story7645.xml
Title
story7645.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-16
911DA Story: Story
I am a British guy and was on vacation in Singapore on 11th Septemeber. I had spent the day in the equitorial heat getting souveniers to take back to England and taking lunch with a friend of mine.
Later that evening I went out for a drink with another friend in a bar. Before leaving, I wished to check the news, but I noticed that CNN wasn't broadcasting, but I thought nothing of it.
My friend and I enjoyed the live music and talked about the good times, and as I was due to go home the following day, the singer dedicated 'Leaving on a jet plane' to me, which was quite emotionally charging for me.
We shared a taxi to my hotel, and the radio was on in the cab in Mandarin. My friend suddenly went to pieces and as I only understood an aircraft type and the name 'San Francisco', I assumed that there was a plane crash at SFO. He said that it was a plane crash and was worried about a loved one who he knew was in the USA at the time.
Back in the hotel, I wanted to find out more. On looking at CNN, I was puzzled. I was expecting a plane wreck in SFO but I saw a city with a building covered in smoke and partly obscured with dust. Then I spotted the 'America Under Attack' caption and then I starting realising that I knew the building. It looked like the World Trade Center, but, hang on... where is the other tower? Then I saw a replay of WTC2 falling. I felt sick, frozen and shaking and I just couldn't believe it. I then saw WTC1 falling (I will never forget the image of that mast coming down vertically), then I heard about the Pentagon, then I heard about the fact that there were four aircraft involved. I was very scared as I didn't know if there was going to be more to come and that I was to be flying home the following day.
The friend who I was with, the night before, came to the airport to see me off with a hug. I boarded my aircraft for the long and boring flight home. I later found out that my friend's soulmate was not involved.
In April 2001, I visited WTC2 and found the views there amazing and the sheer scale of the structures were awe enspiring. Something that is gone and I will never see again.
I am so saddened that all those people died and also at the loss of the towers. My sympathy goes to all the Americans who must have felt very scared during the fall of 2001, and especially to those who lost families, friends and loved ones on that horrific day.
Later that evening I went out for a drink with another friend in a bar. Before leaving, I wished to check the news, but I noticed that CNN wasn't broadcasting, but I thought nothing of it.
My friend and I enjoyed the live music and talked about the good times, and as I was due to go home the following day, the singer dedicated 'Leaving on a jet plane' to me, which was quite emotionally charging for me.
We shared a taxi to my hotel, and the radio was on in the cab in Mandarin. My friend suddenly went to pieces and as I only understood an aircraft type and the name 'San Francisco', I assumed that there was a plane crash at SFO. He said that it was a plane crash and was worried about a loved one who he knew was in the USA at the time.
Back in the hotel, I wanted to find out more. On looking at CNN, I was puzzled. I was expecting a plane wreck in SFO but I saw a city with a building covered in smoke and partly obscured with dust. Then I spotted the 'America Under Attack' caption and then I starting realising that I knew the building. It looked like the World Trade Center, but, hang on... where is the other tower? Then I saw a replay of WTC2 falling. I felt sick, frozen and shaking and I just couldn't believe it. I then saw WTC1 falling (I will never forget the image of that mast coming down vertically), then I heard about the Pentagon, then I heard about the fact that there were four aircraft involved. I was very scared as I didn't know if there was going to be more to come and that I was to be flying home the following day.
The friend who I was with, the night before, came to the airport to see me off with a hug. I boarded my aircraft for the long and boring flight home. I later found out that my friend's soulmate was not involved.
In April 2001, I visited WTC2 and found the views there amazing and the sheer scale of the structures were awe enspiring. Something that is gone and I will never see again.
I am so saddened that all those people died and also at the loss of the towers. My sympathy goes to all the Americans who must have felt very scared during the fall of 2001, and especially to those who lost families, friends and loved ones on that horrific day.
Collection
Citation
“story7645.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 29, 2025, https://www.911digitalarchive.org/items/show/15168.