Where were you on 9/11?

I was at work. My husband called me and said we needed to turn on the TV we had in the break room. Our son who had graduated college and was living in Little Rock had called him and told him that a plane had crashed into one on the Twin Towers. We all gathered around the TV and saw the second plane and realized it was no accident. We continued to watch as we worked and could not believe our eyes. I think we will never feel completely safe again.

— Anita Norwood

I was recovering a patient after having hip and jaw surgery when our receptionist came into the OR and told us that a plane had just flew into one of the Twin Towers. We recovered the patient as they were our only surgery due to the length in time of surgery.

They brought a TV to the back and we watched in horror as another plane flew into the second tower and then as the towers began to fall. We cried at the lives being lost, the complete and total fear of not knowing why this had happened and what would be happening next. We rescheduled all of our afternoon consultations, released our patient that had had surgery.

Went home where my family and I were glued to the TV for the rest of the day and night just trying to make some sense of it all.

Since 9/11 happened I rarely fly anymore and I always stop to remember those precious lives we lost on Sept. 11, 2001, and those who did not hesitate to help.

— Aundria Hamby

On Sept. 11, 2001, I was in OR 5 taking X-rays during a total knee operation. Late in the procedure, word was spread the Twin Towers had been hit by two airplanes that had been hijacked! Everyone stopped in their tracks, including the two surgeons! Yes, there were tears and there was fearful hatred in that operating room!

When I was allowed to leave the room, I went back down to my Radiology Department and went into our OP waiting room and it was full! There were at least three times as many employees standing there as there were patients sitting, waiting their turn.

I went on and finished my case, but you talk about one very upset, mad Southern half-blood Cherokee Indian, THAT WAS ME!

— Billy Lansdell

I was living in Barrow, Alaska, which is the northernmost city in Alaska.

I had called in sick for that day and got up to turn on the news. The first plane had already hit and I watched in utter shock as the second plane hit.

All air travel was grounded and we received all of our products (groceries) from air freight. It was such a scary time.

I left the North Slope the next year and moved back down south, where I felt I could survive easier, in the event of another similar attack.

— Briana Taylor

On September 11, 2001, our family was holding revival services in Pasadena, Texas. That particular morning, I was listening to a traffic radio station when the reporter began describing the flames shooting out of the first tower of what was up until then a seemingly unfortunate plane crash.

All of a sudden as he was describing how tall and which direction the flame was coming from, he broke mid-sentence and began screaming, “Oh my God, Oh my God, another plane just got the second tower.” It was then we knew something terrible was happening to our world.

For the next day and week, life changed for the whole world. Being so close to NASA and Hobby Airport, it was eerily quiet except for fighter jets. As time progressed, we resumed a new normal, increased security and such.

— Dina Calhoun

I was sitting in HVAC class at Texarkana College. We just took a break from the classroom. I called and spoke to my mother and asked here what was happening. I stopped taking anything for granted. I mourned for our nation!

— Christopher Clark

I was working on a daily Bible study and my TV was not on. My husband called and said, turn on the TV. When I did, I stood in disbelief as I saw the second plane hit the tower.

I immediately felt an overwhelming sense of dread. I called my best friend who lived just two miles away. I jumped in my car, in my pj’s, and ran to her house. We walked next door to another Christian friend’s home and the three of us were watching and crying.

We hit our knees and cried out to God for grace for all those involved in the scene that just seemed impossible. We continued to pray for all those first responders and for the families of those who had died in the towers.

We then heard about the other two hijacked planes and began to pray for all those in the planes. We felt so helpless and overcome with grief. We saw the father carried out and deemed the first fatality. We were all crying and just felt the only thing we could do was pray.

The following day were were able to participate by donating to a group of our church members who were organizing a shipment of water and other small food items being sent to the tragic aftermath to be distributed to all those responders participating in the search and rescue/recovery teams.

Since the attacks, I have become much more aware of how those across the ocean are educated in lies and deceit with regard to America. I continue to pray for Christians all over the world who are affected in so many ways on a daily basis. Life will never be the same but God remains in control.

— Janet Bonner

I was in middle school. We were watching it on my geography teacher’s television in his classroom.

As soon as I walked in the second plane hit the tower. It was surreal. A kid ran into our pod and said they were going to bomb the White House and Empire State Building next.

No one knew what to do at that point. They let us leave school early and I rode the bus home and watched ABC News and CNN the rest of the day.

— Derek Oxford

I lived in Spring, Texas, just north of Houston. I worked for Reliant Energy in their office northwest of downtown Houston.

I was in a meeting when the first plane hit the tower. My coworkers interrupted the meeting to let us know what was happening. Then we watched in horror as the second plane hit.

Because we were so close to downtown Houston, many were concerned we would be a target. When the Pentagon was hit, one of my employees had an aunt that was close to the attacks. I remember I did everything I could to calm her fears.

Later that day, my pastor called for a prayer meeting that evening to help us through this tragedy.

The pictures are forever etched in my mind, and I will never forget the brave men and women who helped to save as many people they could.

What changed me is a clear understanding that we live in an evil world and every moment of our lives is precious. I also lean on the fact that God is in control, this act of terror was not a surprise to Him, so I rest in His sovereignty knowing whenever my time is done, I know I will be forever with the Lord.

— Mary McDermott

I was performing a total knee replacement on a patient in the operating room at Saint Michael’s CHRISTUS hospital. In the middle of the procedure Michael Keever entered the operating room to notify us that a plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers.

As I continued working in the operating room that day he reported the second tower plane crash. We all in the operating room assumed it was probably a terrorist situation.

We all realized how much more vulnerable we felt as Americans in this dangerous world. I felt that President Bush‘s actions in response were appropriate and measured as they should have been.

— Chris Alkire, MD