JumpStart by Robb Armstrong for September 11, 2024

I would think Marcy no longer counted as a mere nurse at this point.

September 11, 2001, I was biking alone in the Everglades, completely oblivious. When I got back to my truck and turned the radio on, instead of tunes I got the breaking news. I rushed home in horror, hoping it wasn’t true, but then I turned on the television..

This is so touching.

As the wife of a paramedic, thank you.

23 years ago I stood on a rooftop and watched the towers fall. Life has not been the same since. I lost 37 friends and colleagues as I watched in horror, having only retired off the job 90 days previously.

Because someone was offended that there were non-muslims in a Muslim country. And that was his response to the offense.

My husband and I are those very rare native Philadelphians who love New York and spend a good deal of time (and money) there. We were in New York the Sunday before the attacksand actually kidded about finally visiting the Twin Towers—we knew Midtown well, but not Lower Manhattan.All was well until September 11th. I was at work when my boss stumbled in. This was odd-he was not one to stumble about anything, and discouraged any internet activity that wasn’t work-related. “Turn on your computer!” he shouted (he wasn’t one for shouting, either),“a plane flew into one of the Twin Towers!”I did, and I was horrified. Not long afterward, my workmates and I saw the second tower fall. It wasn’t “business as usual”. No one did anything business-related that day, but there was much hugging and crying. I was pretty much numb for the next few weeks, realizing that the United States was much more vulnerable than I’d imagined, that roughly three thousand innocent people were gone forever, and that I’d never get the chance to visit the Twin Towers.

I was in class when it happened, less than 2 weeks before my 16th birthday, the announcement was made over the school’s PA system, and the news’ radio broadcast was being played over it in the cafeteria. I had the earliest lunch period so I actually heard the commentary as the towers collapsed, the reporter’s shock and disbelief clear in his voice.

ON THE HUNCH WE COULD USE A LAUGH

A VERY early Laurel&Hardy comedy(only their 4th) was SLIPPING WIVES—a 1927 silent.

Laurel is a party crashing guest who is pantomiming the story of Samson and Delilah.

he concludes that when Samson tore down the temple “he killed three thousand Philadelphians”.

Timing is everything. Count your blessings.

It was a very sad day for America. I’ll never forget that day.

Thanks Robb.

You could’ve called Crunchy to come in for the photo shoot. As well as anyone else that served during 9/11 and retired since.

and we still haven’t nuked saudi arabia for that.

This is the first comic that has remembered 9/11. What happened to “never forget”?

This is the first (and only so far,) mention of 911 I’ve seen in today’s comics. Thank you Robb!

I heard the news as I was driving to the funeral of a patient. At that point the radio was still calling it an accident. Later I went to a major Philadelphia medical center for my mammogram. One of the receptionists was frantic, her cousin had gone to NY that day for a job interview at the Towers. At a subsequent visit she told me her cousin was okay. For another tribute that I think reflects the best in people and our country find Tom Paxton’s “The Bravest”. Several versions are on YouTube.

I’m wondering why Peterson isn’t in that picture…