Thread: 9-11

Well actually it is today.

We've flown American flags all over the Victory Base Complex in honor of selected people back home.

I'll never forget that day. I was in my office at the Maintenance and Engineering Center for American Airlines. I was an FAA Liaison Officer my day started out like most any other.

Routine phone calls, maintenance reports, a half-dozen inquiries from the FAA principle Inspectors about some anonymous customer complaint because they thought the lavatory toilet flush was too loud. My secretary was busy shuffling through the stack of faxes that had arrived the night before.

At 08:47AM I was actually talking to a mechanic about credited experience he could apply to acquire his A&P License when my secretary came rushing in. "One of our planes just flew into the World Trade Center!"

I was speechless. It was surreal. For what seemed like minutes (allthough it was actually milliseconds) my mind battled as it tried to process this information. It was inconceivable. A bad joke perhaps? misinformation? What possible mechanical malfunction could take place that would cause the pilot to hit a building? All these and much more rushed through my head as I ran to our MOC (Maintenance Operations Center).

MOC has a very distinct "Mission Control" feel to it. The room encompasses a comfortable 3500 square feet. The entire floor is ramped at an upward slope starting low on the front row and raising in gradual increments to the back. Lining the floor in even rows are technician stations manned by some of the most professional Maintenance, Avionics and Engineering experts in their field. Each person sits before workstation that looks like something out of Star Trek. Multiple monitors and hot keys arrayed in an ergonomic fashion to facilitate the most efficient means to navigate the myriad of functions and commands the operators have at their disposal. Each one has the ability to link into any aircraft in the world. From their desk the operator can see the altitude, airspeed, attitude, pitch, roll, engine thrust %, EGT, Avionics display... hell they can tell you which lavatory is in use and whether the lights are on or not. Sort of like a Real-Time remote control EKG for the aircraft. We can see everything the computers and instrumentation see.

On the wall at the front of the room was a 12x12 foot flat panel display comprised of multiple monitors arranged and interfaced to they could either display individual broadcasts, or be merged into one giant TV. There they were, the Twin Towers. One was on fire.

At the 767 desk the operator sat in horror staring at the "vital signs" for flight 11. There was nothing. No readings at all. The Manager on duty continued to try and raise the Captain by radio and ICAS (Indicating Crew Alerting System - it's like a fax machine on the aircraft that sounds an alarm and prints short emergency messages to alert aircrew). Nothing.

We stood there and watched the TV helplessly, still trying to get our minds around what the hell could have gone wrong. Then it happened.

At 09:03AM United flight 175 slammed into the second tower. we all gasped in horror. Some screamed and cried out, others wept, many of us swore uncontrollably. The reality came crashing down on us like hammer blows. This was no accident.

My cell phone rang. It was an FAA Inspector out of Dallas. "Are you seeing this shit!?! What the fuck is happening? You guys got any other aircraft unaccounted for?!?!" My heart dropped out of my ass.

Then it got worse. One of the mechanics on duty at the 757 desk got a call. It was a stewardess, scared completely shitless yet she was keeping it together. She tried to describe 4, maybe 5 men who had overpowered and killed one of her fellow stewards as well as the flight crew. She knew they had been hijacked but she had no idea about the trade center towers. Her phone signal was fading in and out, the tone of her voice was shaky as she spoke so softly as to not alarm the hijackers. we could barely hear her Then the line cut out. At 0937 The "vital signs" for AA Flight 77 went blank.

a few minutes later we saw another "Breaking News" flash: Another aircraft had crashed. This time, into the Pentagon.

I wanted to throw up. I wanted to hit, no SHOOT something, someone, ANYTHING. I wanted an enemy to kill. I wanted to somehow stop this madness and wake up from this nightmare but there would be no respite from this chaos.

At 09:59AM the first tower fell. Like house of cards collapsing on itself, it crashed to the ground. We all watched in indescribable horror as all of Manhattan seemed to be enveloped by a cloud of dust and debris. We watch as thousands of people scrambled through the streets in a desperate attempt to escape the overwhelming cloud of destruction.

At 10:03AM the news reported of another aircraft crashed into a field in Pensilvania. We would later learn of the heroics of the passengers on United Flight 93 as they overthrew thier attackers in an attempt to take control of the aircraft and, at a minimum, prevent them from crashing the aircraft into another building. Thier sacrifice saved many lives.

At 10:28AM the Trade Center scene repeated itself as the second tower fell. Thousands perished. Millions, perhaps billions of lives around the world changed forever by the sight of it all.

Never in my life have I felt so helpless, so enraged, so frustrated. My phone stopped ringing. There was nothing to say. What the hell could anyone say. All that was left to do was grieve, and grieve we did.

Today we mourn the loss of those 2,974 souls. Lives prematurely cut short by the senseless act of violent men against unsuspecting innocent people. We reflect on that day and we remember. We relive the pain and anguish of that moment and we remember. We cry with those who lost so much that day and we remember. We pray to God above for His divine grace to carry us on and we remember.

Above all else be mindful of this and never forget, September 11th is not the day we were defeated as a Nation. September 11th was the day when our nation stood unified with steel resolve to stand together, to lift each other up, to lend a helping hand and to come to our brother's and sister's aid in their time of need. On that fateful day there was no white or black. There was no republican or democrat. There was no Sexual orientation. There was just America, and the people therein, galvanized to aid each other in our greatest time of need.

I encourage you all to take a moment, hold the ones you love just a little bit closer. God know I wish I was home to do so myself.

Blessings to you.

Flying is still not as fun as it use to be. For that reason alone we should nuke the Middle East.

I felt emotionally raped. It was like someone had killed my mother and all my best friends all at the same time. I wandered around in a mental fog like a cerebral zombie. I went into a convenience store in Lago Vista (a small town just out side of Austin) right after this happened that was being ran and maned by the wrong sort ... you know the types. The guy behind the counter got a little sideways with me over something simple and I snapped. I beat him senseless. The kind of beating where the guy was begging me to stop hitting him, but I was sooo blown in the head I didn't even hear him as he whined. The police showed up, asked me what happened, watched the security video, then let me walk uncharged. The store was closed inside of two weeks and re-opened with new owners in four.

Living in Texas does have it's perks. Had it been some liberal bleeding heart kinda area I'd have been arrested, but here they just shrugged it off and went on with their day.

I've never been so proud of my country as I was post 9/11. The red cross requested for us Americans to donate blood. We donated so much blood that the Red Cross then had to announce that we had to stop ... they had no more room anywhere in the WORLD to store what they had. Even in remote places the shelves were full.

Originally Posted by BoneCrusher

I

Living in Texas does have it's perks. Had it been some liberal bleeding heart kinda area I'd have been arrested, but here they just shrugged it off and went on with their day.

I've never been so proud of my country as I was post 9/11. The red cross requested for us Americans to donate blood. We donated so much blood that the Red Cross then had to announce that we had to stop ... they had no more room anywhere in the WORLD to store what they had. Even in remote places the shelves were full.

I was less than 10 miles from there probably a 20 minute drive....I can tell you that all walks of life took the Towers going down hard.
Liberals, Dems, Blacks, whites, even the Muslims I deal with.

Yes, there was pride all over. I wasn't alive for WW2 nor pearl harbor but all the police, fire and all other agencies got together to help out.

Originally Posted by DaMayor

Seems like yesterday.

Get on with life.

Yaawwwwwn.

Originally Posted by DOMS

Flying is still not as fun as it use to be. For that reason alone we should nuke the Middle East.

But 95% of the hi-jackers were Saudi.

These Saudis are our allies. We support them and sell them weapons. The Bush family has been doing business with the Saud family and Bin Laden family for decades.

Originally Posted by Big Smoothy

Get on with life.

Yaawwwwwn.

Yep, its official.....

YOU'RE AN INCURABLE ASS.

Originally Posted by Big Smoothy

Get on with life.

Yaawwwwwn.

What I want to say to you right now would probably have me arrested! I truly hope that post was either a joke, a plot on your behalf to try and soak as much attention as possible since you were probably dropped on your head as a baby and left to fend for themself in the corner of class growing up or you totally forgot to add a major detail to the "get on with life" statement.

So many theories out there about who dun it and I still havnt figured it out.

Originally Posted by Big Smoothy

Get on with life.

Yaawwwwwn.

Say that to any one of the friends/family of the 3,000+ victims and you'd probably be picking up your teeth off the ground for a while. No surprise you're doing it at the comfort of sitting behind your computer screen.

Don't feed the trolls.

Originally Posted by BoneCrusher

Don't feed the trolls.

Humor is a coping mechanism

And after just reading your early post I will take my method over yours any day

Things have been picking here as of late I See.

Originally Posted by Splash Log

Humor is a coping mechanism

And after just reading your early post I will take my method over yours any day

The people who have lost their sense of humor are dangerous.

Originally Posted by mcguin

What I want to say to you right now would probably have me arrested! I truly hope that post was either a joke

It wasn't, he's a piece of shit.

b

Originally Posted by JailHouse

I've never seen these, great photos

Senior police officer Colin Terry wore bin Laden costume

A senior police officer who visited the annual 9/11 memorial service in New York two years ago has been castigated for attending a Cornish village fete dressed as Osama bin Laden.

Chief Superintendent Colin Terry’s choice of fancy dress was described as “unacceptable� by his own police force after he took part in a parade at the Grampound Carnival wearing robes and a rubber mask representing the al-Qaeda leader

DOH!

Originally Posted by mcguin

What I want to say to you right now would probably have me arrested! I truly hope that post was either a joke, a plot on your behalf to try and soak as much attention as possible since you were probably dropped on your head as a baby and left to fend for themself in the corner of class growing up or you totally forgot to add a major detail to the "get on with life" statement.

Your post is very immature.

My point was that this was a horrible event. But more people die from car accidents than this event.

It's time for Americans to get on with life and stop reminiscing, and using this horrible event to further the agenda of certain people: politicians, neo-cons, etc.

Originally Posted by Big Smoothy

It's time for Americans to get on with life and stop reminiscing

I'm guessing you weren't a history major.

Originally Posted by Big Smoothy

It's time for Americans to get on with life and stop reminiscing, and using this horrible event to further the agenda of certain people: politicians, neo-cons, etc.

Yeah, like we did with Pearl Harbor...whoo hoo, what a fiasco that one was, right?

Originally Posted by Splash Log

Humor is a coping mechanism

And after just reading your early post I will take my method over yours any day

... <--- me coping with you splash.

Dealing with some rude Arab, in a moment when cultural sensitivity was called for on his part, in a way that prevented him from treating others in an equally crass manor was a social service that I was happy to provide.

The video showed that the raghead was a repeat offender with several priors that same day ... all on his little security tape. The officer that watched the video told me he'd of probably reacted the same way as he released me and refused to write it up. You obviously would have just laughed and walked away leaving the shithead to insult the next customer. I didn't spend half my life training in various ways to take shit from him. Some days, some people just need a good ass kickin' to get their mind right. That was his day.

I'm staying inside for the rest of the night just because I'm in a very foul mood. My people skills are fading fast. I didn't even go for MMA tonight because I want to hurt people. I'll wait 'til late in the evening when nobody is around and go hit the fitness center here at the apartment complex so I at least lift a little.

I probably should post here any more either tonight.

G'night all.

Wow I see 2 negative attitudes here, one group wants to stomp the faces of those they deem a proxy through their own transference and those who want to hate on their own nation for reasons unknown....equally guilty of the same as far as I can tell...

Originally Posted by Goodfella9783

I'm guessing you weren't a history major.

I majored in two other fields, but read history books regularly.

Folks,

I made a comment about "getting on with it."

But other posters put up cartoons lampooning 9/11 and nobody jumped on them for it.

As I said before, this was a horrible event. But look at the Tsunami? 200,000+ dead. World War II: 60 million dead, and mostly civilians. Mao Tse-Tung: about 40-45 million dead.