story10505.xml
Title
story10505.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2004-03-27
911DA Story: Story
As nearly everyone's 9-11 story begins, it was a day like any other. I had just been to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in ohio that sunday, but now it was back to the grind. I had two early classes, and got out at 11 AM, not having heard the news at that point. I went to my car to wait out my break until my next class, and turned on the radio as I always did to listen to my favorite local talk show. But what I heard was some sort of a discussion of terrorist attacks on the world trade center, which I first assumed was a new development or arrest in the 1993 bombing, or some guest who had written a book about it or something.
But then, they recapped, stating that the world trade towers had both been completely destroied. They went on to mention a fire at the pentagon, and when I heard that, I immediately started my car and headed for home. On the way, it took several attempts to get a cell phone call out, but I managed to call my family and tell them I was heading back home. I listened to the radio on the way back, and when I arrived home, I finally saw the video of it all. I got in touch with my girlfriend as well (who is now my wife).
I called a good friend of mine, remembering that he had been laid off the previous week and had been drinking the night before. It turns out, though I called some time after noon, I woke him up. I told him what was going on, and he didn't believe a word of it. I told him to turn on the tv. He asked what channel, and I told him it didn't matter, even cable channels like MTV had switched to news coverage.
The next day was another beautiful blue-sky day, and I'll never forget the clear blue sky without a plane to be seen. We are very near a lot of commuter airports, and underneath a lot of high altitude flight path as well, and on a normal day you can't ever look to the skies without seeing at least a couple of planes. But these were no normal days.
None of us will ever forget this day. I suppose it ranks right up there with the moon landing and the kennedy assassination.
But then, they recapped, stating that the world trade towers had both been completely destroied. They went on to mention a fire at the pentagon, and when I heard that, I immediately started my car and headed for home. On the way, it took several attempts to get a cell phone call out, but I managed to call my family and tell them I was heading back home. I listened to the radio on the way back, and when I arrived home, I finally saw the video of it all. I got in touch with my girlfriend as well (who is now my wife).
I called a good friend of mine, remembering that he had been laid off the previous week and had been drinking the night before. It turns out, though I called some time after noon, I woke him up. I told him what was going on, and he didn't believe a word of it. I told him to turn on the tv. He asked what channel, and I told him it didn't matter, even cable channels like MTV had switched to news coverage.
The next day was another beautiful blue-sky day, and I'll never forget the clear blue sky without a plane to be seen. We are very near a lot of commuter airports, and underneath a lot of high altitude flight path as well, and on a normal day you can't ever look to the skies without seeing at least a couple of planes. But these were no normal days.
None of us will ever forget this day. I suppose it ranks right up there with the moon landing and the kennedy assassination.
Collection
Citation
“story10505.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 25, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/6940.