September 11, 2001

Where were you seven years ago? Don't forget.

This went around as an email 2 years ago. Here are some of the memories and responses I got then. If you'd like to share your memory please leave a comment.

September 11th 2001 this was the day before I was *supposed* to come home from my mission in the Washington DC South area (Northern VA) but I had come home a transfer early. I was still unemployed and in bed. My mother burst into my bedroom and told me I needed to get up and watch the TV an Air Plane Just hit the twin towers in NY. I watched in awe and horror with the rest of the country as a second palne hit and
as the towers fell. The news of the Penagon being struck hit me harder. That was my mission. Those are the people I loved and served and I immediatly went through all the people I could think of trying to remember who worked at the pentagon.... thankfully no one I knew, but that was Arlington... I had been there only 6 weeks earlier.
- Liz Evans

It was like any other morning the rush to get my boys dressed and ready for school when the phone rang. It was Kenji's friend who simply told me to turn on the TV. I flipped over from some silly children's show and could not believe my eyes. I didn't believe what I saw and immediately called my husband at work and told him to turn on his radio. I held my son's and watched as the second tower was hit and I knew that what I was seeing was real. I have never felt such fear in my life. I remember sending my boys to school and praying that they would be safe because no one knew if the attacks were over or if more would come. I have never felt such fear. I spent the day watching the scene replayed over and over as I held my Nicolas and cried. Kenji was 9, Andrew was 7 and Nicolas had just turned 1. Their world would never be the same.
- Andrea Melot

I had two babies. Thomas was almost 1&1/2, Taylor was just a couple of months old. I had spent the previous night up with Taylor and so I was sleeping when the phone rang with my husband calling to tell me to turn on the news, that they were bombing the world trade center and our country was under attack. I kept expecting him to laugh and say, "just kidding!" I hung up the phone and turned on the TV...just in
time to watch the towers fall.
- Carrie Bales

I was in Arlington Virginia just a few miles away from the Pentagon attending what I had expected to be my last zone meeting as a missionary in the Washington D.C South mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was supposed to come home Sept 12, 2001. Moments before I was supposed to give my final lesson on faith to the 22 elders and sisters of my zone the family history center librarian pulled me aside and told me the towers were hit, the pentagon was too, and another plain was headed towards our area. I somberly walked up in front of my peers prepared to drop the news on them. Standing in front of the podium, "I was supposed to talk with you all about faith. . . but I am not going to do that today." I then explained what had been explained to me. Many did not believe me because I usually had very interesting ways of getting my audience to listen to my lessons. "I don't know about you but I am going to go find a room and pray." I did so. Half of the zone who had "faith" in what I said followed suit. The other half who did not, found the librarian and confirmed the awful news. 30 minutes later we reconvened and cried, sang, and prayed together. We found out that Virginia was now in a "state of emergency" and that everyone was asked to return home and to stay off the streets. We got in touch with our mission president who told us to return to our respective apartments and find a radio so we could stay up on what was happening. Returning to my apartment held little comfort. My area, as a missionary had been attacked. And from my apartment I could clearly see the smoke rising from the pentagon. Thinking about it today, still brings tears to my eyes.
- Brian Gardiner

Lee and I were waking up to our first morning in Hawaii - a company trip with a few others that he works with. I remember waking up at about 6 am or so Hawaii time (about 11 mountain time) and seeing one tower "on fire" as it looked to me. Obviously by this time both towers had fallen but they were replaying the video. I remember telling Lee how weird it was that the tower was on fire. We both started watching the news and saw the video of the second plane flying into the other tower - it was totally unrealistic - it seemed like a horror movie would've been more
believable. We immediately called our families and were in total disbelief. It was a very strange feeling to be so many miles away in paradise but feeling very isolated and wanting to be home so badly with our families! We will never forget that day and I too, like Brian, get tears in my eyes just writing this. My heart goes out to those who personally lost family and friends that day.
- Kris Littlejohn (and Lee Littlejohn)

I was visiting Salt Lake City waiting for my brother Brian to come home from his mission. Cleaning the house when I got a call from my brother's friend ..she said the twin towers had been hit by plane and I think the pentagon has been hit. "Do you know how Brian is doing she asked?". Not knowing what the heck was going on I ran into my mother's room and jumped into bed with her and we turned on the TV to watch the news. Channel after channel showed the towers hit by planes and then to our horror the pentagon. Mom called the Mission President at the Washington D.C. South mission and received good news... for him anyway... her son,my brother was safe. After hearing that Brian was ok we spent the morning together sitting on her bed crying from the images on TV and praying for the missionaries and for the families of those involved. Brian came home not as scheduled on Sept. 12, 2001 but rather a week and half later.....I will never forget!
- Jennifer Gardiner Donalson