Never Forget

[RSD]

September 11 is always a difficult day for me to put into words - it started off as a beautiful sunny day in New York, we were having a late breakfast when suddenly an urgent message came over the radio about a plane hitting the trade center which was the beginning of the day all of us there will never forget - and we have always vowed that we will Never Forget the 343 Brothers we lost when the towers collapsed.

[Wollemi]

Yeah? But what's your opinion on the recent passing of ISAF personnel, inclusive of Australian and New Zealand service men and women, killed while attempting to restore stable government to a nation whose past actions attributed for the loss of your 'Brothers'?

Does the passing of the other 2653 people murdered by suicide terrorists from within hijacked jet aircraft in NE USA not move you also?

Um... I am quite sure that my first-aid training always said not to become a victim yourself - that is; to look and think clearly before going into a hazardous site where injured people are.

[stepbystep]

Content removed by poster

[ILUVSWTAS]

Isn't this now an international forum??

Many may find this thread offensive.

[Ent]

Isn't this now an international forum??

Many may find this thread offensive.

I accept and understand the personal loss behind the originating post experienced by a fellow forum member but as for the rest I agree with ILUVSWTAS. Can we please stop tragedies becoming political?

Regards

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thanks Brett.

Regardless of which "side" your on, I dont believe this forum is the place for the argument of whether America are Bullies or Heroes.

[stepbystep]

Fair play, edited...

[RSD]

Isn't this now an international forum??

Many may find this thread offensive.

I accept and understand the personal loss behind the originating post experienced by a fellow forum member but as for the rest I agree with ILUVSWTAS. Can we please stop tragedies becoming political?

Regards

I never meant for this thread to become political or offensive, and none of us that responded to the trade center that day would describe ourselves as heroes - we were simply doing our job. Fate then decided who lived and who died, I was actually the last firefighter to get out of Tower 1 before it collapsed, but I lost three of the guys off my truck

[ILUVSWTAS]

Isn't this now an international forum??

Many may find this thread offensive.

I accept and understand the personal loss behind the originating post experienced by a fellow forum member but as for the rest I agree with ILUVSWTAS. Can we please stop tragedies becoming political?

Regards

I never meant for this thread to become political or offensive, and none of us that responded to the trade center that day would describe ourselves as heroes - we were simply doing our job. Fate then decided who lived and who died, I was actually the last firefighter to get out of Tower 1 before it collapsed, but I lost three of the guys off my truck

Respect to you. Most certainly.

[RSD]

I should add that I'm not American either - Aussie through and through.

[stepbystep]

I should add that I'm not American either - Aussie through and through.

Yeah apologies mate, doesn't matter what I think about the politics involved people are more important. Hope you and your mates are dealing with things as best you can.
I was involved in transmitting and editing the live footage from the US. It was a massive and surreal event.

[RSD]

I was involved in transmitting and editing the live footage from the US. It was a massive and surreal event.

You probably knew far more about what was going on than us for the first two hours - we were fourth truck in and already inside and climbing before command really knew that it was a terrorist attack or Tower 2 was struck.

[corvus]

Wollemi ,
Perhaps you should re think and or delete your post.
corvus

[RSD]

Um... I am quite sure that my first-aid training always said not to become a victim yourself - that is; to look and think clearly before going into a hazardous site where injured people are.

I don't think that you can compare the role of a first aider to that of a New York City Firefighter, and trust me - the training is a lot different

[stepbystep]

I was involved in transmitting and editing the live footage from the US. It was a massive and surreal event.

You probably knew far more about what was going on than us for the first two hours - we were fourth truck in and already inside and climbing before command really knew that it was a terrorist attack or Tower 2 was struck.

We had to guess. I was working in an area called presentation at Channel 9 in Perth, we were responsible for making sure transmission was smooth. It was pretty late and everything was on autopilot. I was on the phone to a mate when I noticed a feed from an affiliate network(we received around 16 from all over the world) that showed the first tower burning. I thought it was a movie... there were only 3 young guys on duty running the whole TV station. When the shot didn't change I knew it was something else. After tuning in I(then 24) had to make a decision to switch from the scheduled program to the live feed. I rang a head honcho and it was while I was on the phone I saw the second tower hit. We switched live about a minute later. Channel 9 Perth switched live first in Australia. Strange thing is a lot of people say they saw the 2nd tower hit live but in reality it was only me and my 2 mates.

Anyway that's my experience of it. Are you still in contact with the other firies involved?

[RSD]

We had to guess. I was working in an area called presentation at Channel 9 in Perth, we were responsible for making sure transmission was smooth. It was pretty late and everything was on autopilot. I was on the phone to a mate when I noticed a feed from an affiliate network(we received around 16 from all over the world) that showed the first tower burning. I thought it was a movie... there were only 3 young guys on duty running the whole TV station. When the shot didn't change I knew it was something else. After tuning in I(then 24) had to make a decision to switch from the scheduled program to the live feed. I rang a head honcho and it was while I was on the phone I saw the second tower hit. We switched live about a minute later. Channel 9 Perth switched live first in Australia. Strange thing is a lot of people say they saw the 2nd tower hit live but in reality it was only me and my 2 mates.

We would have been six or seven floors up the stairs by then so didn't hear the second plane hit the other tower, and didn't find out till much later.

Anyway that's my experience of it. Are you still in contact with the other firies involved?

Will be talking to some of them on the phone shortly, and the widows & kids.

[sthughes]

Well at least I know who's responsible for my not getting to see Star Trek that night (or was it the west wing I was sitting up for?)!! It was all very surreal watching it unfold.

Not sure how commemorating the deaths of hundreds of your mates doing their job trying to save thousands is political, just some inconsiderate responses in my opinion. I have great respect for high rise fireys, I know they do it because they enjoy it, but itS a hell of a dangerous (and important) job. As proved hundreds of times over on September 11.

[Son of a Beach]

My wife (then fiancé) was living in NY at the time. What she remembers most apart from seeing the towers burn, is that for days (weeks?) afterwards, the car park at her local train station had a lot of cars that never left.

What I remember most is that my phone kept ringing during the night, and I thought it must have been her calling about something not important enough to get out of bed for, so I just ignored it all night. I was a bit shocked by the message on my answering machine the next morning.

All the best to you and your mates, RSD.