I'm sure everyone reading this blog can vividly remember where they were when our nation was attacked on September 11, 2001.  I was asleep at home, having worked my usual night shift delivering gasoline for a local oil company where I live.  I woke up to the TV blaring from the living room and wondered why my wife had it turned up so loudly while I was trying to sleep.  She told me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in NYC.  I figured it was a small Cessna or the like, but then almost immediately there were reports of the Pentagon being hit and later, another plane went down in Pennsylvania.  It was clear that these were passenger filled jumbo jets, not Cessnas.

I remember picking up my daughter from pre-school that day, (she's 16 now) and watching the kids come out of the door, not having a clue as to what happened and not being able to understand it anyway.  I was soon called in to work earlier than normal as the terrorist attacks had caused panic all across the country with everyone making runs on gas stations.  The supply chain couldn't handle that and gas stations started to run out of fuel, therefore causing the situation to spiral downward, causing even more panic.

My life was directly affected from that event.  Less than a year after 9-11, my National Guard unit was activated for federal service to secure various strategic locations around the Washington D.C. region for one year.  A few years later, I was sent to Iraq as part of the "Surge" which was indirectly related to 9-11.  The events on 9-11 caused me to spend two years away from home in service to my nation.

I'll always remember the brave first responders in New York and Virginia who rushed in when everyone rushed out. They are the true heroes of that day and for awhile, our country was able to see who the important people were and how insignificant athletes, TV personalities and movie stars really are. 

I feel sorry for children who were born after 9-11 or were very young when it happened as my three children were. They never knew our country as it was before and it was a different place then. It was a better place then...

Where were you on 9-11?  Please respond.

Comments (12)

Joey Slaughter

Joey Slaughter is the owner of Blue Ridge Transport, LLC. Joey has been in the trucking industry since 1992.

Read These Next...

LIVE Smart

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2015

LIVE Smart

 
 

Thanks Joey!

September 12, 2013 16:36:44 PM

Haha Lorence, you are about the same age as my children. Great to hear from you.

September 11, 2013 18:51:45 PM

Never mind, I'm losing my marbles. I was 3 years old to be correct.

September 11, 2013 18:47:19 PM

Wow, thanks Henry. You were right in the thick of it. I bet that was a tough drive to say the least. I-95 between D.C. and New York for those that don't know is probably the busiest roads in the country on a normal day.

September 11, 2013 18:47:18 PM

I was at home, because I was only 1 years old.

September 11, 2013 18:46:22 PM

I was at the southern end of the New Jersey turnpike making a delivery and trying to get in contact with one of my drivers who was supposed to be delivering in NYC. It took all day to get in touch with him . Turns out he had a fuel line break the night before which help him up so he was not there. I was never so glad to hear about a truck breaking down!!! I still remember going by Washington DC later that day and seeing the smoke rising from the Pentagon. Its a day I'll never forget.

September 11, 2013 16:59:32 PM

Thanks for your comments Paul. I can relate to how you felt as I was a Haz-Mat hauler myself. Those placards felt like targets in those days.

September 11, 2013 12:10:44 PM

I was loading my truck that morning, at that time I was transporting high pressure flammable gas, the guy's in the lab ran out and said we were under attack and we all went into the building and couldn't believe what we were seeing on the tv! That morning changed my life as far as my driving career goes, I took on A whole new sense of Pride in my work as A driver and have that Pride to this Day!

September 11, 2013 11:54:16 AM

Thanks for your perspective Craig. I'm sure you as a firefighter really felt a loss because so many of your brothers perished that day in service to their fellow man. Their bravery will never be forgotten.

September 11, 2013 10:43:26 AM

Joey,
I couldn't agree more with your article, especially the bold print!! So true! I was getting ready for work that morning and watching the tragedy unfold on TV. I remember being late for work that morning because I couldn't turn the TV off, I was in complete shock. The west coast didn't experience the same urgency that our east coast experienced, it seemed so far away. Eventually rescue teams were sent east to help with the recovery. I remember a lot of people volunteering to go and help but the rescue organizations were saying they didn't need the additional people, which makes sense as you could quickly have more people in the area than you can manage. I do remember feeling helpless because I couldn't get more involved. I also remember other feelings regarding the terrorists and their "organizations" that I won't discuss further. I do wish we could all get along better, we would have such a better world for our kids.

September 11, 2013 8:39:22 AM

Thanks for sharing Jeff.

September 11, 2013 6:03:40 AM

Jack (my dog) and I were driving to the dump and then work, I was listening to the Don Imus show when the reports were coming in. His sports guy was within view of the towers. The first thoughts were like you said an errant Cessna or something-The normally unflappable reporter was beside himself saying that it was a big plane like a 747 he was tlking when the 2nd plane hit-will never forget.

September 11, 2013 5:14:11 AM