Discussing the events of September 11th

[iansutton91]

I was only 11 then. That morning I was out chopping wood (I lived on a farm) and my mom called me in to watch the news. My entire family had a day of prayer that day.

[MaidenUSA]

I was 41 then, and in the Navy 17 years at that time, that entire month was and Still Is, A Very Bad one for me.

 

My Grandfather (Mothers side), my last remaining Grandparent, died on September 7th, my Dad died of a sudden heart attack on September 14, and for all intents and purposes I was separated by the end of that month.

 

With a final divorce the next August, when I got back from deployment, with the John F. Kennedy Battle Group.

 

That morning I was an STG1(SW) (that is a Surface Sonar Technician) and the Officer of the Deck on the USS Hue City CG-66, an Aegis Cruiser, tied to the pier at Jacksonville Florida, I had the 4am to 8am watch.

 

My watch team was responsible for getting the ship under way that morning as we were doing an inspection cycle and had to do a simulated battle problem out to sea, which if we passed, would have passed us for that inspection.

 

Myself the OOD and my watch team which consisted of a Petty Officer of The Watch and a Messenger of The Watch had secured our station at the Starboard Quarterdeck and turned over everything to the the Bridge to get the ship under way from the pier.

 

I think it was close to or a bit after 8am when we left the pier with our full crew and the inspection team on board.

 

We had left the pier and was heading out to the first buoy, when rumors of something had happened in New York began to flash around the inside of the ship.

 

It was not a few minutes after that the Captain from the inspection team got on the 1MC (Ships Announcing circuit), and told us that we had passed the inspection in light of what had happened in New York.

 

He said that we had been doing a great job on everything leading up to the battle problem and that he knew we would have passed that with flying colors any way and that the ship had better and more pressing things to do than to go do that battle problem.

 

And that we were going to drop the inspection team off on a tug boat at the first buoy and head North to the Virginia Capes area to start steaming in a box to provide air cover to that section of the coast line in case of further attack.

 

And to monitor any other aircraft traffic, and when eventually all aircraft were grounded to catch any others that might be ignoring that order.

 

Which is described very well, on this USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) webpage:

 

"When terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, USS John F. Kennedy took up Operation Noble Eagle duty, establishing air security over American cities along the mid-Atlantic coast, including Washington, D.C."

 

All ships that could get under way from Jacksonville that morning did so, and we were all part of the John F. Kennedy Battle Group.

 

So we dropped of the inspection team off and made flank speed to our assigned area off the coast of Virginia, it didn't take long for us to get there.

 

Like I said before my Grandfather passed on the 7th and I was not notified (that is another story for the reasons why), my Dad died on the 14th, the ship was on station by then when the Red Cross message with both of them on the same message came that they both had died.

 

So I was flown off the ship to attend the funeral, and I made it from that ship to Denver, Colorado in less that 24 hours, total luck, if you want to call it that, I am sure it was something else.

 

I was able to go from my ship on a helo to the carrier, USS John F. Kennedy, I walked from that helo to a mail plane launched from the carrier flew to Naval Air Station Oceana, got off that plane walked to another one that flew me to Peterson Field in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 

Got a rental car and was at my Dad's house at just after sundown.

 

I got back to the ship 2 weeks later, I think it was and met them back in Jacksonville on the pier.

 

And as I already said about combined with being separated by the end of the month, it is the most Devastating Month Of Memories of my life, I lost my Grandfather, my Dad, my family, and the country lost any last remaining part of it's innocence.

 

I just finished reading your message, and I actually have tears in my eyes. There's really nothing anyone could say to you that you probably already haven't heard many times before. I have experienced some tragedies in my life, but everyone feels suffering differently. One thing that has always reassured me and kept me going in those times: I know that the loved ones I have lost would want me to live my life to the fullest, and to get the most out of life that I can. I lost my paternal grandmother many years ago, but I can still hear her giving me advice, reassurance and support. The fact that you serve our country shows that you believe that life is worth protecting, but unfortunately it is not always the journey we hoped it would be. But nevertheless, it is exactly that, a journey...the scenery may not always be beautiful, but eventually it will change.

[HeyYou]

How about:

 

My sincere condolences on your losses.

 

and:

 

Thank You for your service.

[MaidenUSA]

How about:

 

My sincere condolences on your losses.

 

and:

 

Thank You for your service.

 

Was that advice? Those things go without saying. I felt his story deserved considerably more then just a typical response that he has probably heard (albeit deservedly so) many times. If I misjudged your remark, please disregard this post.

[HeyYou]

How about:

 

My sincere condolences on your losses.

 

and:

 

Thank You for your service.

 

Was that advice? Those things go without saying. I felt his story deserved considerably more then just a typical response that he has probably heard (albeit deservedly so) many times. If I misjudged your remark, please disregard this post.

 

Both really.

 

I have a great deal of appreciation for our veterans, and those that are currently serving. I am also familiar with the pain of loss of a loved one. Even though it was many years ago, I still would like to offer him what is within my power. (very little unfortunately).

 

Even though they go without saying, I still like to say them anyway, as I know when I was the one hearing them, it did make me feel some better.

[MaidenUSA]

How about:

 

My sincere condolences on your losses.

 

and:

 

Thank You for your service.

 

Was that advice? Those things go without saying. I felt his story deserved considerably more then just a typical response that he has probably heard (albeit deservedly so) many times. If I misjudged your remark, please disregard this post.

 

Both really.

 

I have a great deal of appreciation for our veterans, and those that are currently serving. I am also familiar with the pain of loss of a loved one. Even though it was many years ago, I still would like to offer him what is within my power. (very little unfortunately).

 

Even though they go without saying, I still like to say them anyway, as I know when I was the one hearing them, it did make me feel some better.

 

 

Fair enough. I certainly don't want to enter into a disagreement with you at the expense of the dignity of another person. I believe my heartfelt and genuine response was more appropriate given the content of his story. Simply offering condolences is often something we do when we don't know what else to say. I felt I had something more to say. But you sound genuine, so I don't take exception to your opinion at all.

Edited September 10, 2011 by MaidenUSA

[MrSeptim]

I've just gotten home from school, we're 6 hours ahead of New York in timeline, and i remember watching the planes crashing into the buildings one after the other, then the people jumping out of the towers. It was all so suerreal i actually started crying because i refused to accept that it was real. And then the towers just collapsed and that sent me in a weeklong shock! That's my story, i was 12 years at the time. :O

[HeyYou]

How about:

 

My sincere condolences on your losses.

 

and:

 

Thank You for your service.

 

Was that advice? Those things go without saying. I felt his story deserved considerably more then just a typical response that he has probably heard (albeit deservedly so) many times. If I misjudged your remark, please disregard this post.

 

Both really.

 

I have a great deal of appreciation for our veterans, and those that are currently serving. I am also familiar with the pain of loss of a loved one. Even though it was many years ago, I still would like to offer him what is within my power. (very little unfortunately).

 

Even though they go without saying, I still like to say them anyway, as I know when I was the one hearing them, it did make me feel some better.

 

 

Fair enough. I certainly don't want to enter into a disagreement with you at the expense of the dignity of another person. I believe my heartfelt and genuine response was more appropriate given the content of his story. Simply offering condolences is often something we do when we don't know what else to say. I felt I had something more to say. But you sound genuine, so I don't take exception to your opinion at all.

 

:D Good. As it certainly wasn't meant as a poke at you. I rather liked your response.

[Ogramirad]

I was 41 then, and in the Navy 17 years at that time, that entire month was and Still Is, A Very Bad one for me.

 

*snip*

 

I just finished reading your message, and I actually have tears in my eyes. There's really nothing anyone could say to you that you probably already haven't heard many times before. I have experienced some tragedies in my life, but everyone feels suffering differently. One thing that has always reassured me and kept me going in those times: I know that the loved ones I have lost would want me to live my life to the fullest, and to get the most out of life that I can. I lost my paternal grandmother many years ago, but I can still hear her giving me advice, reassurance and support. The fact that you serve our country shows that you believe that life is worth protecting, but unfortunately it is not always the journey we hoped it would be. But nevertheless, it is exactly that, a journey...the scenery may not always be beautiful, but eventually it will change.

 

Thank you for your kind remarks everyone.

 

Today is the first time I have posted on that since that time.

 

I made the same post in the thread over at the official Bethesda forums in the thread they have there.

 

It is always a bad month if I dwell on it which I try not to do, but since it is the 10th anniversary, I thought that I should.

 

It was a life changing month for me on just about every level that one could be for sure, nothing to do but accept it all and live the best life I can for myself, which I have tried to do since that time.

 

Again, thank you for your remarks.

[Dan3345]

I've just gotten home from school, we're 6 hours ahead of New York in timeline, and i remember watching the planes crashing into the buildings one after the other, then the people jumping out of the towers. It was all so suerreal i actually started crying because i refused to accept that it was real. And then the towers just collapsed and that sent me in a weeklong shock! That's my story, i was 12 years at the time. :O

In hopes of not getting this terribly wrong I am going to assume you are somewhere in Europe. How do others in Europe feel about the events of September 11th? On a certain image board (which shall go nameless to keep the peace) the Europeans there a very insensitive and basically mock us Americans over the whole thing.

Edited September 11, 2011 by Dan3345