15th year since

I worked for Tri-County Waste Service at the time and had left my rolloff truck at Denver Regional landfill the night before after a piece of rebar popped up and poked a hole in my oil pan. The field mechanic had gone out and replaced it. My boss Kent and I were riding up toward the working face of the landfill in his pickup so I could go get it as the first plane hit. We were listening to Lewis and Floorwax on the Fox. I got the truck and headed for my first stop, a furniture place off I-25 and 58th. I had to go inside to ask someone to open the gate and me and some lady who was waiting to pick up her new furniture watched on the display TVs as the second plane hit.

 

I had trucked most of the night before to get to Danville,IL. Unloaded that morning and was sneaking my way east on a two lane road that parallels I74 a few miles to the north.. About the state line I turned on the C.B and hear people talking about a plane hitting one of the Towers. I turned on the F.M radio just in time to hear about the second. Listened to the whole thing play out running 41 up to the Windy.
The thing I remember most was fueling up at the old Steel City east of Gary later that day.
Everybody was huddled around the T.V.
Shoulder to shoulder.
Black, White, Mex, Cowboy, or city boy
Everybody was an American and talking about we need to even the score.

 

I was driving an armored car in Henderson, NC. My partner had just finished servicing an ATM when dispatch called on the Nextel (anyone remember those) to inform us that New York was under attack. She had few detail, but the company went on high alert. At our next stop for a bank pick up, my partner returned with news from the bank employees that a plane had hit the one of the trade center buildings. We could not believe what we were being told. My partner was a national guardsman and called his armory and got a lot of details, and was told that the second plane had hit the second tower. We, as well as other crews, worked overtime replenishing ATM's that day as people were withdrawing cash at a rate I'd never seen before. When I finally got to see the videos, I cried.

 

I can still hear the beeping!

 

Almost like somebody planned those two buildings to fall neatly into their own 7 story basements...

 

Hey Guys I started a Thread about this where I would like to collect stories about 9-11 for possible publishing in a book
http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...he-world-stopped-turning.324017/#post-5452171

 

I was in 10th grade science class, my science teacher was a bit of a nut and always in a hyper mood. We sat down in class and she turned the tv on and we watched as the second plane was flown into the second tower. She was crying, and I wasn't mature enough to take in the full scope of the situation. We sat quietly and about an hour later mom picked me up from school.

On the way home we stopped for gas. I sat in the car as I watched everyone at the pumps talking to each other. I had never seen a group of strangers come together and talk to each other like that, nor have I ever since. Looking back at it I often think this is how my grandparents would have reacted during the bombing of pearl harbor, and my mom being even younger than myself during that time. Yes my parents are older.

It's sad that it takes a catastrophe to unite people we live with. The saying, "history is doomed to repeat itself" is something of great value and truth. I often contemplate if this is why people during WW2 were so much more religious than modern day. When all hope is lost we turn to the thoughts of a greater power. Perhaps it's this that puts our minds at ease, the thought that when we lose loved ones, we will someday see them again. I don't look forward to the next major incident we will most likely all see in our lifetimes. I won't forget 9.11 and my heart goes out to all those that still hurt to this day over their loss.

 

I was working on the Flight deck of the USS Constellation. We were headed to San Diego. Someone said a plane had hit the tower. I was thinking it was a Cessna or some other small plane. I walked into flight deck control where they had the news on. Then I saw it was a passenger plane and second one hit.

 

Feel free to cut & paste my post from here, to over there if you feel it has to be over there to contemplate using in a book. My story would be the same.

 

I'm not an experienced trucker but here is what I wrote
Just curios where were most of you on that fateful day?
I was working as a paramedic transporting a critically trauma patient from Terre Haute Indiana to St. Vincent in Indianapolis, we where pumping blood into this guy trying like hell to keep him alive. He met head on with a dump truck who crossed the center line after a long extrication, we where able to free him, (after pronouncing his son dead on scene) and off to the local ER to pick up a nurse and some blood to boogie to the big city. Back then we didn't have readily access to a helicopter so if you needed to get from small town USA to Indianapolis for an injury you got to ride with your friendly paramedic. As we approached Indianapolis International Airport my Squad partner said "Kevin...Not now I'm busy...KEVIN GET YOUR ### UP HERE, I poke my head through the cubby hole and saw that ALL THE PLANES have stopped on the runway and taxi way (VERY UNUSUAL FOR AN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT at 9:30 in the morning,) and their were police cars surrounding them.....Now keep in mind I did not have a working Am/Fm Radio in my ambulance and the 2 planes had already hit the towers...we had NO IDEA...I said keep on driving we will figure it out later. We get to the hospital and their are Military and police personal in full riot gear waiting for us, they escort us inside and we take the person to surgery, where they successfully repair his heart and as far as I know is still alive today. We clean up and call dispatch to advise them we are clear and returning (truck radio won't reach the 110 miles so we use a phone....a WHA????) He said you will be escorted by Indiana State Police back to the station...GET YOUR ### HERE NOW....I asked what was going on..he said we are under attack....So we drive lights and sirens under heavy escort back to base. Where I walk in just in time to see the 2nd tower collapse, and about 10 sec later I did as well. I lost 2 good friends from Truck 10 (Station 10 is a block up the street from the WTC and 1st on scene) and a buddy died in the Pentagon.
Due to personal reasons I was unable to get to NYC to help my brother's and sisters and still suffer from survivor guilt....if you ever watch the videos right after the towers collapse you hear what sounds like whistles and chirps....to the civilian ear that means nothing....TO ME...A firefighter is in distress and needs help that is a PASS DEVICE and automatically activates when a firefighter is motionless for 30 secs alerting the rest of us to the emergency....the problem is....THERE WAS NO ONE THERE TO HELP....


On a Happier note if on Sept 11 2007 at 8:01 am my Daughter came into the world. So now that day is a day of mixed emotions because i rejoice in the fact that I have my daughter here with us. But am saddened that All those people parished because of some cowards.

Sadly I was forced into early retirement due to a traumatic back injury I received while performing a rescue in a 2 story house, and thankfully the Dr. Did a quick 2 step in treating me and making notes that I was denied benefits from the FD...So here I sit as a rent a cop trying to make ends meet...ONE DAY AT A TIME...ONE STEP AT A TIME..

There are days I have trouble getting out of bed, some because of the pain from my injury....Most of it is from the pain that lies in my heart...It's not Cardiac related and no amount of medication will heal the pain. I suffer from PTSD,because of the stuff I have seen and heard and dealt with in my 22+yrs as a FIREFIGHTER/Paramedic(YES IT'S REAL...NO I WILL NOT TELL You the worse thing I have ever seen, I promise you YOU COULDN'T HANDLE IT and why in the hell would I want to relive that anyway)...Stuff for YEARS I had to compress....Yes someone died or lost a house, or lost a loved one...YES WE MOURN WITH YOU...but forgive us if we don't shed a tear, we don't have the luxury of showing emotion because we have to get back on the rig and do it all over again. When we step onto a scene where people are having the WORSE day of their lives...They now when the big red shiny truck rolls up into the drive or at the accident that your bit of HELL is Coming to an END....WE GOT THIS....it is a thank less job...I didn't do it for the thanks or the pats on the back... I didn't write this for that reason other....Just had something on my heart.
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THEN TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE SO OTHER'S MAY LIVE....

ALL GAVE SOME....SOME GAVE ALL

343 GONE NEVER FORGOTTEN REST IN PEACE
5-5-5-5