Manitowoc residents remembered where they were on September 11, 2001.
They spoke on Open Mic on WOMT Monday.
A woman explained where she was working when it happened.
“I was working at Riverview, and when 9/11 came I went home for lunch and then when I came back, I had turned on the TV when I get home,” she explained. I said to the other people at work that something horrific happened and we should turn on the TVs. We couldn’t really believe and still to this day can’t believe that this actually happened.”
Another person told a story about being in school when one of the planes crashed into the North Tower.
“I was in sixth grade at a Catholic school on 9/11, we would always gather before school to take prayer requests. I remember one person said I would like to pray for the victims of the plane crash. At the time, I just put the request in, but I had no idea what they were talking about. But when I went to class the teacher had the live broadcast on and then we watched at the second plane hit.”
Another story was from a woman who was living in New York at the time and was watching TV when the second plane hit.
“I stood there and didn’t do a thing. I just kept watching the TV. I mean I think I was in some kind of shock. I then said I better call my mother and tell her I’m okay. And I couldn’t get a line, so I got the operator, and she said immediately national emergency, and she disconnected me.”
She also talked about how close she might have come to not being around after 911.
“In August, I had a job interview in the World Trade Center. I don’t remember what tower, but I do remember it was on the 19th floor. The thing is I didn’t get the job and I was depressed for a couple of weeks but when the planes hit, I thought this was God’s way of taking care of me.”
A man explained what he had to do as an airplane pilot who was flying when the first plane hit the North Tower.
“And then a little time elapsed and then we got another message saying that the second building had been hit, and they were declaring a national emergency and you were to land at the nearest suitable airport ASAP. So we were closets to Tulsa, so I immediately declared an emergency because I knew the frequency would get tied up so I wouldn’t have to explain to go directly to Tulsa.”
Almost 3,000 people lost their lives during 9/11. Twelve people with ties to Wisconsin were among those who died.
