18 Years Ago . . .

[Lee Stewart]

Never Forget . . . Never Forgive

[WILMASBOYL78]

Lest we forget

[HawkX66]

As I looked at the Pentagon today, like I do a few times a week, I always remember. I also remember the men allowed to be murdered in Benghazi along with countless others I will never forget.

[markinnaples]

I'll never forget as I am still angry about it, and nor will the people who I am around. I make sure to tell my kids about it, and who did it, and why we need to make sure that something like this never happens again. Salute to those who serve as well, and I appreciate all that you do.

[Lee Stewart]

On 9/11 she was ordered up in her F-16 to intercept flight 93 before it reached DC. Without rockets or guns, the unspoken order was to ram the commercial jet like a Kamikaze. She, with her commander, took off to do just that but turned back only when they found out the passengers had taken over the plane and forced it to the ground. She is an American hero and a great role model.

As chaos ensued, Lt. Heather "Lucky" Penney was sitting in her F-16 jet at Andrews Air Force Base with very specific orders.

Bring down United Airlines Flight 93 'by any means possible.'

She and Col. Marc Sasseville were given those orders that day, even though they were sitting in planes without any live ammunition. That meant, they both had to plan to ram the hijacked plane with their own jets.

For more than 10 years, Lt. Penney (now a Major), didn't talk about about her experience that day , but in 2011 she gave an interview to C-SPAN, an interview and a story we had not heard until now.

She talked about how Col. Sasseville was ready to ram the cockpit, and she would aim for the tail.

She told the Washington Post: "I genuinely believed that was going to be the last time I took off. The real heroes are the passengers on Flight 93 who were willing to sacrifice themselves. I was just an accidental witness to history."

[Craig_Maiorana]

I was supposed to be working in the towers on the 22nd for obvious reasons that never happened. I worked for a small business that set up cubicles and floor plans for the NYSE. We were in the city by the 13th for the next 6 months we were at 20 Broad st. which is a stones throw from ground zero. We used to go up to the 18th floor to have a smoke because it was the only floor with a balcony and it was easier than going to the ground and having to go through security. We found all kinds of burned book pages and other remnants that drifted down from the towers.

There was this indescribable smell like burning death that hung over the financial district. I still remember it and when i wen to the museum it came right back to me, my father told me he smelled it as well so it has to be burned into the concrete in the main open area in the museum. I relive it over and over and over. I look at that as my growing up years. Every night after work we would stop and grab a beer an just sit in the nearest marble plaza and look at the clean up and rescue efforts and none of us ever spoke... We just sat and watched in disbelief. Since then I have moved to california and created a life for myself but i have gone back to city several times and each time i learn, see, feel a bit more. We met an older black gentleman on one of our trips back. He was a security guard for one of the buildings across the street and he told my wife and I about how they were using that building for a staging ground for personal items and bodies and parts. It was unreal to hear his account of the day.

On my way to work this morning I drove past the fire academy that is across the street from Classic ind. and it was right at 8:46 ... all of the firemen and recruits were outside for the moment of silence and salute and it crushed me. Drove me right to tears ... I will probably have a hard time with this day for the rest of my life ... Just proof that i am unable to ever forget. I swear I WILL NEVER FORGET ... Be safe everyone

[Mr. Chevy]

I was working night shift on the night of 9/11. I remember seeing a large amount of grounded passenger airliners sitting all over the runways at Cleveland Hopkins Airport around 3 am.

There was an eerie calm in the air and military fighter jets circling above the airport and out over Lake Erie. I assume they were watching the Canadian border. It was frightening to think our nation was under attack on our own soil.

Rich