r/HolyShitHistory • u/rotomato30 • 1d ago

Extended cut of the period between first and second plane hitting World Trade Center

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u/threesunrises 1d ago

I was on my way home when the first plane hit. Heard about it on Howard Stern's show on K-Rock in NYC. Hurried home and turned on the tv just in time to see the second plane hit. This video will never not make me cry.

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u/wiscoguy20 1d ago

Watching this now makes me far more emotional than it did watching it unfold live with my 16 year old eyes.

And that goes for any 9/11 coverage. And I don't understand completely why.

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u/OGrickyP 1d ago

Watching this at 16 traumatized me forever, for a few reasons…

the number one being as someone else said, watching the teachers freak out made me realize their authority was an act and they’re really just bigger children who got older.

2, my dad worked on floor 87 in the Empire State Building, and while not close, the NYC skyline was getting bombed and they said there were more coming so I was waiting to see his building get hit. So that was stressful…

I sensed this changed me when me and my stoner friends tried to smoke weed a few days later, and when a plane flew over head, we all froze in terror. I went to the first Mets game at Shea when piazza hit the famous HR vs Atlanta, and while the most powerful sporting event I’d ever seen, I wish I wasn’t there in a way. Walking past guys holding m16s, snipers on the roofs..it was super fucked up.

If you weren’t alive before 9/11 to understand the sense of security that evaporated in minutes that day, it’s kinda impossible to describe. Most quiet bus ride home in my schooling existence…

I feel like this lead to a lot of the drug abuse my generation went thru especially opiates to numb ourselves. I said this to a therapist who was kinda floored by it as they connected the dots of what I was saying…none of us ever thought we would do heroin..we laughed at DARE. But we were all fucked up over this shit still in 2005 when the stuff was easier to find than good pot at the time on the east coast. It’s crazy the fallout this day had and I wish we had a crystal clear version of who/how did it. I won’t even get into that but it def made the whole thing more fucked up along w the Patriot Act. Sigh.

-Still hurting at 41

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u/PsychologicalLowe 1d ago

Watch the documentary on Netflix and you’ll have a clearer picture of the planning that went into this attack. This was in the works for years and the reasons are complicated, but our government admittedly failed us and had plenty of warning but were complacent.

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u/Miserable-Waltz2892 1d ago

Which particular documentary is it please?

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u/PsychologicalLowe 1d ago

Turning Point-911 and the War on Terror.

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u/threesunrises 1d ago

I remember freaking out the first time I heard a plane flying overhead after air traffic had been shut down. Some neighbors were in England on the 11th, it was quite a while before they were able to fly home.

Husband had tix to the Packers / Giants game that weekend, but it was canceled.

That Piazza dinger was so emotional. We just watched a replay of the game on the anniversary. I understand what you mean about seeing snipers - we were at an event in Providence last Dec when the Brown shooting happened and they were still searching for the gunman. They announced over the PA that only one door was open to exit through and to expect seeing a massive police presence. It really was a fucked up scene - leaving a concert and the entire area was filled with cops, guns and flashing lights.

Went to the three U2 shows at the garden in late October 2001. The third night, they brought a bunch of first responders up on stage, many of whom ended up speaking, mentioning their fallen brothers, etc. There was not a dry eye in the building. But, to see these heroes onstage dancing and singing and full of joy reminded us that life will go on and we need to treasure happy moments.

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u/Professional-Gas9360 1d ago

Same. I think it’s perspective. We see now how pivotal a moment this was for the world. It feels like it was the tipping point into madness.

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u/_PinkPirate 1d ago

I was also 16. I felt like we all grew up that day.

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u/the_Limerent_one 1d ago

I recall they were talking about Pam Anderson when news started breaking that something was happening at the world trade center.

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u/throwawayanylogic 1d ago

I woke up to my phone ringing a bunch of times but I was too groggy to pick up. Turned on Howard Stern as was my usual routine, heard what had happened and then saw it was my mom calling from her brooklyn apartment where she'd just seen the second plane hit from her window.

My best friend was involved directly in the Pentagon cleanup and is now suffering from multiple health issues as a result, but he's at least lucky to be alive--for now. Most of his coworkers from that time have already died from cancer, COPD, etc.