The Eerie Sound of Silence In the Skies Above Southern California...

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Realty NRDS # 146013739

UPDATE: I have shared this in the past. But I just saw a 6 part Documentary on 9/11.  You can find it on Disney Plus under National Geographic.  This is the best documentary from the people that were there.  It is so well done, the emotions come right to the surface as if you are watching this from the actual site.  It was made in conjunction with the 9/11 Memorial Site. 

Southern California has a very busy sky. Besides major international airports, there are airports in most cities in the Southern California area. Our home was in the path of commuter flights from Orange County to Ontario International Airport, and it was also under the vector to LAX.  Planes and helicopters were a natural sound of our environment.  Then it stopped suddenly...

When the FAA shut down the airspace twenty-two years ago, the skies were eerily quiet except for the occasional compliment of fighter jets patrolling at low altitudes and hi-speed. 

Remembering September 11th ...

America will never be the same after that Tuesday in September back in 2001.  I would hazard to say that no country in the world has been the same.  Twenty-two years have gone by, but for many, it seems much shorter than that  For others, it seems much longer... There are those people who have been touched and scarred deeply by the event; family members, close friends, and co-workers who never returned home that evening. Since then, thousands of service men and women have lost their lives defending our freedom;  freedom from tyranny and terrorism. Some of these people go to sleep every evening and wake up every morning with the unbearable pain of what they had to endure, as well as the thought that their loved ones are never coming home.  Our hearts and prayers go out to these brave souls who continue to fight day in and day out to survive the scars they received from the events of that day.

My husband, who was an Ontario Airport manager at UPS during 9/11/01, put together a web-page honoring those who lost their lives. I would like to share that link with you and also share this video of the Newsweek Special Report - After the Terror...

God Bless Our Heroes and Their Families

 

 


Select the link below to see where the 9/11 Artifact is located.

Where Is The Sedona World Trade Center Artifact & Memorial Located?

 

Comments (32)

Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Debra Leisek, Thank you for your post.  I completely agree.  My husband was educating our grandson on this event on Saturday. He is only 7, so we have to be careful on what details we expose to him.    

Sep 11, 2023 10:20 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Wayne Martin - Well said, It does not get any easier.

Sep 11, 2023 10:21 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400 - One of our neighbors, managed co-ops for Leona Helmsley business interests.  He told us that he lost many friends on that fateful day.  Those who lived and worked around Ground Zero, have many 1st degree connections to those lost.  It is heartbreaking. 

Sep 11, 2023 10:33 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Nina Hollander, Broker - Your story helps illustrate how we were all tied to this tragedy as Americans.  America stopped and grieved. People were glued to their TVs. Flags were flying everywhere.  

Sep 11, 2023 10:37 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

It never gets easier Sheri after all these years.  We all remember  it clearly. I was at home and saw the first plane hit and thought - What?  Was that a small plane?  We all know the rest. Gary was at Honeywell airport facility.  I called him and asked him if he heard of what was happening.  They did not. We couldn't believe what was going on.....but then again, who could.  My heart still hurts for all those people.......

Sep 11, 2023 10:39 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Kat Palmiotti -  I can't help but think of that old cliche, "The silence was deafening'" 

Sep 11, 2023 10:39 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Joan Cox -  Nothing has ever compared to those days that the skies were quiet.  The decision to ground all aircraft was not only the right call, it probably saved additional lives. Over the years, I have heard that additional flights were to be hijacked that afternoon.

Rick was privy to FAA communications and some threats were extremely scary.  This went on for weeks.   

Sep 11, 2023 10:45 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Sheri, I had not heard they were trying to hijack more flights, it could have been worse, and was already awful.

Sep 11, 2023 10:49 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Joan Cox - I guess our enemies never thought that the USA would shut down the skies.  

Sep 11, 2023 11:09 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thanks, Sheri, for this timely post. 

I was in the office that day and an associate called to tell be about the first tower and I went to the TV in the break room and was watching as the second plane hit.

Sep 11, 2023 12:47 PM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

There certainly was an eerie amount of silence on that day, it seemed incredibly surreal.

Sep 11, 2023 01:41 PM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

So difficult to believe it has been 22 years.  I have so many memories of that day, and the days that closely followed.

Sep 11, 2023 07:09 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Sheri- thank you once again for your heartfelt and beautiful post. I'm also going to watch the documentary on National Geographic. Tell Rick he did an excellent job on his website!!!! 

Sep 11, 2023 07:40 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Thanks for your remembrance of that day, Roy. 

Sep 13, 2023 01:15 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Brian England - Surreal is a perfect way to describe the silence in the skies. 

Sep 13, 2023 01:16 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi, Myrl Jeffcoat - It is hard to believe that more than two decades have passed. 

Sep 13, 2023 01:18 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi,  Kathy Streib - I think you will be surprised at how well that documentary is assembled.  I still can't believe all the different types of footage the producers were able to gather.  I will let Rick know, I am sure he will appreciate that you checked it out. 

Sep 13, 2023 01:22 PM
Hannah Williams
HomeStarr Realty - Philadelphia, PA
Expertise NE Philadelphia & Bucks 215-820-3376

Sheri Sperry - MCNE® This is a day I will never forget . Watching it on the Today Show and seeing the first plane ,then the second ,,oh what a shock it was . Then another plane was here in Pennsylvania. It was a horrible day. So many live lost! 

I have the Disney Channel Thanks for the info - it is now on the top of my list 

Sep 14, 2023 03:14 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Hannah Williams - The National Geographic Documentary puts you right there.  I am amazed at how they captured some of the footage. 

Sep 15, 2023 08:50 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Sheri Sperry - MCNE®,

We were all tied to this tragedy as Americans when terrorist's struck us on our home land. Please tell Rick he did an excellent job on his website!!!! So difficult to believe it has been 22 years. I absolutely believe the decision to ground all aircraft was not only the right call, it probably saved additional lives. Over the years, I too have heard that additional flights were to be hijacked that afternoon. It was astonishing how America stopped and grieved. People were glued to their TVs. Flags were flying everywhere and their was a feeling of comradery.  

Sep 24, 2023 05:02 AM