Five years gone, but 9/11 memories remain fresh. Will it ever be otherwise?

Banal occurences become unforgettable when history is at work. Like every other day of my life, I overslept on 9/11. That's where the every-other-day paralells ended. I uncharacteristically commuted--less than one block--via car that day to work to hide my parking-permitless vehicle from the DC parking enforcement in the underground garage beneath Accuracy in Academia's offices (only to remove it when the attendent left for the night). On the one-minute commute to work, the tone of radio announcer's voice indicated something seriously had gone wrong in the world. One report talked of a bombing at the State Department, which turned out to be false. Other reports referenced a plane possibly headed for the White House or the Capitol. Rumors and false information abounded. I rushed upstairs to see on Don Irvine's office television the shocking truth: both World Trade Center towers on fire. Instinctively, I knew they were coming down. My senses also told me that the body count would reach 50,000 or so. Thankfully, I was wrong on that.

I had missed seeing the second impact live, but instant replay showed me, and everyone else in the world, what we had missed...over, and over, and over again. Those images, seen so many times in the first few weeks, are rarely glimpsed these days--save for anniversaries--but when they are, flashback rage, recalling the initial response to the horrific images, accompanies them.

For weeks, I couldn't stop watching the news. I can't recall another time when it was acceptable for whole offices to stop what they were doing and watch television. American productivity probably reached historic lows that week. Even when I escaped the television to read on my porch, current events followed--the noise of fighter jets, the sight of ominous military helicopters. Though one couldn't escape the military presence, DC was not, as exaggerated reports had it, a city locked down. I was in London a few weeks after 7/7, and it was far more a city locked down (havoc at the airports, a random search of my bags at a restaurant) than DC ever was in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. A kinder city, rather than a terrorized city, is what I experienced in DC. A few weeks after 9/11, I went to Henderson Hall near the Pentagon to pick up some Marine gear. To my surprise, smoke still emanated from the building and fire hoses still flowed. Jet fuel, apparently, is really, really flammable.

When tragedy touches thousands, it touches everyone. One conservative activist I was acquanted with escaped one of the buildings minutes before it came down. A Marine friend, a lawyer whose office was in the World Trade Center, arrived at work late only to be turned away. He left the scene dust covered. He lost three suits, his diplomas, and other items one might keep in an office, but walked away with his life.

I learned of his story weeks later when my unit mustered for drill. I didn't expect to see him. His contract had expired months earlier. But this Marine, like several ghosts of Marines past, showed up, in a surreal scene, for weekend training despite having been out of the Marines for some time. Where did all these faces, some I hadn't seen for over a year, come from? Why they came was more understandable. Most were told to go home. But this Marine, perhaps because his contract had only recently expired, perhaps because his personal connection to 9/11, perhaps because his superiors never wanted him to leave, was let back. We all suspected to be going to Afghanistan. We waited, and waited, and waited for the call. But it never came. After eight years in the Marines, I got out the following March. If we weren't going to be mobilized for the biggest event in our lives, what, exactly, was our purpose? A little over a year later, the lawyer/Marine, along with the rest of my reserve unit, deployed to Iraq. His familiarity with the events of our times are more intimate than most.

I have never experienced more national unity, seen more expressions of patriotism, or been reminded to value loved ones more so than in those months that followed 9/11. Something really simple, like hearing "God Bless America" from Yankee Stadium during the seventh-inning stretch, served as a national catharis and a reminder of our shared American identity. Those were some of the few positive outcomes of that horrible day. That unity, that love of country, and that gratitude to be alive is mostly gone. So too are 3,000 Americans, two iconic structures from the New York City skyline, and a peace that America had enjoyed for decades. It was black, bad day.

Great, a commemorative 9/11 post spammed by bots.

I, like just about everybody, I imagine, remember where I was. It was the first day of school, if I recall correctly (in any event it was the first week). And we were called back to our homerooms from second period, to be told the news. My English teacher was crying. After that, I called my mom, irrationally, considering that we live on Cape Cod, to make sure that my family was alright. Of course everybody was. My dad was convinced that it was the Russians.

I did end up doing my homework that night, at the insitence of my parents. But constantly turned on CNN throughout the next few days.

I guess theres not much more to say besides that. It wasn't long before we invaded Afghanistan, and then Iraq. The rest is history.

We had a TV tuned to CNN in the reception area of my office on that day and the word got around quickly about the first crash being shown in living color. Most people were watching the replays thinking that it was a plane that had come around the tip of Manhattan en route to LaGuardia and that a terrible accident had occurred.

We all stood there in complete shock and awe when the second plane hit the other tower and at that point knew that this was no coincidence and certainly no accident.

I think that, to a person, we could not digest the information. What was interesting was that nobody at the time talked about a terrorist attack. Even with the U.S.S. Cole attack and the other forgotten 1993 attack on the WTC, terrorism just seemed like something far away and removed from America.

How far we've come and how a smack of reality is a cruel teacher.

Prayers and remembrances today and always for the innocent victims of this barbarous act and vengeful death to future perpetrators.

Interesting, about your dad, Ben-T, as a man I spoke to a few days after 9/11 said the same thing. His argument: who benefits? I found it rather simplistic, and couldn't see how the Russians benefitted at all. Perhaps the Cold War conditioned the people who lived through it to always cast the Russians as the default villains.

My dad doesn't think it was the Russians now. He did initially, on that day. I imagine it was the Cold War psyche, yea.

Odd. Huge anniversary, but no one is talking about it.

The only reason 9-11 has been in the news is so that people can do more measely partisan bickering over something irrelevant -- the ABC movie. And if there were not a crappy and mildly controversial TV movie to spitefully nitpick about, would we even be talking about it at all?

That is all "September the 11th" is, fives years later.

I was in a the surgeons lounge in a hospital and I was so shocked that it took me a couple of minutes to fully grasp what had just occured. I was stunned and completely speechless when I saw the towers starting to fall. Very quickly my emotions changed to range and wanting payback on the group of barbarians who killed 3,000 Americans.
My next thought was how long will it take before the political bickering start.

I will NEVER,EVER, forget 9/11/2001!
God Bless America!

I got a kick out of Fat “Scuba” Ted Kennedy commenting on Bush’s 9/11 remembrance speech saying that it was politically motivated. What in the name of Chappaquiddick was the sitting President supposed to do on the anniversary of one of America’s darkest days? And the Dems wonder why they keep losing?!

I was working at a DOE laboratory at the time. While getting a cup of coffee I heard about the bombings. My father has been in the investigations business since retiring from the NYPD in the early 80’s and had meetings at the World Trade Center 2-3 times a week. I ran to the phone as fast as I could. What a relief when he picked up on the first ring! Like Dan, I remember how this country pulled together after the bombings. I remember seeing I Love New York signs popping up all over the country. We saw up close in the actions of the police, fire departments and everyday citizens what being a hero is really about. For a short time there was a brotherhood in this country that was beautiful. 5 years later it would serve us well to remember the tragedy and be thankful for what we have.

We should also never lose sight of the fact that there are many people who are jealous of America, what we stand for and who mean us harm. We need to cut through the BS and do what it takes to protect ourselves and our way of life against these barbarians. Anything less is a glorified suicide pact.

I will never forget what happened on 9/11/2001 or the people in Pennsylvania, Washington, DC or New York who lost their lives that day. You are not forgotten!

Cut through the BS indeed, AM. But, unfortunately until something happens, politics will trump national security every time. And until we vote into office truly committed leaders who think of America first, the World second and themselves a very distant third, we will be open to attacks.