I Was at Harford Community College ...
Where were you when you learned of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001
Sunday marks the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
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I had just arrived at my art history class at Harford Community College on Sept. 11, 2001. I remember always thinking how odd that date looked when you wrote it on a paper for class: 9/11
Those numbers would never look the same again.
As I got ready for class—in my first month of college—I sat with Rob Guerreri, one of my teammates from the Harford Owls baseball team. Another member of class alerted our teacher about something to do with a plane hitting a tower. That's all I heard as the teacher gasped.
I thought maybe a flight had clipped the air traffic control tower at BWI.
Class went on as if nothing happened—I guess the gasp from the professor was a sign of shock that would play out over the next hour of class.
It was only after I exited Havre de Grace Hall and headed toward my next class when I saw teammate Shaun Poulin sitting on a bench outside Bel Air Hall. He told me the details.
Class would be cancelled for the rest of the day.
I spent the drive home—Route 22 to Aldino Road to my parents house in Foxridge—flipping the radio stations looking for news. I remember somewhere on Aldino Road hearing the name "bin Laden" for the first time.
The rest was a blur. I remember watching a ton of television that day.
I recall the shooting at Columbine in similar fashion—spending the day glued to the television, but all the details after the initial report became a blur.
The emotions ran the gamut.
While many memories escape our minds after a few days, hours or minutes, I still remember the exact details, and where I was, when I heard about the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
What were you doing when you learned about the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001?
Tell us in the comments.
Hollee Sifford
8:52 am on Sunday, September 11, 2011
I was in my living room planning my daughters 11th birthday party,Watching the today show,At that time I was a school bus driver...My phone went off and I was immediately out the door to ROYE WILLIAMS to get the students home that lived on APG...WHAT A MESS!!!!!Parents everywhere looking for their kids to take them home,Children looking for their bus and the looks in their face of fear,confusion...VERY SAD!!!!!
Tammy Duncan
9:18 am on Monday, September 12, 2011
I was in Bitburg, Germany. Had just called my Mom. She asked if I was watching the news. I wasn't b/c my kids were just coming in from school. She said the tower had been hit. I turned on the news but all I could find was the Pentagon being hit. She didn't know that and thought I had a different show on, until it broke on her tv. Then the second plane hit the Tower.
Living in a foreign country, on an AF installation, was very difficult at this time. We were forbidden to leave the base. Locked down all the facilities and had to walk near 1/2 mile to get to/from any of the government buildings (to include commissary/BX). Men were shuttled to and from work by bus or had to be 4 to a car. Its hard to explain to young kids what is happening and why things have changed so much.
Joe Gamatoria
4:35 pm on Tuesday, September 13, 2011
I was heading out the door to class at HCC. I was confused on whether to go to class or not—until I saw the second plane hit on TV, and then I knew it was a purposeful move. It was all such a blur. On a related note; Shaun Poulin (mentioned in the article as a former teammate of the author's) is on his way to Afghanistan at this very moment to serve with the US Army. Thanks to Shaun and all the other troops for all of their hard work and sacrifice—and to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Let’s all pray for the safe return of our fellow Americans to the homes and families that they have temporarily left behind.