11 Sep 01 - 11 Sep 07 Six Long Years

[1feral1]

Well, soon it will be six years to the minute since things changed for all of us.  Thats just as long as WWII.

Six years on, I never thought I'd ever be where I am now. A year ago, I flew Bribie Island's RSL (Legion) Australian National Flag over our HQ at our FOB in Murder City as the crumps of IEDs, and car bombs with SAF crackling in the background. I won't forget that day ever! That flag was returned to my RSL (www.bribiersl.com.au) upon my return with a framed certificate.

For our American allies, just letting you know today my thoughts go out to those killed in both attacks six years ago today, and to the US and Allied combat losses since, both those who have been killed, and the also the wounded, who seem forgotten in this war.

Today it was quiet at work. I spent the majority of the day doing a tonne of Tp admin, but myself and a good mate (we were in Iraq together) spoke of our tour, some of what we endured, and of where we were exactly one year ago today.

For those deployed, those going over (give 'em hell), and those who have been, thanks for doing your bit. We still have a steep hill to climb, its far from over.

Our generation of fine cream of the crop citizens holds as much (or more) responsibility on our shoulders today as the Class of '39 did. Chin up, and soldier on!



Warm regards from Bribie Island,

Wes

 

[Roy Harding]

On 11 September 2001, I was a newly promoted Warrant Officer, and had been in my job of Chief Clerk, 3 PPCLI for just over six weeks.

I had been feeling my way around the Battalion, and getting to know my Adjt (also new to the Battalion).  On that particular day, I was in to work early, and had skipped PT, as I had things that needed doing.  On of the Corporals employed in Ops wandered into my office, and told me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Centre in New York.  I followed him back into Ops, and watched the second plane make contact.  I accused the Corporal of watching disaster movies when he should have been working, and went back to whatever it was that I had been doing.

By the end of that day, my world had changed.  3 PPCLI was the IRF(L) unit at the time, and we "knew" that we'd be involved in something, somehow.

We weren't wrong.

Six years ago - wow.


Roy

 

[Thompson_JM]

I Remember Sitting in Class in College and the Teacher Came in and told us what happened... class let out, and I got into my car, and once I heard the Radio,  I got a full understanding of the magnitude of the situation.... Although the world is a dangerous place, Im thankfull the world didnt decent into the pure Chaos that everyone thought it might.... But like Wes said... we still have a long way to go. Keep Climbing that hill though. 

 

[vonGarvin]

I was Mortar Pl Comd in 2 RCR at the time.  There was a civil service strike on, and the line ups to work were huge.  So, beautiful day as I remember it: sunny, no wind, warm with little humidity.  I go out to have a smoke and hear the conversation:
"A plane hit the world trade center"
"There were two planes"
"What?"
"One of the towers: gone"
"Whaddya mean 'gone'?"
......
I head home for lunch at 11:30 am ADT, the strikers have gone home and the television is showing New  York City with a mass of smoke coming from it.  To me, it looked like a massive bomb, perhaps a "baby nuke" had leveled lower Manhattan.  My wife comes home from the school with our daughter
"Have you seen this shit?" she asks.
Then I see replay after replay of the second plane.  Holy crap.
My mother in law is on the phone, calling to ask what I'll be doing.  I tell her "This won't affect me.  I'm pretty sure that the Americans can handle this themselves.  I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that."  Boy, was I wrong.
......
We get bugged out, prepping to send troops to Moncton to assist in the security of all those planes on the tarmac.  The OC who was tasked to stand by is given his choice of a support platoon to augment his company.  He asks for mortars.  When he finds out that we have a strength of 1-44, he declines (we would almost match his size, though we do come with integral wheeled transport).  Mortars go nowhere.
......
In retrospect, what a day.

 

[PMedMoe]

I was in Glamoc, Bosnia on Op Palladium, Roto 8.  For most of the day we watched CNN in disbelief.
A bunch of people were returning from R&R and we had to bring them their tac vests and helmets when we picked them up.  All day trips and R&R were cancelled for the rest of the tour.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

September 11, 2001 was a nice bright/sunny  and warm day here (unlike today with drizzle and fog). Was still an untrained Pte at the time, remember watching the situation unfold in the US and commented to my ex-girl friend at the time that the world has just changed for the worst. Later that day I got a call from my OPS cell and was put on 12 hrs (might have been less) notice to move to provide security and general aid for all the planes that landed here in St. John's.

Wow, can't believe that its been 6 years...

 

[211RadOp]

The Regt was doing Pre-Deployment Training at the time. I was at the PSTC Mine Awareness range going through prodding drills. One of the guys came back from the MIR (just down the road) and said that a plane hit the World Trade Centre. Of course the comments where "Yeah, right!!". Later the Ops WO from PSTC came out and confirmed it.

My Det was already on 12 hrs NTM at the time and about a month later I was at a US Navy Station in the Gulf Region with the SRT getting things in place for the FLS.

 

[mover1]

I was getting my girls ready for School in Cold Lake (Picture Day) And i got a call from my ex-mother in-law who told me to turn the T.V. on.

I knew then I would be somewhere.
Less than 4 months later I was sitting in Camp Mirage which at the time was a couple of atco trailers and a whole lot of aircraft pallets.

 

[geo]

Was sitting in my office minding my own business and working away when my boss
came into my office, told me his wife had just called about a plane crash in the WTC.
I called up CNN on the old PC & we watched as the second place thundered into the 2nd tower, LIVE!

We knew the world had just changed forever.... and not for the good - but who would have thought we'd still be fighting in Afghanistan & Iraq 6 years later?

To the fallen,

We will remember them!

CHIMO!

 

[xo31@711ret]

That day is seared forever on my brain. I had been posted out of 2RCR UMS the previous summer and was now NCO I/C TMT at the BMC in Gagetown. It was sunny & we were doing sick parade. One of the younger troops was down in the coffee room and said that a plane had struck a building in New York ( I thought how in the hell could a plane just fly into a building??). I finished with a patient and myself and a couple of others headed to the rear of the BMC for the the smoking area outback. We stopped by the coffee room for a couple of minutes to see what the latest was on that plane crashing into New York. Well CNN was on and then a second crashed into into the other twin tower. I remember thinking 'Sweet mother of C***** this isn't no f_ing accident! ' and saying to a Bud 'Holy s***, I can only imagine how are the Americians going to respond...'

 

[chiquita]

I was just about to fall in to be marched to our JLC classroom here in BC.  The course senior said as he's lighting a cigarette "ya a plane just flew into the trade centre in New York" all we thought of it was "what?".  Throughout the day the staff would come in and give us updates on the developing story, when they came in and said the second tower had fallen I stood up and said "I need access to an outside line with long distance authorization"  I was pulled from class and had to explain that at any time my entire immediate family is in American airspace and I needed to find them.  My sister used to work in the World Trade Centre, and as luck would have it, was in Spain that day on business, my father who was airborne was redirected to Atlanta, and my mother was redirected to Seattle.  To say that I was anxious was an understatement. I'll never forget that day.

The ships recalled their members.  I remember when I called my Mom she was bewildered, like why was I calling, and she'd talk to me later.  When I got my Dad, he seemed to get that I was calling to maybe be saying goodbye, but then again, he's in Philly, and she's in Phoenix.  Wow, those emotions are as strong today as they were six years ago.

 

[armyvern]

On September 11th 2001, I was a freshly promoted MCpl, still on my 5 days disembarkation leave after returning home to Belleville (8 Wg Trenton) from the Golan Heights.

I had just dropped the kids at school and turned on the TV to catch some north American news coverage instead of the Al Jazeera I had been watching for months previously. I hadn't been watching 2 minutes when CNN cut to New York and their report of a plane hitting the tower. They interviewed someone on his cellphone who said that it wasn't a small plane ... that it was a large passenger aircraft. I knew immediately that the shit was hitting the fan with that one comment; 2 weeks before while wandering about Damascus doing my last minute shopping I was the recipient of many comments from local vendors I had come to know about getting done my tour "before the war starts." I wasn't the only one who received them, there were quite a few of us who couldn't make sense of it at the time.

It all became crystal clear for me that morning.

I ran upstairs and threw on the uniform, woke the hubby and told him we were going to war. He thought that I was RTFOO it, but his butt moved really fast with a "holy $%#&" when the second plane hit and he gave me the strangest look I've ever received in my life.

PSAC was striking ... when we sped by the gate and the AMU, both now so visible in the background of our repatriation ceremonies, as word of the events was not quite making it out to them. As I pulled into the parking lot, the radio bustled with word of the collapsing of the first tower. I ran into see Chief, who wondered why I was there while I should be enjoying my leave. I told him he needed to get to the conference room and switch on the TV. Shortly afterwards the room was packed full of shocked people, including the PSAC employees who dropped their pickets when they learned the news and headed straight back to their desks.

That very morning we understood the gravity of the events well before the details began to trickle out on CNN. 21 Hgr immediately became a hive of activity ramping up for what we knew would come shortly, but, strangely, none of us were tired and we all just did what we had to do. Huge lines to eat over at the Yukon Galley as they attempted to keep us all fed, but no one bitched or complained.

Just ordinary soldiers, sailors, and airmen ... doing their jobs and doing them well. It continues to this day, witnessed in those sacrifices and losses we have suffered, in our injured, and witnessed in the faces of those Afghan citizens who appreciate all that we have accomplished in their beautiful nation.

May our fallen always be remembered; may the citizens of Afghanistan continue to enjoy the fruits of freedom, democracy, and stability that every soldier wants for them. May they enjoy this every September 11th to come. They deserve it; it's been six years in the making, and it's not 'made' yet. Let us not fail them now.

 

[Davionn]

I had a day off and was renting a movie.  The guy behind the counter was glued to his TV and was ignoring me.  I remember feeling PO'd about that until he said something like "don't you know what's going on?"

I remember rushing home just in time to see the second plane hit.  Movie forgotten (I can't even remember what it was), I sat glued to my TV for the rest of the day.

I'll never forget how numb I felt, how there was no mistaking any of this was accidental with the number of incidents taking place.  When I heard the pentagon was also hit, I remember thinking to myself that things would never be the same again.

A sad day, so many needless deaths...


Davionn

 

[SoF]

I was in math class, my 1st or 2nd week of highschool, when the principal announced on the intercom what had happened.

 

[ClaytonD]

I was 12 years old going into my first couple weeks of Grade 7. It's especially odd to me that even at that age I knew that the world was changing in a matter of seconds. My dad woke me up and said, "The World Trade Centers are on fire Clayton," and I was sort of slow getting out of bed, thinking that it was an accident or something of that matter. I went down stairs and at that moment I knew the magnitude of the situation. I went to class and we had a three hour discussion about it, we couldn't really focus on school the rest of the day. It was so surreal watching two buildings collapse with people inside of them on live TV. I don't think your brain even lets it sink in until a couple days later.

I was talking to my dad a few weeks back and he said to me, "The sole reason I woke you guys (my brothers and I) up to see that, is I know you'd remember it for the rest of your lives."

Heh. 12 Years old then, 18 years old now and have sent in my Application to join the Pres Infantry.