Today is the 16th anniversary of September 11, 2001. What did/does September 11 mean to you?

LTC Stephen F. — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 00:31:28 -0400

September 11, 2001 was a day of infamy for this nation IMHO. It was peaceful and clear for most people in this nation on that day. For those on the planes that were hurtling towards buildings and those inside the World Trade Center it was a day of abject terror.
Hopefully as time passes, we will remember the days when September 11 was just another day of late summer

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Sep 11 at 2017 12:37 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 00:37:19 -0400

On September 11, 2001 I was supposed to go to the Pentagon for an informal meeting with several other soldiers and DA civilians. I was at home and it was a beautiful morning. I was reading the Bible an praying. I learned of the attack of the World Trade Center towers by phone call and then I was told about the attack on the Pentagon. I was told I could not get to the Pentagon because it was prohibited.
Later I learned some neighbors of a couple from our church were on the plane that hit the Pentagon. They were supposed to leaving for an anniversary trip and were killed instantly.
I discussed the situation with my wife and then I volunteered to be recalled to active duty.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx Maj Marty Hogan PO1 William "Chip" Nagel LTC Bill Koski SGT Charles H. Hawes LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Private RallyPoint Member

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2017 1:20 AM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 01:20:22 -0400

LTC Stephen F. It was a unbelievable and sad day that we will never forget. It was a day that America and the world changed forever.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2017 3:29 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 03:29:38 -0400

I was in 6th grade, woke up and got ready for school. Saw my mom watching TV, and saw the first plane go into the tower. When the second plane hit, I knew it wasn't an accident. At school I found out the Pentagon was hit. They cancelled part of the classes that day and the 5th and 6th grade classes were called to watch the event on TV in the library and gym. My thoughts were mixed. It was at that moment that I knew our world was different, America could be attacked at home. That thought had been inconceivable to me before.

I remember the jumpers, and I asked my dad why they were doing that. My dad said something about choosing. They were making a choice not to burn to death. I remember a lot of conversations between my parents. Keeping my siblings and I out of school, not flying planes again, etc. My dad shut those conversations down. He refused to take us out of school and refused any notion of not getting on a plane. He said that the moment we stop living is the day we lose everything and that no matter what happens we don't let it change our lives.

I remember the news coverage of the invasion of Afghanistan. It was constant then, anything they could report on they did. Images of buildings exploding, tracer rounds flying, video of night vision footage of boots on the ground with air support attacking some city I don't remember. Any day of the week you could turn on the TV and see combat footage or some reference to the invasion.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Sep 11 at 2017 5:46 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 05:46:46 -0400

It was a day when Muslim cowardly scum(no offense to scum) took out the twin towers, crashed a jet into the Pentagon, and crashed a jet into an open field. By this cowardly act hundreds of innocent people were murdered.

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Sep 11 at 2017 6:31 AM

SrA Edward Vong — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 06:31:03 -0400

Sitting in science class with a huge open window facing New York City, I witnessed the event happen with my very own eyes. It looked as if a missile flew into the first tower. I told the teacher and he told all the students to stay in our seats as he walked out the classroom no one did). He returned shortly after to continue his lesson although everyone was shaken by what they had just witnessed. Shortly after, we were al called into the auditorium and were breifed on the attack. We were all sent home on emergency and was given an extra time off the next day.

At the same time my mother was being treated for cancer (those were her final days as she passed on the 24th) however I could not visit her as the hospital was put on emergency in case they needed to bring in the victims from the attack. At the same time I had found out that 2 family friends did not make it out.

I guess you can say, it was a pretty shitty day for me.

Response by Col Joseph Lenertz made Sep 11 at 2017 7:45 AM

Col Joseph Lenertz — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 07:45:59 -0400

My command phone woke me before 4 am (Honolulu time) and command post told me to turn on CNN. I saw the first tower in flames and within minutes watched the second tower get struck by the stinking cowards. I put on my flight suit, called my OpsO and 1st Sgt...brought squadron to 15 minute alert and started my longest day. Thought we'd be recalled back to STRATCOM for a few hours when we still didn't know the source or if this was just the beginning of something much larger. No one knew if WWIII had just started.

Response by SGT David T. made Sep 11 at 2017 8:20 AM

SGT David T. — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 08:20:01 -0400

This is the day my world flipped upside down. I was getting ready for a shift on the airfield and I heard it on the radio. I remember thinking at first that it was just a tragic accident (just after the first plane hit). Then the second one hit and I was like oh $hit. Next thing I know, we were called back to the company area and stringing C wire around the barracks. A little while later I deployed for the first time. I think out of all the events in my life this one had the largest impact. It set a series of events in motion that had a large affect on my life.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2017 8:53 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 08:53:25 -0400

That day changed our paradigm for sure. I watched on TV until it was time to go to class. What had actually happened just hadn't registered yet so I went to class as usual. I had already served 5 years in the Marines and had no intention of going back in. But when the reality that we had been attacked sunk in, that changed. That feeling I had ended up having a profound effect on my view of Iraq once I deployed. I was safely tucked away in Oxford, MS when 9/11 happened but I, like most Americans coast to coast, felt personally attacked. We were all angry and for a short while at least, we put aside our differences and came together as one. Once I realized that the Iraqi people lacked this sense of national pride I knew what we were trying to do over there was never going to work.

Response by SSgt Ryan Sylvester made Sep 11 at 2017 8:54 AM

SSgt Ryan Sylvester — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 08:54:08 -0400

I was coming off of a midnight shift that morning. Myself and my fellow shifter, SSgt Aaron Granec, heading out for what we thought was going to be a normal morning like any other. We passed this time capsule they had put up in the lobby of our facility a few months back. He'd made a comment about how he had been at the dedication ceremony and it cost something like $65,000 to make the damned thing. I commented back, and I'll never forget it, "Mark my words, if World War 3 starts, that'll be Ground Zero." Less than two hours later, and I'm getting woken up by phone calls from my then-wife. Nearly didn't answer the phone except I thought it was yet another notification for random selection. I definitely didn't go back to sleep after that.

I think the worst part for me personally was the weeks following the attack. I worked midnights, and my facility was just south of Dulles. You're used to a certain amount of noise when you walk outside at 0200 for a smoke break when you're right near a major international airport. For a long time afterward, hearing nothing but cars travelling down the nearby highway... no jet noise whatsoever. It made things so incredibly eerie.

Response by 1stSgt Mack Housman made Sep 11 at 2017 9:02 AM

1stSgt Mack Housman — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:02:47 -0400

I was in my office having a cup of coffee when one of the NCOs notified me that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center tower. I assumed it was a small aircraft and asked the NCO if any civilians were hurt when it fell to the ground (meaning the small aircraft). He said, you need to come and see this. As I entered the PA office, I saw a plane headed for the twin towers and thought this was a replay. Then it dawned on me that the first tower was already burning. I departed for the Commander's office immediately and asked for the order to call together our Wings Crisis Action Team (CAT). Upon receiving that order, we went on 24x7 operations, prepped our aircraft, and waited for direction from command channels. It was a very somber moment...our generations equivalent to the "Kennedy assignation". May all those lost that day and all those we've lost battling terrorism since then Rest in Peace!

Response by Maj Marty Hogan made Sep 11 at 2017 9:04 AM

Maj Marty Hogan — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:04:40 -0400

I was working- actually working vouchers for a rotation we had coming back and briefing some leaving. Little did I know I would be leaving about 20 days later. This was early in the Guard/Reserve deployments and we were required to rotate before we hit 30 days. Had no idea what we were in for and what would come. Our OPs Tempo is still very high and maintaining that pace for 16 years and no end in sight....

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2017 9:46 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:46:31 -0400

On 11 Sep 2001, the World as we know it changed with those attacks. On 11 Sep 2011, the World as I know it changed when my Mother passed away. She willed herself to live long enough to see me come home from Iraq in July of 2011 then watched me get married in Aug of 2011. Less then a month later, she was gone.

Response by SGT Mark Halmrast made Sep 11 at 2017 12:11 PM

SGT Mark Halmrast — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 12:11:43 -0400

I was an expat in Ausyralia and it was oir wedding anniversary.

Given the time zone, I heard about the towers on Wed morning. Got to the office and couldnt stop staring at the news on my laptop.

My wife and I went to the US Consulate in Melbourne and were overwhelmed by the show of support. We walked quietly among flowers, fireman teddy bears, and placarda that all expressed support for America. The plaza overflowed with support. No one knew we were Americans...we just ealked quietly and absorbed their love. It was deeply moving and created a bond with Aussies that I still hold this day.

We are blessed to be Americans.

May God bless and show His grace and mercy on our land.

And may we remember that we are one nation with an incredible heritage the likes of which the world has never seen.

#remember9/11