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9/11 Memorial Thread


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I think "forever changed" is a bit overwraught. If anything the fear of being senselessly murdered has shifted from terrorism like we saw on 9/11 to rando homegrown shooters. Either way no one should fear it because it's so incredibly unlikely. We truly have nothing to fear but fear itself. Being afraid or saying we were changed or lost our innocence or stopping my day at 8:46 a.m. is ground I won't yield to those terrorists, who above all counted on those exact responses.

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Just now, PASabreFan said:

I think "forever changed" is a bit overwraught. If anything the fear of being senselessly murdered has shifted from terrorism like we saw on 9/11 to rando homegrown shooters. Either way no one should fear it because it's so incredibly unlikely. We truly have nothing to fear but fear itself. Being afraid or saying we were changed or lost our innocence or stopping my day at 8:46 a.m. is ground I won't yield to those terrorists, who above all counted on those exact responses.

There has been dramatic change in this country as a result.  I'm not going to whistle past the graveyard.

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I remember re-watching that unfold on TV after being evacuated and sent home from work because the jet that crashed in PA flew over Pittsburgh at a very low altitude before the passengers attempted to overtake the plane.

So much angst and unknowns about how many other planes or what exactly else bad was in play.

Sitting on my kids swing set on the perfect blue sky afternoon wondering what was happening as Taro mentions and seeing/hearing two F16 fighters blaze across the sky at low altitude.

Its changed a lot especially knowing what it was like before and how it is now.

I choose to remember the sacrifices, hero's and how it pulled us all closer together for awhile and honor those who paid them.    

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Remember it well 18 years on. Sitting at work and then getting an email from a workmate that a plane had hit the north tower and thinking it was a tragic accident, 20 mins later he emails me again that the south tower had been hit and suddenly my thinking completely changed from "accident".

Will never forget visiting ground zero 2 years ago, found it one of the most moving experiences of my life and so glad that I did it.

 

 

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On another note, I'll never forget being so tired of watching the news coverage by mid-afternoon, that a buddy and I decided to go golfing.  We first tried Beaver Island but all state parks had closed for the day.  We ended up playing at Sheridan.  It was really nice weather and the course was full of others who likewise needed a break from the insanity.

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Said a prayer for those that died in the Pentagon that day.  If it were not for it being moving day it could have been a lot worse.   That side of the Pentagon was being bomb proofed.  Half that side had just been completed and the other half not... Employees were told to show up late or were working elsewhere in order for office moves to be completed.  Friend of mine's brother... a captain... was on the reinforced side survived as a result.  Others were not so lucky.  

My wife worked for Red Cross next to Gannett Bldgs. Arlington VA, on the 11th floor... she felt the explosion, saw the fireball... needless to say she was a mess. Called me to get the hell outta Capitol complex... grabbed a couple folks took the back way out thru 8th street to 295 and over Wilson Bridge to Condo where we watched/looked down into cockpits of F16s doing loops just over tree high over DC Beltway.  

I remember driving by Pentagon on the way to work the next couple of days smelling the jet fuel, seeing the tail section, and flames re- light.  

Then the eeire quiet of no planes landing at National Airport for about a month...

Our family in NYC were not in the Towers that day... Cousin Chris was due to play a gig that night in top of Tower 2, lucky.  Know lots of people who lost loved ones...RIP

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I can understand why people feel reluctant to talk about this. The images from that day are obscene. Even us Ironworkers were shaken. Several from my local were compelled, leaving by noon that day to help. Several of my IW friends from the NYC locals were there soon after they fell. An old retired local 40 IW showed up and started barking orders and people just started doing it.

Most folks are not presented with catastrophe as a daily omnipresence. For the first time we as an organization realized the innocence lost that day. When a group of Ironworkers sit down and cry together, there has surely been an awful happening. We still talk about it though. Contrary to folk lore, we have emotions. There was a huge group of IWs that worked on the pile and there are a lot of emotions that need tending to even to this day.

Our organization trains instructors on the DOL Disaster Site training program developed afterwards. It’s focus is a comprehensive approach to the chain of command to expect if you’ve decided to respond. It does an excellent job creating scenarios that will really make you think if you would even want to volunteer. I am grateful to be able to be instruct this course in the event that the need arises in my city. 

We shouldn’t be ashamed to talk about this in a reasonable context. Those comments about conspiracy do nothing more than taint the memory of those that died and those who helped but suffer yet.

If there is anything political that I couldn’t feel more comfortable receiving the ban hammer for, I would shame any politician that doesn’t(or didn’t) support the first responders bill. Shame on you. These people have endured years of suffering for their heroism. Shame. On. You!

I apologize for my candidness. 

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