Nutshell Version: The summer of 2001 my mom had a stroke. I was already shaken by that because I love my mom soooo much and had already lost my 2 older brothers in years past! A few months later 9/11 happened.....all I remebered feeling that day is how much I wanted to be with my family....like a "group hug". Two months later I moved to Arizona to be with my parents. I moved away from an excellent job and secure life but figured, life is too short, I won't have my parents around forever....so here I am.
RK, I remember it like was yesterday and the panic I felt and the need to be close to family also. I didnt know anyone that lost their life so it didnt effect me directly. It certainly did remind me of how PROUD I am to be an American, made me fly the colors every day since then, and cherish my family and friends just a little bit more. Thanks for the thread.
It did in many ways.
My son joined the Army the following February, and left for BCT on May 1st, 2001.
It did in many ways.
My son joined the Army the following February, and left for BCT on May 1st, 2001.
When is his next trip home??
I work for American Airlines and was at work when it happened.
When they called to empty the skies of airliners, they were landing here in Tulsa one after the other. We were standing outside the hanger watching them. We had to go inside because it was freaking out the passengers. They did not even know why they were landing in Tulsa much less why everyone was standing there watching them land.
We had to go to the terminal and taxi or tow all of them.
Many people lost their lives or loved ones.
Ahh....YES ,I remember it well!.....THE DAY THE WORLD CHANGED FOREVER!
Like it or not,belive it or not, we all have been touched in one way or another
some more than others.Try and drive by a major city and see an airplane in the sky and not think of that day!
My Son Also Joined The Navy As A Result(his Own Idea)
I was working that day. Being in an air traffic control tower with access to visual data on all the air carriers, air taxis, and IFR GA aircraft in the US, it was eerie to see all of them land and not a single aircraft airborn in the US except for the military.
For 2 hours the aircraft pounded all 3 of our runways, 3 miles in trail, one after the other, landing and parking all over the place. We had them stacked up on all of our taxiways, all the gates that the airport had were full, we had them in holding pens, and all the FBO's were parking them nuts to butts.
I'm amazed at the way EVERYBODY in the aviation industry from little private planes and their pilots to airlines to the federal government came together are worked the problem --- get the aircraft on the ground safely, expeditiously, and without a hint of panic NOW!
It seemed that after we accomplished our task of diverting the aircraft to the closest airport and getting them down safely the shock of what had just happened sunk in. Weird, watching 6,000 or so flights airborn go to zero in 2 hours or so.
Anybody walk outside and listen? Quiet as a churchmouse. Nothing that I want to hear again.
We got a bomb threat that day and had to evac the building. In the days after we would go up on the roof and the only thing in the sky was Military. That was creepy. There's always something in the air in LA. I mean aircraft. I'll be working a grave shift tonite. I'm a little edgy about it.
I was flying that morning as well. Gotten up early for a little VFR cruise. I landed, pushed the airplane back in the hanger and walked inside the FBO... total shock is all I can say. I got there just in time to see the second airplane hit.
Shortly after the order was given to get everything on the ground. I didn't know if that was the last time I would get to go flying myself or not, didn't even think about it at the time really.
Walked outside in the afternoon, and no contrials, or sounds. The FBO unicom was quiet. An erie feeling that gives me chills to this day.
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