Thread: NEVER FORGET - The 9/11/01 New Math!!!

The New 9/11/01 Math...

On September 10th 2001 the somewhat simplistic math problem of 11 + 175 + 77 + 93 would = 356.

The next day however changed this formula for everyone as on that day American Airlines Flights 11, 77 and United Airlines Flights 175 and 93 altered the courses (and math) of countless lives across our nation. The end result being nearly 3000 people (2977 not including terrorists) gave their lives when our nation was attacked.

Of those 2977, I went to school (the NYPD Academy) with 5 of them. A few years later another graduate of the academy became my trainee and also my friend. His name was, is Vincent Danz.

Just as I will never forget Vinny, and my other 5-classmates, I will never forget the 2977 heroes that died that day and I wonder......how many of you, our IC-Forum Classmates, knew some of those heroes too?

Yes, 11 + 175 + 77 + 93 = 2977, is a new math formula that I will Never Forget!!

That was such a terrifying day. We thought one of my uncles was a victim, which I only found out about hours after spending much of the day wondering if I was about to be a victim. My family was one of the lucky ones, that discovered a would-be victim made it out. I still get shaky thinking about it; the day was one of horror, and I still remember it like it happened in a fog.

I worked in the Sears Tower in Chicago, which was evacuated due to threat risk until they determined where Flight 93 was headed and if other flights were jeopardized. Stranded downtown because they also temporarily shut down outgoing commuter trains, and wondering if the building I stood beside was about to come down on my head, my husband (then just a guy I'd dated a few times) managed to get a call through the clogged and overwhelmed cell system and directed me to the building his father worked. His dad had driven in, so I could get a ride out of the city; though it was an unusual way to meet a future in-law, I suppose that was the highlight of the entire event. When I arrived home, I discovered one of my uncle was in Tower 2. He left his cell phone on his desk in the rush to evacuate, and we all kept calling, hoping he would pick up, and each route to voicemail made us more sick to our stomachs with certainty he was in that rubble. It took him most of a day to get somewhere he could call, and though I'm not an overly emotional person in general, I sobbed when I finally got the call that he'd managed to reach my aunt to say he was okay.

Like I said, we were one of the lucky families. My heart truly goes out to the families of those that did not eventually get the reassuring phone call that a loved one was safe.

Edit: PS, my uncle died of cancer two years ago. Even the survivors and those in the area suffered effects; though the family never pursued whether his illness was a result of the documented toxicity of the environmental disturbances, we're fairly certain his turn from relative good health to cancer-ridden was related. Though the math equation given - 11 + 175 + 77 + 93 = 2977 - is a reflection of that specific day's casualties, I argue the final tally is much, much higher though impossible to measure once all the victims that survived the day but eventually succumbed to related illnesses are factored in.

We must always remain aware of the enemies we have in this world. That was the day that I realized how hated the people of this great nation are. They hate us because we stand for freedom and liberty.

I was a young man then and it really caused me to take a look at the world and stop taking things for granted.

It's been a rough day today so far. I can't say much about what we are doing, but on this anniversary of 9/11 here in Afghanistan, we are receiving a lot of fireworks (if you know what I mean). Stay safe everybody, and remember everyone that has made the ultimate sacrifice 10 years ago til now and counting.

10 years ago, I remember we were just coming out of parachute jump followed by a training exercise in Fort Bragg, NC. We had just gotten into our barracks to clean our weapons and equipment when we turned on the TV and saw the planes hit the towers. Next thing we know, we were on lockdown and the base shut down it's gates, traffic control points sprang up everywhere. I remember the reporters saying that if the planes had hit later in the day, the death toll could have been above 10,000 from the towers alone.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you CLEP 101. Stay focused and stay safe.

I remember the day vividly, I remember crying in disbelief as I watched the first tower collapse and the feeling of emptiness as the second followed. I was very lucky to not have personally known a victim. My mothers neighbor lost a brother, his wife was pregnant. Another neighbor that my sister used to babysit also lost his life. My mother talked of driving past the parking lot of the train station (Middletown NJ lost 37 residents) for a couple of weeks there were cars parked there that never moved.

9/11/01 was a day of fear and sadness for us all. I find it sad though that some of the students in 6th-8th grade have little understanding of how that day changed our way of looking at things and our feeling of safety.

Clep101 keep yourself safe and thank you and all your brothers and sisters in uniform who help keep us safe.

ShotoJuku, that was a very touching post.

Originally Posted by CLEP101

It's been a rough day today so far. I can't say much but on this anniversary of 9/11 here in Afghanistan, we are receiving a lot of fireworks (if you know what I mean). Stay safe everybody, and remember everyone that has made the ultimate sacrifice.

CLEP101, please stay safe. Will be praying for you.

This event had an incredible impact upon me. I was only 11 y/o and had never even heard of the Twin Towers. I wish that I could have seen those beautiful towers. It seemed like I had to keep pinching myself saying, no this isn't a movie, or event from the past. This is happening RIGHT now. I remember seeing people jump out of windows and trying not to think about what happened to them. It was a truly cowardly and despicable act, but it will remain vividly in my memory, forever.

My thoughts are with all of those who lost loved ones during and after 9/11.

Originally Posted by CLEP101

It's been a rough day today so far. I can't say much but on this anniversary of 9/11 here in Afghanistan, we are receiving a lot of fireworks (if you know what I mean). Stay safe everybody, and remember everyone that has made the ultimate sacrifice.

Like the others have said, please stay safe. Our personal experiences on this side of the pond are little in comparison to what you and those with you are dealing with on a daily basis. If good things can come from events like 9/11/01, I think it did bring about a renewed appreciation and realization of the importance of work like yours and the people willing to do it. Thank you.

I have two brother-in-laws who were at or near the Pentagon that morning. It's worth noting that both are Excelsior grads! (actually Jim graduated when it was Regents College--I'm not sure what it was called when Mathew graduated) Our local paper solicited stories recently and my wife provided the following:

Two of my brothers were in Washington, DC, during the attack on 9/11, one inside the Pentagon and one across the street. This is a brief story about one of their experiences that day and the life-altering consequences 10 years later.

My brother Jim, then Senior Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, was in his office at the Pentagon the morning of 9/11. My brother Mathew, U.S. Secret Service, was nearby preparing for a routine protective detail at the Pentagon. It was Jim's first week back after a lengthy overseas assignment. My brothers had arranged to meet at the Pentagon's helipad that morning for a quick reunion. As Jim made his way there, he was called back to attend an emergency meeting following the World Trade Center attack. While preparing for the meeting, an explosion rocked the Pentagon; smoke and fire rapidly filled the hallways near his office. Jim led his employees to safety outside and quickly made his way back into the Pentagon to the point of impact – the helipad area. He found it completely destroyed and didn’t know Mathew hadn't yet arrived. Assuming the worst, Jim joined other first responders in recovering victims – his actions saved many lives that day.

In November 2005, Washington DC, I was honored to witness Jim receive the Civilian Medal for Valor from the Secretary of the Air Force in recognition of his outstanding bravery on 9/11.

The citation reads, in part, "Without regard to the grave danger to his own life, Special Agent James xxxxxxx repeatedly entered the fiery rubble over a period of several hours to assist the victims inside the building, carrying many to safety. He repeatedly ignored warnings the building could soon collapse [and] the smoke contained high levels of explosive gases which could ignite at any time . . . Instead, he continued his tireless efforts to help the injured and rescue trapped personnel. At one point, when medical personnel gave grim warnings to those aiding the rescue efforts that their lungs could be permanently damaged from the toxic smoke, protective masks were handed out. When it was determined there were not enough masks . . . [Jim] passed his on to another . . . It is unknown how many lives were saved as a result of [Jim’s] efforts, but they were numerous. These heroic actions were not only undertaken at great personal risk, but ultimately, great personal sacrifice. [Jim] will carry with him, throughout his life, a living memory of his sacrifice that day – as his actions led to a significant [and permanent] loss of lung capacity, impacting his life on a day-to-day basis.”

In the face of extreme tragedy, great things arise out of the human spirit. My brother Jim is a living example of that, and a true American Hero.

My coworker was on site at the towers that day as a consultant. She was staying in the adjoining hotel and got up late due to being out drinking too late. She was in the shower when the first plane hit. She liked to complain a lot about the hotel so she picked up the phone and gave the receptionist a piece of her mind about how bad the hotel's service was.
The receptionist told her to get out of the hotel.
She picked up her stuff and left before the second plane hit.
She walked a few miles and went into a restaurant where people didn't even know what was happening. She tried to call her husband in FL but all the lines were down.
We at work knew she was there and feared the worst.
Many of the people she was there to work with died that day.

This girl was also booted from Iran during the Iranian revolution and the fall of the Shah, due to her father being highly placed in the Shah government.

I guess she survived two Islamic militant attacks by the skin of her teeth.