David Ashton: Castro Valley Remembers 9/11

September 11th. It's been 10 years and it is still fatiguing and emotional.

After the deluge of September 11th stories that have been in the media lately, I almost let the day go unnoted on CVLegends.

But my conscience and my curiosity wouldn't let me not honor the day in the small way available to me, so I put the question to the members of CVLegends. The following are some of their unique 9-11 memories.

Elizabeth Holscher: "September 11th 2001 is a day that should remain a topic of discussion forever in our history. Once we forget, we become complacent. We were asleep at the wheel before, we can't EVER do that again."

Michelle Zoggas: "9/11 should always be remembered. My wish is that everyone would CELEBRATE the lives of the loved ones lost, instead of sadness across the world!"

David Ashton: "We were living up in Columbia. I was getting ready for a job interview that morning, happened to be reading the news and saw it online, we didn't have a TV at that point, so I spent the morning glued to the internet and the radio. I went to the job interview, the entire place was in disarray. Employees were coming and going, sharing bits of information as they got them, somehow I made it through the interview. I actually got the job. Driving home, I went to the Red Cross and the line was down the street."

Brian A. Foster: "It was my second day on the job in the city of El Cerrito. I was watching the events unfold while dressing. I hurried to work, since under California law, in the event of an emergency (which I anticipated might be called), city workers are required to report to their city (or nearest one if the roads are impassable) for duty."

Ted Lone Eagle Thiel: "I was getting ready for work. I told my son to stay at home from school and don't go anywhere. I was pissed off that day about us being attacked and almost 3,000 people were murdered. I am still pissed off about it today! That is all I'm goin' to say!"

Josh Hunter: "I think it might also be nice to remember September 12. That feels like the last time we as a whole nation were united about anything."

Tim Carrolan: "Sept. 11th 2001. I was aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln inport in Everett, Washington. I was the first on to work that day (as I usually was) and turned on the TV to watch the news. By the time everyone else got to work the second plane had hit and the captain came over the 1MC and announced that all liberty had been secured and the quarter deck would be closed. With in an hour all the Marines on the ship were dressed in full battle clothes and armed with rifles. The rest of my career was never the same. All watches were armed and liberty ports were all very low key when we went out. I will never forget that day. I can only hope that we as a nation never let are guard down to let this happen again."

Edward Stegall: "I was getting ready for work and turned on the TV news to see reports of the first tower hit. My heart sunk and it seemed sureal. As I was trying to get more info I watched live as the second tower was hit. Seeing the moment of impact was a shocking experience. I got to work late and didn't even care, seemed like the traffic on my commute were all glued to the radio as was I. When I got to work everyone was in a state of disbelief. That day was like no other... sadness, anger and prayers."

Patrice Herman: "I would like to thank ALL the rescue people, not just the fire and police but the many civilians (and dogs) that dedicated their time and efforts. Along with the many air traffic controllers who landed thousands of planes with passangers safely to the ground in a few hours. My husband was working at the SF Airport that morning, then hurrying across the bridge to get to us in Livermore, so we could all be together."

Gail Goldschmidt Shull: "I was working as secretary in the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations (DCSOPS) office at Headquarters, US Army Europe (HQ USAREUR), in Heidelberg, Germany on this day 10 years ago. Who knew the day would end in such tragedy. I would worry about the safety of my son on that day. I knew my son worked on Wall Street and he took the subway through the World Trade Center to get to work. Never was one phone call so appreciated as the one I received later that afternoon. He was safe, but he has memories of that day that will be etched in his mind forever."

Steve Ontiveros: "I watched the events unfold in a pub in downtown London. I have a couple London newspapers dated Sept. 12 that I will be reading today."

Kathy Moss Torrez: "I'm a 'get up late, get ready, and rush out the door to work girl.' I arrived at the elementary school where I worked, unaware of this disaster. Ironically, not having watched the details until later than night made me stronger to deal with all the staff and families and their fears that day. My emotions were able to release later that night. I remember thinking that the world would NEVER be the same for my 3-year-old grandson who had no idea what had happened that day!!!"

Patti Garrett: "Steve was in London and Randy still lived on the West Coast. I was getting ready for work and stopped to watch TV before leaving. When I got to work, everyone was in a stunned state of mind and we all continued to watch coverage of NYC and the other locatations. One of the attorneys in our office was in Germany had no way to get home. I contacted Steve and he made his home available as a lay-over so she could get to London and then back to the US. i think all of us wanted to do a small part in helping anyone, in any way, who was affected by 9/11. Today, Steve lives on the West Coast and Randy is near DC. I am glad that there is more caution and oversight with our security, but we must remain vigilant about what goes on around us. 9/11 changed the the US, but it remains strong and committed to freedom and democracy!"

Penni Hale-Grist: "I was at the vet with my dog. I thought it was all a bad joke they were playing on us."

Carol Cunningham Palmer: "I agree... 9/11 should always be honored and  remembered. I dropped my daughter off at high school & went on to my job as a preschool teacher. As parents arrived to drop off their kids at preschool I found out what had happened. Every year since then, I've had the kids do a parade on or near 9/11, waving American flags and singing "This Flag's For America." In a small way, even they honor the day."

Mike Stansbury: "I was on my way to court to fight a traffic citation. Before I left, I watched it on the news. I remember them calling it an accident, then the second plane flew into the other tower. When I got to court, they evacuated and announced the other attacks."

Karen Orser Gilbert: "I carpooled to Mountain View for work. When I picked up my friend, she asked if I was late because I was watching the news. No, just late. She told me a plane crashed into the WTC. We listened to KGO all the way to work. My grandboss was having breakfast at WTC 7. We were worried sick about him. He got out and walked 50 blocks to his in-laws."

Ray Moore: "I woke up to the radio. My morning DJ was saying they were suspending all jokes that morning and covering as much as they could. I didn't know what to think! I turned on TV and watched the coverage (the first tower had already collapsed and they were waiting for the second tower to fall). When I got into work later that morning, everyone was in shock. Of course, all sales calls were cancelled for a couple of days. One of our people was on vacation and couldn't get a flight home until the no fly zone was lifted."

Thank you to everyone who shared their memories and candid thoughts. If you would like to read more or join the conversation, you can find us at www.facebook.com/CVLegends