Remember.

[john knight]

Let's not forget 911.

 

[Astoness]

indeed not john...i had just come in and put the tv on and saw that a plane had hit the tower...at first i thought it was a terrible accident but then i watched in horror as the second plane hit the south tower...may all those who lost their lives rest in peace

lyn

 

[mbenne]

Let's not forget 911.

The day before, I had left Birmingham airport on a American Airways flight to Portland Oregon. Waiting for a connecting flight out of Chicago airport I watched a child's bicycle being loaded onto a plane and remember having a strange morbid thought about terrorists and that anything could be placed on board and no one would know.

My connecting flight landed in the early hours and there there was no one to meet me, which I thought was odd. I made my way from the airport and checked into my hotel. I had just got into the room and the phone rang, it was my wife. She said she was worried and had left work early and had I heard? I asked what she was talking about and she said to turn on the TV. I did and couldn't believe what I was seeing as news reports showed a plane plowing into a tower block. There was a -3 hour time difference between Portland and NY, +8 hours between the UK, I was tired, shocked and confused and couldnt tell if it was real or not. Later that morning I checked into the office and there was no one there. Eventually people filtered in and I caused a bit of a stir. There had been a lot of confusion and they were unsure if I had been caught up in the incident and so hadn't arranged for a airport pickup. There was a strange, quiet, solemn atmosphere, everyone was in small huddles talking about it.

In the next few days concrete barriers were erected around Portland City Hall, just across the street from where we we were using office accommodation that Portland Water Bureau were renting from the Bank of America. The Portland City World Trade Centre was only a few blocks away too, which only made us feel more vulnerable. Security was now on high alert and many of the major bridges across the Willamette River were regularly patrolled by military jets. Everyone was in shock and we all felt helpless. Fund raising seemed the only thing anyone could do at the time.The bank on the floor below had opened a fund and I donated some euro currency left over from a recent holiday and my work colleague, Sumner, who was from NY City donated a month's bonus.

There were regular evening calls from our UK office to check on our welfare but it just seemed a bit OTT considering what others had suffered. We were asked if we wanted to return home but, given all the rumours and confusion, it seemed better to stay put. My wife and son were scheduled to come out and stay with me some weeks later in the October half term holiday and we had long talks about whether their plans should be cancelled. In the meantime American Airlines had suspended all future flights from Birmingham. My family did come out as planned but via a AA flight from Glasgow. By then all the stringent security checks were in place and have remained since. Every time we take a holiday and pass through airport security I think of that day and those poor unfortunate people.

I can never forget!

 

[Vivienne14]

My son sent me these he took this week. Makes me so very, very sad. Viv.

 

[Radiorails]

 

[Vivienne14]

For those interested I took these earlier this year. There are many memorials to those who lost their lives as well as those where the north and south towers once stood. Remembering those people is unquestionably sad. The most heartbreaking thing of all (and which brought me to tears) was seeing future mothers named along with ‘and child’. RIP.

Viv.

 

[Bob Davis]

For those interested I took these earlier this year. There are many memorials to those who lost their lives as well as those where the north and south towers once stood. Remembering those people is unquestionably sad. The most heartbreaking thing of all (and which brought me to tears) was seeing future mothers named along with ‘and child’. RIP.

Viv.

Super pictures. You were lucky to be able to hold your camera steady, the Americans are good at memorials as any one who has been to either Pearl Harbor or Arlington knows.

Bob

 

[Spargone]

I remember walking past HMS Lancaster tied up in London's Royal Docks, where it was on public exhibition, and then noticing on my return walk that the crew on deck were now fully armed. Clearly something was up.

 

[Vivienne14]

One former Birmingham (uk) casualty was:

Andrew Joseph Bailey, 29, married with an eight-year-old daughter, was originally from Birmingham. He worked as a security supervisor for insurance brokers Marsh and McLellan on the 93rd floor of the north tower and lived and worked in New York.



Viv.

 

[Spargone]

Edited post from original to remove off-thread topic comments.....

......... This was an irrational act of violence carried out by people prepared to die for their cause. Rational people put their own mortality on the balance and so tend to shy away from violence. (Edit: In my opinion) the 'lesson' from 9/11 would appear to be 'ignore the cause and maybe it will go away'.

Meanwhile I will continue not killing or advocating the death of anyone.

 

[Robert Ensor (bob)]

9/11 completely changed the course of my life
I have been on the top floor of a tower the windows were tall and you could press your body right against them and look down, and it was a long long way.
Anyone who has ever driven up the Jersey Turnpike knew to look for the towers off to the right across the water. And boy to this day there is a huge hole in the skyline for many of us
I worked for a short while on the North shore of Long island but still lived in FL. How ever I would have to travel into New Jersey so the towers became a welcome sight

On the morning of 9/11 I had just pulled up outside my place of business and the news came on the radio I ran in shouting change the station and for the next month we never had music on the radio
The knock on effect from that day was felt all over in business I had to close mine .
We were always booked 5/6 weeks ahead and more we had long term commitments through the year,. After the towers fell the phone never rang for any new work the only time the phone rang was someone selling something.

What a mess the world has become from that act so sad.

 

[Vivienne14]

Out of respect, please......

can we keep comments and thoughts focussed on those who lost their lives eighteen years ago and on our memories of that tragic day. This thread is not intended for debate about political issues or to air views about the rights and wrongs of this and any other world event.

Thank you.

Viv.