The "Do You Remember Where You Were On 9/11/2001-Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading story after story telling about the 20th anniversary of one of the United States most tragic days.  It was at 7:59 a.m., September 11, 2001 that American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767, departed Boston for Los Angeles with 92 people on board.  15 minutes later United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767, departed Boston from Logan International Airport for Los Angeles with 65 people on board.  At 8:19 a.m. flight attendants aboard Flight 11 alerted group personnel that the plane has been hijacked; American Airlines notifies the FBI.  A minute later American Airlines Flight 77 departed from Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C.  That Boeing 757 was headed to Los Angeles with 64 people aboard.   At 8:37 a.m. Federal Aviation Administration notifies North American Aerospace Defense Command about suspected hijacking of Flight 11.  Five minutes later United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 with 44 people aboard, takes off from Newark International Airport en route to San Francisco.  It had been scheduled to depart at 8 a.m., around the time of the other hijacked flights.  At 8:46 a.m. American Flight 11 crashed into floors 93-99 of the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board the plane.  Four minutes later White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card alerts President George W. Bush that a plane has hit the World Trade Center; the President is visiting an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida, at the time.  At 8:52 a.m. a flight attendant on Flight 175 notifies United Airlines of a hijacking.  10 minutes later at 9:02 a.m. Port Authority officials broadcast orders to evacuate both towers via the public address system; an estimated 10,000 to 14,000 people are already in the process of evacuation.  A minute later United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into floors 75-85 of the south tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board.  At 9:21 a.m. The Port Authority closes all bridges and tunnels in the New York City area.  Ten minutes later President Bush calls the events in New York City an "apparent terrorist attack on our country."  At 9:37 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the western face of the Pentagon Building in Washington, D.C., collapsing a side of the building.  The crash killed 59 aboard the plane and 125 military and civilian personnel inside the building.  At 9:45 a.m. amid escalating rumors of other attacks, the White House and U.S. Capitol building are evacuated along with numerous other high-profile buildings, landmarks and public spaces.  Four minutes later, for the first time in history, the Federal Aviation Administration shuts down airports nationwide.  Over the next 2 1/2 hours, some 3,300 commercial flights and 1,200 private planes are guided to land at airports in Canada and the United States.  Ten minutes after that the south tower - the second tower hit - collapses in approximately 12 seconds.  At 10:03 a.m., after passengers and crew member abort the ijacked Flight 93 contact friends and family and learn about the attacks, they mount an attempt to retake the plane.  Hijackers deliberately crash the plane into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all 40 aboard.  Then, at 10:28 a.m. One WTC, the north tower, collapses.  The total time between the first attack and the collapse of both World Trade Center towers is 102 minutes.  

A vision never to be forgotten!

At 5:20 p.m. the 47-story Seven World Trade Center collapses after burning for hours.  The building had been evacuated in the morning, and there are no casualties, though the collapse forces rescue workers to flee for their lives.  It is the last of the Twin Towers to fall.  At 8:30 p.m. President Bush addresses the nation, calling the attacks "evil, despicable acts of terror" and declaring that America, its friends and allies would "stand together to win the war against terrorism."  Do you remember where you were that fateful day?  I do!  How can you ever forget?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.