NBC News asked its followers on social media to share their memories of September 11, 2001, and received over 400 responses. The submissions are from various locations across the US, including New Jersey, Brooklyn, Ashtabula, Ohio, Florida, and Long Island, New York. Many respondents describe scenes of shock, horror, and chaos as they witnessed or experienced the attacks firsthand. The article presents a collection of personal anecdotes and memories from people who were in different parts of the country when the attacks occurred.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 8, 2024, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was killed, an event that has become a significant marker for young conservatives in America, akin to September 11, 2001 and the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. The day of his death is now referred to by some as 9/10, symbolizing its impact on political activism among students. Meanwhile, the small Canadian town of Gander played a pivotal role during the September 11 attacks when U.S. airspace was closed, leading to 38 international flights landing there, doubling the population overnight and necessitating an impromptu humanitarian effort by locals to aid around 7,000 stranded passengers and crew members for several days. This act of kindness inspired the Broadway musical "Come From Away," which highlights Gander's generosity and humanity in times of crisis.
Written for “9/11 Anniversary Reflections” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 167 other(s) covering the same event.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the oft-repeated refrain became “Never Forget.”
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refrain → repeat → attacks
NBC News asked followers on social media to share their memories of that day 25 years later — the things they will never forget about one of the most pivotal mornings in American history.
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they → ask → history
Answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
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Answers → edit → length
All times are approximate and listed as Eastern.
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times → list → Eastern
My husband and I had been in the building the evening prior and now this was happening!
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this → happen → building
I watched the towers tumble like dominos on TV, something I didn’t know buildings could do.
uncertain
buildings → watch → TV
Since we lived in Northeastern, N.J., we could smell the smoke and see it.
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we → live → it
Worst of all, we could smell death.
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we → smell → death
I ran into a friend at the corner coffee shop.
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I → run → shop
She had just dropped off her child and was waiting for her husband to celebrate their anniversary.
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husband → drop → anniversary
He was an FDNY firefighter and was just getting off of his multi-day shift when the call came in.
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call → get → shift
Instead of enjoying his anniversary, Dave Fontana stayed with his brothers.
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Fontana → enjoy → brothers
I only got to know him briefly at the Music Together program we brought our children to.
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we → get → children
Everyone I was around, we couldn’t stop hugging each other and trying to help those of us who were taking that day harder than others.
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who → stop → others
I was an Outward Bound instructor, getting ready to go on a 30 day canoeing expedition with “troubled” teens.
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I → get → teens
We were getting life jackets and paddles ready for the students to arrive when a staff member came down to the gear locker and told us that someone had just flown a plane into the WTC.
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someone → get → WTC
Someone actually said, “like a passenger plane?” and we all kind of laughed it off because how the hell could that happen?
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that → say → it
Well, within two minutes we were all watching the news broadcast in horror.
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we → watch → horror
We left on the St. Mary’s River or Suwannee the next morning and didn’t see or hear from anyone for about four days.
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We → leave → days
The first time we ran into a couple of fishermen, they asked if we had heard the news.
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we → run → news
They gave us a copy of that day’s newspaper.
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They → give → newspaper
It was kind of otherworldly to be out on a river in nature for weeks without really knowing what was happening.
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what → know → weeks
I was 11 and had just started middle school.
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I → start → school
I remember one girl brought cupcakes in to celebrate her birthday that morning.
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girl → remember → birthday
During math, the teacher on the other side slammed open the divider and told my teacher to turn on the TV.
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teacher → slam → TV
Years after 9/11 many people claimed they watched the events of that day unfold in classrooms on TVs.
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events → claim → TVs
It actually happened to me and my classmates; 11-year-olds watching buildings on fire, people jumping and the towers eventually falling.
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towers → happen → fire
I remember seeing the janitors on the roof of my school looking towards the city.
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janitors → remember → city
I was watching the Today show and I vividly remember seeing the first tower fall — I worked at 2 World Trade Center in the late 1980s.
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I → watch → 1980s
I had to call family and friends at home and in New York, which was almost impossible.
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which → have → York
I finally walked to the office and we collectively decided to continue with the training as no one could get home.
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one → walk → training
Given that I had worked on the 102nd floor of 2 WTC, I will forever remember people jumping from those windows.
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people → give → windows
I stood at those windows many times while working for Shearson Lehman and I am still pained by how desperate they must have felt.
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they → stand → Lehman
After I had finished being, yes, a victim of the collapse of Tower Two, I realized there was a lot of carnage around me.
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I → finish → me
I figured the best thing I could do was to get to the nearest hospital.
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I → figure → hospital
I can suture up a knee, probably with both hands tied behind my back and blindfolded, so to speak.
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hands → suture → back
So I went to Beekman Hospital.
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I → go → Hospital
I identified myself because I didn’t work there and they gave me a fourth floor conference room.
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they → identify → room
I started to sew people back together again, just trying to stop the bleeding.
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I → start → bleeding
I’m standing over a patient, trying to sew them together, and I remember how difficult it was to even pass a suture through the tissue because my mind wasn’t really focused.
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mind → stand → tissue
…and 31 more, not listed.
