where were you when you first heard about the 9-11 attacks...

Photo: Marvin Marshall

where were you when you first heard about the 9-11 attacks...

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in Geiger's Counter

Friday, September 11. 2009

Comments (52)

what were you doing?

what were your first impressions/reactions?

how do you feel about the attacks today?

has your opinion changed over time?

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#1 Nick W on 09/11/09 at 04:56 AM

1:I was asleep in my apartment.

2:First reaction when I heard " we are under attack" from my mom is that I thought that Barnesville itself was under attack. After I turned on the TV I learned different.

3:I feel that the attacks could have been prevented if proper measures would have been taken when threats were made in the year or two before.

4:I still feel the same way

#2 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 05:24 AM

I was on my way to the Post Office as part of my daily job routine when I heard the news on the radio. People were talking about it as I stood in line inside the Post Office, but it was assumed to be an accident at that time. It wasn't until I got back to the office that my boss and I turned on the television then went numb with disbelief as the true horrific nature of this tragedy unfolded before our eyes. I later called my husband who was home from work that day. As we talked the phone, the towers collapsed. I don't know how long we hung on the phone without saying a word. We were frozen.

#3 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 07:32 AM

maybe we should appoint you to the CIA

#4 Andy on 09/11/09 at 07:39 AM

I was standing in the office of one of my vendors in Griffin when I heard the news reports. At first I didn't believe it, I though it was some kind of joke or some skit on the morning radio show but I soon found out that it was real. I was furious and horrified at the same time, not knowing if, when, or where the next one would be. My opinion then was to retaliate swiftly and decisively against whoever planned or supported this atrocity. It remains the same today - kill em all, let God sort em out.

#5 Crying myself to sleep on 09/11/09 at 07:47 AM

Bush knew about the attacks. But yet he did not act! I'm still sad because of all the lives we could have saved. Tears all over again.

#5.1 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 08:11 AM

its fruit loops like you that make true americans want to PUKE!!!

#5.1.1 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 09:17 AM

And 5.1 it's ignorants like you who have your heads in the sand and don't even realize the true magnitude of 9/1/01 who make me want to puke.

#5.1.2 Working for the lord! on 09/11/09 at 09:50 AM

The truth hurts and can make us sick if we let it. Don't you think so?

#5.1.2.1 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 02:46 PM

Then why did Bush sit there in the classroom like a deer caught in headlights when normal protocol calls for his immediate evacuation to safety? What about building 7?

#5.1.3 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 09:56 AM

So you are defending bush and don't care about all the people who lost there lives?

#5.2 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 10:36 AM

Why do you always insist on blaming someone, if you want to blame someone blame Clinton. The terrorists were all trained on his watch. Yet you want to blame Bush, you need to look at the whole picture! Bush ran this country for two terms and did a dam good job, considering all the turmoil that he had to deal with. At least he was not in the White House attending to personal business like Clinton was, President Bush was trying to clean up the mess that was left him. Look at who is in the White House now...YOU AINT SEEN NOTHING YET!!!!

#5.2.1 Mama is going to knock u out on 09/11/09 at 10:55 AM

Fool, Fool, Fool! You make me so mad. You can kick rocks for all I care. Dummy!

#5.2.1.1 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 04:06 PM

Wow, a temper tantrum. Mama needs to stop knocking people out and instead turn off your computer. Go to bed, it's past your bedtime child.

#5.2.2 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 11:12 AM

I agree. There were numerous of threats made to the Clinton admin and he/they didnt take them serious. There have been hundreds if not thousands of terrorist attacks that have been busted up in the past 8 years because of military intellegence.
The U.S came to a screeching halt within minutes of the attack once Bush left that elementary school classroom. I think he did a mighty fine job with what he had to work with as far as terrorist and keeping us safe goes.
Sure he may have not made the right decision 100% of the time but who would have. Surely not Obama. Cant you just see Obama getting on a plane to go over there to "talk things out" in a meeting..LOL. c'mon
Hopefully his subordinates have a little sense incase something like that happens again. If it does, you retaliate PERIOD in full force. Dont worry about how much it cost. Our lives againts terrorism are more important than money.

#5.2.3 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 06:13 PM

Yeah I'm sure glad he cleaned up that pesky balanced budget, thriving stock market, Peace, and general good welfare that we were under during Clinton.

Oh and by the way, the terrorist were trained by the U.S. but in was under Reagan's watch, we trained and armed them when the USSR invaded them starting in 79 and going though 87, So blame Reagan.

#5.2.3.1 Anonymous on 09/12/09 at 03:04 PM

You are lost! You need to go back to the history books my friend... I served under Reagan and you have no idea what you are talking about.

#5.2.3.1.1 Anonymous on 09/12/09 at 05:53 PM

What history do I need to know. We trained them and supplied them with arms. They were fighting russia our biggest enemy. I do know my history, I know it quite well.

#5.2.3.2 Anonymous on 09/13/09 at 01:39 PM

And how many Americans were lost fighting Russia?

#5.3 the truth on 09/11/09 at 10:51 AM

you are realy messed up dude you need to drift back to obammy land.

#6 Silence Dogood on 09/11/09 at 08:13 AM

I was in Norfolk, Virginia (about 5 minutes from Gate 4 of the Naval Base) teaching an 8th grade English class. Homeroom had just ended and the headmaster appeared at my door. She called me to the hall, explained to me what little she knew and asked me to come down to her office in 15 minutes. We gathered, in shock, and watched so as to dispense the information to our students. Because we were in Norfolk, the cops arrived and put our school on lockdown as well as much of the city in case we were a potential target.

My first impression was a bit of shock, a bit of horror and a lot of disbelief. I remember thinking this couldn't happen in the U.S. and because I knew the magnitude of the Trade Towers in our financial world, I was scared that this was only the beginning of something much larger.

I am largely indifferent about the attacks today. I have not forgotten them nor the lives that were lost. However, I pass through airports, public buildings, etc. with little thought to how quickly such an event could happen again.

My opinion changes on a day to day basis as I was news programs, find out more about our government, listen to reports, etc. I am just not sure.

#7 Solo on 09/11/09 at 08:15 AM

I was at work. We gathered in our conference room to watch as events unfolded and I thought about the thousands of people who were in the buildings. I still think of that day when people complain about security measures or our Dept of Homeland Security. If we had had present day security measures in place at the time the attack might have been prevented. I still believe that the attack itself was the most diabolical of all time because it used non military equipment and innocent people to make its point. I still think that Bin Laden should die by any means possible.

#7.1 M.S. on 09/11/09 at 10:46 AM

Yep I completely agree. Bush paid the price for Clinton's mistakes, especially with Clinton's lack of national security and defense policies. Now we have another democrat president who is way more liberal than Clinton was so it is not going to get better. There is a reason why we did not have anymore attacks in the U.S. after 9/11 and that is because of Bush's policies that he put in place.

#7.1.1 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 10:59 AM

No bush seemed like the hero. He didn't do nothing until after the attacks. Actually he was in office as the same time as our current president whom you all what to fix the world in 10 mins.

#7.1.1.1 M.S. on 09/11/09 at 12:13 PM

OK what was he suppose to do? He was just elected president. He couldn't "fix the world in 10 mins".

#7.1.1.1.1 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 01:51 PM

He had information about the attacks gal.

#8 Carolyn Kitchings on 09/11/09 at 08:29 AM

I was at a meeting of the Lamar County Board of Tax Assessors. At first we thought it was just one plane that crashed into the WTC. As it became obvious we were under attack I just wanted to go home. The meeting just felt "frivolous". How could we meet when we are under attack?
I never felt that Barnesville-Lamar County was in danger but I was worried about Atlanta. I was home watching tv when the towers collapsed. It was sickening. The only other time I have felt so "empty" was when President Kennedy was assassinated.
Do I think It can happen again? Yes. These people have a level of sophistication that I believe has surprised us all.

#8.1 M.S. on 09/11/09 at 09:35 AM

It is pretty obvious it can happen again. The story from a couple of days ago proves that it is still easy to hijack a plane.

#9 Jenny Calvert on 09/11/09 at 09:05 AM

I remember 9/11 like it was yesterday. I was at work and a friend called me to tell me a plane had hit the World Trade Center. An older coworker next to immediately said it was terrorists and started crying. I could not wrap my mind around that. I kept telling her that it was probably just an accident. When the second plane hit I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I knew she had been right all along. Another coworker's son worked in one the towers and she kept trying to call him but the phone lines were all jammed. Everyone at work used their cell phones to call his cell all day. He was late for work that day, or he probably wouldn't have survived. I still can't think about it without crying.

#10 Dina on 09/11/09 at 09:14 AM

I was getting ready to go to the doctor when the first plane hit.
I had gone to my parents house to be with them for a little while when the second hit.
I was driving from Thomaston to Griffin when the first tower fell.
There was a TV on in the back of the doctor's office when I got there and everyone was quiet because we were all listening to what was going on.
There are just no words to describe how I or anyone felt.

#11 M.S. on 09/11/09 at 09:32 AM

I was in high school here in Lamar. My teacher Mrs. Smith was going crazy. We all thought that we had been attacked with missiles and bombs but we soon found out it was the hijacked airplanes.

#11.1 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 09:53 AM

I remember marye. What year did you finish?

#11.1.1 M.S. on 09/11/09 at 10:47 AM

2003

#12 recent graduate on 09/11/09 at 09:42 AM

I was sitttng in my fifth grade class. We were not told what happened, however the school informed my teacher. My parents came and got my sister and I from school and thats when I was told about the attacks. When we got to my moms work we watched what was happening on the news, aolthough I was not really sure what was happening or why, I remember the pain and sorrow that I felt for everyone involved in the attacks. The people in the World Trade Centers, the people at the Pentagon, the people on the plane that took over it to crash into the field to save the White House, all the Firemnan, Police Man, and innocent bystanders who did what they felt that they should do to help. Its a day that will forever exist in my mind and one that will never be forgotten. Every soldier in the United States is in my prayers, for the ones overseas to come home safe, and the ones that are still on American soil that they may never have to be put in harms way. Rememer always, because if you forget you are forgetting your country and for what you believe. God Bless America!

#13 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 10:28 AM

I had just gotten into my car to go grocery shopping, when the radio DJ made the comment "this is the worst tragedy since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I ran back into the house and turned on the tv. I sat there in stunned disbelief and then called my husband who was out of town. I have a book that Time-Life made about the attacks. I don't want my kids and grandkids to ever forget. GOD BLESS THE USA

#14 Just turned 65 yea! on 09/11/09 at 11:03 AM

It's always about race on this site. If people can't say anything nice then we should vote to have this site removed for good! Who agrees?

#14.1 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 12:15 PM

Happy Birthday -

Nobody has said anything about race. Ask your doctor about Aerocet.

Happy Birthday - I hope you enjoy many many many more.

#14.1.1 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 10:18 PM

Do you mean Aricept? For Alzheimers? What's that got to do with race?

#14.1.1.1 Anonymous on 09/12/09 at 10:18 AM

Yeah..... It has nothing to do about race and everything to do about the comment. No comments about race are in this post so the remembering thing might be a problem.

#14.1.1.2 M.S. on 09/12/09 at 12:20 PM

Got to love old people. haha

#14.1.1.3 Sheila Tolley on 09/13/09 at 07:47 PM

You can remember which car won.

#15 H B on 09/11/09 at 12:20 PM

I was on my way to Augusta for an appointment at the Savannah River Plant. I had stopped at Madison for a cup of coffee, and I heard on my car radio that a plane had hit one of the towers. While I was getting coffee, the Resturant had the TV on and the second plane hit. Cold Chills ran up my back. I got to my car and my car phone was ringing, it was our Co Office calling me the
appointment had been cancelled, the SRP was closed. That was a frightening day.

#16 Hannah on 09/11/09 at 01:00 PM

i was in school, when i first heard about the 9/11 attack.
it was hard to believe that some stupid people would do something like that, and i was shocked.
it is still sad to think about the ones that were lost in the attack, and the ones who died in the building when the building came crashing down.
um to be honest my opinion has never changed for the 9/11 attack, and i don't think it will.

#17 Anonymous on 09/11/09 at 01:28 PM

I was planning my wedding when this awful event happen and was married exactly 10 days after, I remember going to Myrtle Beach for my honeymoon and all the Uniteds States flags were still lowered the whole country was in mourning i remember my wedding day being a bitter-sweet moment because the lost lives were still fresh on the minds of my husband and I.

#18 iggle on 09/11/09 at 11:14 PM

For those who would blame President Clinton: he ordered missile strikes in Somalia and Afghanistan in 1998, with the express intent of taking out bin Laden and al Queda camps. The Afghan strike missed bin Laden by one hour. Look it up. At the time, Congressional Republicans, the media, and most citizens accused Clinton of using the "terrorist threat" to distract from the Lewinsky investigation. He was hamstrung from acting further after that.

And, no, I don't post this as a means of blaming President Bush, who acted in accordance to his own priorities and intelligence.

Blame is a waste of time. And it tends to combine with ignorance of history to create a ripe condition for history to repeat itself, if you get my drift.

#18.1 Watching as America Spins out of Control on 09/12/09 at 03:28 PM

You are right Clinton did order missile strikes in Somalia in 1998. Yet in 1993 when Operation Hope was taken place Clinton did nothing to protect the American Soldiers who were dragged through the Street of Somalia. Yet you are defending him for what he did 5 years later, which did not do nothing for the protection of American soil. You need to go a little further into the history of the Clinton administration not just around his little fling, get my drift!

#19 MINICoop on 09/12/09 at 06:58 AM

I was on my way to class at Gordon when I heard about the first plane on 99x. Then during class we heard about the second one. After that, classes were canceled, so I sat in the student center with a friend and watched the news all day.

#20 Kathy on 09/13/09 at 08:12 AM

I was in the Principle's office at school with my son when a secretary bolted in the office and told the principle she needed to come and see what is on the news right now. At that point it was unclear if it was an attack or a horrible accident.

#21 TAH on 09/13/09 at 12:11 PM

I was at work at Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery Alabama when this sad news was broadcast. I think we should pray for all our troops safety! As Lee Greenwood said, "God Bless the USA!"

#22 Anonymous on 09/13/09 at 01:33 PM

I hope we kill Binladen someday. He is a terrorist we actually trained and funded in his early years. We need to rid the world of him and not train any more Arabs on how to destroy things, fight, and hide.

#23 Anonymous on 09/13/09 at 05:32 PM

I was on a plane with my mother. We had left Dublin, Ireland 2 hours earlier headed for New York City. Our plane took a sharp turn and then the pilot let us know that we would be returning to the Dublin airport. He then announced that we would get more information when we landed and that the flight would not be continuing that day.

#24 barry on 09/15/09 at 07:28 AM

I was on Active Duty in Bosnia working for 3rd Infantry Division.

1ST reaction- otified the DIV CDR of what had happened and the feeling of sheer horror.
I feel today that we have strayed from the path of the original intent for the attacks in to Afghan/Iraq. This due to wrong philosophy of leadership in the Pentagon. There was no plan for what to do with the populace once we made it to Baghdad. That cost us tremendously in the long run.
After serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan...we are making a difference in both locations. however, you will not see that on the news services. Good news stories do not increase ratings. We are needed in both locations...and will be for quite some time.

#25 Bob on 09/24/11 at 06:47 AM

I was stationed at Grafenwoehr Germany, repairing a huge camoflage net for a field exercise to Poland a few days away. One of our unit members just arrived from his house (his wife was watching the news as she does throughout the day)and said that the WTC was hit and collapsed. We all called BS because the soldier + his wife are prone to embellish.
It was close to quitting time anyway, so we all found out the truth soon enough on the news. Everyone knew it would be a game-changer for our unit, and sure enough we rolled into Iraq in 2003.

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