2,996 - 9/11 Tribute and remembrance

9/11/2001-Never forget...
First the tribute-

Norman Rossinow age 39 Cedar Grove, NJ

This project unfortunately was last minute as I was never originally emailed the name I needed to tribute.
This was also difficult for me as I was reading the tributes and comments on Normans Guest book I started to cry.
I also have been dealing with a sick child all week.
But here is my tribute.

Norman had got married in June of 2001 just a few short months before his death on Sept 11 2001. He was asked a conference that summer what the greatest thing to happen to him was and he said meeting and marrying his wife Susan.
He love canoeing and scuba diving, he seemed to be someone who loved to take a risk. And was very friendly.

I know there is so much more to all of those who lost their lives and all we can do is remember them for who they were. Their loved ones miss them but they have wonderful memories of these people as their life goes on.

There is a moving tribute to Norman on Legacy.com
http://www.legacy.com/aon/Sept11.asp?Page=Story&PersonID=120510

You can also see how loved he is by checking out his guest book.

I wish I could have provided a more in depth look to Norman but his friends and family have already done this. Please sign his guest book and let his family know you care and that you have not forgotten.

Also click on the 2.996 banner on the right and read the other stories.
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Where were you?

On Sept 11 2001 at 9am I was at work and on the phone with someone in VA who was listening to the radio (BBC news) and he said a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. And there were no details noone knew why. Was it mechanical failure? Navigational failure? What?Why? But I know I was in disbelief but carried on with my job.

As I was talking to this gentleman and helping him with his computer problem he said another plane hit the other tower. At this point we knew it wasnt mechanical failure. We knew it was an attack and as the morning wore on we heard another plane had crashed into the Pentagon.

CNN.com, times.com, any news web site that you could imagine was so clogged with traffic that you couldnt get to them.
I got off the phone with my customer and immediately called and woke up my hubby who was home sick that day and told him to turn on the TV. He couldnt believe it.

I went downstairs and watched the news there were so many people in there watching the news noone could move we were transfixed. And then to our shock we watched as the first building collapsed and then moments later we watched as the second building fell. Norman was one of the many that were trapped inside, we can only assume he stayed to help so that others can leave.
He seems to be of the character that he would do that.

We learned that a plane had crashed into the pentagon...the Pentagon! The only building with more fortification then the Pentagon is Fort Knox. Why the hell, would they choose that as a target?

We learned a fourth airplane crashed out in western PA and the people on that plane had basically saved more lives by sacrificing their own.

As the day dragged on unmercifully all contractors and non us citizens were made to leave my work. So now we have a crew of about 30 people where normally we have a 1oo.
Not that we were taking any calls. But its one of those things where we were in the dark about what was going on. I had no TV, no radio stations because we worked inside a concrete bldg and streaming audio at the time was not the norm for radio stations.
I wanted to be home with my family and friends but I couldnt leave.

We all know someone who died that day or we know someone who knew someone. Whether it was in the towers, the pentagon or on Flight 93.

It brought the country together in mourning. I do not know what the terrorists were hoping to achieve. I only know what happened and that in my opinion they did not achieve what they wanted. I think they wanted to bring the country to its knees and devastate us. Well they did for a moment but the American spirit has always been described as a fighting spirit. And we wanted answers and revenge.

What we did was as a country we came together to help and memoralize those who perished. We stood in line to give blood, we prayed for those trapped inside, and their families. It has been five years and still the pain is very fresh. I cannot watch footage or hear stories without crying and being pissed off beyond all reason. But there is something else I get and that is hope. Out of this tragedy there is hope and stories of survival. You hear how people were able to get out alive because others helped them. Our police department, firefighters, emts, military personnel, and civilians became heroes and showed what we as a human race are capable of.

Every generation has a defining moment of where were you? For my parents it was the assassination of JFK.
For the generation before me it was the assassination of John Lennon.
For me I thought it was the Challenger exploding or the Berlin wall coming down... and they were until the terrorist attack on American on 9/11/2oo1.

Those who were on the planes, those who died in the bldgs, those who died saving those trapped in the rubble, those who died later, will always be remembered by family and friends and I hope you will remember them too.

But I am curious to know where were you on 9/11/2001 when you found out what had happened?
Leave a comment and let us all know.
As always HUGS---
Also I am going to leave this up all week so there will be no other posts this week.