The video that depicts it like it happened. While it was an unprovoked attack that garnered US sympathy, the sympathy was gone after we went to war. It was awful, and I understand why war happened, but I also can't see that anything would've stopped it from happening. We are forever changed.

Here is a link that might be useful: 102 minutes that changed America

Yes Robin, we are forever changed. A lot of lost iincence. I hope we don't forget this horrible attack but I remember videos of people dancing in the streets when it happened. Not in this country of course.

I remember seeing the second plane coming on live TV. I kept expecting jets to intercept the plane but it flew right into the tower.
I live in a place where F16 trained for missions near our house, they did touch and go for hours on end. When a vip, president, VP etc... came, the air space was cleared, first by helicopters then F16. I don't think a bat from hell could sonar itself through the airspace.
I will always remember the everyday people that lost their lives on 9-11.

This video was so riveting that it has haunted me the entire day. I felt that I was right there in the crowd in New York City, horrified at what was developing, as it happened.

On September 12th, our city was much quieter than usual. We went into the a large department store; it was rather empty, but we found that strangers were spontaneously talking to each other. There was the sense of valuing each other.

I remember when I arrived at the car lot for work that morning, everyone was standing around the TV and I asked what was going on. They all looked at me in shock and Ed said, "Woman, don't you know what's going on?
The United States has been attacked!"

The next thing we saw on the screen was a huge plane flying right over the head of the person holding the camera and it buried itself in the second Twin Tower.

You see something like that and can't believe it really happened, but it did.
It did.

I remember how quiet the skies were for days on end.
All plane traffic had been grounded.

The only time I saw anything moving, it was a small black heliocopter flying below the tops of the Blue Ridge, maybe at about 500 to 700 ft. AGL.
It was moving VERY fast---I'd never seen one fly that fast.
It was scary---one more unknown element in a huge puzzle of terror hanging over the United States.

We neeed not to let that ever happen again...

Robin, thank you so much for posting the video.
KJ

LF and I watched it again last night on the History channel. I find myself right back in time, but now that I know what is going to happen, I want them to go faster, to run, to show some urgency about them. I realize they're numb and it would've been pandemonium, but I want people to get outta there! It's so sad to know, just this one instance, that the guy who filmed a fire crew walking by, the 288th (it's on their fireman hats), is the last footage of all of those guys. All. It's so dreadfully awful. I will have to go to the museum of faces. There were videos circulating with each and every face they could find for awhile, but they don't exist, or they are so hard to find, I can't anymore. It took me years to be able to come to work on 9/11. I just couldn't even bear to be around anyone. And I didn't even know of anyone directly hurt (I can't count Mary as someone I truly know, as I don't know her personally. I sure do picture her crossing the brige with all those other folks when I see them). I can't fathom what it's like for those families. But I am compelled to join them how I can.

Here is a link that might be useful: the 911 Memorial Exhibition

What I found most horrible of all was the 911 call that someone in the building made. The operator told the person to not move, to stay in his/her office. Little did anyone know.

Yes, that too. And that the elevators are what killed so many. Stupid "safety" device. The firefighters who were trying so hard to get them out, never knowing it couldn't happen. And if they had been "normal" elevators, they could've opened the doors and gotten out more. Each thing they uncover is more horrifying than the last thing.

Gandle, I can still close my eyes and see that woman in
Palestine dancing in the street and making that disgusting
sound. It is forever etched in my mind.

I can't watch the video of the planes flying into the towers
and everything that happened afterwards without crying my
eyes out. As I watched that day. I wanted to be there to
comfort the people running for their lives.
I think I prayed more at that time than any other time in my life.
It just made you feel so helpless.

Then the anger settled over me like a great dark cloud.
I hated the terrorists so much for doing this to our
country, I wanted them all dead. It not only changed our
way of life but it changed us inside. We will never be the
same ever again.

Saw this story last night on the Discovery Chanel about Pasquale Buzzelli who was on the 22nd floor in the stairwell and had just talked to his pregnant wife. He rode it down to the 7th floor level and was found by two firemen that would not give up looking.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Remarkable Untold Story of the 9/11 Surfer

Yesterday was so eerily similar in weather to 9/11/01. The light of early September is so rich in the mornings, highlighting green leaves like no other light can do, reminding me of the deep and precise beauty of the tapestries at the Cloisters.

I could sense little bit of reflection on the streets yesterday; maybe I was imagining it, but it seemed that in the hustling, bustling crowds people were a smidge more careful or thoughtful as they moved along.

Back on the awful day itself, I never got to work. I was running late and heard about the first tower as I was listening for the traffic report and brushing my teeth. I went to look out the window and saw the second plane hit. Three seconds later the shock wave hit my house in Brooklyn, rattling the windows. I called work and told them to get outta there -- our office was a ten-minute walk to the WTC -- and the line went dead as I was speaking.

I remember when we got internet access again one of the first things I did was to check the Garden Party and let everyone know I was okay. I also remember in the weeks that followed that you all contributed so much -- boxes of toiletries, cookies, and even socks, underwear, and warm gloves and scarves for the emergency workers. You sent them to my office and I brought them to the dark green army tents on Front Street. Some of you included friendly encouraging notes for the rescue workers. I know you made a difference for those people.