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Readers Share Their 9/11 Memories

September 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
THE NATOMAS BUZZ asked readers where they were on Sept. 11, 2001 when they first heard hijackers had flown airplanes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Here are some of their stories: 
Michelle Hewitt
“In Chico, California. I was in college, getting ready for my first class, eating Rice Crispies and bananas when I saw the second tower get hit. I was in shock. I think I still am.“
Jennifer Kramer Flemmer
“I was at home in Yakima, Washington getting ready for work and it was my birthday. No work was done that day we were all watching TV and listening to the radio.”
Cherie Perez
“We were living in Chico just about to graduate, move to Natomas, and plan our wedding. I remember waking up listening to the Mark and Brian radio show, and hearing them saying, “This is no joke folks. We can’t believe this is happening it’s like a horror movie.” I turned on my TV only to see the North Tower on fire and a few minutes later the plane flew into the South Tower. That was one hell of a day and our world is forever changed because of it.“
Amy Thomas Orellana
“I was 8-1/2 months pregnant with our son in the Bay Area. I was home alone watching the news and listening to the jets overhead as they flew along the coast. We waited to hear from family in New York that they were all safe, but unfortunately one of my sister’s coworkers was on United flight 93. Very sad day.”
Hami Kitsuda
“I was 7 months pregnant in Japan teaching English. I remember turning on the news at 11 p.m. their time as I saw the second tower fall. Speechless and crying with my husband.“
Cheryl Chambers Anway
“We had just moved to Natomas 10 months earlier. I was seven months pregnant with our second child. I had slept in, and my sister in law called to let me know. My husband was working swing shift at the time, and his job called everyone off. We just stayed home, watching the towers fall over and over while trying to distract our toddler. The day before, we had visited a cousin who had her first child Sept. 10th. It’s amazing how your world can change in a blink of an eye.”
Robert Ray
“It was our second anniversary and I was on the night shift at UC Davis. I drove home kissed my wife good morning and told her she needed to see something. Grabbed our seven-month-old son and we snuggled and cried as we watched the events unfold.“
Deborah Stone
“I was at work freaking out. My daughter’s grandparents were supposed to be in the World Trade Center. Luckily, they didn’t make the trip up there.”
Michele Wassersleben
“We were at my mom’s and had slept in. We were awakened by her neighbor calling. She said breathlessly, ‘We’re under siege‘.”
Carlos Vazquez
“I was on vacation in Barcelona, Spain. Every television channel in Barcelona was broadcasting the images. I was not able to fly back to the U.S. until two weeks later.” 
Carolyn Bernard Roberts
“I was getting ready for work and watching the news. Couldn’t believe what I saw. My husband was in Viriginia on business and couldn’t get a flight out for a week. All planes were grounded and rental cars were not allowed out of the state. It all still seems like a very sad and terrible movie.“
Alicia Luna Skultety
“Was in Roseville getting ready for work at Kaiser. Rob, Arnie and Dawn on the radio with complete silence in the background – no music or laughing. Took me a minute to register what was going on. Called my son’s school who told me they were on lock down. Called work and they said come in just in case health care providers are needed for a local attack. Came to work and rolled out the TV to the waiting room (a first) for our patients.”
Ellen Perling
“I was in my classroom at Jefferson when the principal called an emergency meeting. I hadn’t seen the news, had no idea it was going on. The principal started with, “You know what’s happening.” I had to stop him and find out what it was. Then I had to teach, all day, before I could get home and see what had happened. Half the kids got picked up by panicked parents.“
Tanya Saturnio
“Dover, Delaware my first semester of college. I had left for class that morning and all I heard on the radio was twin towers hit, plane down in Pennsylvania, Pentagon hit. I got to school and everyone was glued to the TV, we all watched the towers fall live on the TV and after that all of us went home. We all just wanted to be home.” 
Susan Ross

“I was originally schedule to be at Chelsea Piers in New York City on 9/11/01 for a press tour, but it was switched San Francisco and I was rescheduled to fly to New York on 9/12 instead so I was driving into SF when the first reports came in. Spent the morning locked down at the Great American Music Hall because they weren’t sure where flight 93 was for awhile – by the time we left around noon, San Francisco was a ghost town. Remember every second of that day, and ended up back in New York a month later. Saddest flight I’ve ever taken was my first trip back to New York after 9/11. I will never forget.“
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