Today is the 17th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The names of the nearly three-thousand people who died in the attacks in the World Trade Center in New York will be read out loud at the 9-11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. Several thousand family members and friends who lost loved ones are expected to gather near where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood. President Trump and First Lady Melania will visit the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The memorial is a tribute to those who perished when passengers helped stop a hijacked airliner that was thought to be aimed at Washington, DC. Meantime, Vice President Mike Pence and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis are speaking at the annual 9-11 observance at the Pentagon.
During the Weekday Wake-up on the SVI Radio Network, Duke & Dahl asked listeners to text in what they remember about 9/11 and what their emotions were. Here are the responses.
“My wife and I had just moved back to the valley with our infant son and I was getting ready for work at Valley Market and was wondering what was the point of going to work that day.”
“‘I was at Afton Elementary school, reading with a group of students when Principal Allred came over the intercom and quietly said the second tower had fallen. We adults looked up at each other with such sad eyes, then went back to listening to reading. Such a crazy day.”
“I called my Dad, a World War II veteran who fought in the Pacific, to tell him about the attacks in New York and Washington. His first response: “They got us on our own soil again!”
“I worked the night shift the night before. My fiancé called and woke me up to inform me of the first plane crash. I watched the second plane crash on TV. It was a day I will never forget. More importantly, it was the beginning of a new era. An era where within day farmers flew Old Glory from the tractors in their fields. Americans began to stand up and say “we will never forget and we will NEVER back down”. This is the home of the free, this is home of the brave.”
“I was walking down the hallway at the high school was working there Wayne Merritt announced it over intercom.”
“I had just woke up and my mom was watching the today show. She said something terrible has happened. And we watched everything unfold from the beginning. I remember thinking it was as an accident then watching as the second plan flew into the second building. I called my fiancé and told him what had happened. I remember being so shocked and sad. I remember thinking I didn’t want to fly anywhere for our honeymoon. Such a sad day. Never forget. Home of the brave!”
“I can’t remember what I did the day before or after 9/11, but I have vivid memories of that day. I remember watching in unbelief the first tower on fire. Then seeing the second tower explode as it was hit. I remember wondering what was falling out of the buildings then finding out it was actually people jumping. Just an absolute feeling of helplessness.”
“I was on the top of a mountain with two archery hunters, and that afternoon I stopped my horse and looked into the sky and asked my hunters what was different today something is different, they agreed as they looked around! But we couldn’t figure it out! Well we got back into camp that night and was informed of the planes crashing into the trade centers! I looked at the hunters and we all realized that what was different that day was there was no planes flying into Jackson hole. What I won’t forget is them hunters we’re both pilots for America Airlines.. sad day.”
“My son in law had just taken off from SLC to start his LDS mission in New York city. They were told to land in Denver. They continue to New York city a day or 2 later.”
“My husband woke me up and a friends little brother was at his 2nd day on the job at the pentagon, he lost his life.”
“I was in the 6th grade and decided that I was going to join the military and I did!!! # America!!!!!!!”‘
