291 20 70359 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 and I work for the federal government in Wshington. My sister called me, hysterical, to ask if we were okay, because she'd heard that the Old Executive Office Building had been hit by one of the planes. This was the first I'd heard of any of this. From this point on, we were glued to radios and the couple portable TVs that were in the office. We couldn't believe what was happening. Then, the rumors began flying, on radio and on TV. The White House had been hit; no, it hadn't. The Capitol had been hit; no, it hadn't. There were more planes on the way -- maybe yes, maybe no. Each time, the fear in our office (located between the White House and the Capitol) ratcheted up another notch. We were released around noon. I told my husband to walk over to my office, and we'd start trying to make our way home together. On the lower floors of my building are offices of the Secret Service. Suddenly, these guys I had joked with in the elevator were outside parolling the sidewalks, with flak jackets on. The guards in the lobby were a comforting presence. Hubby arrived, and we started trying to get home. We catch the VRE commuter train in and out, so we had to make it to the trains, which were not being allowed into the city over the bridge. We got word that the trains could make it as far as Alexandria, and if we could get there, we could get home. We managed to make it onto the Metro. Never in my life have I been on a train that was so silent. There were armed guards on it, and everyone had only one question -- "Any news?" When we rode through the Pentagon Metro station, it felt as though the entire train was holding its breath. We made it to Alexandria, and caught a train home. That night, we went out to a local restaurant, and solemnly raised a glass of wine. We were alive, and we were grateful. 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 story1781.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. 2002-09-05 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 149.101.1.127 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 morning of September 11th felt like any other day. My husband rolled out of bed earlier than I. Being pregnant with our first child, I snuggled back under the blankets and asked my husband to wake me in an hour. The next thing I knew my husband was yelling for me to come into the living room. And then I saw what so many others were seeing-the recorded image of the airplane hitting the first tower...and then the second plane. We finally saw the images of the Pentagon and the scenes from Pennslyvania. Our reactions were shock and immediate sadness. At first it felt like a bad dream or a horrible accident. So many people... We spent the day thanking God that our loved ones were okay and yet asking him how this could happen to so many innocent people. Later on in the day we decided that we needed a break from the news coverage and took a drive around town. We saw a man on the street corner waving a huge flag around the sky. That sight brought tears to our eyes and the picture is still imbeded in my mind. The stars and stripes have never looked so beautiful to me before. That night my husband had to go to work on base, I was so afraid for him to to be there, but I knew he had to go. I felt a glimmer of hope that night while trying to fall asleep, my son kicked me for the very first time. It was amazing and my first glimmer of hope that things would be alright. I am not sure that we have completely healed and honestly don't know if we ever will. I want to thank everyone who has given their life for our freedoms. 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 story2157.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. 2002-09-10 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.35.130.131 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 the plane crashed into the twins, i was at school. when i arrived at home with my best friend claudia my dad called me and told me to put on the tv. first i didn't, but then i did and i was SHOCKED! my best friend, too, of course! we stayed the whole day at home with my whole family and we cried and were afraid of having Third World War! we were terrified! and, of cause, now we are thinking of all those who died. even some relatives of mine live in the USA, but in North Carolina and that's far from NY, and i'm so happy that nothing has happened to them. i know that my english ain't great, but i'm german... i'm thinkin of you almost all time! shari (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 story7085.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. 2002-09-13 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 80.128.178.237 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: While on my way to work, I heard the news on the radio. As soon as the first plane hit, I felt the possibility of a terrorist attack. My mind went back to the earlier attack in the WTC a few years ago. I had been teaching a Home Health Aide class one block away from the WTC on the corner of Broadway and John St. when I heard what sounded like the loudest thunder I had ever heard and the building shook. At that time, I kept on teaching never suspecting a terrorist attack. I soon dismissed the class for lunch and went outside. I stopped in a local coffee shop where the owner had a radio. He thought a transformer had blown, Reality began to set in since I was suspicious when I saw ambulances and helicopters flying overhead. But I still did not know what happened. I went back to my office. My older son had left a message on the answering machine and I could hear the panic in his voice asking if I was ok. I called him back to let him know I was ok. He knew what happened before I did since he heard the news on Long Island TV. I kept teaching my aides that day since the subways were closed till later in the day so nobody could go home anyway. When I did get to the subway to go back to Penn Station, I saw and heard people who had walked down the many flights at the WTC. They looked stunned and discheveled. I had to return to work and I did. However, our office was supposed to move to Liberty Street (which was even closed to the WTC) that weekend. We couldn't since the street was blocked off. The move was delayed for a month. I suggested to my supervisor that we should cancel our lease. She said that we couldn't and told me how great it would be since I could now walkdirectly into the WTC to get the train back to Penn Station. Our office was right near a firehouse as well. I never felt comfortable going into the WTC after that, and would walk outside if the weather was ok. I alwasys felt that something would happen again. And I used to love the exitement of all the things going on there... When the 1st plane hit on 9/11, I felt as though it had ripped throught my heart and that I was right there at the WTC again. I thought of the men in the firehouse and how they used to kid around with us outside. However, never it my wildest imagination could I have pictured what actually occured that day. Each day since 9/11, I go on because I am determined to not let terrorists get the best of me or my family. They make it hard, but I know that G-d is on my side. I am a nurse, and I know that I have to heal and help heal others. Therefore, I hope my reflections will touch someone's heart. Lastly, I pray that no one else will have to feel the pain that all of those families who lost loved ones that day had to suffer. My thoughts are forever with them. 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 story8186.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. 2002-09-29 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: Today is Thursday, September 13, 2001 and it is ten o?clock in the evening. I have just returned home to East Sacramento from a cross country automobile journey across America?s Heartland. I am exhausted, I feel grimey, and I would dearly love to climb into my safe, warm bed and fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. But, I am compelled to tell my story, the story of how one man or one group of men can cause such a deep, unrelenting pain in the hearts of so many beautiful and innocent souls throughout this country and worldwide. I am attempting to understand how an action of one can so painfully hurt those close to me, a woman who lives in East Sacramento. My story begins on the morning of September 11, 2001 in my hotel room in Columbus, Ohio. I had finished packing for my return trip home that early afternoon and left my room to meet a colleage downstairs for a breakfast meeting. During our meal we both, coincidentally, commented on the nervousness associated with airline travel, even though both of us travel weekly by air. We were in Columbus for a conference we were invited to by a large banking client of ours, whose home offices are in the financial district of Manhattan. Jane was departing for Tampa and I for Sacramento. As we were leaving to join the conference we overheard an employee mention that a plane had hit the WTC. We both gaped at eachother and begged the woman to get us to a television. She anxiously opened the fitness center and we immediately saw the gaping hole in the Tower #1. The three of us stood, shell-shocked as we listened to the reaction of the cameraman. Then, suddenly another plane appeared on the screen and it looked as if it were a helicopter circling the tower, that is until it went crashing through Tower #2. Live, on television, I couldn?t believe it as I covered my face in horror. The first thought that went through my mind was: my little sister, Maggie was boarding a plane in New York that morning ? although I didn?t know what time; and that she was there visiting my brother who lives in lower Manhattan. I looked at my watch and not caring that it was 6:30 a.m. in California, made a cell phone call to my parents. I awoke my father, who was none to happy, and simply said, ?Dad, turn on the TV, there?s been a plane crash in New York. Please call me back.? And then I hung up. I then called my sister, Janette and repeated the same line. I returned to the fitness room as others from the conference gathered there in disbelief. My friend Bill said, ?I was in that tower last Friday for a meeting.? All of us, friends and strangers alike, stood together touching shoulders, shedding tears of wonder and finally offering comfort to eachother. As I look back now it was odd inasmuch as we were business partners, not close friends. We became friends that morning. My cell phone started ringing one moment later and didn?t stop for two days. Maggie?s flight had departed New York at 7:00 a.m. and my family had no information beyond that. My family knew I was somewhere in the east, but not precisely where, as my travel schedule is varied. My brother could not be reached by telephone. After assuring my parents that I was safe in Ohio we then attempted to locate my sister?s flight and my brother?s whereabouts. Make no mistake, we are family of endless resources. I am one of twelve children and my parents are well versed in the art of locating any of us at any given time. But this time, we were all truly frightened to our very bones. Truth be told, we were horrified for our siblings. Maggie has never flown well and does so reluctantly only when it is absolutely necessary. The same can be said for my brother Michael, although he choses to make his career in the theater and in film and is therefore forced to travel between coasts. They were together in New York to promote their new theater production, Bad Blood. None of us knew the details of the doomed airplanes at the WTC, and by this time we had heard of the crash at the Pentagon as well but did not have details of that flight either. Being away from ones? family during a crisis, particularly when ones family is as close as mine, is excrutiatingly difficult. I knew what my parents were going through, being a parent myself. It must have been a thousand times worse for my mother, who refuses to fly and does not condone the practice of it for her children. I phoned my teenaged daughter and her father and I spoke to her together as we all watched the television. We agreed she would stay home from school that day, until we had more information about the attacks, as we were now referring to them. We were all leaving messages for Michael and Maggie, begging them to call us back. I had such a hard time believing that even Michael (a hard sleeper) could not be awakened by the commotion at the WTC, such a short distance from his apartment. I thought I had managed to calm my mother somewhat by offering the excuse that perhaps he had taken Maggie to JFK that morning and had not returned to his apartment and now could not get there for all the confusion in the city. I?m sure she didn?t buy it; we both knew he would have sent Maggie to the airport in a hired car, as is his custom. I felt completely and utterly helpless, and admittedly I do not handle this well, in the best of circumstances. Although I am number nine in my family, I have always and forever felt an overwhelming obligation to assure the health and safety of my seven sisters and four brothers, if I can at all control it. My parents know that they can always count on me to jump on a plane, pick someone up, take charge. This isn?t to say that my other siblings wouldn?t do the same, without the slightest hesitation, it is only to say that I have the means and the knowledge to make arrangements for any variety of situation involving the many characters of my family. I am also a single, independent woman who travels widely for my career and for pleasure and am less fazed by the day to day hassles involved in those endeavors. This is also not to say that my parents worry any less about me, in fact, they most likely worry more as I am alone. At this time, the entire conference was breaking up and three hundred people were wondering aloud how they would return to their families, all of which were somewhere other than Columbus, Ohio. We had all flown in for this conference and it appeared none of us were going to be flying out anytime soon. Realizing the potential gravity of my personal situation, I immediately returned to my room and called three car rental agencies (as I arrived by taxi from the airport) and confirmed pick-ups at the airport, just in case. I then received a call from my sister Katie whose husband had logged onto the internet and looked up Maggie?s flight and was informed that her flight was in route to Omaha, Nebraska on emergency landing. My father then called and we discussed the our options. I told him I had reserved three cars in Columbus and asked that his secretary continue to reserve more under my name because we were certain all cars would be taken in short order. Another sister, Katie, then arranged for hotel accomodations for Maggie in Omaha, even though we hadn?t heard from her yet but were anticipating the hotel situation in any case. We still had not received any return calls from Michael. One of the calls I received was from my close friend, Susan, who was worried sick about me. We both sobbed a bit on the phone and reassured eachother before signing off. Susan is originally from New York and some of her family still resides there, although she lives in Sacramento now with her children. She had spoken to them and all was well. We were so grateful for our blessings and said a prayer together for Michael and Maggie. It had just been reported that the affected flights had not been a Delta flight to Salt Lake City (Maggie?s connection) so although we were all still very worried, we felt somewhat more assured. There were, however, other unaccounted for flights in the air. Sandy called, Debbie called, Marjan called, Louis called, Katie called, Ruth called, Cindy called. So many loved ones worried about me. Jerry called, Calvin called, Mitch called, Kim called, Jeff called. Mom kept calling, Ron called, Barbara called. Finally, Maggie called.. She was a mess, as expected, and refusing to reboard any flight, going anywhere. The pilot had diverted her flight suddenly and without warning to Omaha, citing only a ?National Emergency?. I can only imagine what thoughts would have gone through my mind during that landing. Upon her arrival in Omaha, she was given no information and there were no televisions in the terminal. She retrieved her messages and called my mother immediately. She later told me that mom?s message only said, ?Honey, we are watching the news, please call home if you can.? How scared she must have been, my mother, this eternally strong force in our family, this rock. A woman who defied physicians by having twleve cesarian births even at the risk of her own death, who had overcome an appaling childhood and moved on to passionately love our father and make a beautiful life and future for herself, her 12 children and 27 grandchildren. This woman of abundant and profound, unshakeable faith. Then Michael called. He was shaken to his very core and very much in shock. His first and foremost concern was for his siblings, as he knew Maggie was traveling that morning (he had, in fact, put her in a hired car), and he knew I was always traveling. After being assured of our safety, he assured us of his. We all begged him to leave the city immediately and go to friends upstate. He would not hear of it. Michael is also a man of profound faith and goodness and would not leave if there existed even the smallest opportunity that he could be of assistance to his fellow man. We, of course, loved him all the more and were not in the least bit surprised. He sent us his love and went off to Ground Zero to offer himself up. Not until I went back down to the hotel lobby did I grasp the enormity of the problem in getting back to California. I heard from at least twenty people that all the rental agencies had run out of cars and I was desparate to get to the airport to secure one of my reservations. There were no taxis available at the hotel and every single person was packing their rental cars and leaving for their homes, hugging one another, and crying for their associates in New York. Those who already had cars were just taking them and driving home and dealing with the agencies later. I was not so lucky. It figures that the one time I don?t rent a car, I need it the most. I knew, at this point, that it was fruitless to go to the airport, they had no cars left for me. To exacerbate the situation further, the hotel would not allow me to extend my stay as they were booked solid the following evening. I simply told them that I was not checking out, went back to my room and put some clothes around the room and returned back to the lobby. Having heard that I had family in NYC and in the air, a colleague of mine offered his rental car to me as he was going to join a carpool back to Texas. I was so grateful I jumped up and hugged him with all my might. I assured him that I would call the agency and let them know I was the driver on the car and would be dropping it in Sacramento. I ran back to my room and called my father to let him know I had secured a car and asked him let Maggie know I was on my way to Omaha to pick her up and bring her home. Well, you don?t know my father, but this was like handing him a brand new shiney gift. A Project! ?Hang on, hang on, Tish, let?s plot this out correctly. What kind of car do you have, exactly, what year? Let me get my Thomas Brothers? and we?ll map out the route.? Janette had already arrived at my parents and together they were plotting our journey back home. I have no doubt they had a United States map pinned up in the dining room with multi-colored thumbtacks stuck throughout. I smiled on the other end of the phone and said, ?Dad, I have a car and it?s now almost noon and if I don?t get on the road I?m not going to make it there, so I?ll call you from the car. I have to go buy a car charger for my cell phone and some maps. Tell Mags to sit tight and I?ll see her soon.? I disconnected, repacked my bags and was out the door in under five minutes. On my way out to the car I saw a good friend and associate, Caren, getting into a car. I asked her if she was driving to her home in Denver and she told me she was going to get a ride to Cincinnatti to her sister?s house and await for the airports to open. I practically begged her to come with me and promised I would drop her in Denver. But, she declined and went on to her sisters. She was confident that flights would resume the following day, at the latest. The rage didn?t hit me until I was on Route 70, heading east toward Indiana. The near uncontrollable urge to strike out at those that would attempt to cause harm to those I love struck me like a tidal wave before I made it to Springfield. I tried to remember and meditate on Michael?s words to me before I left the hotel, ?Claire honey, please be careful, please drive slowly and pull over if you get angry or emotional, please take care of yourself for all of us.? I pulled over and sat in the car in a McDonald?s trying to eliminate my rage. I didn?t know until later that such a rage cannot be eliminated, it can only be carefully controlled. I decided to call Susan back and let her know I was on the road to Omaha. When she answered the phone my heart dropped to my knees, she was sobbing and weeping and all she could say was, ?How are you? Where are you? I?m so glad you called, I?ve been trying to reach you.? ?What happened?? I pleaded. She would only answer with, ?Please tell me you are OK, I cannot bear to lose you now.? ?I am fine, Honey, what is it, what happened?? I begged. ?Victor was the Captain on the United Flight.? ?Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ? This is all I could think, this is all I could say. How could this happen, how could this attack touch my loved ones so closely? Susan then explained to me that her brother-in-law had been the captain of United Flight 175 from Logan to LAX and that it had crashed into Tower #2. Though she had spoken to her sister, Ellen, that morning and had been assured by her that everyone was safe, even Ellen didn?t know that her husband of twenty years had been taken hostage, held at knife point and was forced to die in order to surrender his precious cargo. It never occurred to Ellen that her husband was in danger, not for a moment. Susan and her talked about the possibility of knowing some of the crew involved, as Victor was a veteran Captain for United, but she was certain Victor was safe, even though she hadn?t spoken to him. Ellen is also a licensed pilot who previously flew for Delta, although she no longer flies. She stays home and cares for their two daughters. By some grace of God, Susan?s other sister was visiting Ellen and had decided to stay for the day, instead of going home first thing in the morning. When Ellen answered the door some two hours later she was surprised and pleased to see their friend, Greg, on the stoop. Greg is also a pilot for United. She was not pleased to see his companions, FAA personnel. Her good friend then told her about Victor?s death. My reaction was one of shock and premonition. I knew in my heart, as I watch the horrifying scenes on television that morning, that we would all be personally touched by this series of events. I knew that whoever perpetrated this attack did so in order for all American?s to feel the hatred in his soul. Whoever did this would not be done until every last one of us suffered a loss. I had no words for Sue that would help her understand her loss. Her phone was beeping through so I signed off, took a deep breath, started the car and moved on toward Indianapolis. My rage was not abated, it was further fueled, but controlled. My mission was to get to Maggie and get us home to my mother, to ease her worry, to assure her that her brood was safe. Katie, Janette and Dad made arrangements for me that first night in Danville, Illinois so that was my goal. Dad called every hour to inquire on my progress, each time expressing disbelief that I was as far along as I was. There was no traffic, as I had expected, only a stream of rental cars with varying license plates, carrying car loads of people heading west. I had to turn off the radio because I could not see through the tears in my eyes. Maggie called at last from her hotel room in Omaha. I assured her that I was on my way and would not be there until the next day. As we were speaking, she suddenly gasped and cried out in horror, ?Oh my God, there are fighter planes in the sky, Claire!? She was watching the planes from her window. ?What is it? What?s happening?? I yelled. ?Oh my God, it?s Air Force One!!? she screamed. Of course, I had heard that President Bush was on his way to the SAC in Omaha, and I tried to make Maggie understand that this was a good thing. She replied with, ?I don?t want to be here when he is here, what if they bomb here?? She was, clearly, hysterical. This was a very real fear for Maggie and for all of us. She was either in the safest place on earth or at the the center of the most likely target. Pulling off the highway for gas in Crawfordsville, I was shocked at the lines at the pumps. I was number 14 in line and it was stretching out onto the highway. I had no idea what these people were doing buying gas and was certain it wasn?t travelers as the roads were not congested, but I had no choice but to wait in line. After an hour wait, I went in to pay for the gas and asked where all these people were going and was told that the prices of gas were going up at 6:00 p.m. to $5.50 per gallon. It was 5:45 p.m. ?Why? What?s happened?? I demanded. ?The gas price in Terre Haute is $6.00 and we are raising ours at 6:00.? The woman behind the counter responded, haughtely. ?But why? Are we out of gas, did OPEC raise their prices?? I was agast. ?Everyone needs gas now, and we?re raising our prices.? I was completely and utterly disgusted. I expressed as much to the proprietor as I left the station. 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 story1835.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. 2002-09-07 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 152.163.189.136 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 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 9/11 a shock of horror struck around the world when airplanes were hijacked and used as bombs. Members of the Taliban took planes and flew one each into each of the Twin Towers in New York. In the same day another plane was flown into the pentagon. Also on this day another plane was headed for a destination unknown but was taken down by some vary brave passengers in Summer Set County. Ever since then America and the rest of the world has been on an elevated alert. This tragedy has affected me and my family a lot. Everyday you can?t stop wondering if something else is going to happen, we know the security has improved and the skies are being watched but paranoia of another attack isn?t leaving, specially since we live so close to a nuclear power plant. We worry everyday and it irritates my family. It?s kind of hard to vacation and relax since we can?t really forget. We all want to just act like it has never happen but the news isn?t helping? Wasn?t America?s whole idea to Forget and move on??? You would think we could if the media wasn?t constantly reminding us of what happened and that new threats are coming in by the hour. This horrible incident has also affected my generation and friends in different ways. We are all very sad about what happened but know we can?t do much, just the thought of being killed in one of these attacks scares us. And being so young we can?t exactly feel the full affect of this tragedy and don?t understand why it hasn?t ended yet. We all want it to end so we can get back to our normal ways of life and not having this dark and evil shadow cast over us. Even though I am still young, I can tell that America can be affected and changed by this forever. I don?t think that after this we will ever be back down on a very low alert since the terrorist will attack whenever we go back down since there?ll be informed. Even if we do go back down all Americans are going to be forever scared since this was the only attack on America in America. And with all of these problems Americans are going to have a hard time having fun, we can?t get on a plane without thinking of horrible ideas that could happen, you can?t go places and see people who resemble Taliban members and not think bad things about them even if we don?t want to, bad thoughts always come into our head. So with all of these thought I am almost positive America will be changed forever until all terrorism is dead. 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 story6549.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. 207.103.166.40 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 was at work when my mother called, telling me that a plane had hit one of the twin towers. I told everyone at work and just then we started to hear it on the radio. My mom called again and said the other one was hit, I started to cry right there. Luckily my boss had a 3" black & white TV that we hooked up and we were able to keep up with the events. I couldn't drag myself away...we all practicully stopped working and watched. Our customers would come in with another story of what they heard. I remember calling my husband at work and asking him to get in touch with his mom to see if his cousin was OK. She had been involved in the first bombing years ago. Luckily she was OK, she had transfered. But her sister was not heard from who worked in the towers. I got home and my 11 year old son asked if I knew what happened, he had watched it on TV in his class. His teacher thought it was very important for them to see. He was very angry. Later we found out that Jean was safe, she was walking up the steps when people were yelling and running toward her to get out. It's changed her life. I cried for about a week straight I think. As many people did. I felt helpless, angry, sad. How could this happen to us!? Why?! I was always proud to be an American, but it means so much now. This is the greatest country in the world. They united us even more..strength in numbers!! 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 story5523.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. 24.58.194.199 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: During the september 11 issue I was in my third or fourth grade class I really didnt understand the fact about the attack but I remember my mom telling me about the september 11 issue but now I am older and I understand the fact that many lives were taken and many close relatives I feel really sad. When I heard about it I started crying as I was watching it on tv people were just going crazy people running everywhere trying to get away everybody thought the world was going to end and that really freaked me out !!!! 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 story20445.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: I was sleeping and my husband woke me up telling me that the United States was being attacked. I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs to watch the news. I can not believe that anyone would do something soo terrible to another. I have never felt the same about my security since. It was a very sad and very eye-opening experience to the cruelity of terrorists. I have tried to keep up to date more on world events since the tragedy. I remember that for weeks afterward, there was a silence that just hung in the air wherever you went. People were mourning and in shock. It is sad that it took a tragedy like this for us to all unite as one and stand up for not only our own country but other countries that have been going thru terrorism for a long time. But atleast we can see it as something good that came for something terible. 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 story7126.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. 2002-09-13 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 63.175.19.30 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: (Written September 16, 2001) My wife and I, who live in Connecticut, went down to NYC to a memorial service in Washington Square Park to light a few candles, drink a few beers and write on all the memorial canvases strung around the arch with all the mourners that were reported to frequent the place. We stopped off to use the bathroom in Grand Central Station before going to the subway and who do we meet up with? Rich Cochrane! He was on his way home from volunteer work providing therapeutic massage to the rescue workers who came into one of the hospitals. Made me proud to have a frat brother who would put his own life on hold and come all the way down from Mass. to help out in this troubled time. (Didn't tell him that, it would sound sappy!) Life in NYC is still the same hustle and bustle that it was before, but now, no one talks. Before, talking while walking down City streets, especially in crowded areas, was like trying to talk in a bar. Now everyone seems silent as they go about their business, presumably doing whatever they did on a daily basis last Sunday, before the tragedy. Another thing I noticed was that people are looking into other people's eyes as they pass, and smiling when they catch eye contact. NY is notorious for no eye contact, and they'll run you down if your not paying attention to where your going, but yesterday, I was told "God Bless You" so many times I was beginning to think I was sneezing without noticing. I saw at least a dozen times complete strangers standing in an embrace and sobbing while telling each other, "It'll be all right, we'll get through this" and the like. The fire departments, hardly noticeable before as their set into the facades of large blocks of buildings, are shrouded in black bunting and have the sidewalks absolutely covered with flowers and candles. Firemen stand in the garage doorways with a look of shock on their faces like they just found out their best friend died, which of course, is likely the case. Everyone quietly thanks them as they pass, and some hug them and the silence hangs in the air just like it does in a funeral parlor during a wake. Although in mourning, everyone's out, everyone's doing whatever they did before, and life goes on in the city that never sleeps. I don't want to say that people are not afraid to go out, I'm sure that's true in many a case, but they are going out and their not cowering in their homes waiting for the next plane or bomb or whatever. I guess that's the main reason I wanted to go down, just to see if everything in NY was as bad as they are really saying on TV. I didn't try to get down to ground zero, they don't need me down there gawking like a rubbernecker in a traffic jam while their going about their grizzly task, and you can see all that crap on TV all day, every day. What I saw was the people in one of the toughest cities in the world reaching out to each other and flat out, objectively loving each other, there's no other way to describe it. That's what you aren't seeing on TV. There's very, very little hate or rage, just calmness to the point of sedation, and brotherly love permeating everything. The South end of Washington Square is usually dominated by the Twin Towers, so huge that they look like their a couple of blocks away when their really across town. Now their replaced by the plume of white smoke that everyone sees on TV. The smoke must be right in the flight path of Laguarda or Kennedy Airport, because as you stare at the scene, one after another, plane after plane after plane emerges from the smoke and heads uptown looking a little ghostly, but signifying that we cant be kept down and that things are slowly getting back to some semblance of normal. Hundreds of "Missing" posters are everywhere, everyone knowing, including those that posted them, that the 'missing' are really 'dead' right under that plume of smoke that dominates the south end of the island. All the posters have pictures of the lost on them, holding their children, embracing their wives/husbands, along with a description that gives you a small indication of what they were like. They appear to be some of the brightest people at the top of their games, and almost all are so young, just beginning promising lives. Still, I have more faith now that I went down for the day, and truly believe that all will be right with the world again someday...I really, really didn't feel that way before. Give it a few years, they'll bury the bodies and the rubble that smells like what's kicked up by a jackhammer mixed with chemical laden steam and death, build a few new towers and be back up to full speed. I cant help but believe that, when all is said and done, that NY, it's people, and maybe the rest of us will somehow be a little better for this experience. I wish we didn't have to learn like this, but we can?t always choose how life?s lessons are taught. 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 story10741.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. 2004-08-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 204.17.124.130 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 name is Jennie Swarner. I live in Lambertsville Pa. My husband and I were sitting in the living room the morning flight 93 crashed. All of a sudden there was a weird noise and the house felt like it was being turned in side out. We have three dogs and they were barking like crazy. I jumped up and looked outside to see which way they were barking. I looked out my bathroom window to see. What I saw was a big mushroom cloud of smoke. I said to my husband something must have exploded where my sisters son Michael works. Just then the phone rang, it was my sister. She said to me Jennie were did that airplane crash she kept asking me and I said what airplane because I didn't know it crashed. Then I realized it must have crashed where her son works. I said oh my god Linda I don't know how to tell you this but I think it crashed where Michael works. She got off of the phone. I went outside with my husband and saw my sister and her husband driving by real fast. They were going to see if there son Michael was all right thank god he was. Her husband and her came back to my house she was realy upset,we both were realy upset. I tried to call my sons to tell them we were all right but the phones were down. My youngest son Charles came home. He heard it on the radio and it said the plane crashed on Lambertsville Rd.we live along Lambertsville Rd. I finally got through to were my son Mark works, but I was to upset to talk to him he said he was glad we were all ok and he would see us after he got off work. My sister finally got through to her son Eric to tell him what happened and to tell him his brother was ok. All my sisters were calling to make sure we were all ok.It was a horrible tragedy that took place that morning. I will never forget what happened that morning. Our little town of Lambertsville could have been hit by the airplane. We live about a quarter of a mile from where the plane crashed. The people aboard flight 93 are all heroes they saved a lot of lives that morning by trying to keep the hijackers from taking over the plane,but had to give up their lives. God bless all the HEROES of Flight 93. 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 story1038.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. 2002-08-16 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 65.238.50.165 Annotation Annotations to this item. Somerset, PA Terrorism PA 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 in my social studies class when I heard the news. At first we all thought that our teach was joking. We quickly realized that it was no joke. I was shocked at the news. 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 story2363.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. 207.10.224.42 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 taking computer classes in the morning of September 11th at the AT&T ACUS Building in Ann Arbor, MI. When I was on break, I saw my coworkers crying and running. They were gathering in the All Purpose Room to hear the news of the first airplane that hit the first tower of the World Trade Center. I made my way to the room just when the second airplane hit the towers. When in a short time, we heard that the Pentagon had been hit. We knew that this a terrorist hit on our country. The next day, 48 of us were permanently laid off. Within a few days, we all gave to the Red Cross Refief Fund knowing that the little bit that we could do would assist in getting help to those sites. Our hearts full of sorrow and yet grateful that we were working at AT&T in Ann Arbor, MI and not at the World Trade Center or the Pentagon. Knowing that most of us would be loosing our jobs soon yet knowing that we would still come home to our families. Our fallen heros would not be coming home 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 story5910.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. 64.12.96.8 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 was teaching my 6th grade gifted and talented social studies class when the math teacher on my team came in and whispered to me that I "might want to turn on my radio". The look on her face told me something bad had happened, but I waited til I had the kids involved in rather noisy group work to turn it on. My GT kids saw the look on my face and asked what had happened. Since they were the GT group, we sat and listened to the radio for the rest of that class period. After the class ended I went to the library where the tv was on and watched the news coverage with many other teachers. Shortly after that when I went back out in the hall there were parents lined up at the office doors waiting to take their kids home. We couldn't really teach the rest of the afternoon due to the intercom announcing long lists of students being told that their parents were there to take them home. My final class of the day was with my 7th graders. Normally there were 29 in that class but on that day I had only 6 left. I live about 20 min from the Pentagon and many parents were afraid that an attack in our area would be next. I recall the look on peoples faces in their cars as I drove home. Hubby and I watched the news the rest of the night. One of our teacher's sisters worked in the Pentagon and died in the attack. I live about 10 min from Baltimore/Washington International Airport and planes constantly fly overhead. I will never forget that strange silence over the next few days as airlines were grounded. The only thing I heard and saw in the sky were the fighter jets doing their patrol over our area. It was many months before I didnt feel a small twinge of fear everytime a plane flew over our house. 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 story1777.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. 2002-09-05 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.54.80.7 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 a staff member at Rush Creek Elementary school in Maple Grove, MN. I was just arriving when at the school and listening to my radio, the DJ's were unsure of what was going on and didn't say what happened, they said they would be right back with more information, but 10 minutes of commercials had passed and I needed to get inside the building. When I came in a Staff member told me what happened, but I thought she meant a small plane, a Cesna perhaps, on my way outside the building that lovely morning I walked past the office and saw what was happening on the TV, I couldn't believe it. As the students arrived at school, many of them new what was happening because their morning cartoons had been interupted, but I couldn't talk to them about anything, mainly because I was clueless about it myself. After work, I got into my car and headed toward my Community College, as they played Peter Jennings voice onthe radio I could see the picture of the Towers in my head and what was happening, I just couldn't believe that this was happening, so much to the fact that I rear ended a car. When I got into the Campus Center at my school, it was very quite, there were few people talking and many were gathered around the TVs. I headed to where my friends were, and sat and watched as America was attacked. Evey now and then we would say "I can't believe this is happening", or "Who would do this to us?" Classes weren't officialy canceled that day, but many didn't not attend. It is now evening and I went on to the dentist to have some cavities filled, they had the TV on so they could watch as well as myself, I was under the "gas" that they use, and so much so that I started to panic, I thought what I was watching on TV wasn't real and that is was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. It was a nightmare, except playing out in real life. After that, I headed to my evening job with the School District, cleaning. Every room I went into vaccumm I would turn the TV on, then I heard the President speak. That day ended with me wondering what was happening in the world, there were HUGE lines at the gas stations, I thought we had been attacked again, but later realized it was just panick. I went to bed that night thinking how proud I was to be and American, but could not fully believe what was happening. 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 story1064.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. 2002-08-19 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.118.20.78 Annotation Annotations to this item. Students/Teachers DOMESTIC 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 11, 2001 is a day that I remember very well. It is a memory that I would rather not have and for several reasons. The higher ups in my high school, mainly the principal and vice principal were very secretive and did want any of the students to watch the televisions or use the computers because they did not want us to know what happened. In the wake of 9/11, a beloved man from our town who worked at the World Trade Center was missing and later found dead in the ruins of the twin towers. We later had a candle light vigil for him on the high school's football field. For me personally, 9/11 was a very secretive and deceiving day that I wish could be erased from my and all people's memory. It was a typically beautiful september morning at Waldwick High School in northern New Jersey. I had just finished my first period gym class and was on my way to homeroom when I passed the faculty lounge. I saw several of my teachers gathered around the small television in there looking on intensely. When they noticed my friends and I approaching them, they forced us out of the room and closed the door. We were only sophomores in high school and did not really think too much about their actions. We continued on to our homerooms and the school seemed like it did everyday for the three previous years I had attended it. It was not until a girl in my homeroom came in and nonchalantly said, "A plane crashed into the World Trade Center." Everyone's initial reaction was one of disbelief and even laughter in some cases at the ridiculous comment she made. Then, our homeroom teacher took that girl in the hall and talked to her for several minutes. When she came back in she apologized to us and sat there silently. We then realized that something was truly wrong. After homeroom, the rumors around school began to spread very rapidly. In my second period class, my teacher would not let us turn on the television although they decided not to teach class. Later that period, the principal made an announcement to keep all televisions and computers off throughout the school. It was not until fourth period when I found out at least some basic information about what had happened. My history teacher, who was also my tennis coach, told me in private that two planes had hit the World Trade Center and it did not look good. My seventh period math teacher that year was a slightly strange woman who did not take things of this magnitude lightly. She told us all to just put our heads down and that everything would be all right. Every five minutes she got very emotional and told us not to ask her any questions about it. When I got home from school, my mom was all ready home from work watching the news. It was at that point that I saw video of the two planes crashing into the towers. It was truly hard to believe and my mother was very upset about it. We just sat there for hours watching and discussing how we felt about it. It brought my mother and I much closer than we had been in many years. It was not until a week after the tragic event that the aftershock of 9/11 hit our community. We found out that a well respected man in our town named John Griffen had passed away in the attack. No one in my family knew him, but we still felt that we should go to the candle light vigil our community was having for him that weekend. It was a very sad experience to be a part of. A couple members of his immediate family spoke along with his close friends in the community. There were over one thousand people there holding hands and remembering him and all those who perished in the unfortunate event. Even though this was a very sad and hard time, it brought our community together like it never had before. When looking back on it now, it really saddens me how secretive the officials in my high school were. All of the students had a right to know what had happened and it was absolutely ridiculous for them to shelter us from it knowing that we would find out eventually. At the same time, as tragic as it was, 9/11 brought many people together who otherwise would never be. I felt privileged to be able to be a part of the candle light vigil for John Griffen and his mourning family. The picture in my mind of the planes hitting the World Trade Center along with over one thousand people holding hands mourning the loss of a beloved member of our community will never be forgotten. 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 story11208.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. 2004-12-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 129.174.180.4 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: I worked in a building that had a corner kitchen that faced Manhattan. At the time, the twin towers were the only part of the city that we could see from our office. I was sitting at my desk when my co-worker in the cubicle behind mine said "Oh my God, a plane just hit the World Trade Center." He was reading on CNN.com. He came to my cubicle and we looked and read the article together, this was at 8:50. At that moment, my mother called from California (as I am a native Californian.) She was exercising and watching tv before going to work and called to tell me what was going on. She wanted to know where my husband was and if any of my husband's family worked in the buildings. I said I didn't know and I needed to call my husband. I would call her back...........I was about one month pregnant at the time and emotional enough, I just started crying while trying to visualize and conceptualize what was going on in that building. No one knew at that time what kind of plane hit. I saw my supervisor and I said, A plane hit the WTC, and he thought I was joking. We all went back to the kitchen and watched the building burning, already a trail of smoke heading out to the Atlantic. I couldn't reach my husband, about that time is when all of the phone lines started to jam. He was going to Jersey and sometimes he would go around the tip of Manhattan to the Holland tunnel -- which made me nervous. At my desk, my mom gets through and is crying and says another plane hit. At that time I hear people in the office screaming that they saw the explosion. About 10 minutes later, they excused all of us. Those of us that lived in the city, myself included, were lucky to leave when we did, as the city limits were closed off about 1/2 hour later and I would have been stranded on Long Island for three days. My husband was ok, his family was ok, and anyone we knew personally was ok. My supervisor's uncle was FDNY and was killed and several friends and other relatives of our friends were also killed. The events I remember so clearly were the smells that drifted into our apartment in the following days, being locked in our house for several days, the absence of air traffic (we lived very close to La Guardia), the sounds of sirens, and funeral processions. Guillani was at a funeral by my house for one of the fire chiefs and all surrounding intersections were blocked off - these little things just kept pounding into our head how our everday lives were affected. I felt so helpless sitting in my apartment watching supporters, candlelight vigils in Manhattan and we couldn't be there - the center of the world's eye and it was only 6 miles away (we lived in Queens.) I could make phone calls in and around NYC and the general east coast but it was difficult for my mom to call me from the west coast. Several of her co-workers had children working in Manhattan that her friends could not get a hold of so she would ask me to call these people and check on them. I was calling people I didn't know, really just checking to see if they were alive. I called one girl that normally worked on the 98th floor of the WTC. She luckily was late that day. When my husband and I moved to California to be closer to my family the following January, I thanked God that I was there that day. What an experience to see, smell, and hear what I heard. A moment in time I reflect on often, sometimes daily, those people I shared the office with will be in my hearts forever and that city will be the most wonderful place in my memory. 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 story10622.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. 2004-05-26 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 168.240.1.2 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: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 started out as any normal day would for a high school teenager. The thought of an attack on America seemed inconceivable, like it was only in the history books about December 7, 1941. Like the rest of the U. S., I wasn?t expecting an attack, and had no reason to. Who on earth would be stupid enough to attack the most powerful country in the world? Unfortunately, that question was answered on my way to band class. I walked in to the band room that Tuesday with my usual group of friends. I noticed a particularly large group of people, including my teacher, huddled around the television. I proceeded to unknowingly embarrass myself as I shouted, ?Hey alright! We get to watch T.V. in band!? The cold stares I received from my classmates were not what I expected. I turned to look at the TV and saw the World Trade Center on fired. After asking what happened, my teacher informed me that a plane hit the Twin Towers. Again embarrassing myself, I said, ?Well that was stupid. How do you fly into a building? It?s not like you can?t see it coming!? That was the last stupid comment I made as I watched the second plane fly straight into the other tower. That was no accident I thought. I remember feeling like it should have been a movie?because it couldn?t be real. Something like that just doesn?t happen in America. But it did. I didn?t move the rest of class. Literally. Everyone was standing exactly where he or she was when he or she first arrived. After the initial shock oft the attack, came word that a plane had just hit the Pentagon. That?s when the tears started. People rushed out of the room to call their parents. I wad still in disbelief of what had happened in the past few minutes. I never called my parents, but I knew neither of them were in the area, so that provided what little comfort it could at such a time. That was by far my worst day of school. The rest of the day was spent watching the news in all my classes, except for AP US History. Which made me a little mad. My teacher barely acknowledged that anything had happened, and proceeded with the days? lesson plan. Of all classes to not discuss what had just happened! I though it was very disrespectful, and still today, one year later, am still bitter about that. The long-term effects of September 11, 2001 have been rather big for me. I have applied for Army and Navy ROTC scholarships, and am in the process of applying to West Point and the Naval Academy. The attacks have certainly put a different perspective on things. With the current War on Terrorism, and the probable invasion of Iraq, it is inevitable that as a part of either the Army or the Navy, I will personally be involved. It was rather hard to stomach at first, and is still sometimes hard today. But, despite any hesitance, I am proud and ready to serve and protect this country from cowardly terrorists. My family and friends feel differently, only because it is their son and friend who would be fighting, but I know in the end I will have their supports no matter what I do. The way I see it now, the terrorists just lit a fire under the toughest military in the world, and I?d bet they?re real sorry now for making the strongest nation in the world even stronger. 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 story7761.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. 2002-09-17 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 151.188.17.4 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: I was sitting in my home watching the TODAY show when they showed the first plane. I like everyone else thought it was a very bad accident till we saw the second plane approach in the background.. I called my wife and daughter at work to let them know what was happening..WE were and still are in shock that some people have no thought of their or other lives that anyone could do such a thing. 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 story4225.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: I was traveling in Bulgaria with my wife and daughter when it happened. Actually, it was about 4pm Bulgarian time when my wife's friend telephoned her to tell me to turn on CNN International to see what was happening in New York City. I turned on the TV and was stunned. I am a soldier in the U.S. Army and here I am sitting 7 hours away and completely helpless. I could not imagine how much more helpless the people actually on the ground felt. For the remainder of the evening people reached out to console me either by telephone or a visit. The Bulgarians were stunned as a nation. Over the next several days on the street trying to enjoy what was left of a vacation, complete strangers who recognized me as an American stopped to express their anger and sympathy. Many shared stories that they had family in New York and still have not heard if they were okay or not. I left for the United States on the 16th of September. I had to travel through Prague and through Newark to get to Colorado. Needless to say, it was a nightmare with the long lines and uncertainties of what aircraft was going where. Upon arrival to Newark, we did see the smoke from ground zero as we landed. It's a site I won't forget. 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 story1217.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. 2002-08-19 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 198.26.126.13 Annotation Annotations to this item. Americans overseas Military INTERNATIONAL