9/11 Remembrance Thread for Bills Fans

[EasternOHBillsFan]

PLEASE have respect for those who have been lost and who has been affected by not turning this into a political circus. Thank you.

 

I'll start it off... my personal thoughts on this day:

 

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, I was on the USS Wasp in Norfolk, VA to do an antenna installation on the mast of the ship. When we went into the maintenance shop, there was footage of a plane flying into the towers, and then a live feed of the second one, which I assumed was for some movie but quickly found out it wasn't. We had to race to the base exit in order to not get trapped on base, missing the complete shutdown by 5 minutes. I reported back to my command, and we stayed on our site for several hours before going home. Soon after I volunteered for the Auxiliary Security Force and spent 7 months working with called up reservists standing duty on the gates and on our shore. It was a very insane time, but it was what happened after that affected me the most.

 

Due to 9/11, we entered the theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan. Several people I knew went to those areas and worked- including all of the SEAL team members I worked with (I was support comms). One of those men, Nathan Hardy, whom I served with on the USS Harry S. Truman in the gulf, died while on mission. THAT is the after effect of this tragedy, the military men and women who have been lost. I remember the good times and how much life he had, and to lose just one person is too many. I had no idea that by the end of the decade, thousands upon thousands of my brothers and sisters of all services would be wiped away, and it angers me inside- all totally unnecessary, for what?????

 

THAT is what 9/11 means to me, and I can't take the flags and the songs and the speeches because I have to turn away and reflect... I can't think about it, because it kills me inside. Words could never express what we have truly lost.

Edited September 11, 2011 by BmoreBills

[Bills!Win!]

There are less evil men in the world today and those who were responsible for the attacks on 9/11 have been taken out because of your brothers/sisters in arms. My heart goes out to people like that and they pay the ultimate price for our freedom.

 

I personally believe America is alot safer and more prepared against attacks then it was 10 years ago today

[plenzmd1]

A sincere thanks to all on this board who have served or have family that has served in our military in any capacity..much braver men and women than I.

 

My memories of the day..was my daughters first day of preschool..and I said she is going, these !@#$s are not going to change our lives..that is what they want. On the way..news of the Pentagon attack, as long as more reports of something going on in downtown Washington..we turned around right as we pulled in as we lived in DC at the time.

 

Next hearing such a loud noise outside when only two or three planes were left in the air..oh lord, its another attack..turns out it was a scrabled F-16 on patrol and flying low..holy **** could this really be happening???

[miserable_fan]

God bless all those affected.

 

I'm Canadian so I haven't been affected first hand like most of you, but I'll never forget where I was during 9/11. I can only imagine what some people had to go through on that day, and the collateral damage that ensued.

[FluffHead]

I try not to think of this anniversary as a sad day. Today our nation remembers a day in which lives and a nation of innocence were lost. We celebrate unity and service. The togetherness this melting pot of a country shows in difficult times is a beautiful thing.

 

Today I hope fans of all NFL teams recognize each other as Americans rather than enemy fans. I LOVE THE USA

[notwoz]

Good post. A lot of good souls and fine people were taken from us because of that day. Let's not forget to say a prayer, or spend a few moments in silent reflection, today.

[Mark80]

Thank a fire fighter or police officer today. They literally ran into hell to do anything they could to help strangers and I'm sure your local officials would do the exact same thing if an event required it.

[Slack_in_MA]

And use today's remembrance to help keep pro football wins and losses in their proper perspective. GO BILLS!

[The Poojer]

for all of our differences, 9/11 showed the strength and resilience of our country...people pulled together like we always do.

[CowgirlsFan]

Thank you for starting this thread! A toast to you!!

Great people like you are why I am on this message board

and NOT one for my team!

 

God Bless America!!!! USA USA!!!!!!!

[zevo]

I remember the day like it was yesterday....at the time i was a college sophomore and getting ready to attend Chemistry Lab at UB....I really couldn't comprehend what was going on....I remember all classes being canceled and I headed back home....I remember looking up at the sky while driving home as if I was anticipating seeing a bomb or something to that affect being dropped.....I was young and naive.....as I sit here 10 years removed from that day, the emotions hit me harder as I watched the specials being broadcasted on the networks....I cannot imagine the terror that those innocent people on those planes felt. It really hit me when I listened to the conversations that people aboard those planes had with their loved ones....knowing that today was the day they were going to die and could do nothing about it....I cannot imagine. I became very angry when they showed the evil faces of the animals that were responsible for these attacks. I was listening to the sean hannity show the other day and there was a fill in host....she really painted a picture of the horror of that day....Most of those innocent people woke up that day....had their cup of coffee....kissed their kids good-bye and headed off the work at the World Trade Center....None of them thought that today was the day that they would have to choose between burning to their death or falling to their death....again I can't even comprehend.....Its just an unbelievably sad day. I know Im just rambling thoughts but I pray that the Good Lord is taking care of these victims and their families!!!

[Just Jack]

I was working for the county doing computer support. Our office was across the hall from the Emergency Operations Center. The EOC director came over and told us a plane had hit the WTC and did we want to see. We walk over and right as we walk into his office I see the second plane hit. But I can't comprehend what I'm seeing, since at that point is was an accident. Spent the next several hours between his office, my office, and the EOC. Phones ringing off the hook, Directors, Supervisors coming down, even increased security. We were in such a remote location and everyone knew everyone that was supposed to work there that we weren't bothering to wear ID badges. It was primary day that day, and I remember wishing the mayor good luck, he told me they'd probably stop the voting that day. Saw several live reports done that day with the County Exec, the Mayor, and others done. The rest of the week was spent in a daze.

 

I also remember TBD being very active, the 2nd Annual Tailgate had been just the weekend before, and it seemed everyone was checking in to find out if members we knew lived/worked in NYC were okay. Plus sharing info back and forth. I wish those pages and pages of posts were saved somewhere.

 

Next hearing such a loud noise outside when only two or three planes were left in the air..oh lord, its another attack..turns out it was a scrabled F-16 on patrol and flying low..holy **** could this really be happening???

I lived near the airport, and you're right about the sound. For the days afterwards I could easily hear the jets taking off. Also had a reserve center nearby and I hear the military men/women jogging down my street early in the morning.

[KD in CA]

We all owe a major debt of gratitude to first responders, cops, firemen and military members for their personal sacrifice in response to the the 9-11 attacks and many other less dramatic events.

 

 

I was in my office early that morning @ Park Place and Church, about 2 blocks from the North Tower; heard the first plane coming and thought 'Why the hell is that guy buzzing the skyline?'. If I had looked out my north-facing window, I would have seen it flying past a split second before I heard and felt the impact.

 

After the 2d plane hit, I made a beeline for GCT and caught one of the last trains out of the city before everything shut down. Spent the next 8 hours sitting at a bar in CT with a buddy at an outside table far away from the television.

Edited September 11, 2011 by KD in CT

[Captain Hindsight]

I was only 13 years old when 9/11 occured. They used to have a TV on in the lobby of my school and i remember thinking that its was odd those TVs were off that day. In 8th period my teacher mentioned that "something was happening in NYC, Rest assured we are safe here." I had no idea what he was talking about. When i got off the bus my mom litteraly grabbed me and told me she loved me with tears in her eyes. I was confused and scared by that and asked her what was going on. She led me into the family room and I saw the replays played over and over and over. I didnt believe it. That doesnt happen here. I have never been more scared in my life as I was watching those images. To this day, i can't watch anything about 9/11 without feeling that chill and my fear come back. Looking back, that is when I, and so many kids in America lost our innocence.

 

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has lost something. I know I'll be teary eyed watching the National Anthem today.

 

God Bless all of you

[CountDorkula]

I was unsure of what quote would fit best so I used both.

 

"I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature." ~John D. Rockefeller

 

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." ~Winston Churchill

 

 

I was 14 at the time. I remember sitting in English class with Mr. Tut when the news first struck. I never will forget that feeling when I first saw the planes hit that building. I thank all of the firefighters, police officers, adn any person who helped and fought back that day!

 

May the souls of the innocent RIP, yet let them live in honor and be our emotion to continue on and fight everyday. The terrorist DID NOT, and WILL NOT win. We have overcome this. They have not taken our will to live and fight, they have only made it stronger.

[Astrobot]

This was just posted on Twitter. I love the cleats our boys (at least one) will wear during the game. Hope the NFL elects not to fine them.

[Spun]

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning my clock radio would wake me at 5:30 am so I could get a workout in before my History class at San Diego State. I was listening to KNX, the L.A. news station when it first came across. I immediately went to the TV. Having been to NYC numerous times and across the street from the towers gazing up about a half mile, I knew how serious things were. After my first view of the TV, my initial impression was that they would never put that fire out. Then the other plane came in. Ironically, my class was The History of Foreign Policy. My instructor started class by saying that "days like today are why we study foreign policy". I was surprised that we even had class. In my notes I wrote "why are we having class today?". Minutes later class was dismissed and the campus closed.

 

A few years afterward, I met up with one of my sisters in L.A. My sister had attended Fordham and NYU but was living in Philly on 9/11. During the L,A visit, one of my sister's NYC friends joined us for Thanksgiving dinner. This friend had worked in the South Tower but was late for work that morning. That is why she was still alive. She came up from the subway not knowing what had happened as it was all falling around her. I believe her employer was Fuji Bank which was way up around the 80th floor. She was from Japan. She lost a number of her co-workers. She was so rattled by that morning. I think she left the country.

 

In sport many of us view NYC as rivals. In New York State, Albany is our capital. But NYC is our cultural capital. I wish some more of what is right about NYC would make it's way over to the struggling city of Buffalo. Together with NYC, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, PA., we are one. To those who were lost we are one. To those who have served and currently serve in our armed forces we are one with you also.

[Just Jack]

This was just posted on Twitter. I love the cleats our boys (at least one) will wear during the game. Hope the NFL elects not to fine them.

There will be no fines....

 

http://news.yahoo.com/nfl-lets-players-wear-sept-11-cleats-gloves-001805277.html

 

Apparently Reebok sent these to the players without clearing it with the NFL first. So players were tweeting/commenting they didn't care about getting fined, they were going to wear them anyways. The NFL had no choice I feel at that point, but to allow it.

[Guffalo]

 

 

I also remember TBD being very active, the 2nd Annual Tailgate had been just the weekend before, and it seemed everyone was checking in to find out if members we knew lived/worked in NYC were okay. Plus sharing info back and forth. I wish those pages and pages of posts were saved somewhere.

 

 

I had been at that tailgate, after flying back to NY we flew over the Trade center that night. The next day I had a golf outing and I had a chance to golf with a guy I knew Pat O'Shea. After the outing I went home and had a call from a buddy Rob who wanted me to come over for MNF, I declined since my body was pretty stressed from the extended weekend of partying. I went to work, but had to help a house guest get to port authority. As everything unfolded I took it all in, the next morning, with no idea what was next I wrote this and posted it on this board:

 

I almost feel ashamed looking at this board, since football is far from my

mind right now, but my home page is TBD...

 

When I was on my way to work yesterday, I was on the #1 express from Penn

down to WTC, at 14th a couple got on and said they saw a plane hit the trade

center, I figured it was a light plane, and continued on. There was an

announcement by the conductor that said "Due to a fire at WTC there will be

no service to Cortland ave (in the wtc), I got out at chambers street and

started walking..as I turned around to face the north tower I saw people

just string up in awe..there was a hole in the tower with smoke and flames,

I asked some guy what happened and he said, he saw the plane go in.. and

then he said 15 minutes later the other tower exploded.. (we were on the

north side so he didn't see the 2nd plane , only the impact)

 

I tried my cell phone (no good) so I tried to find a pay phone , I thought

of my wife wondering if I was in there, and just the worry that the rest of

the family would have when they heard..I was able to get through to her

voice mail, and then I called our office on 36th st ( I am a consultant

assigned to 4 WTC since last September). The office wanted me to try to

locate another employee, and we started using my cell phone with the two way

radio feature.

 

I started looping around to the east of the buildings, trying to find my

co-worker, as I walked near the post office, I saw debris and broken

concrete, small puddles of blood, shoes ,lots of shoes and I picked up a

warm hunk of metal ( I have no idea why) it was almost hot and it was heavy

and it was oily or greasy... I dropped it when I saw a wheel or turbine that

was 20 feet away, high density aluminum about 6 feet wide....

 

Using my radio to my boss, I kept chatter back and forth and kept moving

towards where I figured Marcia would be (we went through the bombing in 93

and had always said, head for the water by the Seaport).

 

Police were busy on Church so I moved to Broadway by J&R Music and continued

the radio chatter with my boss, he said Marcia had not checked in yet, keep

looking, he also told me he saw video of the 2nd plane as it went in, he

said it had been hijacked as well as the first one, he also told be about

the Pentagon being hit.

 

I had worked my way to Nassau street, a pedestrian mall about 3 blocks east

of the towers. My radio was quirky, sometimes the frequency was jammed,

sometimes you could get through, so I told my boss I was going to keep it on

once I get a signal. As I was walking up Nassau I left the center of the

street and stayed along the storefronts, I was talking to Doug and he heard

me say "Oh @#$%^! something's happening, oh my God something went off", and

he could hear the rumbling as the first tower went down, I felt a shock wave

and wind rush as I ducked into a doorway (from the narrow street you could

not see the tower) I knew that one of them had fallen and I assumed it had

toppled over like a domino, not the gentle slide that I saw later.

 

The dust and debris cloud came next as I peered out of the doorway the cloud

came east towards the Nassau area, I started sprinting north and got one

block, as I looked over my left shoulder I saw a huge cloud of debris/dust

coming our way, as we ran I saw a woman fall, someone slowed down to help

and they were trampled ( I know I should have stopped, but I was thinking

about wife, kids etc, and she went down pretty hard) As I rounded the corner

near Beekman Hospital emergency personnel were waving us away I zigged

through the waiting stretchers, and headed to the Seaport, I slowed down to

catch my breath....

The smoke/debris cloud was covering us with something that was making me

choke and burning my eyes, it looked like snow... I started towards the

Brooklyn Bridge, but I was afraid that if the other tower went it may drop

towards us, so I started to go towards Chinatown. As I was walking I

remembered my radio.. the (last transmission I sent was Oh my God and the

rumbling in the background) when I finally got through my boss was excited,

he thought I was a goner.

 

A woman stopped be and asked to borrow the phone, I told her there were no

calls in or out, she then started wandering back towards the site and I

stopped her and asked what she was doing, "I have to get my pocketbook" I

said that would not be a great idea, and I asked her where she lives, we

were going the same way and started walking together, we saw a cab (empty)

so we got in and the driver said "I'm only going north" (well hello....that

was an understatement, who the hell wants to go back there!!!)

 

In the cab, Doug (boss) confirmed that the tower had fallen, we looked back

and saw the new skyline with just one tower standing up. A short time later

Doug asked where we were, I told him in a cab, and he told us the second

tower just went down, we looked out the back window of the cab as the debris

and smoke filled the air in the distance.

 

We were up to the village, and I saw the Empire State building looming in

the distance.. I told the driver to stop and let me out, the girl (Valerie)

said why get out now??? I pointed to the building/target and said"what would

be the next landmark to get hit??

 

I got out and gave the girl some money for the cab , she insisted on paying

me back and made me give her my card ( amazing at a time like this the

etiquette thing still remains in some people).

 

I started west to avoid the Empire State Building and went around it to get

to our office located 2 blocks north of the ESB. I got upstairs and changed,

called the wife ( she heard my voice cracking on the messages and she cried

every time she heard news of my progress)

 

We watched the news as others straggled in (Marcia had gotten up there too).

Once they opened the Long Island Rail Road, I left and got on and headed

home..

 

I never figured out whose shoes those were..

 

I am home now, and I suggest the following:

Don't complain about doing your kids homework.

Say I love you whenever possible

Try to keep in touch with your loved ones,

 

 

God Bless us all

 

Guff

[BuffaloBud]

Guff - remember your posts and how I was hanging by every word. Tried to find it in the archives, but I guess they don't go back that far. Remember my wife asking me if everything was going to be ok when we got home and I said that we would, but it wouldn't be the same as the day before.

 

Road in a local bike ride and had my US Marine bike jersey on. Had many people comment on the appropriateness of it.