September 11 At A New Hampshire Radio Station

When I got into radio in 1988, honestly, I thought it would be temporary. I thougtht I could have some fun playing records for a few years, then get a big girl job. That temporary job turned into 38 years. By far, the most difficult day in all those years, was on a beautiful Tuesday morning in 2001 on September 11.

The Morning of September 11, 2001

I was working at another radio station in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with my co-host, Jeff. We had a newsman, Roger Wood, who came into the studio just before 9am and said, "a plane just flew into the World Trade Center in New York." We thought it was a freak accident... until the second plane hit another Tower just after 9am.

At that point on the air, we weren't saying too much, but we didn't think it was our entire country under attack until Roger came back in the studio and said, "They've now hit the Pentagon." At that point, I thought for sure America, not just New York, was under attack. I was terrified and immediately called my son's Elementary school in Dover.

After the fourth plane went down in Pennsylvania, we were off the air and went "wall to wall" ABC news on all stations. No one knew what was going to happen next.

We had new people in the building that day. Several people I had never met before were wandering the building. Who were they and why are they here? Is it really because they were new salespeople learning the ropes? Turns out, they were just that. One of those sales people assigned to my studio to observe the AM show, is my current boss, Christine Sieks. It was her very first day.

What Do You Say on Morning Radio When Tragedy Occurs?

Our morning show usually played pop music, kept up with gossip and kept people company while they were getting ready for school or work. It was not a serious show. After 9/11, however, we didn't think it was approriate to laugh or even smile for weeks.

New Hampshire Kids Were Raising Money for 9/11 Relief

We called for blood and money for the Red Cross of Northern New England, just like every other media outlet in the country and one day, a few days after 9/11, we got a visit from a woman and a young girl at our Portsmouth studio.

The young girl handed me an envelope with the inscription, "To be donated to the Red Cross in honor of Michael and Kathleen Shearer of Dover who died on Flight 175." When I looked up, I saw the woman crying and I think it may have been Michael and Kathleen's daughter.

Michael was known as the Lawn King and Kathleen was in the process of making a quilt for their first grandchild, who they were flying out to see for the first time on 9/11. According to WMUR, they were married for 39 years and had just built their dream home in Dover. They moved in during the Spring of 2001.

Remember How the U.S. Felt on September 12?

I remember how united these states were on September 12, 2001. Everyone had a common goal to come together and catch the bad guys who did this to us. Eventually, Bin Ladan was killed, but in many ways, we'll never be the same.

The attacks on our Country brought all the things that we saw on TV, in other countries, to our home. We felt the loss deeply of the people who lost their lives that day and we should always remember them.

Rest in peace, Michael and Kathleen Shearer of Dover, NH and all the other people who lost their lives in the tragic events of 9/11. May we never forget.