1
20
204
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was attending a conference in a suburb of Maryland just outside DC sponsored by the Office of Personnel Management. I recall traveling to DC the preceeding weekend and visiting my brother-in-law and then driving to the hotel Sunday evening as the conference began on Monday the 10th. I attended the conference all day Monday and went to dinner Monday evening with a colleague I had not realized was also attending the conference. Having worked at the Pentagon for three years, 92 thru 95, I was contemplating skipping the morning session on the 11th and taking the Metro to the Pentagon and renew some old acquaintances. I decided to attend one of the morning sessions and then make my way to the Pentagon later on. Before those plans could come to fruition, CNN was being broadcast on the large screen at the front of the auditorium where the conference attendees had previously been listening to briefings. It was surreal to say the least. As events unfolded, the conference was eventually cancelled. I recall sitting in the auditorium and my colleague coming up to sit next to me. She asked me what I was going to do. I had a rental car and she didn't. My first thoughts, considering what appeared to be near panic in DC, was to drive to Maryland and stay with my brother-in-law. However, after an hour or so, we decided to "hijack" the rental car and drive back to Florida.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
As we made our way out of the DC area driving south through Virginia, I could not believe how beautiful the day was. There was not a cloud in the sky; crystal blue and I wasn't sure I'd seen a more beautiful day. The country side was magnificent and so picturesque. I contrasted those observations with what I knew was unfolding in New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. It was way too overwhelming. And, then my thoughts turned to my oldest son who was a Lt. in the 101st Airborne. I sensed he was going somewhere. And, I thought my world was quickly collapsing. But, how could that all be true on such a beautiful day?
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
My oldest son soon departed for Afghanistan for six months and received the bronze star for his performance in Operation Anaconda. The celebration and thankfulness of his return was soon muted by the understanding he would be headed to Iraq. He accompanied the 101st up country, spending time in Baghdad and other parts unknown. He is now out of the Army, has a great job in Atlanta and is doing fine. My wife and I aged many years in what seemed like a very long two years. Americans are a resilient people. We are proving we can make great sacrifices. We are also understanding that there is a cost to this precious freedom we enjoy. We should hold this gift closely, nurture it and never forget the price paid by Americans today and in the past. I believe we are a better people and a better country, forged from the events and aftermath of 9/11.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story127.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-18
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
129.61.46.16
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was at work-- in the same room in which I am now sitting. I was doing whatever I was doing. A coworker who is always excited to be the first to "break" news to everyone else came rushing in from the break room, where CNN Headline News is always on. He said, "A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center."
Now, we work at the Dallas Infomart, and the next building to our immediate north is the Dallas "World Trade Center." For whatever reason, that was the first thing I thought of. I remember being surprised that we had not heard it here. It was only after he went on that I realized he was talking about THE World Trade Center.
I remember asking "which tower?" He didn't know.
A few minutes later, our manager, Johnnie, came rushing in. Before long the large, Mission Control-style "Web Boards" were changed. They no longer showed the status of the Help Desk; they projected CNN Headline News, albeit without sound.
The second tower had been hit, and the chances of this being luck had just cratered.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
The images, shown over and over, of the 2nd tower being hit by the plane. Of debris shooting out the opposite side of the building from the impact.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
That day seriously damaged our national sense of security, of our innate feeling of invulnerability. They attacked us at the heart of our nation, and at the core of our government.
I think that we were being overly optimistic before, thinking we were untouchable. Some kind of attack was inevitable.
Who would have dreamed it was something this big?
However, they gave us a chance to show that our greatest strength as a nation is our ability to "keep on keepin' on."
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story90.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-17
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
170.252.248.193
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
On September 11, 2001 I was on holiday in Scotland with my Mother. I'd taken her there for her 75th birthday and it was only her second trip out of the USA. After a day of shopping we jumped into a taxi for a ride to our hotel. The taxi driver recognized our accents and asked if we'd heard the news. He told us that a plane had flown into one of the WTC towers and we were both shocked. By the time we got back to our room the second plane had struck and we watched on CNN as the towers collapsed.
We cried and cried. We couldn't call home because the circuits were busy and we couldn't fly home because all flights were grounded.
That night we needed to pray so we walked to a local Episcopal cathedral. The church doors were closed and two people stood on the steps talking. One of them asked us if we needed to pray and then led us to the back of the church, opened a tiny door and allowed us inside. She took us to the altar, gave us a candle and told us to stay and pray as long as we wished. May God bless her.
The next day we took a train to London. One afternoon we walked along Charing Cross looking through book stores when I stopped in front of a Muslim book store. Inside a man and woman sat at a desk. I stood outside and went through a storm of emotions. I wanted to go inside and pray with the man and woman, pray for understanding and peace. I also wanted to go in and attack them, blaming them, in my ignorance, for the attack. Loving and hating, I was there for 5 minutes before I noticed they had become uncomfortable under my gaze and I walked on.
The world reached out to us. In the Underground an English woman stopped my mother and hugged her, they cried together.
During a church service the priest wore a T-Shirt with the American flag on it.
We stood outside Westminster Abbey during 4 minutes of silence when the whole city came to a halt, even the trains stopped in the Underground. The only sound was of quiet sobs.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
Standing on a side street holding my 75 year-old mother as she sobbed at the horrible news.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
The world is different now. I can never see it the same again. I'll not ever feel that happy-go-lucky feeling I had before the attack. I hate the way that my country responded with bombs, but I do believe that time will judge our actions to be understandable if not justified.
Since the attack I have read the Torah, the New Testament and the Holy Qur'an. I've conversed extensively with Muslims and I now understand that the people who attacked the US are no more Muslim than Timothy McVeigh was Christian. Islam is a beautiful religion.
As for America, I believe our response has alienated us in the world community. The world was with us for the first few weeks after the attack. But our President Bush was brash and ignorant in his remarks. He immediately angered the world and continued, over time, to turn sentiment against us and it will take decades to repair the damage caused by his ignorance.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story206.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2004-01-06
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
208.203.4.140
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was driving to work, about 5:30 am on September 11. I work and live in Southern California and what was first reported as a small plane apparantly misdirected into the World Trade Center, quickly became the larger jet we all learned about. I immidiately suspected terrorism and when the second plane hit (I was at work by then and watching the TV in our office) I knew. In fact, the jihad declared by Islam had come home. I called home and alerted my wife to turn on the TV. Coming from a Jewish background, the impact of this was immediate. Now my friends and co-workers might see things in a different light.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
The fear for my family and that I could not protect them. Second, it was another reminder that, indeed, we may be living in the "end times."
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
Recognizing that the world would never be the same. It's one thing to see it in a distant land, on TV, but it's "them" not "us". Now it's us. We may be headed into a very long and dark time in America.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story118.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-17
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
67.119.153.136
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
hello my name is william i just happend to wakep up just as usual started to open up where i work when my boss actualy my land loard sid come here look at this it took us a while but i couldnt figure it out i was crushd because i was in the same area i martch with a freind who was getting his green papers we drank a few beeres in times square but my real condolences go to the crew of columbia of sts 107
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
well my strongest memory that day is i feel like im in world war like my parents and espicaly my grand parents i kind of live like them being im on a fixd income ssd and going to a food bank for food help and yousing food stamps i dont how the rest of the real world the ones that have money not like me realy think of this but to this day i feel terroised stil to this day why does someone think or want to own the world we only have a life expencty of only one hundred years
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
all i want for christmass is world peace although it wont happen in my time i hate this holiday i have no money not even my sister the only relitive thats left i live in a rooming house with 11 other slobs hate to say it but its true most of them came from jail im sick of being poor it sucke
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story71.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-14
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
152.163.252.8
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was on my way to work when the attack started. It was just another normal morning drive to work. I was listening to the radio when they broke in to say that a plane struck the World Trade Center. I hoped that it was not pilot error that caused the crash. I had also said a prayer right then for the families of the victims. As I drove further down the road, the radio station I was listening to broke in again. I thought they had found more news about the crash. I then realized that a second plane had struck the World Trade Center. At that point, my heart sank to the pit of my stomach and I knew we were under attack of one form or another. When I arrived at work, the TV's that are spread across the floor were all on CNN and everyone watched as the towers fell and the reports came in about Pennsylvania and The Pentagon. Those events confirmed my belief that we were truly under attack.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
My strongest memory of September 11th has to be watching the twin towers collapse into a mass of rubble knowing that there were still hundreds of people in the towers either unaware of the happenings or unable to leave.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
My since of security has certainly gone up. I constantly watch my surroundings and look for anything out of the ordinary or suspicious. Coming from a military and armed security background, I keep myself in that same frame of mind as if I am always in danger.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story102.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-17
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
192.223.163.6
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was on vacation with my family at the Jersey shore. My mother and I were returning from a walk on the beach when a man said, "You might want to turn the television on when you get back to your house. Two planes have hit the World Trade Center." We ended up spending most of the day in front the television watching the day's events unfold. Most of my family is from a town 35 miles north of NYC. I came from Washington, DC to meet them at the vacation house. We felt fortunate to be away from terrorist targets and very fortunate to all be together.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
There are so many strong memories from that day. It is impossible for me to choose which memory is the strongest, so I will simply write about my first strong memory of September 11. I was on vacation at the beach, standing alone on the shore. The view was postcard-perfect . . . sparkling water, rolling waves, seagulls flying overhead, sandpipers running along the surf. The words that came into my head (and my thoughts don't typically move in this direction) were "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad." At that same moment the first plane was crashing into the World Trade Center.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story16.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
anonymously
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-02-21
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
140.147.89.24
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
My wife and I had just arrived to our honeymoon resort in the British Virgin Islands, when we heard that a plane had crashed into the Trade Center in NYC. My heart sank, knowing my father was at work in Tower 1. We watched the towers collapse, wondering the fate of my father - a retiree of the Port Authority.
Numerous phone calls to family in the US hoping for good news. My father placed a few calls to family and friends to tell them of his location in Tower 1 and his condition. In the phone call to my mother, my father told my mother of the directive to hold up on the 64th floor to await further direction from Port Authority management before evacuating.
A while later, a second phone call to my mother revealed the groups decision to head down after smelling what they thought be to gasoline.
The group descended, as they approached about the 20th floor is when the tower collapsed. A group of 16 evacuated together, and 14 entered eternal life that day!
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
Two employees of the Port Authority Engineering Group with whom my father worked survived the collapse of Tower 1 with non life threatening injuries.
One gentleman has been a god send comforting the victims families and providing an account of the days event.
The woman that survived has been nothing but greedy in sharing her story - only to the press seeking financial restitution. To make matters worse, she was a illegal immigrant having failed to renew her green card prior to 9-11. Now she is a hero!
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
My outlook on the United States of America has changed -It's no longer land of the free, rather land of the freeloaders!
America needs to close its borders and take care of its own people first before supporting the illegal Tom, Dick and Harry's that want to live the American Dream!
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story84.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-16
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
152.163.252.8
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
NO ORDINARY TUESDAY
For years to come we will play the game, Where were you when . . .
Where were you when the planes hit?
written on it. All the details of that day. You pull Its strange what you remember. The tragic events of that day have been burned into our minds. You remember everything about that day. Now I have a reference. I have that file card in your head with all the details on it, I look at it and say, I remember where I was, and who I was with and what I was doing.
I remember that day.
Every thought, sight and smell. I remember crying in the kitchen while my son watched cartoons. I was so worried that he would see me, and force me to explain what was happening.
I remember frantic calls to my wife. The fear in her voice. Her asking me about explosions in the city, The Capitol, the State Department. News reports told of explosions around the city. She said that she had actually heard the plane crash into The Pentagon. Her building was being evacuated. Thousands of people forced into the streets. She did not have her cell phone. And then nothing. No contact at all with her for five hours.
I remember calling my old partner, asking him what he knew, asking him what I should do about my wife. I remember the catch in his voice. The hesitation, that told me all I needed to know. She should leave now. Leave the city as quickly as possible. Get her out of there.
I watched it live, then the replay over and over again. My son sat upstairs glued to his PBS shows while I watched in horror the deaths of thousands of people on live TV.
The calls started. Concerned friends and family reaching out. Looking for something, anything to hope them, cope. Are you all right? Wheres Renee? Have you talked to her? The point came when I refused to talk to them. I have to keep the line open, I told them. No calls, no questions. Let me deal with this, let me find her.
My son sat content. Food and drink were brought to him. I didnt want him to move, for fear of him seeing the video footage, asking questions why his father was crying.
After awhile work called. All officers were being called into duty. Being direct and to the point I told them that when my wife got home safe, I would come to work.
Time dragged on. More phone calls from concerned friends and family members. And still no word from my wife.
I turned on my police radio monitored the calls, the confusion and the fear. Calls for street closures, closure of the monuments, medi-vacs and increased patrols.
Finally, my wife called. She was on a bus. She had taken the Metro from work to The Pentagon. She remained calm, though I knew she was scared. She explained to me that she had borrowed a phone from a woman on the bus. She was being taken to another Metro station. She would be home soon.
I started to make my phone calls to family. I had heard from Renee, she was on her way home. I would keep them posted.
I prepared Benjamin for the trip to the Metro station to meet his mother. The call from her to come pick her up came two hours later. She wanted to take a taxi home. I told her to wait there. We made the drive in ten minutes.
Seeing her, standing at the curb, safe and home at last, all worry and fear from this day left me. All the fears were pushed back somewhere else in my mind. I left the car and reached out to her. We hugged, kissed and cried. We held each other, safe and in love. I was afraid to let go of her. I held on to her, and still do.
Once inside the car and heading home I explained that I was called into work. I had to go. She said that she understood.
At home, before I left, I hugged and kissed my son. I told him that I loved him very much. I kissed and hugged my wife. I told her that I loved her very much. She told me to be safe. I promised that I would. She made me promise to call her. I promised that I would.
The drive into work was surreal. No sound. No people on the streets, businesses closed and no airplanes. I looked toward the direction of The Pentagon and saw the smoke rising. Still on fire, a thick burning smell filled the air and covered the city.
I made to the office in record time. I picked up an unmarked car and drove to our staging area, the Lincoln Memorial.
I remember parking with others on the west side of the memorial. No friendly banter, no jokes, just fear and worry. How bad will this get? We shared news reports and rumors that we had heard. There had been no explosions at The Capitol or State Department. But, we were told that a number of planes could not be accounted for. Still out there.
We were to establish a wide perimeter around the White House. Complete closure, authorized people only. But, as we stood by the Lincoln Memorial we realized that there were no barricades on the west side. Nothing to prevent a car or truck bomb from driving into the memorial. A number of us inquired about getting Tourmobile buses to block Memorial Bridge. It was taken under advisement.
I met my old partner in front of the White House, 1600 Penn. We spoke in hushed tones. We werent sharing secrets, it was out of respect. Groups of people had gathered. Some prayed outside the fence, some lit candles most of them were crying. Uniform Division officers walked or stood inside the White House fence line, automatic weapons at the ready.
We allowed the candles to remain on the sidewalk and fence.
A white female stood in front of the White House singing; well actually it was more like shouting a song. She sang of peace and loss of life. Tears on her cheeks, her entire body shook as she sang.
Distances away from her two men were shouting at each other. One spoke of war and revenge. The other spoke of America dissevering the attack.
The city was quiet, still. An occasional siren broke the air. People were walking, not driving.
After sunset I was sent to Du Pont Circle to monitor a peace rally. A group had placed signs and flags on a chain link fence around the fountain. Candles were lit around the fountain, and chalk messages written on the stone walkway.
Arguments could be heard between the peace protesters and others in the park. Shouts, even screams cut through the quiet.
After the rally had cleared out, a group of uniform officers joined me. I began to remove the signs and flags. The officers joined me. The candles were blown-out. A few of the peace demonstrators came back and asked for the signs. I told them it was abandon property; they could get the signs from the trashcans. Myself and some of the other officers kept the flags.
Off in the distance I could see that The Pentagon was still burning. The smell filled my head, and soaked into my clothes.
With all that had happened in the past 14 hours, Amercians will still debate and argue. They will still express their opinions. They will show fear, hate and sorrow. But, no matter what changes were to come, and no matter what would stay the same, Americans would still be free.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story233.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2004-01-10
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
64.12.96.12
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was at work for the Austin Fire Department, watching T.V., when the news broke in on our show. We all watched with our mouths wide open as the evens unfolded. I got off work that day and went to school with my girlfriend at the Univeristy and watched the news inside of classrooms and in the hall all day long. I have since enlisted into the United States Air Force and am serving my country.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
I remember feeling like someone had kicked me in the stomach, confused as to how someone could do such a thing to so many innocent people, and just wondering why.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
I think that the country as a whole has come together in a way that is difficult to even put into words. In the short year that i have been in the military, I have had people just come up to me on the streets when i was in uniform and just say thank you. I have had people offer to buy me dinner drinks..etc. But most of all, i think America has a VERY STRONG sense of pride for all of freedoms and all that we believe.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story259.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2004-01-15
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
129.61.46.16
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I shifted my weight in the chair. My hands fumbled with the pencil, my eyes, glancing over the few last questions of the test. Sure, I knew the answers; they were just hidden under more important things to think about. For instance, there was only five minutes left of class, and I had like ten more questions to answer. No pressure.
As I turned in my test, I noticed that I hadnt put a date on it. I picked up my pencil and filled in the box on the scantron marked date. 9/11/01.
The bell rang as I picked up my stuff. Remarks were made about the test when everyone shuttled out of the classroom. I headed down the hallway, shoving my way through people, and set my stuff down at my seat. Then, out into the hallway again.
People walked past me, but I scanned the crowd for Jessica. Then I saw her, her blonde hair flowing over her shoulders, her smile. I smiled back of course. Jessica makes you do that, smile back even if youre having a bad day.
Hey girl! How was the test?
Fine, it was pretty easy, I lie.
Ok, well, heres this, she shoves me our notebook, Sorry, I didnt have enough time to write, she adds over her shoulder. I sigh.
As I walk into my study hall, I notice we have a sub. The second thing I notice is that the T.V is on. How strange, I think. Maybe this sub likes to watch the news. I sit down and say hi to Lindsey.
The bell rings, my eyes on the set, blaring out words like America Under Attack. I sit there, fixated. The sub says something to the extent of what had happened. An airplane had hit one of the twin towers.
The twin towers? What the heck? By the look of it, on the T.V that was, it looked to be in New York. But what? Why would anyone want to hit the Twin Towers, the World Trade Center? What makes them so special? Why not something like the Empire State building, one of the tallest buildings in the world?
It turns out, I am not the only one who was clueless. Sure, people knew that, at that time, both towers have been hit. Even one had collapsed.
It was sad. Even if I didnt know what the buildings were, they still were gone. And all of those peoples lives. Gone.
The one and only time I have been to New York was almost a year after September 11th. I remember standing at the top of the Empire State Building, looking at what seemed a normal skyline of the city. But then i noticed it. An American Flag hanging from a building that stood behind where the Twin Towers had once stood.
While in New York, I wanted to go see ground zero. Unfourtunatly, my parents thought otherwise. They did not want to go see a whole in the ground, as they put it.
But I was struggling to grasp the reality of it all. And my hopes were that if I could at least see ground zero, look over the fence with the thousands of other people, maybe, somehow, I would get a sense of the monstrosity of what two planes did to two buildings one morning while I was at school. I am still trying to comprehend the severity of what happend that one day.
I have to admit the one thing I still think about is all of those cars. Millions of people died that day, thousands of cars are suddenly empty. What do they do? How do they start the process of cleaning up? Where do they begin? How?
These are questions I cant answer. I cant begin to tell you how much I want to understand, how I want to know what it was like, having a building there, then it's gone.
This may sound weird, but I want to experience that day. I want to relive it, not on television, but through my own eyes, watch it happen from beginning to end. I want to feel the fear, running through my spine like a million volts of electricity. I want to know how it feels, to get a better understanding. I want to know what those people went through.
My whole perspective on world affairs has changed tremendously. I find myself more interested in what's going on with other countries and wondering how it will affect the United States. That could be because of age and maturity, but I think a large factor of it has to be because of September 11th.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story194.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2004-01-05
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
65.27.151.233
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was in the Main Office at Nanuet Senior High School. A secretary received a telephone call informing her that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I turned to another teacher and tolde her that I was afraid it was not an accident. she agreed. I went to my office and learned via the Internet that the second tower was hit. I knew it was terrorism. As I made my way to the Media Center I remember the fear in the students faces and voices. One student asked me if it would cause an economic depression. I assured him it would not. I did not realize the impact it would have on the economy.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
Eatching the towers collapse and sharing fears that someone's husband, wife, child, or friend was in one of the them.
At the end of the day, as the immediate shock wore off, I began to realize that I must know many of the thousands who were killed that morning.
I prayed the 'Our Father' and asked God to 'deliver us from the Evil One, especially Bin Laden.'
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
The myth of American invincibility has been destroyed. The oceans are no longer a buffer.
I'm always a little more relaxed when my returns home from her job in New York City.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story220.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2004-01-07
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
166.109.144.67
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was actually in bed,I had just had my daughter 3 weeks prior and my parents were up fom Florida to help with the new baby.I heard my husband come in from work to say that a plane had struck the Trade Center.He had heard it on Howard Stern.Naturally my parents had thought it was a joke being that Howard Stern always is joking around. Then I turned my TV on from my bed in my room.My first thoughts were of my friend Ronny, he worked in the Trade Center and was there for the first bombing,at fist I didnt think of my brother, a Firefighter in NY.Then I got out of bed and went inside.As we sat and watched the second plane hit,we knew it wasnt just a commuter plane like we thought.I think I was just oblivious,then the towers fell, my Dad being a retired lutenient from the FDNY, had a look on his face, he knew this was'nt good,for some reason my Mom and I were a little oblivious to what happened.Then I asked my Dad if my brother was working,he said he should have been getting off,but it was too early, unless someone came in to relieve him early.I felt everything would be ok, he'd call us when he was done down there, he wouldn't call for a while he was a determened guy.We finally got in touch with my sisterin law.She had spoken to him earlier,around 7:30,but no word since.We decided to run to the store to get lunch and wait for his call.Looking back now,we were so nonchalant,until later in the day, like as time went on it got worse, or we realized what really happened,it's really hard to imagine,2 humongous buildings collapsing in Manhattan.I still go there now and look up at other buldings and think"that's not even as high as the Towers..???!!!!"By night ,my parents went to church to pray.I was almost mad at them,did they not have any faith in him?He was ok,just trying to help people down there,a real hardhead, he was'nt taking time away from that to call us,that was his way, I knew his ways, very strong willed,but my Dad knew better,he knew the job,and what it entailed,my Dad knew his son was gone.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
My stongest memory of that day was when I also decided to go to our church to pray,before I left, I just said "thank God for this baby".When I got home ,I sat in my daughters room rocking her in the rocking chair,watching the TV,and the commmisioner of the FDNY did a press confrence.He said that over 300 firefighters were presumed dead.I've never cried so hard in my life,but I still had hope, I knew that strong son of a bitch would get out of there,not even a 100 story buildingcould take him down.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
I feel that in the beginning in our area NY, everyone was much nicer to each other,people were holding doors,just being much more low key.For me,my entire life has changed,my brother is gone,and people are going about their lives, going back to their old ways, caring about things that don't mean anything,being materialistic,just things that don't matter.They have forgotten, not everyone ,but alot of people,they don't want to hear it anymore,they probably haven't lost a loved one that day.you could never get over this.You could never act that way ,unless you don't have a heart.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story163.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-22
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
152.163.252.8
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was in a breakfast in the basement of the Capitol when it was announced a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center Towers. I guess everyone had the idea that it was some errant small Cessna dangling out of a window since the breakfast continued uninterrupted. It was only until I started walking back to the Senate Hart building through the tunnels that my cell phone went off. (Cell phones didn't work in the basement of the Capitol.) My wife had called saying the Capitol was a likely target and to get out of there. The Capitol police told us to hurry through the tunnels since the Capitol was likely going to be shut down.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
My most vivid memory of the day was walking into my office seeing all the staff standing around the television. I remember the picture. A phenomenally clear, blue sky and both towers, smoking and on fire. My other strong memory of the day was the clear, blue sky and gorgeous late summer day.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
Every American era has its defining moments, for example Pearl Harbor or Kennedy's assasination. This era in American history will be defined by the events of September 11th.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story89.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
anonymously
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-17
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
205.131.188.5
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was at work on the 24th floor of a federal building in the heart of chicago, just 4 blocks away from the Sears Tower. Someone had a portable tv, so we witnessed it all unfold. Then there was a concern that a plane was lost, so we thought it could be on it's way to chicago. We immediately left the building. I literally ran to the commuter train station 1/4 mile away. When I got there, the conductor advised everyone that the train was the last one out of the city, and it was about to depart any second. Exhausted, I ran to the train and sat with 3 ladies who seemed so calm. I began to shake uncontrolably, unable to dial my cell phone. When I was finally able to dial, I couldn't get a connection. I immediately began to panic. All I could imagine was that the city would be blown up and there'd be chaos. The three ladies began to comfort me, engaging me in conversation unrelated to the current situation. Once I got home, I noticed that there was very little traffic, the mall and stores were closed, and there were no airplanes flying above.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
I began to examine my mortality.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
I decided to make changes in my life toward the goal of having a family.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story175.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-29
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
152.163.252.8
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was just pulling into a parking garage in Midtown
Manhattan when reports of a "commuter" plane hitting
the World Trade Center's North Tower were coming
on the radio. I parked my car and walked to a meeting
at a building on 5th Ave. I had a clear view of this
enormous hole in the North side of #1 World Trade
Center and knew immediately that it was no commuter
plane that struck the building. I proceeded to meet
my colleagues and quickly learned that the second
plane hit #2 World Trade Center and realized that
our lives had changed forever.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
My strongest memory of the day was my inability to
comprehend that these magnificent buildings were
gone. Having seen them when I walked toward my
meeting in the morning only to witness them disappearin
by the afternoon will remain with me forever. To
this day and for the rest of my life the vision of
that gaping hole will remain etched im my memory.
On a personal note, my inability to contact my family
and inform them that I was safe was extraordinarily
frustrating. It was not until I finally spoke with
my wife that I broke down from all of the emotions
of the day.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
I no longer take for granted the freedoms that we
enjoyed without thought. Now, I have to wonder if
when I cross a bridge it is safe, traveling in a
subway is safe, or certainly flying in a plane is safe.
When I kiss my wife goodbye in the morning I actually
think about whether or not I will see her at night.
I wake up in the morning listening for the news to
make sure that nothing has been destroyed. Most
recently I fear seeing a mushroom cloud rising over
Manhattan.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story11.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-02-14
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
198.105.45.18
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I am a MA State Trooper and I was on the way home from a midnight shift. The scanner had one town's Chief call for a moment of silence for a tragedy in NYC. I then turned on the news radio to the talk of tragedy, that soon became talk of a terrorist attack.
Then came local orders to start protecting critical buldings and sites. I could feel the sense of great tragedy and of history in progress. It was an unreal feeling; A sense of disbelief.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
The strongest memory of that day was when I started to hear the live reports from NYC concerning what was obviously a terrorist attack unfolding; The reporters descriptions of what was going on. The great imortance and shock imprinted that moment in my mind.
I remember everything about the inside of my cruiser, the morning sun/weather, and the surrounding environment. It is weird how I can recall that time of day as if it just happended.
Of course, seeing the actual video footage of what was going will always be the strongest memory.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
The country, although wounded, has grown and learned. The U.S. needed to increase security. The age of large military forces attacking the homeland are over. The country now recognizes a mobile and stealthy force threatens not only the government, but also each individual. We are much more prepaired to stop terrorist attacks. Americans also will not be as shocked at the next attack.
The sense of widespread patriotism is also a good outcome from this tragedy. Americans are remember that they are citizens of a great country.
As for myself, the tragedy created great change in my life. Soon after 9/11, my National Guard MP unit was activated for the homeland defense mission at Boston's Logan International Airport (where I met my future wife). After that we were deployed to the Afghanistan area of operations.
That one day took me from my civilian life for almost two years. Two years that I proudly served. There was no nobler task than to put on my country's uniform to protect the living and to bring the fight to the killers of the innocents.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story208.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2004-01-06
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
24.61.31.194
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was on my way to work at a hotel in Eugene, Oregon. I did not think it was real at first. Maybe a replay of War of the Worlds or something on the radio.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
All day we had guests in the lobby watching the updates. Many were stuck with us for days because the airports were shut down. Many of them shared concerns of loved ones who worked in the twin towers or the surrounding area. I remember thinking how so many people(truly all the U.S.) were personally effected by one tragedy.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
At first it drew Americans closer and more able to understand the feelings of those in countries where violence and terrorism is a daily event. Now I fear we have fallen back into thinking only of ourselves and being comfortable in being a wealthy and safe country.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story93.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-17
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
68.73.85.221
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was in the military, preparing to go to work. I remember very vividly that I had my BDU bottoms on, the brown T-shirt, and only one black sock. A fellow soldier came in from next door in my barracks room and told me, "Come in here. Now." The sense of urgency in his voice was so dire that I came into his room with one sock on to watch the impact on his television.
We stayed in that room until the very last moment, until we went to work, to find a colonel at the gate waving people away, telling us all to return to our rooms and get ready, because the Pentagon had come under attack and we might be next.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
I worked in a classified and secured facility, that we were not allowed to bring radios into, due to the signals interference and possibility of fixing it to broadcast or whatever. But a lot of us needed to know what was happening. My strongest memory is of people walking up to the building with radios in hand, wanting to know the most up to date information, then tossing them aside as they entered the building, because they couldn't take them inside. That little pile of handheld radios was very memorable..and very sad.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
I feel it's struck everyone hard, in the Pearl Harbor sense. But worse, it's allowed President Bush to support measures like the Patriot Act that take away all of our freedoms.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story199.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2004-01-05
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
24.8.135.17
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Library of Congress Stories
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002.
LC Story
LC Story: Story
Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.)
I was in my fourth grade classroom, I am a teacher in Queens. My son was a paramedic with NY hospital- we can see the NY skyline from our school, and saw everything. I knew my son would be there. I prayed for his safety and all of the uniformed people, I knew they were going in, as others were going out. My husband called him on his cell, and said be careful, we love you. That was the last time we spoke to him Both he and his partner were lost. Thankfully, they were recovered about 6 months later. He was our only child. His name is Keith Fairben, his partner was Mario Santoro.
LC Story: Memory
What is your strongest memory of that day?
waiting for news about my son, the F-14 fighters all night long flying over the house , we live in western Nassau county. The sense of unreality of it all.
LC Story: Affects
How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally?
This is the Pearl Harbor of my generation. Our country has become complacent again since 2001. Over 3,000 families will never be the same.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
lc_story114.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
story
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2003-12-17
IP Address
The IP address of the device used to submit the item.
24.190.32.238