Thanks for your memories of that day and thanks for the comments of those who shared their memories.
I was teaching first grade in Tucson, Arizona on that day. It turned out to be one of the most difficult days of my 40 year career. I found out about the attack about 10 minutes before I opened my classroom to my students, not enough time in the rush to get to school and through the office area to get any information beyond that a second plane had just crashed into the WTC. I spent the entire morning in my classroom with my students, who knew almost nothing about it and were not able to understand it at all, trying to keep things normal. (That would extend into the coming days. To six year olds in Tucson, those buildings on the television on fire and crashing down seemed like just another explosive movie scene, not reality.) Some parents took their children out of school, so I couldn’t even teach the planned lessons because so many would have missed them. I had to put together lessons on the fly that the students present could benefit from and the ones absent wouldn’t be hurt by missing.
We had no TV reception in the school and I was not about to turn on the radio as that would not have been normal for my students at all, so I was on a total news blackout all morning. All the other teachers and adults on campus were in their classrooms with their students and doing their jobs, also trying to keep everything normal for the kids. The office sure wasn’t going to be making any PA announcements in an elementary school about what was going on. There were rumors going around school of another plane in the air headed for DC (which ultimately crashed in PA). My brother worked then for the NSA in the DC area. We didn’t know if the attacks were going to continue around the country and we had military installations in the Tucson area that could be potential targets.
At lunch I got about 20 minutes of news that had been taped by the librarian during the morning at a parent’s house near the school, then I was back in the news blackout of my classroom for the afternoon. At least I knew then that all airplanes had been grounded and the attacks were most likely over.
When the students went home, I quickly cleaned up my classroom, prepped for the next day’s lessons and went home to spend the evening catching up on the day’s news. That’s was when I saw the father of one of my students on TV giving blood for attack victims at a local donation center. I have to laugh about him having the leisure to go donate blood when I think of the day I had caring for his little one.
Thanks to you journalists who were on the radio in my car that morning on the way to school and on the TV at lunch and that evening at home for keeping us all informed. I thought I had a long day teaching, but yours was much longer!
I can't help but think those people who were in NYC ON that day will never forget the sights, sound and smells. I would think that is the stuff nightmares are made of. It doesn't compare in enormity but I remember as a teller in a bank being held up at gunpoint. I didn't want to go to work the next day, and if someone came in that I didn't recognize I would start shaking. After leaving banking I never go into a bank without looking around the lobby, looking for anyone who looked suspicious.
I would think New Yorkers would have an instant moment of fear when they heard planes. I think those memories would stay with a person.
That said, I remember the love, the patriotism, the charity that I saw in those New York people who in the face of adversity showed the rest of us Americans what true Americans are made of!
It brings tears and a swell of patriotism to my heart for my country I love so much ! I do not want democracy to fail here . We owe it to those that sacrificed their lives to keep it ,to cherish it and preserve it for future generations to come. 🇺🇸❤️🎉
Beautiful and so sad. I was crying for days and I visited the site and gouched the crumpled Fire Truck. I will never forget as llong as I feel lucmky to be alive fight now!
As a life long NYer who lost a few friends 21 years ago, I thank you for this post. Time is so strange around these anniversaries. I think of friends suffering through loss and survivors guilt. I think about the bravery of folks who don’t recognize their own heroism. I said to a friend today that this day reminds me to love as hard as I can for as long as I can. For Jill. For Warren. For Fr Judge. For all of us.
I remember the day well. It is forever locked in my memory. I’m in the central time zone and I was driving to work a news alert came on the radio when little was known. I had a management class that day and in the middle of it one of my fellow attendees shouted out loud that another plane had crashed into the towers. The class stopped being a class as we shared our fear of what would happen next. I sat with my beagle night after night after night, eating baby carrots and drinking iced tea, glued to the tv and the sights of that horrific day. My son was 16 and didn’t feel the full gravity until two of his teachers spoke about the loss of their family members, both firemen. I know it is forever in his memory too. I sought solace in God and his promises. That’s how I got through it. I bought large magnetic flag I put on my vehicle and it now hangs on my washer as a reminder, not that I’ll ever forget.
We’ve had more than our share of ups and downs during my three-quarters of a century plus one year existence. The world my parents experienced before, during and after WW2 is long gone.
We can look at the Korean War, war in Viet Nam, Watergate, 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and 1/6 and wonder why and how did this all happen this way? There are no easy answers. There are a lot of questions ahead of us just as trying as the ones behind us.
What then are we to do? Well, just what the people did before, during, and after the crisis faced by the people of our nation from the beginning of our existence - carry on in the manner we know is right.
My parents - and Dan’s too, did just that when they grew up during “hard times.” They did what they had to in order to survive. Same thing happened when the US entered the war in 1941. My Pop served in the Army and Mom worked in a defense plant. They did the right thing.
That’s the solution to what faces us today. And it will be the answer to what challenges us tomorrow, next month, next year and beyond. Do the right thing.
And while we are doing the right thing keep close the message of Dan’s work with this communication tool - STEADY!
I have listened to Dan Rather's voice for years broadcasting the news while in another room away from the television. On the morning of 9/11, I had left my apartment to pick up my mail and purchase stamps at Miami Post Office. Once inside the post office people in line were shocked and saddened as they waited to greet the postal clerk. As I got in line, I could hear Dan's voice and since I don't know Dan, I wondered way he expressed sadness in his voice. Then I heard him describe the Plane flying into the second tower. I knew then that America was under attack at that time. I hold that moment in my memory, and I remind myself the difficulty of being a broadcast journalist, and Anchor man on TV. I thank you Dan, Elliot and the steady team for giving me an awareness.
Thank you Dan for remembering this day so beautifully! I do recall 9/11. I live in California and I recall turning around n the tv right after the first plane hit. We went to work that day and sent our kids to school, not knowing what to do. When I arrived at my building, across from the landmark Bank of America building, I was denied entrance. Everyone was afraid more planes were coming and SF would be a target. We were all shocked that the invasion could happen and in mourning for all the lives lost. Every night for a long time I lay awake listening for the planes that fortunately never came.
Thanks for your memories of that day and thanks for the comments of those who shared their memories.
I was teaching first grade in Tucson, Arizona on that day. It turned out to be one of the most difficult days of my 40 year career. I found out about the attack about 10 minutes before I opened my classroom to my students, not enough time in the rush to get to school and through the office area to get any information beyond that a second plane had just crashed into the WTC. I spent the entire morning in my classroom with my students, who knew almost nothing about it and were not able to understand it at all, trying to keep things normal. (That would extend into the coming days. To six year olds in Tucson, those buildings on the television on fire and crashing down seemed like just another explosive movie scene, not reality.) Some parents took their children out of school, so I couldn’t even teach the planned lessons because so many would have missed them. I had to put together lessons on the fly that the students present could benefit from and the ones absent wouldn’t be hurt by missing.
We had no TV reception in the school and I was not about to turn on the radio as that would not have been normal for my students at all, so I was on a total news blackout all morning. All the other teachers and adults on campus were in their classrooms with their students and doing their jobs, also trying to keep everything normal for the kids. The office sure wasn’t going to be making any PA announcements in an elementary school about what was going on. There were rumors going around school of another plane in the air headed for DC (which ultimately crashed in PA). My brother worked then for the NSA in the DC area. We didn’t know if the attacks were going to continue around the country and we had military installations in the Tucson area that could be potential targets.
At lunch I got about 20 minutes of news that had been taped by the librarian during the morning at a parent’s house near the school, then I was back in the news blackout of my classroom for the afternoon. At least I knew then that all airplanes had been grounded and the attacks were most likely over.
When the students went home, I quickly cleaned up my classroom, prepped for the next day’s lessons and went home to spend the evening catching up on the day’s news. That’s was when I saw the father of one of my students on TV giving blood for attack victims at a local donation center. I have to laugh about him having the leisure to go donate blood when I think of the day I had caring for his little one.
Thanks to you journalists who were on the radio in my car that morning on the way to school and on the TV at lunch and that evening at home for keeping us all informed. I thought I had a long day teaching, but yours was much longer!
I can't help but think those people who were in NYC ON that day will never forget the sights, sound and smells. I would think that is the stuff nightmares are made of. It doesn't compare in enormity but I remember as a teller in a bank being held up at gunpoint. I didn't want to go to work the next day, and if someone came in that I didn't recognize I would start shaking. After leaving banking I never go into a bank without looking around the lobby, looking for anyone who looked suspicious.
I would think New Yorkers would have an instant moment of fear when they heard planes. I think those memories would stay with a person.
That said, I remember the love, the patriotism, the charity that I saw in those New York people who in the face of adversity showed the rest of us Americans what true Americans are made of!
This poem and your thoughts touched my heart. Thank you, Dan 💔❤️💔
Thank you, Dan!
It brings tears and a swell of patriotism to my heart for my country I love so much ! I do not want democracy to fail here . We owe it to those that sacrificed their lives to keep it ,to cherish it and preserve it for future generations to come. 🇺🇸❤️🎉
Sadly I am seeing more and more evidence of this in Canada.
Just this weekend the Conservative party, our version of Republicans, elected as leader a man who slightly to the right of Attila the Hun.
We have multiple parties to choose from in our elections and I’ll be looking to one those.
Beautiful and so sad. I was crying for days and I visited the site and gouched the crumpled Fire Truck. I will never forget as llong as I feel lucmky to be alive fight now!
Let the TRUTH BE KNOWN Dan , Here's a REFRESH from CSPAN & SOME ONE NAMED DAN RATHER ! https://www.c-span.org/video/?320748-5/washington-journal-architects-engineers-911-truth. WAKE UP AMERICA , It's later than YOU**** THINK . The Lie merchants ARE SHAKING ! BIDEN our Time Until Nov 22 .
Thank you for this wonderful post. Love the poem and the links to your CBS reports.
As a life long NYer who lost a few friends 21 years ago, I thank you for this post. Time is so strange around these anniversaries. I think of friends suffering through loss and survivors guilt. I think about the bravery of folks who don’t recognize their own heroism. I said to a friend today that this day reminds me to love as hard as I can for as long as I can. For Jill. For Warren. For Fr Judge. For all of us.
Your words remind us that it hurts to remember, but we must. We say with you Steady, Steady, Steady and carry those words into the challenges ahead.
Thank you, Dan Rather.
THANK YOU.
I remember the day well. It is forever locked in my memory. I’m in the central time zone and I was driving to work a news alert came on the radio when little was known. I had a management class that day and in the middle of it one of my fellow attendees shouted out loud that another plane had crashed into the towers. The class stopped being a class as we shared our fear of what would happen next. I sat with my beagle night after night after night, eating baby carrots and drinking iced tea, glued to the tv and the sights of that horrific day. My son was 16 and didn’t feel the full gravity until two of his teachers spoke about the loss of their family members, both firemen. I know it is forever in his memory too. I sought solace in God and his promises. That’s how I got through it. I bought large magnetic flag I put on my vehicle and it now hangs on my washer as a reminder, not that I’ll ever forget.
We’ve had more than our share of ups and downs during my three-quarters of a century plus one year existence. The world my parents experienced before, during and after WW2 is long gone.
We can look at the Korean War, war in Viet Nam, Watergate, 9/11, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and 1/6 and wonder why and how did this all happen this way? There are no easy answers. There are a lot of questions ahead of us just as trying as the ones behind us.
What then are we to do? Well, just what the people did before, during, and after the crisis faced by the people of our nation from the beginning of our existence - carry on in the manner we know is right.
My parents - and Dan’s too, did just that when they grew up during “hard times.” They did what they had to in order to survive. Same thing happened when the US entered the war in 1941. My Pop served in the Army and Mom worked in a defense plant. They did the right thing.
That’s the solution to what faces us today. And it will be the answer to what challenges us tomorrow, next month, next year and beyond. Do the right thing.
And while we are doing the right thing keep close the message of Dan’s work with this communication tool - STEADY!
I have listened to Dan Rather's voice for years broadcasting the news while in another room away from the television. On the morning of 9/11, I had left my apartment to pick up my mail and purchase stamps at Miami Post Office. Once inside the post office people in line were shocked and saddened as they waited to greet the postal clerk. As I got in line, I could hear Dan's voice and since I don't know Dan, I wondered way he expressed sadness in his voice. Then I heard him describe the Plane flying into the second tower. I knew then that America was under attack at that time. I hold that moment in my memory, and I remind myself the difficulty of being a broadcast journalist, and Anchor man on TV. I thank you Dan, Elliot and the steady team for giving me an awareness.
Thank you Dan for remembering this day so beautifully! I do recall 9/11. I live in California and I recall turning around n the tv right after the first plane hit. We went to work that day and sent our kids to school, not knowing what to do. When I arrived at my building, across from the landmark Bank of America building, I was denied entrance. Everyone was afraid more planes were coming and SF would be a target. We were all shocked that the invasion could happen and in mourning for all the lives lost. Every night for a long time I lay awake listening for the planes that fortunately never came.