What did you do when 9/11 happened?

I sat down and watched just as the second plane hit the tower. My wife was just sitting in awe and stone silence. I called my crew and gave them the day off. We all needed time to wrap our heads around this tragedy.

Dear Jake Plaid,

9/11 is one of those times that everyone remembers where they were, what they were doing...I was living near the town of Glacier on Mt. Baker in Washington State, and my landlady came and told me to turn on the TV.

Until April 19, 1995 when Timothy McVeigh bombed the Federal Building in Oklahoma City I never believed a US citizen would attack other Americans like that, and until 9/11 I never thought people from another country could attack us on our own soil.

All that turned out to be naïve,,,

I watched it as I was feeding my 2-1/2-month-old son. I was sane back then.

I called my husband as soon as I found out, which wasn't until after the second plane hit. I knew our lives were going to change because he was an Army Reservist and would almost certainly be called back to active duty. (We were told to be on stand-by within 24 hours. )

For the next three days, I tried to get a hold of one of my oldest friends. Her husband was stationed at the Pentagon. I finally got word he was ok. Thankfully he had the day off. His office was destroyed and the eight people who worked in that office with him were all killed.

It was my daughters second day of kindergarten. I am a mom who has a hard time letting go. My brother called me on the phone that morning and said "You are not sending D to school today right!?!" I immediately replied "NO!!! Why?" I really did not want to take her to her second day of school because I was so lost with her gone the day before! He said "turn on the T.V." so I did....... My heart sunk in horror and terror. It looked like a vision of a horrible movie! Then I noticed the reporters saying New York this and New York that and I realized this horrible nightmare took place in New York and I panicked. This was an era before everybody and their grandmas had cell phones. My last phone call from my husband the night before was him telling me he had a delivery in New York and would be there in the morning. For hours I waited impatiently by the phone thinking the worst in all its unknowns. Another plane went down, but this time the passengers took it down to save its targeted destination. Finally that night I got the phone call I had been waiting for. My Yang's delivery was in Buffalo New York. He couldn't call me because he got shut down on a bridge for hours due to a threat on the bridge and the cops had to investigate it before letting traffic flow again.

I have always lived in a post 9/11 era.

Well, let's see, I was 5. I remember getting ready for school in the morning (1st grade) and I remember seeing how upset my parents and my older sisters were. I didn't really understand exactly what was happening at the time, though I remember the general feeling of alarm and unease, even at that age.

I was working in IL and heard the news.  I was frantic since my son lived in VA and often had business at the Pentagon.  I tried to call him to see if he was OK and he didn't answer.  Thankfully, he called later and told me for some reason earlier that day he just decided not to go there for his appt.  He was one of the lucky ones .. Sadly, there were far too many who weren't that lucky!!!  Horrible memories for all.

I was working and in a patients room watching the beginning unfold with her, until the second plane hit and I knew it no longer was an accident. I kept myself composed and excused myself from her room....absolutely stunned and ill.

I decided to get born a week later.

I was visiting my parents and watching the News when the second plane hit. The whole thing was shocking, horrendous, seeing people throwing themselves out the windows, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I was in kindergarten back then. All I remember is coming home to my dad screaming at the T.V  and going to school was different it went from arts and crafts and playing to being patriotic. My music class then was just songs about loving the USA and along with everything else. And coming home every  day all I saw on the t.v was the footage of the towers falling, Osamabin  Laden, George Bush talking etc. It was a confusing world for me,