That day was also a decisive turning point in my career choices...non-combat military hiring ended that day for a long time, and I was within weeks of shipping out...

Fish on...

Todd

I was on my last six month stint in the Marine Corps, stationed in Japan. Just finished working a 12 hour shift. Was sitting in the Barracks un-winding, playing video games. I flipped the TV over and saw the second plane hit. I couldnt understand what was happening, tv station was japanese, but I knew the [censored] done hittith the fan. I immediatley rousted up my junior NCO's and told them to get ready to draw heavy weapons from the armory. Life sucked for months after that........Semper Fi.......

I was out camping/fly fishing on the Stehekin when my cousin showed up with newspapers of what happened. Had no idea until two days after it happened and all I could think was how terrible it was and why was I so fortunate. What really freaked me out though was the fact that I was oblivious and enjoying myself during the mess and how could this be? How could life take such a devistating turn for so many innocent people just a few thousand miles away while where I was the sky was blue and the surroundings were so serene. It was simply not fair and I couldn't shake it!!

I was on I-5 heading north to a Skagit fisheries meeting when the music on the radio was interrupted by the first report. The bio riding with me and I, like some others mentioned, thought that some poor soul had accidentally crashed his light plane, like a Cessna or something, into the tower. While sympathizing about this imagined loss, the two radio guys announced the second, and our impressions instantly changed - it was an act of terrorism, and the US was under attack. We drove on, and attended our meeting, but it all seemed rather unimportant under the circumstances. My oldest daughter was riding her bike to work, crossing the - I forget the name bridge - when the 3rd airliner hit the Pentagon. She too thought it was a horrendous accident until she got to her office and learned it was an attack.

America changed all right. At first it seemed like it was going to be for the good as people pulled together and a strong sense of nationalism emerged. But it soon went south, as Americans opted to give up some liberty in exchange for a sense - false tho it be - of greater security. Homeland Security - making sure small private boats don't drive too close to a ferry but allowing over 99% of all containers imported into the country to go uninspected, TSA - biggest joke ever perpetrated on the Land of the Free - no American will ever again be compliant with a hijacking attempt, Patriot Act, more Customs agents clogging up border crossings catching a few drug runners but no terrorists, and fear - a major tool used by the Administration to propel its political agenda. America could have done it so well, and instead, except for the first responders to the attacks, I feel like we botched it. The terrorists won. Our economy took a hit. Transportation took a hit. And most significantly, American freedom took a hit. They won because Americans changed how we live and behave. We line up like animals at the airport in the futile belief that our journey is going to be safer by giving up freedom. (Like terrorists would try the same technique again.) It's the antithesis of individual freedom that America stood for. I don't like it because every time I do it, it reinforces my belief that the terrorist bastards won. And after not finding, killing, or verifying killing bin Laden, GB said he didn't think about bin Laden any more. When leadership is idiotic, it's hard to bring out the best in a country, but I didn't mean to get political.

Sg

One thing we haven't botched is another attack Salmo g. Let's hope we can be as fortunate in the future.

So far Sol Duc. However, I don't think our good fortune in that regard is in any way attributable to Homeland Security or TSA or the loss of Habeas Corpus.

Sg

I'm feelin' ya, Salmo. Well said.

I was packing away my clothes from an aborted sailing trip to Barkley Sound. We would have been at anchor in Barkley when the planes hit if we had not had engine trouble and didn't want to risk going between the islands with a iffy power plant.
+1 for what Salmo posted. The international goodwill that was frittered away by GB jr. is a sad legacy of his time in office.

I was working and we had just returned to the station after an early morning run. 2 of the crew went back to bed and myself and our Lt. stayed up to read the paper and have coffee. Had the news on in the background, video was of the fire in the first building that got hit. We were commenting that FDNY had a helluva fire going. We were watching live when the second plane hit. Shortly after that we got an all call thoughout the bureau that no one was allowed to go home untill further notice. I was working OT at a differnt station that day so I went and took a shower to get ready to go there. While getting dressed one of the guys coming on duty came in the locker room and said that they had just hit the pentagon. I went to the station I was working at that day and when I walked in one of the guys had an AR15 laying on the kitchen table. Was a wierd day to be working, we had to always leave one guy with the rig, no one other than Fire Bureau people were allowed in teh station's. We spent the shift watching the news in between calls. Was sureal.