spookythecat wrote:
I took this picture with a little Polaroid I-Zone camera about 10 minutes before I found out what was happening. I was working for NAPA in Oshkosh and i'd ofter see this guy cropdusting and would pull over and watch him fly (even though I should've been delivering parts). I got back to the store where my best friend was working and he told me what was going on and most of the rest of the days to follow became a blur of staring at the television and crying.
Interesting- I was driving silver ford Ranger pickup, with a worn out seat, for a local auto parts place myself. I was just starting my turn into the driveway of one of our accounts when the radio station I had on, 92.5 WXTU (Philadelphia) said "Listen to this- somebody just flew into the World Trade Center!" and everybody thought it was a small plane. I told the guys inside the shop I'd gone to to turn their TV on- they hadn't heard about it yet. When they did, I saw the first pics. I drove back to my shop in shock. We had the TV on there, and watched as the second plane hit. When they showed a replay, my first thought was "Oh G*D! Not a THIRD ONE!" then I realized it was just a replay... Then I heard about the Pentagon...
My boss's comment was "Well,auto parts go on. Get back to work." We were all stunned by the events, and he did do the right thing by getting us going. There was nothing we could do, although we were only an hour and a half from the scene(some of our fire company went up to assist, as did a lot of my future USAFR squadron) I was in another account's shop(interestingly owned by the same company as the first) when the first tower collapsed. I felt gut-shot. Then the other collapsed the same way.
I know I was at work, and did things- but I really cannot recall anything I did for about the next month and a half. It is all a blank. I know I didn't work on any of my projects, anything. Just no memory- I was in total shock.
Part of what happened that day motivated me towards the Air Force reserve- I know it wasn't too long after I quit my job to spend the time to get in shape and all. I also started taking flying lessons as a result, and now have my ASEL as well as my A&P.
One amusing anecdote from that day shows how keyed up I was- In the mid afternoon- after all flights in the country were grounded for the next week(was it?) or two, and a few hours after all aircraft had to land NOW, I was driving along a township road, and looked over, across a field. I nearly deluged my drawers when this very large shape came over the tops of the trees a couple hundred yards away, right at me! After a second it turned, and the Fuji blimp, which had just scared the he77 out of me continued on its way to its local tiedown...
And I never realized how high birds flew- seeing Hawks and vultures high in the sky over the next several days in the absence of aircraft filled me with awe. And I realized I was seeing something no one had seen in my area since the early 1900s- a sky absolutely devoid of aircraft. Freaked me out...
One last note- I wanted to write "9-11-01 Plus 7- We Will NEVER Forget!" on my classroom whiteboard today. I didn't because I did not wish to possibly offend the 2 Muslim students in my class. What has happened to me? I used to not care who I offended...
Robbie
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