In Memory....do you remember??

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Mikey the Flower Guy

Mikey the Flower Guy

It's a GREAT DAY to live, and love!
Nov 10, 2002
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Dundas, Ontario, Canada
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of the large loss of life, THIS DAY, Sept 11, 2001.
I wonder if everyone here remembers where they were, when they heard of the callous and despicable act of terrorism against defenseless, and innocent victims of the aircraft, the towers, and the pentagon
 
I remember working here at the shop and Audra calling me to tell me to put the radio on. I thought she was kidding that it was some kind of new book or movie. I couldn't believe it then and I still can't believe that there are some people out there that are that truly evil. I know they believe it is for a cause but this kind of terror does not solve anything. Do we not learn from history at alll? Gudrun
 
It feels like it was just yesterday..Our friends lost their son Josh who worked for Goldman Sachs-their hearts are still broken and lives will never be the same. Josh was to have been married that coming saturday---all that pain times 3,000 people! We must never forget.
 
I remember watching ABC morning news when the first plane hit. They reported it as an accident and were showing live pictures, when the second plane hit.
I remember the reporter stupidly saying (on a crystal-clear day) that maybe there was something wrong with New York's air-traffic control guidance system that was making the planes crash into the World Trade Center, as if the pilots could not control the planes.
I remember my youngest son coming into the room and telling me not to worry that they would bring a helicopter with water and pour it into the fire and it would go out.
I remember when the first tower collapsed. I will never forget that. When the second one collapsed, I was more or less expecting it.
I remember driving to work and seeing the black smoke rising from downtown Manhattan and wondering how many people had perished.
I remember being stopped at a traffic light and watching the seeming enless stream of fire trucks rushing towards the towers, full of men, young and old, who would never come back.
I remember the next day driving over the Verrazano bridge, looking towards Manhattan and it feeling so strange not seeing the two towers there.
I remember how proud I felt about our mayor, Rudy.
I remeber how proud I felt about our President, George W., standing on the rubbles with our fire-fighters.
I remember how proud I felt to be a New Yorker.
 
As I watched the a.m news shows today I said to a friend "Get over it...it is history". I watched the link.......in my kitchen hangs a banner given to my husband last Christmas..."A firefighter is a hero not for what he does...but what he may have to do". I have lived with a firefighter for 30 years (in 4 days, 30 yrs)......I have seen him completely distraught at the loss of a life, held him in time of pain and sorrow, smiled and laughed with him in times of great joy. I am very humbled and realize.........it is not history...it is OUR TIME and pray to the good Lord it never be repeated. Thank you for the reality
 
The Most Peaceful Place On My Earth

I was driving north to Longwood Gardens for a design class. I owned the flowershop on Dover Air Force Base at the time. My Best friend was a DJ for a ClearChannel (EVIL EMPIRE) radio station. They had a REAL JERK working the morning show with her. I was hearing all this while while in the last few miles of my trip & remember thinking "Bird you're gonna piss people off with this one for sure!!! Fine, Reprimand, the works" I remember thinksing "Maybe they will finally fire this arsehole" Until SHE came on. Three of us gals vacationed together, had dinner 2 x a week at least, we were almost like the Sex in the City gang. I heard her voice & LOST it! I knew this was no joke. My best friend had just told me what happened with the composure she had to have professionally to do her job. She did an amazing job without scaring anyone more than we already were. the 2nd tower had just been hit! I sat there dazed for a few & decided to go into the Continuing Ed Bldging for some water. By the time I made it in they told me about the Pentagon. I had some real friends there, A retired Commador who was like a dad to me, a few of my fast squadron commanders who had just left DAFB to go to the Pentagon the previous month. I ran to the office and begged to use the phone to call my shop. no getting thru there. AN IDEA!! Quick I dialed my 800# It was routed thru Arkanas, HOORAY!!! I can't believe that calling out on the east coast I GOT THRU! my only words to my staff that day was GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE & GET YOUR KIDS! DAFB is a SuperPort. We ship everything out to the military world that leaves the East Coast. I had worked in that shop since I was in HS and grewup outside its gates. I know how integral it is to most military operations. It took me 4 hours to get home being given directions from a friend on cell taking me through developments & farms staying off the gridlocked main highways from Philly south to Delaware.


Later that day I had to go get my register & Comp database from the shop. Drove to the gate "NO ADMITANCE"... Guys on gate looked at me & said... "Barbei your going to USO office RIGHT??" Why YES I AM! so they let me on since I am a USO member & work closely with the director. I was going there anyway when I was done stopping by the shop on my way actually. Parking where I had for 14 years I walked across the lot... it was the most eerie sound I'd ever heard. The sound of silence on that base. Beautiful blue sky with a brisk wind. But even the birds were in shock. Every military member had guns on them and then noise broke the air. A Hughy flying into the mortuary, DAFB had sprung to call of duty. It still does weekly but no one seems to notice or talk or even care. DAFB has the largest Mortuary in the United States Military Service. We handle all of the fallen heros homecomings it is a bittersweet honor. Now there is the homecomings for each one done under the cover of night. No one talks about it. No mention in our local News that EVERY ONE of the 1000+ military members have come to Dover. Now they do it most of times in middle of the night normally at 2 a.m. It took me untl this summer to even shed a tear over everything since Sept. 11 2004. I was too busy working with the USO. I haven't stepped foot on the tarmac since the early summer. It's gone on too long we will have been at war for too LONG this Oct 7. My Military family gave me a birthday present of starting the bombing on my birthday, Oct 7. I am done with my present, how do I turn it off? Too many have died and not enough has been accomplished. Please, turn it off!
 
Too many have died indeed!
But if we turn it off, will they stop?
We did not have it "on" when they attacked the twin towers, did we?
We didn't have it "on" when they perpetuated the first attack on the twin towers, did we?
We did not have it "on" every time they have attacked innocent civilians, did we?
What makes you think that if we turn it "off" now, they will do the same?
Or should we just turn it "off" anyhow, and just wait until another "September 11th" happens to turn it back on?
 
Our actions are not working. We have not gotten to the root of the evil. they are like roaches. They have scattered and a reforming while we are being blown up by people who do not want us there because they are the common folk, not the insurgents who wants some semblance of non-war life. I get 3 calls a week from 3 friends who are over there. 2 are in special forces one is an armored vehicle ops man for Army. These people started out as customers in my flowershop. I have handed USO Comfort kits to a man that I stood on the tarmac as his buddies carried him home to his family. Thats when I stopped being able to handle doing "HR" duty as they call it. Any of you who wish I will make the arrangements to have you come out after your cleared for it. I will return to the tarmac once more with you. I served lunch to the gangs who had to ID the bodies from the Pentagon. I have held the hands of the familys in the VIP lounge at the Airal Port while we wait for the planes carrying their loved ones until the military said they could no longer meet them on the tarmac and be there when they touch American soil. I fully understand the loss of life we as a country have suffered. I do not see where this war continuing will make us any safer. We need to drop back & regroup. We need to re-evaluate our work in the "KITTY LITTER BOX". Some call it the Sand Box but most of the troops I know & love call it the "Kitty Litter Box" A sandbox you play in a kitty litter box you get shyte on! - their words not mine. We need to drop back & come up with another plan of action. In the words of my delivery driver Howard, Ret Army Ranger Sgt-Mjr "let's not make this another Veitnam" I am not saying to cower & return I am saying we need to try another plan, this ones not working as well as we thought in the beginning!
 
I was standing in line to buy a cup off coffee in a mini mart not 5 miles from the flight school in Florida where some of the terrorists were trained to fly the jets. The mini mart was run by a group of "arabs" There was a TV on and the news was showing the first tower. The "arabs" were standing there laughing and pointing at the TV, I don't speak their language so I don't know what they were saying.

In my opinion, we should get out of Iraq, cut off ALL trade with that country, kick all of their people out of our country and let them kill each other. And that goes for the rest of the "kiity litter box" countries as well. Let the whole region implode on them selves.

Jim
 
WHat we remember!

It is amazing what we remember on a day like Sept. 11, 2001. I was working on a funeral at the store. It may have been about the fifth in a row of 11 people that month. I had a custoemr coming in to tell me about the attack of the whole trade centre. I went next door to borrow the television they had, plug it in to my cable and watched over and over the planes hitting the world trade centre and the towers crumpling down like match sticks.
All day and a few days afterword we had the televison on for up dates.
Many people where affected about this directly and indirectly. Even my wife after a few days she could not watch any more reports. We all felt sick to our stomach to watch happen. Many many store , felt a loss of sales because people where staying at home. Physically and mentally drained by everythingwe managed to do our work for those families who where greiving on the loss of their own family members in Elliot Lake.
This is not going to be a date that no one will ever forget and how it happen.

Luc
 
The part I remember the most is watching the crowds futilely try to outrun the dust clouds that filled NYC after the towers fell. Just seeing the huge wall of dust and debris swallow people as they fled or hid under cars or in doorways - such a helpless feeling.

Ryan
 
You know, I think there were flower shops in the World Trade Centers.
I wonder how they made out. Usually they are located on the first floor, so maybe they got out before the collapse.

One of my customers had his shop 3 blocks away. I vividly remember his account of that day. How he went outside after the first plane hit. How he heard and saw the second plane fly overhead before it struck the second tower. The collapse of the first tower and what that dust was carrying. How he gave refuge to some of the people running away from the collapse in his shop. We spoke for almost an hour acouple of days after it happened. Of course, he lost his business for a while. No phones, no electricity. Still, after they were restored, he could not work there anymore and moved his business to Brooklyn. I think he stops by here once in a while. Maybe he can share his recollection of that day with us. He was really close to it.
 
I see they have moved to Pine St., in the Wall St. area.
I guess they got out and were able to re-start their business.
Nice to know.
While in high school, I had a summer job with a sugar and cocoa company that was located on Pine St. Very narrow street as I recall, even for the Wall Street area.
 
I heard a bulletin on the radio , saying a jumbo airliner had slammed into the world trade center , and the tower was on fire, being a history buff , and remembering the airforce plane that hit the empire state building in 1947 , there was a no fly zone over manhattan. I ran next door to my landlords and asked him to flick on the tv , within 2 minutes we watched the second plane slam into the other tower, we both automatically knew no accident , had to be an act of terrorism , stunned silence watching the box until the towers collapsed.
 
Horrified

Ever since I moved into the city from living in the country, I've had a hard time sleeping through the nights. It's like I have a mild case of insomnia - that day was no exception. It was my day off and I was awake early earlier and I was hoping that the monotone of the CNN announcers voices would make me sleepy when they broke in live.

So I sat there in my trackpants and t-shirt drinking a cup of chai tea staring at the towers and yelled for my then-fiance to wake up. History has taught me that things like that are rarely ever accidents so I knew what I was looking at. I called the shop to talk to my mom and I called our best friend. We were watching as the rest of it unfolded - Dan went to the store to get 'provisions' because we knew we were going to be glued to the tv for the rest of the day. Dan works for NCO but at the time it was RMH Telemarketing and they did client work for JP Morgan and Chase - both of which were in the Towers. The center here came to a complete standstill. While we were talking about that - I realized something. I have a very good friend who was working for ABC (the Network) and I suddenly realized that her estranged husband worked in the Towers. That began an agonizing three days when we didn't know if he was alive or not. We were lucky, turned out that Jeff got out of the building - he had some training that was helpful afterward so he volunteered. He just didn't stop to think that his friends and ex would be franticly looking for signs of him. I wasn't alone, one of my best friends (who lives in Toronto) was going as crazy as we were. His sister worked in Tower 2 and he hadn't heard from her - she was lucky she got out.

What do I remember most about the day? At one point in the day, after about seven hours of replays, I couldn't handle it anymore and I went out onto the balcony. It was a glorious fall day, the weather was warm and clear and I remember looking up at that glorious blue sky - without seeing any vapor trails.

Audra
 
It is a date that will live in "infamy" for all who were witness to the horror.

I must admit to taking this September 11th and 12th, and reclaiming it as my own day of finding beauty. I took my camera, and walked through the park along the Thames, and Hawk Cliff. I banned CNN and CBC from my world on these days. I paid hommage to those who fell in my own way.

I too would like to see the end of the war in Iraq. CBC, last week, pointed out how a thousand U.S. soldiers have been lost in this fight. They then pointed out that 11,000 Iraqi's have lost their lives... most of them civilians. It's all bad.

V
 
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