Never Forget! 9/11 Remembrances

I miss 9/12. When everyone seemed to come together as Americans.

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I truly felt we were one nation…

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About a month later, there was a national day of mourning and Placido Domingo sang Ave Maria. I swear…The Lord was with him that day. I have never heard a rendition like his before…or since.

(1) Placido Domingo sings Ave Maria, video by Jose Rivera 9/23/01 - YouTube

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I was at work, walked into the office and the first tower had been hit. At the time, I thought that’s terrible. I’d echoed the hopes of the news anchor that the building wasn’t full. The second plane hit, and the rest of the day, I was in autopilot, doing my job, but thinking of the ramifications of the attack. I don’t remember much about what I did throughout the rest of the day, but I remember a heightened sense of awareness, suspecting odd happenings over the next couple of weeks. I’m not going to lie, a little paranoia crept in when the notion of sleeper cells was brought up, further arousing my suspicions of things I’d found suspect, further attacks in my mind that never came to fruition.

I remember being glad we were going after the bastards responsible, and most being in agreement that it was just.

We were living in Oregon…

Tuesday morning…The first day of the Pendleton Round-Up.

I was up early, took care of the animals…Walked into the house and turned on the news. It took a while to process…6:30 or 7 AM in Oregon so 9:30 or 10 on the East Coast…

All I knew being on the left coast was what I saw on TV and the gnawing reality that we were under attack…Morbidly I guess I remember being surprised that the death toll wasn’t higher just from the Twin Towers.

My biggest memory I think will always be the way, for a couple of weeks anyway, the way we actually all came together as Americans following that day.

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I remember in the hours, days, and months following 9/11 that we were one country, one people - that in a sense was so profound it’s sad to say it doesn’t exist anymore - that we were all New Yorkers.

That’s the greatest thing I remember to come out of the tragedy.

I miss it.

WW

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My cousin worked 10am to 6pm in the towers so as to avoid rush hour and was on a train from Long Island when the first plane hit. So lucky, 15 or 20 minutes later he’d have been there.

I remember all those years ago, living in the Bronx, watching the planes hit the towers on TV…my daughter calling me from school, terrified. It felt like my stomach was filled with lead. There was so much we had to take away from that day, it changed us. But, out of the destruction, New Yorkers became different, we became brothers and sisters. We all walked taller, looked each other in the eye and knew the burden each other carried. That is the feeling I wish we could have kept, but deep inside…I don’t know…if push comes to shove would we be there for each other, again?

My wife called me at work and told me that a plane had flown into one of the towers and I should turn on the TV. A few weeks prior Time Magazine had done a article on Osama bin Laden. When the second plane hit I turned to my business partner and said, “I think it might be bin Laden”. I was hoping I was wrong.
A few years ago I visited ground zero. It is a wonderful memorial.

I was living in Cascade mountains along a small river enjoying the great outdoors for that summer brewing my morning coffee when my brother called. Said a plane hit the trade center.

First words out of my mouth even before I had coffee I said Bin Laden. He said he thought it was small plane since that what they’re were saying on television…when second plane hit. Then I knew for sure it was terrorism.

I came down from the mountains to so-called civilized world…should have stayed. It was much more peaceful.

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It’s hard to fathom when you think of it: we (not just U.S military, but we as civilians and as a nation) have been fighting Islamic terrorism for a least 20 years. WWII didn’t even last this long, as it was from the mid-late 30’s to the mid-40’s.

Sure, the U.S got Bin Laden, weakened ISIS to the point where they had to go underground. But was it enough?

I hate to be that person but:

Why is this soldier drinking water from a fire hydrant? Is he weak or ill, that he cannot stand?

He’s a fireman, it was hot.

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Fireman. Dust and grit fills you mouth, nose, eyes etc. Basically wanted to wash his mouth and face.

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So he probably was so focused on helping and saving others, that he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) go offsite to at least find a drinking fountain someplace, or just to at least clean up.

Really shows the dedication of the emergency response folks.

I see. Wow.

And after couple days the staunch…It’s tough on any man to deal with those conditions.

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The air he was breathing was contaminated was in his eyes, mouth, lungs…and that was some temporary relief.

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I say yes.

I do hope you’re right.