384 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: The day of September 11th 2001 I was just getting out of bed. My radio alarm clock woke me up. The alarm clock showed it was 6:56am I got of bed turned on my light and was about to turn off the radio so I didn't have to here 97.9 KODM LIGHT ROCK 98 News I didn't have time to here it today. My bus would be at the Bus Stop at 7:15am I slept in a little bit. When I finished getting ready for school I went to turn on the coffee for my mom and my dad. My mom was already up and told my brother to wake up because he don't set his alarm clock ever. After I turned on the coffee I to the living room to get my back pack I got it then headed for the Bus Stop. When I got there my brother was On his way to were I was. The bus got there around 7:19am when I got on and the other teen's who get on at that Bus Stop We went to our seats. I set down by my frined Danny. Danny and me started talking about Odessa High School were we both go to school at. First we both talked about how Mr.Watson in room 503 because he is so cool. Mr.Watson makes Danny and Me - (James Matt Meyer) laugh and makes Danny and Me (James Matt Meyer) happy to be at school. Well got to school and I told Danny I'll see ya after school or sooner. Well I went to Mr.Watson room because I had him 1st period of A-Day. We have A-Day and B-day at OHS. Well when I got Mr.Watson's room my 1st period he was watching T.V. on the T.V. there was a building on fire I thought it was a movie but it was not a movie. It was REAL. Mr.Watson said a plane hit the World Trade Center in New York Manhattan I had a seat at my desk and watched as people were shocked about what's going on. Then Mr.Watson said it might be an accident. Well the bell for school to started to ring Mr.Watson said we will watch this instead of work. When the tardy bell finished ringing he told the class about whats going on. When he was in the middle of what he was telling us what's on the 2nd building was hit. I thought it might be a replay of the 1st building so did alot of other students Mr.Watson said It's not because this one has a 10ft. Mass on it the other one don't That's when we knew it had to be Terrosiom. Later around 8:53am the building fell to the ground. Then around 9:03am the next building fell to the ground also. I was in tears after I saw the 2nd building fell to it's death. I was shocked about the things that happened later on also I cryed almost all day. When I got to work at Rosa's Caf'e they were watching also. When I got off at 12:00am I cryed myself to sleep. That's how I was on September 11th 2001. May God Bless the Familes Who Lost there Loved ones and those who were good Friends to those we Lost on September 11th 2001. May God Bless America and All of us American's MY LOVE IS WITH ALL OF YOU WHO HAS READ THIS LOVE TO ALL: JAMES MATT MEYER PLEASE WRITE ME IF YOU READ MY STORY AT MY HOUSE IN ODESSA JAMES MATT MEYER 3101 E.31ST ODESSA TEXAS 79762 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 story9062.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-02-15 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.202.23.97 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 starting my internship in Midtown that day. I live in Jersey and I was taking the train into the city. It was really my first experience going into the city and working by myself, so this was supposed to be a big day for me. At around 8:35, I remember looking at the towers, thinking how beautiful they were and that I would like to work there someday. I never expected what happened next. We had just pulled into the Newark station on the NJ transit line at around 8:40. As we pulled out, I looked at the one tower and noticed smoke billowing out. I had no idea what was going on. My first instinct was "It looks like the incinerater is lined up perfectly with the one tower, that's strange". But then, as the train kept moving forward, I realized for sure that it was no incinerator. The tower was actually on fire. Everyone on the train started to speak and wonder what was going on. I didn't realize the intensity of the situation then. I figured that it was being taken care of, because I noticed helicopters flying around it. When I got into Penn Station, I just thought to myself, "Everything is ok, I'm sure the situation has been taken control of." I got to Times Square, and I noticed the footage of what was going on was different from what I saw. The other tower had been hit!! I couldn't believe my eyes!! I was so shocked. Times Square was in total standstill. Everyone just paused and looked up at the screen. It was so freaky. I didn't understand what was truly happening. Then I got to the cafeteria of where my internship was located, and I watched ABC news. All I remember hearing was Peter Jennings saying "This was a planned terrorist attack. It must have taken them months and years to plan something like this." I was in shock!! My body just became overwhelmed with fear and panic. I was never as scared in my life as I was that moment. I then heard a beep from my cell phone. I had just gotten a voice mail message from my sister. She told me that I should get out of NYC right away because they had closed all the ports getting into the city. I look back and thought, I should have left then and there. But I didn't want to get in trouble with my supervisor and leave, so I waited for her to show up. I then sat with other interns and told them what i saw on the train. It was then that another bulletin came on the screen. The Pentagon had just been hit!! At that point, I really thought it was the end of the world. All I could think about was that I wanted to go home and be with my family. I wouldn't reunite with my family until much later that day. This was only the beginning of the worst day of my life thus far. As they were talking on the news, all I could say to the other interns was that I wanted to go home. My voice was shaking and I was ready to cry, but I didn't. I just knew that I had to get out of there. Then, they showed the clip of the first tower collapsing. Everyone in the cafeteria was SCREAMING!!! I never experienced anything like it. Just thinking about it gives me chills. A few people ran to the phones, and I can hear them saying "My friends in there" or "so-and-so is in there, I have to find them". I took the elevator down to the lobby, and in the elevator was this guy who was panicking, trying to get out of the building. All he kept saying was "I have to get her out! I have to get her out!" You don't know what to say to someone after a moment like that. I didn't know what to do. I ran back to Penn station trying to catch the 10:43 train. I kept thinking along the way "Why did this have to happen? What's going to happen next?" I needed to get on that train and back home, safe with my family. Just as I got on the train, we were all ready to leave and get out of New York. I let out a sigh of relief and said out loud "Thank God". As soon as I said that, an announcement was made. The conductor said that everyone has to get off the train and that they need everyone at Ground level. I felt like I was being thrown into a pit of poisonous snakes. I was so scared at that point. My family had no idea where I was now. None of the cell phones worked. I waited on line to use a public pay phone for an hour and a half, trying to call my sister and my family and tell them I was alright. While on line, I was being briefed about other updates. Here are some of the things I heard (Some true, some definitely false) "The second tower collapsed. Four more planes are hijacked and they are headed this way. A plane fell in Pittsburgh. They won't open Penn Station for two days." I was ready to go insane. I didn't care what I had to do to get back to Jersey, but just getting there was my objective at that point. The fighter jets began flying overhead, and my first instinct was that it was another plane coming after another part of New York (At that point, I was near the Empire State Building, so I was even more scared). The police closed off all the streets and made announcements on the megaphone. The first announcment was that the Staten Island Ferry was open and it was the only way out of New York. I remember asking the policewoman, "How do I get there"? "Walk", she said. I walked a total of over 200 blocks that day. I had relatives in Staten Island, so I figured I'd be safe with them, at least. As I walked downtown, I managed to get signal back on my cell phone. It was then that I spoke with my uncle to direct me around lower Manhattan, for I had no familiarity with it whatsoever. I only knew my way around Midtown. As I walked down, I walked past St. Vincent's hospital, where they were bringing in all the victims. It was a madhouse. I still had my ear to the reports on the radios of the people walking in the streets. YOu would be surprised about some of the things they were saying at that point. I couldn't listen anymore. It just got me more scared than I was, but you couldn't help listening. As I got to canal street, the smoke became thicker, and I started to feel the dust. I remember wiping the sweat off my forehead and feeling dust and grain. I looked at my hand, and it was grey. I was beyond the point of overwhelmed. I was ready to accept death, because I did not know what was going to happen next. I just thought that I would be stuck there and have no way to get out. The time was now 2:30, and my sister calls me on my cell phone. She tells me that Guiliani opened Penn Station again and to get over there as soon as possible (Mind you, I was at Canal Street when I found this out.) I had to race uptown again and get on that train. Nothing was stopping me. When I finally got on the train, I was a sardine. There was seriously no room to move. We were all squeezed together. I was so happy now that I was leaving NY. I then checked my voice mails, which I wasn't able to do before. They were all from family, thinking that I was dead because I didn't respond to their calls. That was the second freakiest moment of my life, having someone think you're dead and leaving you a voice mail. The first moment is obviously being in the city during this turmoil. I finally got home at 5:30, and I just cried. I couldn't stop crying for the rest of the day. In fact, I didn't sleep that night. It was a living nightmare that took me a long time to get through. I still think about it everyday. Those poor people that suffered through that. It's so horrible to witness something like that. It took me a long time to finally watch the footage on TV. It sure feels good to talk about it, though. 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 story820.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. 2002-06-23 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 12.78.183.24 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 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 awoking by a phone call by my girlfriend from work telling me a phane had just flew into the World Trade Center. I was still half sleep when into the living room to turn on the tv I thinking a small plane hit one of the towers. What I seen I will never forget the north tower had a very large hole in it smoke was coming out it. Still half sleep it look like a Die Hard movie! as I watch out of the left side of my tv screen here comes a plane and turn into the second tower. I fell like some one had pour ten gallons of ice water on me I was now wide wake with shock and horror and then to see the tower collapes was more shocking and even worse the next day was my birthday so I will always remember 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 story6988.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. 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: On September 11th 2001 i was working for Marriott Hotels and it was just like any other day. I can recall having a conversation with one of our guests in the lobby who was staying on the friends and family rate, and asking him which family member worked for Marriott. He replied that his sister done my job at the World Trade Center Marriott and i recall talking about New York and that hotel as i have previously stayed in that hotel. I was in the lobby of the London Marriott at the time the 2nd plane hit because i can remember a large crowd of people around the television set watching CNN. I'm not sure what tower crashed down on top of the WTC Marriott but i will always remember seeing that guests face and the shock and emotions that then followed. I can remember being totally horrified to what had happened but i could not imagine what this guest was going through as he didn't know if his sister was at work in the Marriott at the time of the attacked. 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 story1799.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. 2002-09-06 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 194.117.133.118 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 7 months pregnant and not feeling so well when I woke up @ 6:30 that morning, so I stayed home from work. By 8:00 I was sitting on my bed with the Today show on and thinking that for a September day it certainly was a beautiful day. I remember immediately following 8:46 when the first plane crashed into the tower, Matt Lauer and Katie Couric, reported that a plane crashed into the World Trade center. My first thoughts were ?Wow what a horrible accident? and never thinking that what we were seeing was a terrorist attack. At this point I could not pull myself away from the TV and at 9:03 I saw the most horrific sight I thought imaginable. It was then I started to realize that what was happening was not just an accident. As my husband and I sat and watched and cried and pleaded for safety and strength for those poor innocent people on each plane, in the Pentagon, the Towers, the FDNY, PDNY and everyone else I felt ill thinking I was bringing an innocent child into this world. It was no ill feeling I had ever experienced before. By noon that day, with the sun still shining outside, I remember thinking again what a beautiful day, however, in that same thought I thought this day is not a day where the sun should be shining so beautiful. This was not a beautiful day. The best I could do to try and survive my own suffocation that day was to let my husband, family and friends know how much I love them and that is what I did. September 11, 2001 has taught me to appreciate in a way I never new how. 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 story5698.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. 66.66.33.74 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 early (7am) and decided to skip school and go back to bed. The next thing I know, I am waking up to someone crying on the radio. (I sleep with my radio on). I had just sent my best friend (a pilot for United at the time) on a plane back to NYC from IAD. My phone started ringing sometime around 8ish. It was my mom asking me about my best friend Mark, and which flight he had taken that morning. She then explained that a plane had hit the WTC. I turned on the news and watched the coverage of the WTC and all the smoke, etc. People were crying and I was still half awake. While watching the news coverage, I watched the 2nd plane hit the other tower. Moments later there were reports of planes headed for the white house and pentagon. Then the news of a hit on the pentagon became real. I received a page from my fire department putting us all on alert and to get to our fire departments ASAP. I put my gear in my car and sped to the FD. Next thing I know, I am being deployed to Station 11, in Manassas, Prince William County to be deployed to the Pentagon. The whole time, I continued to call my best friend, unable to get through, as all the phone lines were busy. Finally, I reached his mother, who had been trying to call me all morning. He was OK. For the next 4 days, we spent every waking moment thinking about all the fire and EMS personnel that we had lost, not knowing if anyone had survived. To this day, it still chills me to the bone that we lost so many of our brothers and sisters due to ignorant terrorists. I believe in our fight over seas, even if some do not. The grief still hits me every year, as I am sure it will continue for years to come. I compare my feelings of this tragedy to being involved in a war. I was one of the fortunate ones who did not lose someone I love, but my heart still goes out to those who did lose their loved ones. God Bless America and everyone who stands for freedom. 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 story20334.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. 2006-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.236.255.97 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 driving in my parent's car with my mother in the passenger seat when we first heard that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. At first my mother and I looked at each other and blew it off because the people on the radio seemed to show no respect at all. My mother and I blew it off and didn't think anything of it! we thought that it was just a joke when we first heard the story. When I got to school that's all the kids were talking about. I got in class and then i heard that a second one had hit the other trade center building! I just remember feeling terrible because just about an hour ago I had thought it was just a prank that deserved no attention. Realizing now that event would go down in history for the rest of mankind. 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 story3716.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: It was around 7:30, and i was in my first period class asleep as usual. My teacher had left the room to go use the phone in the teacher's workroom. When she came back in she was rolling in a TV and crying. Noone knew why until she turned on the TV. We all sat and watched as an airplane flew into the second building of the World Trade Center. Everyone was in complete shock. The rest of the day we just had basically one big "moment of silence." Submitted By: Stephen Jones Mansfield High 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 story5579.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. 67.225.175.113 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 a team meeting when another teacher came in and told us to turn on the tv. We were trying to figure out what was going on...what we could tell was that two planes had crashed into the towers. As we watch I remembered to my astonishment one of the towers collapsing live on tv. I yelled out, "what's going on?" "why is it falling?" for moments after we all sat in shock. We tried to get ourselves together, we were told we had to explain the situation to our students. I spent the rest of the day watching CNN and suppressing my tears while trying to explain something to my students that I myself didn't quite understand. 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 story7307.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. 67.248.125.136 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: I was at work that morning when my husband called me and told me the tragic happenings. My office is near to Oceana Naval Air Base and the jets are continuously flying over head. However, that morning, after learning of the tragedy, I walked outside and there were no jets flying over and the air was just still. It was a very eerie feeling and you could just tell that sorrow, shock, disbelief and confusion had taken over the entire United States. As with the entire United States, that was the news being listened to that day, along with everyone with whom you worked. There were losses in the Twin Towers among some of my co-workers and stories of miracles among my co-workers. I wish that day had never happened and I have re-lived it over and over again. God Bless America!! Myrtle McKinney 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 story20515.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. 216.54.26.253 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 your typical Tuesday afternoon. At least I thought it was. I was walking home from school just like I would normally. I felt as normal as can be. But then, when I walked in my house and looked at the T.V, I was puzzled. My mom was home from work early, my sister was home from school, and there was burning towers on the T.V. screen. I asked my mom why she was home so early. And she said, "Amber, don't you know what happened to the world today?" And I had no clue what she was talking about. Then she told me that The Twin Towers had been hit by two planes. I asked her if it was an accident, and she said "No, it was on purpose." I wondered why any body would just crash into two buildings. Then, i called my friend on the phone. She told me that she was pretty sad, and that she would be saying her prayers every night now. I was glad to hear that, but I was still sad about the Twin Towers. I'm only a 12 year old girl in the 7th grade, even though I was in sixth grade at the time. I think that it's way to early in a young girls life to experience how many idiots we have in this world. I told every body that if I ever seen O'sama Bin Laden, I would punch him. And if you want the truth, I really would. Those two pilots are animals to kill themselves for thousands of innocent people to die. I was thinking about all of the children who now have no guardians. All of those innocent people had to suffer, because of a really bad sinner! I wish I could STOP this nonsense. I really do. But i'm not sure thats possible! If I could change one thing in this world, it would be that all terrorist would become good people, and kidnappers, and robbers, would stop all of that nonsense. I thought the world was full of wonders and dreams. But I guess I was wrong. This world is extremely dangerous, but i still thank God for creating it. And I am now very protective over myself, my family, and friends. I make sure that the doors are locked when i'm home alone, and even when i'm not home alone. Thats because now I have experienced what stupid people do, and I don't want any body to do any thing stupid to me. But I still stand high, show my pride, and show that i'm still proud to be an American. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! Thank you Jesus, for leading us through this. And heal all of the ill. I'll be praying. Amen!!! 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 story8703.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. 2002-12-01 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.209.165 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 story is here somewhere, buried within five years of words and images. Today, September 11, 2006, I offer this poem as a reflection of how our lives have changed five years later: I have been accused of burying myself beneath layers of fear and uncertainty obscured from a world created outside the realm of my own I ask that you allow me this brief indulgence although your accusations may not be denied neither will my skin be bared exposed to the stones that you might throw Permit me instead to argue my lucidity describing a world with no necessity for war where mothers need not fear the thought of sons becoming men A moment when we did not crave an explanation of our existence wondering why we fought so arduously for other worlds and people while ignoring our own slowly crumbling at its edges At the risk of imitating lecture I would remind you of the way a child views the world, of how we once were able to view it as well until it exploded in a matter of minutes and terror seeped from our pores thick as black, billowing smoke obscuring blue skies clouding our own definition of liberty robbing even our children of innocence and purity that day We once possessed a confidence some now consider ignorance a confidence now replaced by doubt, suspicion, and condescendence Religion or race, it does not matter, difference is condemnation once again I do stand guilty of tuning out a world which screams in my face of duty and rights while it whispers revenge and Armageddon from behind a shadowed hand Yet, before you doubt that I am listening or believe I have been living in oblivion trust that I hear it all, observe it all every nuance is stored behind these eyes You cannot charge me with nescience, nor indict me for turning away You can keep your world of hate and indiscretion wallow in it and believe that you are just and true From the safety of my walls, I will watch as carnage rips it at its seams Struggling to keep the realm of my world intact, no matter how small it may be My children will know innocence and objectivity, for I will teach them each They will also be wise to the ways of this world we now inhabit without allowing it to poison their hearts, minds, or souls They will understand the definition of equality, not just by rote, but by influence Mere layers separate your world from mine, thin as parchment and just as fragile created not out of fear or uncertainty, but knowledge, promise, and something else, a word it seems we have all forgotten... Hope. RSS August 25, 2006 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 story20669.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. 12.147.255.254 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 did not know any of the people that died on September 11, 2001, however I do feel the pain. We as Americans have to stand together, strong and proud. We are One Nation, Under God. On September 11, 2001 I was at work as most others were. I first heard of the attack from a co-worker whose husband contacted her. I then turned my radio on and stopped everything else. I could not believe what I was hearing. Once I realized the severity of what was really going on I called my husband who was home sick, I then called the sitters so that I could hear my son's voice. Then I just sat there in shock listening to the horror unfold like some terrible movie. It has not stopped, I do not know if it will ever stop. I have so much fear in me, for my family, friends,a nd fellow Americans. What happened to us, what happened to America and what happened to World 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 story5454.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. 65.29.192.145 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: Towers of Memories September 11, 2001 This poem is dedicated to all those who lost their lives on this day, in New York, in Washington and in Pennsylvania. It is also dedicated to everyone who celebrates a birthday on this day, including my sister, Rhonda. May we never have to witness or experience anything like this again. Written by Mark Teel Brother, Canadian, Neighbor, Friend It was six o?clock that morning, when my wife came running in, She said ?Quickly turn on the TV, you won?t believe what?s happening?; ?A plane has hit the Trade Center and it?s filled with smoke and flame? How could this be possible? Perhpas bad weather was to blame? I didn?t think that it would be too bad, if it was a Cessna, or Cherokee, But nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see. I grabbed the remote, turned the TV on and I couldn?t believe my eyes There was this massive, gaping, burning hole and smoke just filled the skies. I thought right then that this must have been planned, and was no freak accident By the size of the hole, the massive flames, the metal torn and bent. I watched as the fires burned intense, debris fell down like rain I knew that what had caused this was no little private plane. I sat stunned as a news station showed a tape, it was a commercial jet! Fully loaded with people and tons of fuel, how deadly can you get? I could clearly see the wing outline left upon the towers face, The entire plane, the passengers were gone without a trace. And as my mind was trying to grasp the horror that was going on, A breaking news flash from Washington, a plane had smashed into the Pentagon. It was quite clear to me that this was war, one that came without a warning, A war that would change our world forever on that sunny, September morning. I watched in New York as the fire crews raced to the deadly scene While bodies were falling from above, like some unimaginable dream; You could see them walking carefully as they entered the tower?s door Some of whom would never leave again, to be with their families no more. The reality of what was happening was slowly sinking in, This was the work of pure evil, masquerading as human bones and skin. And as I watched in disbelief, out of the corner of the screen, Another plane was approaching fast; you could hear the people scream. The second tower shook with fear as that weapon tore inside Hundreds more lives just vaporized in the blink of Satan?s eye; The tower swayed and fire raged as hatred roared within, Could anyone make it out alive? Hope was surely running thin! It was amazing to me that with their souls a blaze, both ladies stood their ground Allowing precious minutes for survivors to be found. A chance for some to make it out, and time for others to try, Some time to make that last call home, a chance to say goodbye. The city was in a panic now as both towers stood in flames, The streets looked like a war zone; they would never look the same. People were running, and screaming and crying as emergency crews roared past, They had to get to the towers to help; they had to get there fast. More firefighters and rescue crews, more police and EMS Continued rushing in to save the few, who knew what would happen next? As rescue efforts continued on, and firemen began to climb each stair, The inferno far above had softened the steel and bolts began to tear. Tower two?s metal beams so warped by heat, could no longer stand the crushing weight, And so with one gigantic roar she sealed her dwellers? fate. It took less than a minute for every floor of her majestic body to fall, Leaving a pile of twisted burning rubble only seven stories tall. Her sister still standing next to her, shuddered sadly as she fell Her twin so tall and beautiful, now a shattered broken shell. But deep within herself she knew that her death was also near, For as the fires ate away inside, her own metal beams began to shear. On the streets below chaos reigned as a solid wall of dust Choked everything and everyone in a gagging three inch crust. The sky went black and then turned grey as the dust began to settle, But then from high above, another sound of bending breaking metal. A mighty groan from tower one, for she could stand alone no more, Her floors began to collapse straight down, heading toward the city floor. She cried out loud as her body fell, it sounded like a train Her beautiful dress of metal and glass falling to the ground like rain. Around the world its people stopped and at TV screens they stared, While her broken body fell to earth, next to her sister?s there. In a single instant their once proud frames of high finance and dreams Were reduced to nothing but broken concrete and twisted smoking beams. As the dust began to settle once more, most of the world was deep in prayer, Praying for all the families and the innocent people now buried there. And as the New York landscape appeared into view, the devastation was beyond belief. But sadly it could hardly compare to the families? sadness and their grief. As I sat on the couch in sadness and shock at the attacks that had taken place, My heart went out to those families and tears streamed down my face. A brutal reminder of how precious life is, and the importance of family For it only takes a mere split second to go from time to eternity. It was just about then that reports started to come in, about another plane This one didn?t reach its target, though it killed innocent people just the same. The difference was that the passengers on-board had found out what had taken place, They decided that enough was enough, and they stared evil in the face. They rushed the hijackers in the plane and broke through the cockpit door They struggled with the terrorists, giving all they had and more And when the terrorists knew they?d lost, and they had nothing left to yield, They forced the plane into a dive and it crashed into a field. It?s so sad to think that there are people in this world that are so filled with hate, That they would willingly sacrifice themselves and seal the innocents? fate But it soon became clear that the terrorists had failed to achieve their goal Because they under estimated the human spirit, so filled with heart and soul. The buildings, they lay in ruins in a pit so deep and wide, And the thousands of innocent victims there, may they rest in peace, inside. But out of the ashes and smoke and dust came strength beyond any scale; A unity that had never been seen, a bond that will not fail. You see they tried to beat us, and so many people lost their lives, The list included all walks of life, sons and daughters, husbands, wives. And although the symbols of business and power no longer stand up tall, We took all that those cowards had to give, we stumbled but did not fall. So on this day, for years to come, I will think of the souls that were lost, For who would have thought that freedom should have come at such a cost. And so here is something to think about as you carry on your way, Remember life is precious and time is short, so be thankful for each day. And before you leave for work tomorrow, tell your family you love them so For what the future holds in store, is something we just don?t know. 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 story10136.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. 2003-09-23 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.82.79.112 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 that morning, and turned on the tv to watch the news as I prepared for work. I didn't normally do that, but that day something told me to do it. As I sat on the couch to put on my shoes, I saw an image of the World Trade Center on fire with a huge gaping hole in it, and the first thing that popped into my mind was my mother. You see, I "am" a native New Yorker, I was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx, only about 30 minutes north of the WTC. I worked on 25th street, about 10 minutes from the WTC for years, I rode the PATH train into the city from New Jersey when I resided there (the PATH train's main station was in the basement of the WTC. My entire family lives in New York even til this day. I had just moved to Winter Park, FL 1 year and 13 days prior. I had left New York at the time with the purpose of living a calmer, laid back life, in a nurturing and natural environment. I had worked in the Recording Industry for years, and was fed up with the hustle and bustle of New York, the negativity, the poluution, the pan handlers, and the drama...... But on September 11th, I wanted to defend my home town more than anything you can imagine.... My mother loved shopping near the WTC, there are many bargain stores near there, and Lord knows Mami's a bargain hunter... When I first saw the image on tv, at first I thought, "how are they gonna put that fire out?", and I left it at that and went to work. When I arrived at the office, my entire department was in the conference room watching it Live on the television, and then it happened, one of the towers fell.....that's when it hit me.... I dialed my mothers number, but could not get through, for what seemed like endless minutes, I dialed my brother and he informed me everyone was fine, at home, and he was on the way to pick up my niece and nephew from school. I still tried calling my mother and when I finally got through, I felt such a relief! Even though my brother had informed me she was okay, I still wanted to hear her voice, you know? We cried, and cried on the phone and I was so thankful to have my mother and my entire family safe from harm, but we were still devastated....our city was under attack! I was afraid for my family still, I didn't know what would happen next...what if they bombed the city throughout? Then to top it off, my best friends fiance worked in one of the Towers on the 4th floor, and she hadn't heard from him......luckily he was late for work.....he arrived at her job 4 hours later in a state of shock. Needless to say, I spent the night on the phone with mom, just clinging to her voice, making sure she was okay every minute of the day. We all left work, everyone went home, stopping on the way at the bank and the grocery store to stock up on food, I couldn't believe this was happening..... A few days later, a flight leaving from JFK to the Dominican Republic, crashed just a few minutes after take off......my 4 -year old cousin was traveling with his mother (my cousins wife), my cousin is now in heaven. I felt like everyone in the world in some way shape or form, was meant to feel some type of loss during those days, That's where I was on September 11th Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story5118.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. 24.26.34.151 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: This is a small journal that I kept during my school day. Tuesday, September 11th 2001. 12:14 pm. Right now America is under attack. In New York City the World Trade Centers were attacked at 8:45 this morning. Two of our own planes, commercial airplanes attacked them. Each plane hit a tower, killing thousands of innocent civilians that were just thinking that today was just another day and it turned out like this. This is just so scary. Then at 9:40 am a plane hit the Pentagon also. On the news they said it knocked out the 4th, 5th,and 6th wing of the building. My friend April's aunt lives in that area to. I hope she's all right. I'm not sure of the exact time but I think at 9:50 am the South tower of the World Trade Centers began to fall. Thirty-nine minutes at 10:29 am, the North tower collapsed. News broadcasters say they aren't sure exactly why they collapsed, either structural problems or maybe even a bomb. As I watched this on television. I saw so many people jumping from their office windows. Jumping to their death seconds before the building would come crashing down. It's just so horrible. Every airport in America is shut down, just in case there are any more hijackings. At 10:10 am the final doomed airplane crashed into Somerset, Pennsylvania. By lunchtime at 11:30 am many of my fellow peers spread rumors that the plane was meant to hit our Power Plant here in Somerset, New York, which scared me, even though I didn't believe it, the thought was just there. The White House and other major political buildings in Washington D.C. were evacuated. The United Nations in New York, Sears Tower in Chicago and Walt Disney World in Orlando are just some national landscapes that were also shut down. By noon United Airlines announced that two of its planes have crashed. They have shut down all the borders in America not letting anyone in or out. It's like a giant lockdown on our country. Our school is even under lockdown. I heard that a nearby school had evacuated earlier today. My boyfriend's sister Erica is living in Los Angeles, which is scary because three of the planes that were hijacked were originally heading to Los Angeles. At this moment I'm just so grateful that I know where my family is and where my friends are, and I know that they are safe. Yet I feel so guilty because there are thousands of people in this country that do not know that about their family members or their loved ones. Sometime, hopefully soon they will know. Yet the news broadcaster on the television says that they might not find people for days in the Trade Centers. Maybe not even for weeks. It has to be devastating waiting and waiting to find out if someone you know is dead or alive. It's like time had stopped when the first plane crashed. I never thought in my life I would see something as awful as this, tearing people's lives apart in a second. I never thought that someone with so much hate could go so far. It's like the Holocaust. It's unbelievable that a man with so much hate can cause so much pain and destruction in a blink of an eye. Its just?wow. Well I have to go now. My class period is almost over so I have to pack up my stuff and get ready. I'm just going to pray that no nothing more will happen, and hope for the best. Wednesday May 29th 2002. Well things here are a little better. No one has seen nor heard from Osama Bin Laden. His Al-Queda members are still about, those who haven't been killed. Every now and then we still gets reports on the news that we are under alert in case of another attack. Lately though, those threats have been involving nuclear bombs. That thought really scares me, along with many others. The World Trade Center site, also known as Ground Zero, has been almost completely cleared away. It was sad seeing them clear it away at first, seeing all the damage and hearing that they were still finding bodies in the rubbish of the trade centers. In the newspaper there are articles on how they were going to build new World Trade Centers. In my opinion that is wrong. Only because I think that that site should be a memorial site, where loved ones can go and mourn their lost loved ones. I know if I had a lost loved one there I wouldn't want to go there and see that there are two new buildings on the site where that loved one died. Things in Afghanistan have improved now that the Taliban is gone. Women have more rights now. Palestine and Israel are having problems along with Pakistan and India. Most of the Middle East is having problems with each other, which could result in worst things. Recently India and Pakistan were in a nuclear arms race. I just really hope that things over there are will be getting better soon. 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 story770.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. 2002-06-10 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 168.169.8.34 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 11th, 2001, terrorism struck in New York, New York, Washington D.C., and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. At Logan Airport in Boston, MA, people walked on to planes not knowing that it would be their last day alive. When the first plane hit, there was disbelief. When the second, plane hit there was horror. When it continued only getting worse, there was shock and confusion. That day I sat in school and did my work just like any other day, not knowing the commotion going on around in the world. I sat in my seat during English class, and my teacher said, "The guidance does not want me to do this, but I feel you have a right to know." He turned on the television and there it was, channel after channel filled with horrifying pictures and videos. They contained information and sights that are unforgettable and will stick in my mind forever. My thoughts ran straight to my family. While staring at the T.V. in awe, I thought who? What? Where? When? and Why? Did September 11th change our lives? If someone said that September 11th didn't change their life, then they would be lying. I believe that it changed everone's lives. It woke us up and showed us how precious life really is and how quickly it can be taken away. We know now that our existence is not something to take for granted. The pain and sadness hit everyone, some more than others. When the terrorists wanted to harm us, they didn't. The victims courage and strenth will only make us stronger and more courageous. The changes we made in our lives were good and bad, but all of them taught us how to appreciate ourselves and others. What should be remembered about Septamber 11th 2001? The victims of September 11th, 2001, who had their lives taken and those who died trying to help others will be remembered forever. The anger, confusion, and sadness all stirred up to make the power of America. 9-11-02 showed the giving from one to another in the time of need. The courage to withstand it all:that is what should be remembered about September 11th. America has changed forever because, istead of just losing loved ones, we gained all the strength that they ever had. 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 story8518.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. 2002-10-18 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.60.58.139 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: Before and After That morning I woke with a start. White light was filtering through the blinds. The night before had been nearly sleepless. My mother had been rushed in for emergency surgery. All night I waited for the phone to ring; I waited for the worst. But Saturday morning dawned and no news was good news. Dan and I were supposed to meet a friend in New York City. I decided I had to overcome my worry and go. That day ? October 19, 2000 ? would be our last visit to the old New York. It?s amazing, what I remember and don?t remember. I can see us missing the Metro North train to the city, stuck in traffic on Interstate 95, fretting over our nearly empty gas tank. I picture us arriving at cavernous Grand Central Station, the echo of voices, the bumping of elbows, pushing toward the outside. I remember the Pier, purchasing tickets for a Circle Line boat cruise; grabbing a bite to eat at McDonalds; climbing aboard the inside part of the boat, behind the glass, and finding seats, slowly rocking back and forth. I don?t remember the World Trade Center. I don?t believe it ever crossed my mind. We took the three-hour ride that sailed all the way around Manhattan. Dan, our friend Kathy and I sat on the right side of the boat. As we pulled out into the water, we had a spectacular view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I enjoyed listening to the voices all around me. There were British accents and others speaking in French, Spanish; maybe Italian. As we approached the Statue of Liberty, tears inexplicably filled my eyes. I had never seen it up close. I thought for a moment so many others who came before me, seeing this very sight for the first time. Then we began to turn, curving around the southern tip of Manhattan. The day was glorious. I took off my sweatshirt, baking in the sun. To our left was the city, but being so far out on the water, and being inside rather than on the top level of the boat, it was impossible for any of us on the right side to see it. Only the bottom-most tips of the buildings were visible. Maybe those on the other side were looking up with their mouths open in awe at the sheer size of the twin towers. Maybe. I only remember being slightly irritated as we buzzed along. But then I looked up as we chugged directly under the Brooklyn Bridge, and, thrilled at the unique perspective, forgot about being perturbed. That was the opening day of the much-hyped Subway Series between the Yankees and the Mets. We sailed right past Yankee Stadium, where Game 1 would be played that evening. The leaves on all of the trees along the side of the water were just beginning to be tinged with color. My legs grew stiff and my seat became sticky. As we drew near to completing the circle, I began to fret about home again. It had been three hours since I'd called home about my mom. Anything could happen in three hours. I needed to get to a phone. Everyone was outside that afternoon. I saw ESPN interviewing people about the baseball game. Music came from somewhere; teenagers were dancing as a crowd circled around them. I pushed through the bodies and called home. My mom was doing OK; just very sleepy. I heaved a sigh of relief. We?d made it. Everything was going to turn out all right. My heart stopped pounding. Sometimes memories linger like colors or textures in my mind. Different days take on different shades. To me, that visit to New York was a soft, golden day ? like the afternoon sun, sliding to a lower, more distant autumn angle, but still keeping us warm. I picture the day we returned to the city ? October 21, 2001 ? in terms of piercing oranges and gray-blues. Orange was the fires still burning that I could not see but could smell, and for the sun that cracked between the downtown buildings, hurting our eyes. And the blues were the cool shadows of the silent streets, and the concrete free of cars, stretching before us. But that time was still far removed from us, as we climbed back on the train, feeling a little sweaty and a little rumpled, but satisfied. We were ready to go home. By the time we pulled out of the station my thoughts had turned to my next day plans. I think of that afternoon often. I remember it now as an imperfect day, sprinkled with worry but intrinsically good, like a favorite picture framed behind glass that is just slightly cracked. Whenever I leap back to then I stand frustrated beside my former self. Look, look around, look up, I silently urge. Let it sink in your mind. I wonder why, being the prescient person I usually am, I felt no urging, no nudging. Someone, something should have warned me this was the last day. Someone should have told me to cherish it, painstakingly carve it into my memory, and make sure I said goodbye. ? ? 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 story641.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. 2002-05-17 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 146.96.95.21 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 son's birthday is September 11th. That morning we were in our usual rush to get out the door and get me to the subway. My baby was turning 3 and we had planned a dinner for him followed by presents and cake. I had just started a job at a brokerage firm and worked on the 25th floor of 2 Rector. Our back offices had a coveted view of the World Trade Center. I got to work a few minutes late, and our daily conference call had started already. It was about 8:40. I plopped down in my chair and waved ruefully at my co-workers. The guys, as they always did, had faxed our breakfast order already. I re-wrote it to include my order and set it on the fax. <<BOOOM!>> The most terrifically loud sound I've ever heard shook the building. In a split second I managed to face the row of windows behind me to see flaming wreckage fly by. 'Oh my god, what the F*** WAS that?' I said. 'Oh, my god, I think an airplane hit a building! I saw a logo on a piece of shiny metal'. As everyone rushed to the windows, I began yelling that we had to get out of the building. I pulled my co-worker Danny away from the window, concerned that if it had been a gas explosion or something else our windows might shatter. Six of us ran for the elevators, beginning a terrible journey for us all. We were shaking hard by the time we got down to street level. Already there were sirens, a car accident on the corner, and debris falling like snow everywhere. My coworkers vanished around the corner - from there we had a clear view of the WTC, aflame, only one block away. I pulled out my cellphone and called my husband at work. We are a military family living on Fort Hamilton and he was at work there, in Brooklyn. I was shaking so badly I could hardly keep the phone to my ear. He picked up and I started to cry. "Turn on the tv's" I said as I explained what I thought was happening. "Roy, I don't think it was an accident - there's no f***ing way!". I told him I didn't know what to do, stay or if I should leave and try to get on a subway train headed for Brooklyn. He told me to hang tight, and to call him back in 10 minutes. "Promise me you'll call me back." he said. We hung up, and I lit a cigarette. Around our building on two sides runs an overhang, creating a porch or veranda-like structure. After buying a Gatorade (I was feeling very shocky) I went around to the protected side, where a man was stumbling to a halt, falling to the ground and pouring blood from his cut up forearms. His name is Pat, and since I don't know if he made it I'll speak of him in the present tense. He began to cry, and I went to him, sinking down to the ground next to him. I asked him if he was okay, if he needed an ambulance, and he shook his head. He told me he was a maintenance worker for the WTC, and he had been arriving at work when the first plane hit. He dove under his truck and waited till the debris stopped raining down. While running across the street he had fallen and cut up his arms and knees and legs in the glass and metal that littered the street. "oh god, there were bodies and body parts in the street. The street is full of blood" he said, broken up. I gave him some of my Gatorade and talked with him for a moment. Looking up, a young woman had entered the porch and was standing alone by us. "You," I said. "Go inside and get some towels and some water. I have an injured man here." Glad to have something to do, she went inside the building to get the items. When she came back, we introduced ourselves. I would think of her later as an angel, my angel, and we have become great friends. Her name is Michelle, and I couldn't have gotten through the rest of that day without her. I'm so grateful to know her. There was no water, only paper towels, so as gently as I could I wiped away some of the blood covering Pat's arms. Not being an EMT I was leery of hurting him, or of possible shards of glass stuck in his flesh, so I was very careful. He wanted to call his mother to tell her she was alright, and as he spoke I realized my cell phone was ringing. By the time I got to it it had stopped - that was my last contact with my husband for a few hours. I didn't keep my promise to call him back - I had forgotten, and now it was too late. Trying to get a line out, my cell phone died. Michelle's phone was down too. Pat stumbled off to find a landline to call his mom - we didn't see him again. I hope he got through, and made it home to his mom. The next hour or so runs together in my mind. There is that 'accident' quality to it, where everything happens so slowly, and I have gaps in my memory. I know that Michelle and I stayed together. We went around the corner to look at the building on fire. By the time we came back around the porch there was another terrific explosion - the second building had been hit, and people could be heard discussing reports from radios they had just bought about the Pentagon. We knew now what we were dealing with. Terrorism. And the scariest part was a horrible, insular feeling of being small, unprotected, alone, and targeted by unknown assailants. We didn't know if they were bombing us, but in those moments I knew that we could very well die today. I didn't want to die, and I knew the worst fear of never seeing my husband and son again. Michelle and I stuck together. When the rumbling started, we grabbed each other. People were screaming, and running en masse in the street. They were coming our way, and I think I said, 'We have to get out of the street!' It was too late by then, though. There was nowhere to run and I was horror stricken that I didn't know WHAT to do. The crowd surrounded us and Michelle and I managed to gain the porch as they swept around us. The building collapsed, the first of them, and we were engulfed in the grey-brown dust and debris of the cloud. We couldn't see, we couldn't breathe. A woman next to me, of perhaps middle years, kept repeating, 'Cover your mouth and nose. Keep your mouth and nose covered.' Her voice was so soothing, and so calm. I grabbed the end of my shirt and hauled it ineffectually over my face. I had so much filth in my mouth I could hardly spit it all out, but I did as the voice said, and did the best I could. I remember Michelle saying, "Shira, I can't see you - where are you?" I cracked my eyes open and they stung - I found her hand and held it. "I want to go home and see my baby, Michelle." "You will,' she said, 'you're going to go home and see him'. I didn't know if she would be right or not. The soft breeze blowing filth over us was lessening. Our hair was covered with it, our skin, faces, I could feel it falling down the neck of my shirt, in my pants, everywhere. If I had to imagine nuclear winter, this would be my interpretation of the scene. The debris softly pattered against bare skin - I'll never forget that feeling. People were crying. Some had waited only moments to let the cloud pass and were running blindly in the dark. From the gloom came a man's voice, and I will remember it as long as I live. I later told my family that it reminded me of something Jesus might say, where he here in flesh. "Join hands, and follow me - follow the sound of my voice." We joined and we followed. He led us into a building across the street, all of us. It was clean, and the air was good. They had supplies, torn up (clean) rags, and cases of bottled water. We were given what we needed, and asked if we were alright. I was never so grateful for anything in my whole life. Michelle and I sank down in a corner and cleaned ourselves up as best we could. We laughed a little, too. In the midst of all this it was so good to have a moment of ease. We were herded into another room, an interior room, where we waited for maybe an hour. In that time, of course, the second WTC building fell. We sat listening to the radio as others poured into the building. From the windows in another area, downtown looked like a deserted war zone. Police were checking buildings, looking for injuries, and we were told that there was one ferry leaving for Staten Island. Michelle and I looked at each other. I said, "well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Let's do it, but you'll have to lead because I'm all turned around and don't know which way the Ferry building is anymore." On the way to the ferry building I managed to find a public phone that worked, and called my husband. His boss answered, and I relayed to him that I was going to Michelle's apartment on Staten Island for the night, and would call later when i could. I gave him Michelle's phone number and address. We got on that ferry, and Michelle and I turned to watch the city burn, numb with shock and sadness. I was unable to get home until about 10 a.m the next day when the Narrows bridge was re-opened. My husband came to pick me up, numb, sad, tearful. Michelle and I didn't want to part, but I had to go to my home and my life and my baby, whose 3rd birthday I will always regret missing. I will be there for the rest, though. Alive, happy, whole. And grateful. *with immense gratitude, and deepest love for Michelle R.* S, R, & CJ (and Licorice doggie, too) Fort Hamilton, NY May 16, 2002 g-d 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 story616.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. 2002-05-16 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.162.229.10 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 the serene enviroment of the school library, I sat completing my homework with some of my peers. Then my cell phone rang out disturbing the calm silence. My mom was on the phone and she told me that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center tower. I was shocked but I didn't really come to reality with the situation. I thought about the time just a month before when I went to the top of the World Trade Center. I couldn't believe that a building I was in just a couple of weeks before that had gotten hit by a plane. The buzz was going around school but no one really knew exactly what happened. For some reason that I can't comprehend, they made us turn off all tv's and radios so that we had no idea what was going on. As a result, false rumors started spreading around the school. Everybody was in pure shock around the school and for that matter everywhere in the world. I only found out the true stories of the terror of 9/11 when I returned home from school and I watched the news non-stop. For my generation, this was the event in history that we will never forget where we were such as JFK's assasination and the Challenger exploding for previous generations. September 11, 2001 was probably the hardest and most tradgic day I've ever lived and I send all my prayers to the families who have lost loved ones in this horrible act of terrorism. 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 story2962.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