I was off work that day, and when I turned on the TV after I awoke, I see the pandemonium down by the twin towers. Thinking it was a drill (NYC did some emergency drills from time to time), I thought wow, they got a lot of people to participate in this. It was only after they switched quickly to the pentagon, that I knew this was no drill. This thought of a drill was only in my head for a few minutes, probably because I just awoke and also that it was something that came out of the blue and was hard to believe could ever happen here. I worked for a company that was headquartered in NYC and traveled into the City a few days later when the French President arrived. Traffic was a mess and large motorcades and police escorts made it even more difficult to get around.
My best friend and cousin worked in the towers at one time (fortunately they were not at this time). I'd take the PATH from Mid-Town to the tower basement and waited for my friend at a bar (Basements (or Cellars) of the Worlds ?). My friend and I went to Windows of the World to drink at the bar there one time as well. I visited my cousin's workplace, meeting up for a wedding, when she worked for "Cantor Fitzgerald" the view from the lobby of the Brooklyn Bridge was awesome. A co-worker's brother-in-law was working for Cantor that day, and was severely burnt transferring elevators to head up to the office floor. He and the Chairman (who took his child to school that day), I believe were the only ones that survived from Cantor that day. Many co-worker that worked in the city lost relatives who were first responders.
Another cousin work in the towers during the 1993 WTC bombing and fortunately was also OK.
I for one (like everyone else here), will never forget the day, the victims, the first resonders and the heroes both on the ground and in those planes that worked and dies that day. Along with all the people that cleared the skies, protected this country, and all Americans that came together, during those chaotic days that followed. I personally became a founding contributing member of the "Flight 93" memorial fund giving yearly to make that park a reality. I even received a flag that flew over the Memorial, and sometimes fly it on the September 11th anniversary.
Never Forget, Always Remember, another day that shall forever live in Infamy.