11 September 2001
Discussion
Today is 11 September 2024. It the anniversary of the horrendous event at The World Trade Centre, New York, 23 years ago. 295 of my work colleagues died that day. So, for me, as always on this day, part of today will be set aside for quiet reflection. I’ll be thinking about those colleagues, where I was at the time (Aruba, on holiday), how I spent most of the day watching the horrific events unfold with several USA couples on their honeymoons, and thinking too about the colleagues from the UK who were in NY and who due to last minute changes had a near miss. There’s many stories I could tell, but that’s for another day.
God rest my colleagues’ souls.
R.
God rest my colleagues’ souls.
R.
I still remember it like it was yesterday.
A work colleague of mine at the time lost her sister.
We subsequently lost over 450 British service members in Afghanistan, which many forget about.
Many more seriously injured.
I visited ground zero in 2003 and again in 2023, very different experiences both times as one was before the memorial the other after.
A work colleague of mine at the time lost her sister.
We subsequently lost over 450 British service members in Afghanistan, which many forget about.
Many more seriously injured.
I visited ground zero in 2003 and again in 2023, very different experiences both times as one was before the memorial the other after.
mickythefish said:
It is a very sad day I agree, but for me what was worse was the legacy left in the middle east based on lies. I think was was even more sadder the CIA knew something was going to happen but never shared the information with the FBI.
~ 3000 killed in the attack. Hundreds of thousands killed in the consequential conflicts and regional destabilisation. At least Bin Laden got his.You can trace the causality of the whole thing back further, though, through the Cold War and WWII and beyond as far back as you want to go.
I've only visited NY once and that was in 2008. Due to a last minute change in flights I had to find another hotel for our first night, so we ended up staying in the Millenium Hilton which had been extensively damaged in 2001. Our room overlooked ground zero, which at that time was two large holes in the ground. I had watched the events of 2001 unfold on the TVs at work and it was brought home to me the amount of devastation, to people and property, that had occurred.
The world changed that day. After the wall fell in '89, and the subsequent breakup of the USSR, the 90's felt like such a positive time (perhaps, my age played a part too). No longer did we have to fear annihilation in an instant, and the 'peace dividend' and Blair's SDR was in full effect. Even NI was quietening down. I left the Army in '99, it didn't seem like there was much of a need for warfighting anytime soon.
September 11 2001 was a rude awakening and reminded us all that we cannot take peace for granted. There are, and will always be those who wish us harm, and to let down our guard is a huge mistake. The GWOT which followed effected all of us, and shaped our lives whether we know it or not. What makes it worse was the appalling fate we left for many of those who had helped us during 20 years of operations with the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, completely undoing what little good work may have been achieved and resulted in the place no better off than before we started. But hey, at least my LMT shares 40x'd.
RIP to all those whose fate was decided on that day, whether they died in the towers, or in some s
tty sandpit years later.
September 11 2001 was a rude awakening and reminded us all that we cannot take peace for granted. There are, and will always be those who wish us harm, and to let down our guard is a huge mistake. The GWOT which followed effected all of us, and shaped our lives whether we know it or not. What makes it worse was the appalling fate we left for many of those who had helped us during 20 years of operations with the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, completely undoing what little good work may have been achieved and resulted in the place no better off than before we started. But hey, at least my LMT shares 40x'd.
RIP to all those whose fate was decided on that day, whether they died in the towers, or in some s
tty sandpit years later.I've only visited NY twice, in 2001 and 2003.
Just by chance in June 2001 after visiting the Statue of Liberty I decided to visit the top of the WTC after which I visited the Shopping Mall below, had a coffee, and got the subway uptown. The scale of the complex and the towers, their destruction and subsequent loss of life still plays on my mind.
When I went back in 2003, I visited Ground Zero and it was an eerie and very emotional experience.
Just by chance in June 2001 after visiting the Statue of Liberty I decided to visit the top of the WTC after which I visited the Shopping Mall below, had a coffee, and got the subway uptown. The scale of the complex and the towers, their destruction and subsequent loss of life still plays on my mind.
When I went back in 2003, I visited Ground Zero and it was an eerie and very emotional experience.
otolith said:
~ 3000 killed in the attack. Hundreds of thousands killed in the consequential conflicts and regional destabilisation. At least Bin Laden got his.
You can trace the causality of the whole thing back further, though, through the Cold War and WWII and beyond as far back as you want to go.
Well it was specifically the CIA knew an attack via planes was coming yet never shared the information. You don't have to go back in time much further than 2000 for that.You can trace the causality of the whole thing back further, though, through the Cold War and WWII and beyond as far back as you want to go.
The fact most of the terrorists were Saudis, yet nothing happened to that country, even allowed to break no fly zone, because of the big trading deals, smacks a bit as well
I remember the day this happened really clearly, we got a bking at work as we were all on the Internet and took the Internet banking down. We were also on standby to be evacuated due to proximity to a large regional airport.
Went to NYC for the first time in 2004 and went to ground zero, the atmosphere was markedly different from the rest of the city there. Again in 2006, and stayed in the Millennium Hilton with my room overlooking Ground Zero. Last visit was in 2017 and seeing the total transformation and the memorials which I found really moving.
As said above, the world changed that day in so many ways.
king at work as we were all on the Internet and took the Internet banking down. We were also on standby to be evacuated due to proximity to a large regional airport. Went to NYC for the first time in 2004 and went to ground zero, the atmosphere was markedly different from the rest of the city there. Again in 2006, and stayed in the Millennium Hilton with my room overlooking Ground Zero. Last visit was in 2017 and seeing the total transformation and the memorials which I found really moving.
As said above, the world changed that day in so many ways.
Could have been yesterday. Landed into Uk from Dulles on the 11th, arrived into the office just as the first reports of a light aircraft had hit the tower. We just watched it unfold all day. Have been in and around the US for decades, nothing changed the dynamic of a nation as this did in my lifetime. RIP.
Chilling memories.
I worked in an typical City based open plan office, and remember everyone was crowded together under the TV's watching the updates on BBC news in total silence.
I usually keep random momento on my travel, and I still have a box of matches from "Window of the World" from the restaurant at the top of the Twin Tower. (Yeah I smoked in my early days, and you could smoke in the restaurant many years ago!)
I worked in an typical City based open plan office, and remember everyone was crowded together under the TV's watching the updates on BBC news in total silence.
I usually keep random momento on my travel, and I still have a box of matches from "Window of the World" from the restaurant at the top of the Twin Tower. (Yeah I smoked in my early days, and you could smoke in the restaurant many years ago!)
Remember it clearly.
Thankfully my FIL had flown on from Boston to NYC 24 hours before and was in New Jersey when it happened. He and his colleagues watched it from their hotel.
He remains completely unaffected by what he saw - in fact he made everyone get back to work to focus their minds and prevent panic.
Thankfully my FIL had flown on from Boston to NYC 24 hours before and was in New Jersey when it happened. He and his colleagues watched it from their hotel.
He remains completely unaffected by what he saw - in fact he made everyone get back to work to focus their minds and prevent panic.
The Rotrex Kid said:
I’ve visited the local memorial for Rick Rescorla a few times over the years. He was born locally and died in the attacks whilst trying to save others. I don’t think I’ll make it this year but he’s in my thoughts along with all of the others.
Just read an article about him in today's Falmouth Packet. What a guy!mickythefish said:
otolith said:
~ 3000 killed in the attack. Hundreds of thousands killed in the consequential conflicts and regional destabilisation. At least Bin Laden got his.
You can trace the causality of the whole thing back further, though, through the Cold War and WWII and beyond as far back as you want to go.
Well it was specifically the CIA knew an attack via planes was coming yet never shared the information. You don't have to go back in time much further than 2000 for that.You can trace the causality of the whole thing back further, though, through the Cold War and WWII and beyond as far back as you want to go.
The fact most of the terrorists were Saudis, yet nothing happened to that country, even allowed to break no fly zone, because of the big trading deals, smacks a bit as well
I heard about it on the car radio as I drove into town, the initial reports were just a single aircraft hitting a tower so I thought it was a re-run of the incident in the 1930's(??) when someone hit the empire state building with a light aircraft.
The bank had the TV on showing the first airliner hitting the tower and as others have posted my thoughts were 'The world has just changed' and I finally understood what people meant when they talked about not forgetting where you were when hearing that Kennedy had been shot.
The bank had the TV on showing the first airliner hitting the tower and as others have posted my thoughts were 'The world has just changed' and I finally understood what people meant when they talked about not forgetting where you were when hearing that Kennedy had been shot.
otolith said:
mickythefish said:
otolith said:
~ 3000 killed in the attack. Hundreds of thousands killed in the consequential conflicts and regional destabilisation. At least Bin Laden got his.
You can trace the causality of the whole thing back further, though, through the Cold War and WWII and beyond as far back as you want to go.
Well it was specifically the CIA knew an attack via planes was coming yet never shared the information. You don't have to go back in time much further than 2000 for that.You can trace the causality of the whole thing back further, though, through the Cold War and WWII and beyond as far back as you want to go.
The fact most of the terrorists were Saudis, yet nothing happened to that country, even allowed to break no fly zone, because of the big trading deals, smacks a bit as well
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