that day, particularly when news anchors were breaking down and crying on camera.
One of my college roommates lives 2 blocks away from WTC. I tried calling him all day, but to no avail. All phone lines were down in NYC. Thank God he was at Rockefeller Plaza at work. The next day, when I could finally reach him, he couldn't get back into his apartment and was worried that his place may catch fire, as fires were spreading in that direction. I could sense in his voice how completely stressed and worn out he was. He was still in the same clothes because he could not go home.
I can't explain how horrible that morning was in words. Like millions of others, I was in complete disbelief. It's amazing how the stories of brave Americans lost their lives trying to save others. Everyday people trying to do their parts. I have extreme pride in America and I hope that we are able to resolve these issues without further loss of American lives.
While I was watching the towers burn, news struck about the Pentagon. By now I thought that this was the beginning of WWIII. I called my father at work and told him to turn on the news. He'd already heard about the first tower, but nothing more. He was stunned when I told him about the Pentagon. I was so in shock that my initial reaction was to drive to a nearby town and enlist in the military (I had taken Air Force Officer Qualifying Test not long before).
My girlfriend called and asked if I was watching the news. I drove to her house and we watched all day as the events unfolded. I remember feeling a constant lump in my throat that day, particularly when news anchors were breaking down and crying on camera.
One of my college roommates lives 2 blocks away from WTC. I tried calling him all day, but to no avail. All phone lines were down in NYC. Thank God he was at Rockefeller Plaza at work. The next day, when I could finally reach him, he couldn't get back into his apartment and was worried that his place may catch fire, as fires were spreading in that direction. I could sense in his voice how completely stressed and worn out he was. He was still in the same clothes because he could not go home.
I can't explain how horrible that morning was in words. Like millions of others, I was in complete disbelief. It's amazing how the stories of brave Americans lost their lives trying to save others. Everyday people trying to do their parts. I have extreme pride in America and I hope that we are able to resolve these issues without further loss of American lives.
Collection
Citation
“story838.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 17, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/5273.