Where Were You?

Today is one of those dates that is tattooed in our national conscience. There will be many stories told in honor of this day of American tragedy. It has its own brand name. 9/11, and you need to say no more. Your mind will flashback to that awful unbelievable day. It changed America for ever.

Everyone who was old enough to witness it will have a flashback. Kids, who were too young to remember, are now in there teens. They know the tragedy, but they did not see it. Today the question will be asked, "Where were you when you first heard about it ?" Everyone will recall exactly where they were and what they were doing and what they did for the rest of the day.

Another tragedy in our history was November 23, 1963, the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It's a day where I remember exactly where I was. I was working in a restaurant in West LA. We were getting ready to open for lunch. I was walking towards the bar and a cook came out and said the president had been shot. If I were there today, I could point to the exact spot I was standing when I heard the news. I remember the rest of the day. People came into the restaurant for lunch. In some cases I told the guests what happened for the first time. The rest of the afternoon the people just stayed  at their tables talking. I'm sure, just as I do, those people remember the place where they heard the news.

I woke up at about 8:45 to a beautiful September morning in Minnesota. As was my habit, I turned on the bedroom TV. The first plane had hit the tower. It was still being reported as a small plane crashing into the World Trade Center. As I watched, I saw a huge ball of flames from a second explosion blow through the second tower. What is happening? The news started reporting the fact that they were large commercial jets. Then came the report of the pentagon. What is happening? Then the report of the plane crash in Pennsylvania. What is happening? I even ask myself if these events were coincidence because the events were so unbelievable. For the rest of the day Americans were glued to the TV wondering that same question, as never ending images of tradgedy flashed before our unbelieving eyes. Then America witnessed the crumbling of the very symbols of NYC itself. They were gone in a heap of tangled ruble in seconds. People, white with ash, were running down the street for their lives. If it had been a movie, this super special effect would have been hard to believe.

One of the images of the many that remains in my mind from that day is when all aircraft in the air were ordered to land. There is a map somewhere in the United States that shows a bright dot for every plane in the sky. I watched my TV screen, as one by one their lights disappeared until America was dark. It was truly a dark dark day in the lives of everyone, except for the bastards who did it in the name of Allah.

So that was my day, 9/11 2001. I look forward to reading and hearing all the stories that will be told today about this day of a number and what they were doing. What we do know is America lives on with the resilience that is our DNA.

RIP for those who died that day, including a little piece of America.

We will ever forget. God Bless America!

Sam