168 20 70360 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: In memory of Cynthia Ma. Motus-Willson you will be missed but NEVER forgoton. I Love You and GODBLESS YOU! That day started to be just an averags day. Kids got up geting ready for my little girls physical. On the way there I heared them talking an offical from the Pentagon when I heared they were atact only they were not sure exactly what happened yet. While in the doctors office they had the raidio going and found out something just hit the towers in N.Y my firstthing I wondered was if Cynthia (my aunt) was there. I went all day in schook. No one called and i wasn't able to get through anywhere so I just prayed, waited, And cried for what was happening. My husband took a long lunch that day just to come home and be with us and lucky enough his company closed early. Just a few minutes after he came home the phone rang it was the worst thing I could imagine for it was my mother telling me that Cynthia was presumed dead she was on the 79th floor of the north tower and Uncle Bill talked to her right before the collaspe. Aperently her last words to him were I love you and I'll see you when I got out. Little did she or the rest of the 2,800 know they will never go home. To this day I still cry when I hear about that day. All I know is things will never be the same. One final thing everyone reading this you will never have the pleasure of knowing her but please say a prayer for THE FAIMILIES AND FRIENDS OF ALL THE VICTEMS OF SEPT,11 2001 may they all rest in eternal peace. 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 story7337.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. 2002-09-14 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.218.207.234 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: My partner and I were having breakfast at a bed and breakfast at the shore when our hostess came in to the room and told us a plane had just hit one of the World Trade Center towers. We, along with our hosts and some other guests, went into the living room and watched in silence and horror, as the events unfolded on TV. It seemed like a bad movie, and I had the urge to stop it and run it backwards. Over and over the planes plowed into the buildings. Over and over the buildings fell down. We heard more and more horrible news. We didn't know when it would end. In the meantime, it was a beautiful sunny day. We were supposed to be going home to Philadelphia that day, but our host advised us to stay over another night, and we did. All day long we watched and talked with other guests and took long walks on the beach. We had only questions and no answers. I made contact by phone with my daughter and my mother. What could we say? I spoke to people in my office, which happens to be located in a large tower in center city Philadelphia. Although I really did not want to return there, when I learned that my friends were all at work, I knew I would go back. I thought--who will help me with my grief and fear? Will a psychologist come to our department? Then I realized that no one would come and that I, as the manager, would help the others. The next day, at work, I invited my co-workers to a coffee hour, and we talked for two hours. Everyone had some new information or perspective to share that the others had not thought about or known about. Overall, it was overwhelming. I had to take breaks from hearing about it and thinking about it, just to maintain my sanity. I would have liked to be doing something that would help victims and their families and prevent further horrors from happening. I was grateful for small miracles like when they found someone alive. I found out that my family and friends were safe, but a friend at work was missing her brother. It was so sad. If there is God, her or she was probably mourning too. I think there will be some bad events happening by surprise in the future. There is a lot of talk on TV and a lot of people who think they are experts at predicting, but they don't really know. We have to go on with our lives and not live in the fear, but avoid taking unnecessary risks. I put the American flag outside my apartment for one year after September 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 story10129.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. 2003-09-20 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 165.121.88.214 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I was making springs in the spring co. I work for on sept 11 2001 when someone said a plane had crashed in to the world trade center . I at first thought it was a small plane like a cessna or piper cub , but then I went to the tv we have in the shop and my mouth just droped open when I saw the hole in the side of the building I had a feeling it was terroist before the secound plane hit. I have my privat pilots liscense and I knew the pilot just didnt hit the building on accident it was a perfectly clear day outside. And then to my amazment a secound plane hit!! I felt a lump in my throut growing rite away. I knew for sure now my worst dream had come true terrorist were in my back yard stealing my freedom rite from under my feet. It was a sickening feeling watching this I knew at the moment that secound plane hit I just felt the lives of those inocent people being takin. Death was staring me in the face . My country was being raped and pileged rite in front of my eyes and I could do nothing . THEN CAME THE TEARS!!!! reality just set in when I watched the first tower just gasp its last breath and laid to rest. The secound a few moments later It was the most horrific thing my eyes had ever seen. All the fireman All the police All the port athority people.ALL THE INOCENT PEOPLE!!AMERICAN PEOPLE! MY PEOPLE. MY FAMILY ! RED WHITE AND BLUE TURNED BLACK AND BLUE.BOYS AND GIRLS . MEN AND WOMEN OF THE FUTURE.. DONT WAIT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPIN TO GET PATRIOTEC JUST REMEMBER THIS AND REMEMBER . THAT YOU LIVE IN A LAND OF FREEDOM LOVE PEACE AND WE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO DEFEND THAT WAY OF LIFE RED WHITE AND BLUE STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER!!! REMEMBER. 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 story5804.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. 2002-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.105.72.219 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: My husband a Port Authority Seargent went to work on a day tour. It was a beautiful day when I got up around 8am. As is my routine, I made coffee took care of our Doberman and sat down to see what was on the morning news. To my astonishment, I saw a plane crash into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. My first thought was what a horrible accident and why was there a plane flying over Manhattan? Just as I began to process this news, the reporter came back on the air with news of another plane crashing into the Pentagon. Thinking the news people had their stories and graphics mixed up, I turned my attention back to the Trade Center. That was when the second plane hit. Not knowing what else to do, I went to church and began praying for all the souls lost in this terrible event. I truly belived that it might possibly be the end of the world and prayed that everyone be delivered unto God. I am not an alarmist. I am trained to handle emergencies and am very good at it but this was beyond all telling. this was truly a cataclysm of epic proportions. Fortunately, I met our Pastor who was equally shocked and numb. I asked him if this was how the world was going to end. Father Smith said he did not know but we would have to hold onto our faith and wait. Shortly thereafter, my friend and her mother walked into church. Right away, they asked where my husband was. Nobody had told me this but instinctively, I knew he was there doing whatever he could to manage the chaos. Something told me he was alright but it also told me that a lot of other people were already gone and that this event would mark a turning point for all of us. At the end of that terrible day, we had lost thirty six men one woman and bomb dog Sirius. We would be forever without George Howard , Jimmy Nelson and Al Neidermier all classmates of Franks. We also knew that several others had recently seen, worked with or had lunch with my husband. They were all gone. We talk about them all the time. We have their pictures lovingly mounted on our diningroom wall as a testimony to duty and the supreme sacrifice. I also think about the others like my husband who physically survived but are forever scarred and damaged by the horrific sights and sounds of that day. My hope and prayer every day is that humanity find a meeting ground where peace can be the order of the day and that no people anywhere should endure what happened in New York City USA on September 11, 2001/. 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 story9968.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. 2003-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 65.229.234.248 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: It was the very end of my zero hour, chemistry, when I found out about the attacks. My teacher dismissed us and turned on the radio to listen to what was going on. She hadn't told us during the class, so my classmates and I were in the dark. As we were walking out we heard and she told us about it. I was confused at first, I couldn't comprehend someone flying a jumbo jet into something like the WTC. In the six minute passing period between classes, news spread like wildfire. When I walked into my english class, everyone was buzzing about this and that, and those who had seen the television before they left their house were telling the rest of us what they had seen. As the class started, our principle, Dr. Veach announced to the students and teachers that we would not be permitted to have the news playing on any of the television sets, and that no school in our district would. Not many teachers turned their televisions off. He also promised to keep us updated throughout the day on the happenings across the country. During my last class, German, we had a lot of down time towards the end of the period. Herr Gardner decided to defy central administration and turn the TV on. ABC just recieved some freelance journalism footage of one of the planes hitting. It was the first I had seen, and I was horrified. Then we saw the pictures of ground zero. I was totally unaware that the towers had collapsed, and i jumped at the sight. I felt awful. I heard that there was a potential of tens of thousands of people dead. It was a somber car ride home with my car pool, but we tried to make it as normal as possible. We still listened to our music loud, and rolled our windows down, but no one was really paying attention to that. My friend who was driving had a sort of blank stare in her eyes, almost like she wasn't paying attention to the road. That night I didn't do much of my homework. The news was on every channel in the house. Dinner wasn't a family experience that night. When someone described 9/11 as the Pearl Harbor of my generation, I felt scared. I was angry, and wanted to punish those responsible, but I didn't want a prolonged world war, which was what happened after Pearl Harbor. That week on Friday, The school's pep rally theme was changed to Red, White, and Blue. Several organizations around the school were making plans to send money to the various funds. I'm heavily involved in Technical Theatre at Westlake, and we hold dances as fund raisers for a trip we take every year to a different place. The first dance after 9/11 made $2,000 for the Firefighter's Fund. I feel that America has come together as a country, and as a people. The sense of patriotism is almost overwhelming. Before, everyone had a love of country, but it wasn't as prominent, wasn't as meaningful as it is now. 9/11 gave my generation something to wave the Stars and Stripes about, and it taught us to appreciate the things we have. This past year doesn't seem like it was a whole year long. Whenever anyone asks me where the best place to live is, my answer will be a resounding "The United States of America." Because it is the best place to live, and because the American mentality is what allows a group of passengers to prevent another plane from causing the damage it was intended to. It's what allows the armed forces to ship out and protect us abroad in virtually no time. It's what allows students at a high school to raise thousands of dollars in aid of their fellow Americans. The American mentality is what makes this country the leader of the world, and it is what will make this country continue to stay the leader of the world. I'm proud to be an American 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 story2699.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 206.77.47.2 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: My office building is directly next to the WTC Plaza and 7 WTC is right behind us. I was already working in my corner window cubicle when a co-worker said a plane crashed into the WTC. We just stood and watched what happened. We were so close to the WTC that I could tell you the color and style of the clothes that the people where wearing when they jumped out of the windows. It's true that there was one man and woman who held hands while they jumped. One of my employees was counting out loud how many people were jumping that I had to tell him to stop. I was so distraught that I kept crying out "they are just regular working people like us". The cell phones went dead right away but our office phones were working. I was able to reach my husband, my parents weren't home and my sister, a Police Officer was on duty. We were instructed to remain in our building after the first crashed and remained so until after the second crash then we were told to leave. I was the last one off of my floor, I ran back to switch from my heels into my sneakers. We walked down the stairs and out onto Church Street, the police and FBI were already there. They kept yelling run and don't look. I went down the block of the Woolworth Building and stopped and turned and could not believe my eyes. A policewoman said to keep going that the buildings were going to collapse. I thought to myself what a stupid thing for her to say because she will frighten people more. I made my way to Broadway and located some of my employees. I told them to go home any way they could and not to worry about the day's pay. I kept walking up and down Broadwy. The smaller buildings of the WTC were on fire. I had planned to visit the Godiva Shop at the WTC during the 10am break to buy some chocolate for my sister because we had Broadway tickets that night and she likes the truffles. There was little instruction about what to do when we reached Broadway, everybody was left uo to their own. I went across City Hall Park to the Brooklyn Bridge, all along trying to get the cell phone to work, yelling, "hello, hello" into it but it never worked. I left it on in case my family might be able to call me. I went to the Brooklyn Bridge and sat on the cement wall, just watching the WTC burn. The bridge was packed with people. There were some cars on the street crossing over who just opened their doors and let people hop in for a ride across the bridge. One yellow taxi wanted to charge and the people began yelling at him. Eventually I got up and started to walk across the bridge. The first tower then fell. People started screamming and running across the bridge. The people further up did not realize what happened, they couldn't understand why everybody was running. About halfway across the second tower fell. I just starting crying like crazy. A strange women was doing the same thing and we just put our arms around yet other and cried across the bridge, trying to reassure each other. I don't remember her name. We only had a few words of normalcy. At the end of the bridge we parted ways. I bought a bottle of water from the coffee cart and rinsed my eyes which were burning. I had a light layer of dust all over me. I just kept walking. There were buses running in Brooklyn but they were all packed and nobody was sure exactly what street they were going down. By this time must of the businesses in Brooklyn were closing up. I found a pay phone with a small line and called my husband, he wasn't home but I told him I would begin walking down Flatbush Avenue towards Prospect Park. I asked a copy store if I could use their bathroom, it was there that I found out about the Pentagon. I kept going down Flatbush Avenue, the sun was strong and hot. I stopped at a local bar, bought a shot of Scotch, downed it in two gulps and was out the door. It was all over the TVs. I finally walked to Prospect Park, I called and left a message again for my husband. He finally got the message, he was driving all around trying to find me. The top part of Flatbush Avenue was closed to traffic. He put me in the car and told me to be quite. He drove me home. He told me to call my family since they called and were worried about me. I made some calls, and received calls from people from around the world who were concerned about me and my husband. I spent the rest of the day on the couch glued to the TV. I went to bed. In the morning I had no office to go to. My office building is still standing but not habitable. They have to do a gut job, it is expected we will be allowed to return around August 2004. After being move several times my staff and I work in a small cinder block room in 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 story7398.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. 2002-09-14 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 206.216.76.108 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: The tragic event of September 11th has changed my life in so many ways as it has for many others. I will never feel as safe and care free again. Prior to September 11th, my views of government and world security really didn't play a large part in my everyday life. Of coiurase I was interested in things happening in our country, but other countries did not seem to important. Although, now I try to stay on top of all of the news that is happening around the world, due to the circumstances I realize that we are not totally safe. This is a horrible way to feel but, September 11th has opened my eyes and my life will never be the same. The morning of September 11th, I was sitting at my desk and my boss was listening to sports talk on the radio when he said you have to be kidding me, (he explained that the first plane hit the World Trade Center). Then we continued to listen and the second plane hit with the additional planes striking their targets shortly after. It didn't seem real! Of course we tuned into the news talk on the radio and listened in shock to the news accounts of what was going on. It still didn't seem real! The only thing that kept going through my mind was those poor people. The overwhelming sadness that I felt was unbelievable. We continued to listen throughout the entire day (of course) in complete horror. Although, later that evening when I actually saw the news coverage on the television, I did not imagine the extent of the damage. When viewing this horrific event, I never before had felt such compassion and sorrow for complete strangers. The multiple feelings that I felt were overwhelming, fear, sadness, anger and most importantly, HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? For many months after this tragedy, I thought about it constantly. I feared additional attacks would follow. Although Americans were told to go about their daily lives, but be more aware of youir surrondings. I personally could not follow that advice, at least at first. We weren't locked in our house, but we did not rush out to the City to shop anytime soon. I am ashamed to say that for many months after, I had mixed feelings that I wasn't sure about. Prior to September 11th, I had never had racial thoughs of any kind. Many of the stores I stop at to get my morning coffee and gas/food stores had foreigners running them. For awhile I stopped going to those stores and found different ones to get my coffee etc. These people had nothing to do with the attack and I was reacting like they all were terrorists. I knew my feelings were wrong but it was hard not to be bias after what had happened. I am not a racial person, and hope that I never have to again feel that way. To watch America come together like they did was the most inspirational account that I will ever probably witness in my lifetime. I give the utmost praise to the many thousands of people who risked their own lives to rescue those trapped. My heart and prayers go out to all of the victims' families, and the thousands of people that worked day and night to try to save that one more person from the debris. There is no where else in this world that you could feel this unity. I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!!!!! 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 story8694.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. 2002-11-29 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.209.40 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I woke up on September 11, 2001 to find my 3 year old son glued to the t.v. in his room. He'd fallen asleep watching a movie the night before and so the t.v. was on channel 3 when he woke. He had spent all morning watching airplanes fly into buildings and got upset when we wanted him to watch something else. We had to explain, (after watching it awhile ourselves), what had happen in a manner that we hoped was unthreatening to him. Since then my son has pointed out the flag to us everywhere we go. Since we had never talked about the flag with him before we asked him what it was. His reply was, "So everyone will know we're sad for the people that died." I've tried to explain countless times that the flag stands for so many things more but he just doesn't believe me. 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 story5464.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.112.112.59 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in my history class and we were watching the news and they had a news warning and they said that the 1st of the twin towers had been ran into by a plane. We were all shocked at what we saw on the T.V. To tell you the truth I had never seen the World Trade Center until then. But, I was still shocked because for something that bad to happen was amazing. I still to this day don't fully understand why it happened but, I sure someday I will find out. I am now in the 11th grade and we still recollect about what happened on that day. 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 story11280.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. 2005-02-04 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.235.164.2 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I was sitting in my family room with my three children, ages 4, 1 and 4 months. First I thought it was an accident, but when I saw Tower two hit I knew that it was not. I began to cry and my oldest son asked me why I was crying and why did this happen. I had know answers for him. I was so sad for the victims, their families the fire fighters and the police officers. I felt grateful that my children and family were safe. My husband is a police officer and was at work. I called him immediately to see how he was. We were very scared. Now a year later, I sit with my three children and my oldest son who is now five, asks me, "Why did this happen," "Why would someone do this if they knew they would hurt others and that they would die?" I still have no answers for him. God Bless Americans! 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 story3475.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.12.96.8 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I had arrived back in Newark Airport from vacation at 5 pm on Monday September 10th. Little did I know how lucky I was not to have delayed my return by one day. I was driving down to the Camden area to do some fieldwork for my company and was on the Garden State Parkway when the news bulletin came on the radio just before 9 am. At first, it was reported to be a small prop plane that hit the tower and was thought to be an accident. I couldn't believe that someone would be so careless a pilot to hit such a large building. Then, a few minutes later, the report of the second plane hitting the tower came on. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. This was obviously no accident. All I could think to do was to pray for those in the towers...that they would be able to get out safely. I was thinking of the 1993 bombings, and didn't even conceive of the towers themselves collapsing. About a half hour later, the news reported that the Pentagon had also been struck. I felt numb. When the Pennsylvania crash was noted later in the morning, it was still not known that they were also on a suicide mission but had been stopped. I couldn't understand how anyone could do this. I returned back home to northern New Jersey, and as I drove back to my house, I could see a black smoke plume rising from across the river. I live only about 5 miles from the Meadowlands, and so usually have a clear view of the Manhattan skyline. That day everything was obscured by the smoke plume. I watched the news for the next three days, never turning off the TV except when I left for work, even sleeping in front of it all night. I was afraid that something else was going to happen and I didn't want to be unaware of it. I can't imagine the pain and fear of those who were in lower Manhattan that day, but I feel for them. There are some days that I still cry when I remember those who lost their lives and those who so bravely fought to save others. The police and firemen, civilians, and especially those aboard Flight 93, who sacrificed themselves so that no more unsuspecting innocents would die. Thank you to all of these heroes. We will never forget you. 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 story4319.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.209.38 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: September 11th was a rough day for me. The only thing that I thought about was why would someone want to do that and what did we do to deserve it. I sat with my friends in my child care class in amasment. Really I think we just want to go home to our families. I have learned alot from this and that was not to take anything for graned because you never know what could happen next to them or to you or to someone elses loved ones. As I was sitting watching television lasty night I thought that I was pretty well over it. then they showed this story about this guy who lived through it all and went home to his wife who was pregnant. I started to cry instantly and thought how scared she must have been. After everything she and her husband had gone through she had this magizine with a big picture of women and thier babies who never got to meet thier fathers because of that tradgic day. What touched me more then anything is that she wrote a song for those women who were widdowed with children. I really admire her for what she has gopne through and how she came out of it with a smile because she still had her husband. My heart goes out to all of you in your time of need and I hope that some day the world will be a decent place again. 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 story6327.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. 2002-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.18.33.4 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: 9/11/02: While enjoying a peaceful rest, i was interrupted by a phone call from my brother who was in school in Boston. He spoke with an almost calm tone, however, one of complete shock and revealed to me something that i wouldn't have ever dreamed of hearing in a nightmare. Having just awoken from sleeping, i didn't even believe, nor could I even grasp what grief, pain, and turmoil lie ahead. I didn't believe it until my brother made me get up and turn on the television, when the first building fell. I know that everyone can relate when I say that at that moment, I cannot even come close to describing what feeling took over my entire being. No words or tears could come anywhere near this feeling of complete shock and sadness. I was and am now, more than ever, probably the biggest fan of New York City. It's the city of my dreams, and has always been, coming from such a small town. The thought of my favorite city being attacked and buildings destroyed was one that I could not think of as a reality. I just had to visit New York City for spring break and the moment I actually saw the largest piece of actual land in the middle of downtown New York, nothing but cranes and dirt, all the disbelief and shock was released, for now it was more real than ever. This disaster has definitely given me a different look at life and the world and this change will take much time to get used to. I would like to send out my heart to all of those victims of the attack and their friends and family, as well as the entire nation. Even though I don't know anyone directly affected, I grieve and I can't describe how proud of the nation I am in its work to overcome such a destructful and difficult time in history. Thank you for hearing my words and God bless America! I LOVE NEW YORK! 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 story4902.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 128.208.88.221 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: On September 11,2001, I was at work, doing my regular job duties. A guy I work with , his wife call an said a large airplane had just flown into one of the trade towers. A few minutes later she called back an said another plane had just hit the second tower. We stopped what we were doing and turned on the radio. Life as we knew it would never be the same. Sincerly, Dianne Lewis 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 story4261.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.97.193.216 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I had just woke up because the TV was pretty loud. I walked into the living room and my grandma watching the twin towers with one up In smoke. I remember asking her what had happened because I didnt know that much about the twin towers. I didnt know that they were as important as they were. Then, I heard her start to call family and my mom who was at work to tell her what was going on. I went to finsh getting ready for school so i wouldnt be late, and she called me in. There both had been hit by now and one of them began collapsing. Many people were screaming and running down the the roads trying to call family who were in the towers but everyone was saying that nobody was picking up. My grandma started to cry, i was in somewhat shock because i didnt know how to react. I went to school and I remember pretty much the whole day we were talking bout what had happened. Now that I am older, i realize how important 9/11 was and how many lives it affected. 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 story20778.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. 2006-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 66.223.210.155 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I was no where near any of the terror on September 11th 2001. I was in my living room in rural Minnesota. I have never really been out of Minnesota. My story is about how something I never saw or touched, touched me so much. I sit now and watch people like Lisa Beamer on television tell their stories of heroism. As they are interviewed, they seem so strong, so calm. While I sit and cry, head in hands. I wonder if I will ever get to the point where I can even listen to these stories without crying. Lisa is so strong, so uplifting to hear. She should be the one crying, missing her husband. Instead, she is teaching us, the people who have no relation to anyone that killed that day how to be strong. September 11th, 2001 my brothers and sisters were murdered. I never met them, they never knew me, but I feel like I will mourn them forever. September 11th will always make my eyes tear, my heart hurt, and my mood somber. This morning, September 11th, 2002 I was afraid to turn on the T.V. when I woke up. I didn't want to hear of any more terror. When I finally turned on the television, I saw what WAS terror, what is now love, hope, and togetherness! I got in my car to go to work, God Bless America was on the radio, I was proud! I went to work, put up two American flags...I cried. If you think back to September 10th, 2001, can you remember what you were like? Do you remember that you didn't hold your family as tight, you didn't respect religion like you do now, things were different. Now, 366 days later...you are changed..for the better. GOD BLESS 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 story4429.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.163.32.37 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: When I first heard about the Twin Towers I was only seven years old and I really didn't understand what happened,but now that I am older I feel really bad for the people who's family members was involved in this trajic accident because some people lost relatives, friends and neighbors and people that was real close to them at heart.I feel good for me and my family that no one was hurt or lost.I feel more safe and protected now. 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 story20459.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. 2006-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.186.239.238 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: It was about 9:30-10 am when we first heard anything. I was 14 years old, and i was in the 8th grade. I was in Art class when our principle came on the loud speaker and announced that the world trade center buildings had collapsed and the cause was unknown. Now of course because we were young they werent going to tell us much, i didnt think much of it, i actually didnt realize how important this was to our country. As the day went on, most of us kids just went on with our day as a normal day, until more and more parents were coming t pick their children up from school. A few students had parents, family, or friends who worked in the WTC and we crying their eyes out. Each teacher i went to after that, all spoke of what had happened. I was beginning to get more afraid afterall. Me and my best friend Michelle babysat after school everyday monday - wed. and we were so afraid to babysit alone. My cousin Kelly had came at about 2:30 and picked us up, she was afraid for me also, she didnt want us babysitting alone. She picked us up, and brought us to her house with the 2 year old we watched 3 days a week. We stayed there and watched the news and cried about what had happened. it was so devastating. i know my story is not as tragic as those who escaped the building but i just thought id share my story because as a 14 year old going through this, we uderstood more then you's thought. my prayers are with everyone.. 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 story10390.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. 2004-01-28 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 152.163.253.8 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I am in the Air Force. I was at work in the hospital on Sheppard AFB, TX. September 11, 2001. We have a T.V. in the dining hall where I worked, and we always keep it on CNN. We couldn't believe what was happening when someone first yelled that a plane had hit one of the twin towers. We sat there for the majority of the day in disbelief as disaster after disaster kept happening. We went on alert that afternoon. I have since transferred to Lackland AFB, TX. We still have hightened security to this day, one year later. 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 story4066.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 204.33.18.128 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: On the morning of September 11th I rose early so that I could perform my civic duty of voting in the mayoral primary before heading down to my office in Tribeca. It was, as everyone in New York on that day has since testified, a perfect fall day and after quickly voting (the turnout at the polls being unimpressive) I took the long ride downtown. It was going to be a busy day?our first staff meeting of the fall, followed by a myriad of meetings, capped by a photography exhibit party back uptown at Columbia in the evening. It didn?t seem unusual when, somewhere below 42nd Street, the train crawled to a halt and the conductor gave a typically cryptic announcement that trains were backed up ahead due to a problem at Chambers Street. Each subsequent station that we eventually reached ended up being a lengthy pit stop during which more and more passengers exited, having lost hope of ever reaching their destinations. All in all, not an untypical morning on the subway. At some time after 9 am, the train finally lurched into the Franklin Street stop. I emerged out of the subway to the sound of warbling sirens and the sight of more people than usual. Turning west on Franklin Street in Tribeca, the view south is blocked by the densely packed buildings and so, when I noticed the crowd up ahead on Hudson Street, all turned in the same direction, I only assumed that once again my access to my office would be hampered by the filming of an episode of "Law and Order" or "Third Watch." Certainly, the stillness of the crowd seemed to reinforce that conclusion. I remember now, just before I reached the corner, seeing a tall woman heading toward me, a troubled look on her face. Amazingly, I recognized her?a fellow parent in my children?s playgroup whom I hadn?t seen in years since our children are adults?and now I realize that my first impulse to stop her and say hello was squelched by her expression. Moments later, I turned the corner expecting the usual view of the twin towers, the two huge monoliths looming over the low buildings along Hudson Street. I now know that I arrived shortly after the second plane struck the tower. The utter clarity of the day, which seemed to emphasize every detail, every window, made the gaping hole and flames and billowing smoke that much more shocking. The size of those buildings and the size of the fire were terrifying?in the contrasting silence of the crowd, I immediately remembered glimpsing a fire in a high-rise (and I assumed "fireproof") apartment in Harlem some twenty years earlier and the remark of a fellow rubbernecker that he couldn?t imagine what could be feeding such flames. I finally made it to our office, where my colleagues were all staring at the fibrillated, barely decipherable images coming over the uncabled television. Two planes had struck the World Trade Center, they reported, another had hit the Pentagon. One of my colleagues, A., who had exited the subway further south at Chambers Street, was particularly upset, having seen people falling from the towers: she was terrified that the buildings would fall. A master of denial, I assured her that would not happen?more accurately, I added that if such a calamity were to occur, the buildings would not fall like downed trees. At a distance of some eight blocks from the towers, I thought we were not in any direct physical danger but at that point who knew what else might occur? The alternative of retreating to our midtown offices, adjacent to the likely secondary target of the Empire State Building, didn?t seem viable. I called my wife who was watching the calamity on television and reminded me?as master of denial I had forgotten?that our younger son?s girlfriend, E., had just started working in a law firm at the WTC a week or two earlier. Our son was frantic, trying to contact her. After getting off the phone, I told everyone to head home and we quickly, but methodically, closed the office, set the alarm and left. On the street, we joined a massive exodus north. I walked with two of my colleagues up Hudson Street, each of us trying A.?s cell phone, which wasn?t working. The farther we moved away from the twin towers, the clearer it became that many people were dying and I became increasingly worried about the fate of my son?s girlfriend. This is it, I couldn?t help thinking, this is the event?amidst so many terrifying events from the 1960s onwards?that we won?t survive unscathed. It was just too clear that many people were dying and why should we be spared in such a moment of utter devastation? And yet, while heading up Hudson, pointlessly dialing the cell phone, searching for a gap in the long lines piled up behind the previously reviled pay phones, as a historian I found myself seeking the refuge of horrible precedent: the images I?d seen offered the gruesome reassurance of repetition: the falling bodies evoking the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire?s plummeting victims; the already apparent devastation of downtown an echo of the lithographs I remembered seeing of the catastrophic 1835 fire that wiped out much of the built city. We stopped at Houston Street so that A. could look for her son at the public high school there. Waiting with P. outside the building, midway down the block, we noted the crowd at the corner looking south. Our trip uptown had been punctuated by continual turns southward, noting the increasing obscurity of the smoke blotting out the towers and charting, we feared, the escalating destruction. Suddenly we heard a collective, unforgettable gasp?a collected exhalation of breath punctuated by shouts and shrieks. I ran to the corner, but there was nothing to see but a massive column of smoke and dust. The unthinkable had, indeed, happened. P. headed east to try to find her way to Brooklyn and A. and I continued our trek north, turning onto the west side highway, lined by retreating pedestrians and empty but for the hollering ambulances and police cars heading downtown. We stopped at the occasional radio-blaring car, joining our fellow refugees to listen to the news?or, more accurately, rumors?about other terrorist-controlled planes, other unsubstantiated attacks. The brilliant sun, the cloudless day seemed a terrible counterpoint to the confusion and fear around us. The crowds thinned out after we passed the westside ferry. By that point, I had reached my wife via an amazingly unused payphone to learn that, indeed, we had been spared and that E. was safe. By the time we reached the southern border of Riverside Park, it was as if we had entered another world, populated by sleek rollerbladers and leisurely strollers, their pastoral sojourn only interrupted by the distant roar of jet fighters overhead, every head turning skyward to just make sure it wasn?t something else. 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 story8.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. 2002-01-26 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 151.202.100.133 Annotation Annotations to this item. Military Personal connection to someone at site Radio Coverage Struggle to get home Telephones and Cell Phones Tribeca WTC, attack WTC, pre-911 NY:2 Feature