For many of us, where we were and who we were with when the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 commenced is etched in our memories. Our hearts still ache for those who died that fateful day, and the family members and friends who mourn their loved ones. In honor of the 10th anniversary, we asked our Facebook fans to take a look back and share their memories. Below are their stories of where they were when the planes came down…
“I was on my way to work at Donecker’s in Ephrata when I heard the first news on the radio where the commentators were questioning what had happened. On the way to work, I stopped at the post office on N. 13th Street to mail a letter and asked if anyone knew anything, but no one had heard the news. When I reached Donecker’s, everyone was in the Men’s Department, where there was a TV. Everyone was glued to the set. By that time, the second plane had crashed and the third was on the way to the Pentagon. Customers came into the store but everyone stopped by the TV to get updated on the news. We called our daughter in Manhattan because she was near the Twin Towers and eventually heard that she was safe and she relayed how her company was handling the tragedy. Bruce had me leave work to fill my car with gas, a safety measure that he had learned in the military and then I returned to the store. Though the store remained open, the mood was somber and the customers were distracted. Finally, management decided that we should close and head home to our families.” – Sharon Goldser Cohen
“I was at work with Robyn Jones (now Berks County Living’s associate publisher). I remember watching it all unfold in the fishbowl, followed by a quiet lunch before I headed back home to Ephrata! I remember that day like it was yesterday!” – Kristie Ruth Schmid
“I was in Tarrytown, N.Y., not far outside of NYC, attending an insurance seminar. I’m in the construction safety field and was with some of my colleagues from the NYC and Northern N.J. offices. Their cell phones started ringing like crazy, saying that a plane had hit one of the WTC Towers, as witnessed by the construction workers on a high rise in Jersey City. Within five minutes, TVs were put in the room and we watched the towers fall. I got out of there as fast as I could after seeing that because they were closing bridges out of N.Y. and I had to cross the Tappan Zee Bridge. As I crossed the Tappan Zee, I looked to my left, down the river and saw this massive cloud of dust just enveloping the island of Manhattan. It was something I’ll never forget.” – Stacey Parsons Darrohn
