<p>Where were you and/or how did you find out about the terrorist attacks?</p>
<p>For the current cadets, this is particularly relevent as the response to the events of that day is ongoing and it is an operation you will eventually be involved in.</p>
<p>As somewhat of a side note, the co-pilot of Flight 93, LeRoy W. Homer Jr., was a 1987 graduate of the Air Force Academy.</p>
<p>At CENTCOM, in the Div. Chief's office J-5--CNN on the TV muted with the first tower on fire. Watched the second plane hit. Went into HEAVY meetings, sent home to come back 2300 to run the JOC. </p>
<p>Couldn't sleep, didn't sleep for 36 hours</p>
<p>I was homeschooled at the time, and I was woken up by my dad, who said I needed to come see what was on the news. (I lived on the west coast, so I was still sleeping when the towers were hit).</p>
<p>It is a totally different thing to look at now that we're in the service...this morning we had a reveille formation and a moment of silence wing-wide. It was nothing short of humbling.</p>
<p>And another side note, LeRoy W. Homer Jr. was also a graduate of my squadron...so we know about him pretty well.</p>
<p>at my school in Canada... they locked down the school and we didn't find out what happened for over an hour. It didn't make sense, we didn't comprehend what had happened. My dad told me "the world changed today, this day will be remembered forever". Now the world is so different and I'm here at USAFA. It doesn't seem real, what is going on out there, since we are here. 2009, though, I know I'll finally be in it.<br>
God Bless those who fight today.</p>
<p>I was sleeping to, and my mom woke me up and called me downstairs, where at first I thought she was watching a movie. I was in the fifth grade at the time, so it was hard for me to comprehend at first what had happened, and that our World and Country has forever changed. What happened that day, really solidified my desire and patriotism to this country and wanting to serve in it's military.
We had a moment of silence today at my high school, and my principal read President Bush's speach. So many people, seem to care but have forgotten about it in California, or at least where I live, and everyday for me it is like waking up with a hole in my heart. It is what keeps me going everyday, to know that I will be able to pay my country back for everything that it has given me, and that I will help to keep it safe.
God Bless America! and Support Our Troops!
respectfully,
usnahopeful</p>
<p>I was watching tv, right before leaving for school (8th grade). I couldn't believe it (and almost missed my bus). The news was spreading when we got to school. There was some debate over who we thought had done it. The school administration tried to keep it a "normal" day, but that only lead to wild rumors. I world altering event and my school decided that teaching the different types of weather patterns was more important! I saw the footage of the collapse around 3:00PM on a teacher's tv. (I sat in the front, so I could just see it, as it was angled toward his desk.) That day was one of the strangest and saddest days I can remember.</p>
<p>It seems so long ago to me, but I can still remember it like yesterday.</p>
<p>I know that 9/11 influenced my decision to come to the academy and serve. I still get sad and angry thinking about 9/11.</p>
<p>Our reveille formation was a good way to remember, but I wish we had done more today.</p>
<p>I had to rush off to a study session when I posted that earlier, but I'll share where I was as well. </p>
<p>I had just graduated from high school earlier than year (yes, I am old) and was in the process of re-applying to the Academy (after being disqualified less than a week before BCT that year). </p>
<p>I was attending the local community college and had gotten up early that morning (I lived on the west coast) to take a shower. I had planned on snoozing a few more minutes, but on the way back to my room, I passed through the living room where the tv had been left on overnight. It was just as I was walking through that a breaking news alert came on the screen about a plane flying into one of the towers. Since it had just happened, no one really knew what had caused it and many assumed it was some strange accident; terrorism surely wasn't the first thing that came to mind. It wasn't even initially reported that it had been an airliner. I remember just staring at the screen for a few minutes being completely confused about what I was seeing and how something like that could have happened. I continued to watch/listen to the news a while longer before having to go to class. Only about half the people in my first class had heard of anything going on and there were rumors and speculations all over. That's perhaps the clearest day in my memory, as far as remembering specific details, even 5 years later.</p>
<p>While I already wanted to attend the Academy to become an officer prior to this event, it reinforced to me that this was what I wanted to do with my life.</p>
<p>I was getting ready to go to sleep in Tokyo (around 10PM at night) when my parents turned on CNN and we saw the first tower burning. Thought it was a movie. Then we saw the second hit and were shocked. I stayed up most of the night, through the bombing in Kabul (unrelated to us). When I went to school, I had a very brash teacher who got angry at my friend, who was from NY, and took her out to talk to her. He was an ass, and it was an interesting day at school. After that, the Pakistani embassy which was next door guarded my school as well (the ambassador's son went to my school) and it was a strange time and a different perspective from overseas.</p>
<p>I was in sixth grade that year and at school when it happened. All I really knew at the time was that we couldn't go out for recess. I wasn't told until after school, away from my brother it was his birthday, by my mom. I didn't really understand or know what to do at first, but just knew that I was angry so I went off and did some pushups and ran around the block. This was really the starting point for me for an increase in patriotism and interest in the military, which would be later pointed toward the academy.</p>
<p>Well, I was in an office building in Newark NJ and was staring out the window looking at the smoke. A board meeting was going on and was abrubtly stopped as word of what was going on came in. Men and women who I believe don't think too much about God, began to pray. The man next to me was white as a ghost. Why? Because if it wasn't for our meeting, he was supposed to have been in the trade towers that day. Whenever I go into New York and drive by a place where I could formerly have seen the towers, I think about that day. God bless all of you for working so hard just to get to a place that will enable you to serve your country.</p>
<p>AMEN! I was in my van pulling out of the garage, waiting for the door to close. I was numb. I went back in the house to tell my husband. I was glued to the newscasts. About an hour later, I headed back out to the middle school to do my volunteer duties. Our middle schoold consist of 5th and 6th graders. The administration notified the entire school of the events at hand. Teachers were told they could turn on the TV's and allow students to watch the news. If any student had concerns of a relative or family member, they were allowed to call home. Some parents came to sign their children out for the day.<br>
Our friend and neighbor is a pilot for American Airlines who had children in 7th, 5th and 2nd grade. I recall asking the office staff if the pilots daughter had made contact with her dad. They confirmed she had.<br>
I remember our church having a prayer service that night. The pastorial staff made themselves available. For one week after 9/11, at least one pastor would be in the building 24-7. I remember being sad that it took a major attack to bring our country to seek out God for comfort and direction.<br>
How soon some forget.</p>