425 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: Tal vez la distancia y la nacionalidad puede llegar a insidir para que mi historia no entre en estas p?ginas ni en el archivo. Pero quisiera que sepan que a mi me afecto y no solo por tener a mi t?o que trabaja a pocas cuadras de donde sucedi? el hecho sino por la semejante tragedia ocurrida aquel inolvidable 11 de noviembre del 2001. Cuando me llega la informaci?n de las calles que un avi?n se estrell? en una de las torres no pod?a creerlo. Mucho menos cuando apareci? otro avi?n y ya informaban que el primero como este ?ltimo hab?a sido secuestrados. Yo estoy a la distancia pero me afecta la guerra, porque la matanza de inocentes por ideolog?as y creencias extremistas afecta no solo a los protagonistas del lugar donde suceden los hechos sino a todos los seres humanos. Llame enseguida a mi abuelo (el papa de mi t?o) para que se comunicara con ?l, pero por supuesto fue imposible ya que pareciese que en esos momentos EEUU hubiese quedado incomunicado con el resto del mundo. Luego llam? mi t?o para tranquilizarnos y contarnos de que ?l ese d?a no fue a trabajar y se quedo en su departamento de New Jersey. Pero sus palabras fueron "Esto es un caos... pero yo estoy bien" A pesar de dejarnos tranquilos por escuchar su voz, hay muchos que no pudieron recibir esta tranquilidad porque fueron v?ctimas de esta guerra que pareciese no tener l?mites ni fronteras. De alguna forma algunos m?s, otros menos, todos somos responsables de lo que sucede en la sociedad y en el mundo. Y mientras haya alguien que no se haga responsable de la parte que le toca, estas cosas lamentablementes van a seguir sucediendo. Diego Gonzalez. Argentino. 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 story1676.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. 2002-09-03 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 168.226.62.224 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: AT ABOUT 4:30 A.M. OF THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 11th I AWOKE GASPING. I COULD NOT CATCH MY BREATH SO I RAN TO MY BED ROOM WINDOW BUT THERE WAS NO BREEZE SO I RAN OUT TO THE HALL OF MY APARTMENT BUILDING. AFTER ABOUT WHAT SEEM LIKE 3MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO CATCH MY BREATH. IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS ORDEAL I REMEMBER THINKING THAT SOMETHING TERRRIBLE WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THAT I WAS GOING TO DIE OF SUFFACATION. AS ALL THE COMMOTTION HAD AWAKENED MY FAMILY MEMBERS I RELATED TO THEM WHAT I FELT. ALL THAT MORNING I HAD BEEN RUNNING ON INSTINCT MODE SO WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK ABOUT 7:45 A.M. I WAS PRETTY AWEAR. AT ABOUT 8:15 AM WE STARTED WHAT WE CALL MORNING MEETING. DURING THE COURSE OF THAT MEETING AT ABOUT 8:40 A.M. I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE "WHOOUMP". I ASKED MY COUSIN AND CO-WORKER WHO WAS SITING DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM ME DID HE HEAR THAT. HE RESPONDED "HEAR WHAT?" I SAID THAT SOUND "WHOOUMP". HE SAID HE DID NOT. THE MORNING MEETING CONTINUED UNTIL WE STARTED SEEING BURNED PAPERS FLOATING. AT THIS TIME MY MIND WAS RACING TRYING TO FIGURE WHERE THE PAPER WAS COMING FROM. JUST AS I CANCELED OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT WAS SOME KIND OF PROBLEM WITH INCINERATERATION MY MANAGER COMMENTED "OH LOOK THEIR HAVING A TICKER TAPE PARADE". I DID'NT BUY THAT AND TOLD HIM "OH YEAH! THEN WHY IS ALL THE PAPER BURNT AND SMOKING". HE RESPONDED HE DID NOT KNOW. JUST THEN, TO OUR ASTONISHMENT, ABOUT 8:47 A.M. IT WENT ON THE AIR THAT A PLANE HAD CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. JUST THEN OUR COMPANY V.P. WALKED ONTO THE TRADE FLOOR AND UPON SEEING THE FIRE EXCLAIMED "OH SH#*" AT THAT THE WHOLE OFFICE STIRED. NO ONE KNEW WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING OR WAS CONVINCED THAT THIS WAS REAL. JUST THEN THE SECOND TOWER BURST INTO FLAMES.I HAD NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THIS WAS REAL THAT I HAD TO GET OUT OF THERE AS WHAT I FEARED WOULD COME TO PASS. MY INSTINCT SAID GET OUT, SO AFTER SEEING THE FIRE FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF THE OFFICE ME, MY COUSIN AND A FEW CO-WORKERS LEFT THE BUILDING. ON THE STREET THERE WAS PURE KAOS PEOPLE WERE STARTING TO PANIC. AT THE SIGHT OF THIS MY COUSIN AND I DECIDED TO GO HOME. FOR WHATEVER REASON WE WENT BACK IN THE BUILDING TO GET OUR PERSONAL BELONGING'S. ONCE BACK IN THE BUILDING A OVERWELMING SENSE OF DREAD CAME OVER ME. I TOLD MY COUSIN TO WAIT FOR ME AT THE ELEVATOR BANK.BUT I COULD NOT STOP THINKING OF WHAT HAPPENED TO ME THAT MORNING AND DETERMINED THAT I SHOULD GET OUT OF THE FINACIAL DISTRICT AT ONCE. I REMEMBER THINKING THERES NOTHING UP HERE I NEED"I'M OUT OF HERE". WHEN I GOT TO THE ELEVATOR BANK THERE WAS NO SIGN OF MY COUSIN. I THOUGHT HE HAD WENT DOWN STAIRS AS HIS GIRL FRIEND LEFT HER JOB IN THE AREA AND WAS LEAVING THE FINACIAL DISTRICT WITH US. I TOOK THE ELEVATOR DOWN TO THE LOBBY THINGS WERE GETTING MORE KAOTIC, EVERYTHING SEEM SURREAL. WHILE FIRE AND SAFETY WERE ANOUNCING THERE WAS NO NEED TO EVACUATE THE BUILDING THE STREET WAS FILLING WITH SMOKE AND PEOPLE WERE CRYING IN BEWILDERMENT. IN MY MIND I HAD A DEFFINITE PURPOSE AND WAS MOVING WITH PURPOSE. BUT UPON EXITING THE BUILDING I HEARD THE VOICE OF MY COUSINS GIRL FRIEND CALL OUT TO ME. I WAS LIKE WHAT! WHERE IS HE, SHE SAID HE NEVER CAME DOWN I THOUGHT HE WAS WITH YOU. SO WE TURNED AROUND AND WAS HEADED BACK UPSTAIRS TO GET HIM. JUST AS WE GOT TO THE ELEVATOR BANK THERE WAS THIS GOD AWFUL RUMBLING SOUND, THE WHOLE BUILDING STARTED SHAKING,THE LIGHTS WERE FLASHING AND PEOPLE WERE SCREAMING AND PASSING OUT, AT THAT MOMMENT I SAID TO MY COUSIN'S GIRL FRIEND "WE GOT TO GET OUT OF THE BUILDING, WE GOT TO GE OUT THE BUILDING NOW!, AND I MADE MY WAY TO THE FRONT EXIT UPON PASSING THROUGH THE REVOLVING DOORS THE SCENE WAS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF THE TWILIGHT ZONE THE STREET WAS DISSAPPEARING IN THE CLOUD OF DUST AND DEBRIS. EVERYTHING AND ANYONE OVERTOOK BY THE CLOUD VANISHED AND I FEARED HAD BEEN DISTROYED OR KILLED. THE CLOUD SEEMED TO BE MOVING VERY FAST. MY ONLY THOUGHT WAS TO NOT LET IT OVER TAKE ME AND KEEP MY EYE'S OPEN FOR FALLING DEBRIS. EVERYONE STARTED RUNNING DOWN WALL STREET TOWARDS SOUTHSTREET SEAPORT.THE DUST DID OVERTAKE ME BUT NOT THE FULL BLAST AS HAD MANY PEOPLE WHO STOOD IN DOORWAYS AND LOBBIES. MY SKIN AND EYES BURNED FROM THE FIBERGLASS, DUST, ASBESTOS, AND GLASS DUST. IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS THERE WAS A CONSTRUCTION WORKER UNDER THE FDR HANDING OUT MASKS I GOT ONE AND RAN INTO THE SEAPORT TO GET MY SECOND WIND. UPON CATCHING MY BREATH I STARTED TO SPEED WALK UPTOWN. BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE BACK OF ONE POLICE PLAZA THE SECOND TOWER FELL. THOUGH I WAS OUT OF HARMS WAY IT WAS FRIGHTFUL. BEHIND ME THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE MAKING AN EXODUS OUT OF THE FINACIAL DISTRICT. I JOGGED UNTIL I GOT TO 82nd STREET ON THE WAY NOTEING LAND MARKS THAT GAVE ME A SENSE OF RELIEF. ONE OF THEM WAS JOHN JAY CAMPUS IT JUST SEEM SO FAMILIAR AND REMOVED FROM DANGER TO ME. IT WAS AT THAT TIME I TRIED TO USE MY CELL PHONE BUT IT DID NOT HAVE A SIGNAL. I WALKED TILL I GOT TO 82ND STREET AND BOARDED A BUS TO 149th STREET WERE I CAUGHT THE TRAIN HOME. WHILE ON THE BUS I HAD GOT WORD THAT MY COUSIN AND HIS GIRL FRIEND MADE IT OUT O.K. FOUR DAYS LATER I SEEN MY COUSIN WHEN I ASKED HIM WHY HE LEFT THE ELEVATOR BANK WHEN I TOLD HIM I'LL BE RIGHT BACK HE SWEARS THAT I NEVER SPOKE TO HIM THAT HE WAS NEVER AT THE ELEVATOR BANK AND HE NEVER SAID HE WOULD WAIT FOR ME THERE. SO IVE CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS DEVINE INTERVENTI0N THAT SAVED ME. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT HAD I WAITED UNTIL THE DUST SETTLED FROM THE FIRST BUILDING COLAPSE I WOULD BE A CASUALTY AS I HAVE CHRONIC ASTHMA AND C.O.P.D. A RESPIRATORY DISEASE WHERE YOUR LUNGS LOOSE ITS ELASTICITY. 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 story346.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. 2002-04-03 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 12.88.86.243 Annotation Annotations to this item. Environmental/Health Impact Premonitions/Coincidence/Fate Rescue/clean-up workers/volunteers NY: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: September 11th, 2001 was a day of great distrease, especially for my mom who turned 40 on that day. "My birthday came in with a bang." she said, trying to keep everyone else calm. She works at a school with children that are in preschool through 6th grade. She was trying not to cry inbetween classes but listen to everything that was going on that day. I know it was hard for her. Meanwhile my sister and I were at school not knowing what was going on. Our teachers wouldn't let us watch the t.v.'s. They said it was too awful. People always say that when something bad happens you will never forget that momment. I didn't know how true that was until until 9-11. After school my sister took her out for her birthday at Appelbees and she was trying to enjoy her time there but then the people that worked there came to sing happy birthday. they didn't relize that there verson was the sound off (army tune) but she sure did. I will never forget how they changed us. God has a reason for everything. I beleive that this reason is to bring us together more and let me tell you, it worked. 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 story3085.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. 156.63.41.73 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: HI,MY NAME IS KRISTEN AND I AM 14 YEARS OLD.IM HERE TO TELL MY STORY ABOUT SEPTEMBER 11th THE DAY BEFORE THE ATTACKS MY SISTER,MOM AND I WERE SITTING AT HOME MY SISTER WAZ SICK SO I WAZ HELPING MY MOM WATCH HER. I WENT TO CHECK ON HER WEN I NOTICED SHE WASN'T DOING RIGHT SO I CALLED MY MOM AND SHE CALLED 911 WHEN THE AMBOLANCE GOT HERE THEY TOOK MY SISTER TO THE HOSPITAL WE FOUND OUT THAT SH EWAZ GOING TO BE OK BUT SH EHAD TO STAY A COUPLE F DAYS THE NEXT DAY MY DAD AND I HAD CAME UP TO SEE MY SISTER AND EVERY ONE WAS WATCHING THE NEWS AND THEY WERE TELING US THAT THE TWIN TOWERE HAD BEEN HIT AND WE STARTED WATCHING IT I DIDNT NO WUT TO THINK SEEING PEOPLE FALLING OUT OF BUILDINGS AND CALLS TELLING FAMILY THEIR FINAL GOODBUYS,I WAS REALLY FRIGHTNED BY THIS. ALL I COULD THINK IS I HPE GOD TOUCHES EVERYONE AND GETS THEM OUT AND SAFE.THATS MY STORY ON HOW I FELT ABOUT 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 story10664.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. 2004-06-22 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.69.13.102 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 at 7 WTC on 9/11/01. My office window directly faced the two towers. I was on the phone when the first tower hit. I thought there was some sort of truck accident. Then, from the corner of my eye I saw tons of papers and debris falling from my office window. Still on the phone, I looked up and saw a huge whole in one of the towers. I started screaming someone call 911. I got of the phone and tried to call 911 myself. I wasn?t able to get through to 911 because the line was busy. By that time, a few people had gathered in my office to find out what the problem was. It was all happening so fast. About 10 minutes later, I realized that people were falling (or in some cases) jumping out the windows of the towers. At first they looked like part of the debris. Then I realized that those were people. The people where so light falling out the windows, they looked like raggedy Ann dolls. I was so close to them I wanted to catch them, help them somehow. I realized that all the people flying out the window were men. I could see the color of their pants, shirts and ties. It was horrible. I was crying hysterically. No one in the office knew what to do. There were no announcements of any kind. Then? the second tower hits. I didn?t see the plane go in, I saw a burst of flames come out the other end. That?s when I knew to leave the building. I (and coworkers) get on the elevator and there is a huge crowd in the lobby of 7 WTC. People had left their pocketbooks and wallets because we all assumed we where coming back that day or the next. We had no idea that this was a terrorist attack. We sill thought it was an accident. While outside, I could still see people falling to their deaths. You could see people hanging from the window, contemplating jumping or maybe praying before they fell to their deaths. I will never forget those images. I walked uptown to catch a train home. Everyone (stores, cabs) had the radio up to the max and that?s when I found out it was a terrorist attack. As I?m walking uptown, the first tower collapsed. I could see the smoke cloud behind me. I finally made it uptown and that time they had just closed Penn Station and there were no trains leaving or coming in. I waited at the nearest TGIF restaurant and went home once the trains started running again. While on the train, someone was listening to the radio and announced that 7 WTC had collapsed as well. I was flabbergasted. I was numb. I was shocked. So much changed for me that day. I will never ever forget those tragic events. They are part of me and make up who I am today. 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 story6503.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. 208.10.54.21 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 windows on the 18th Fl. face South with a direct view, over the SOHO and TRIBECA areas, of the downtown complex. I would go to sleep at night and on my side looking over my window sill the WTC towers loomed skyward. From these same windows I watched the towers being erected slowly to their completion. As an architect, I was the Project Manager for the installation of a new Manufacturer Trust Branch Bank on the 44th Fl. Sky Lobby of the North tower. These recollections in addition to many enjoyable evenings in the restaurant and lounge facilities in the 'sky' areas established for me a personal and familiar bond with the twins. On the morning of 9/11, my Son, who was watching TV and aware of my view called me while I was faxing a document and asked me if I was seeing what was going on at the WTC. I merely turned my head to the left and saw the gaping hole in the North tower and loudly exclaimed something I will not mention now. At this point we only knew that a plane had hit the tower. Shortly afterwards, the South tower burst into flames being struck from the South side by another plane which I did not see. There was a constant flow of phone calls between my wife, at her office, and another Son who lives in Tarrytown NY. they reporting the TV coverage and I the actual event. Because of the intense heat which was, obviously, being generated by the fire, I knew that the steel framing would be compromised, simply put, dissolve, and that the tower would collapse. Even if the steel had been protected with masonry or concrete fireproofing, instead of the inferior spray on materials, the impact would have caused the material to spall off exposing the steel to the un-supportable high temperature and, while it may have taken longer, the building would have, nonetheless, collapsed. I told my Son that this was going to happen; that the steel columns would lose their strength and cause the upper floors to fall and impact upon those below which would not be able to sustain the additional loading. After expressing a considerable bit of doubt, he, on a following phone call said, "you called it." Throughout all this time I was frantically putting film in my camera and changing lenses hoping to capture some of this horrible event. By the time I was able to take some photos the South tower had collapsed and I did shoot the ensuing disaster of the North tower and later on the 7 WTC Building failure. If someone in a position of authority had realized as I did that the buildings would fail and prevented life saving personnel from, futilely, entering the towers, perhaps their lives may have been spared. 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 story650.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. 2002-05-18 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.237.221.53 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 10, 2002 - - - My name is Marc Safley. I work for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, at its headquarters office in Washington, D.C. My office is in the South Agriculture Building at the corner of Independence Avenue and 12th Street S.W. The days leading to September 11, 2001, had been exceptionally wonderful --- clear, blue skies with warm dry air. The days were almost too bright. September 11 was to be the day of our picnic lunch at work. Everyone of us had brought something to share and we were excited to be able to have a bit of food and fun together during the midday meal. Everyone was feeling lighthearted. That morning, I was working at my desk when I heard the first report on the radio of a plane striking the World Trade Center. My first thoughts were remembering stories of a plane striking the Empire State Building decades ago. I thought this must be the same sort of thing. I clicked to CNN on the web and already there were photos posted of the tower on fire and the fact that observers reported it was an airliner not a small plane. Details were sketchy at that time, but as this was so unusual so I walked across the hall to an office with a television to find out more?.just in time to see pictures of the second plane hitting the other tower. I remember a hollow feeling. I also remember a sense of surrealism?I wanted to doubt what I was seeing but it was too, too real. Persons walking down the hall saw me and stopped to ask what was going on. A small crowd soon gathered. We watched in silent horror as first one building fell then the other. We knew it to be terrorism. Someone asked if what we were feeling was what our parents felt when they learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Someone noted that the date was appropriate, after all, didn?t one dial 911 when an emergency or disaster happened? We wondered what we should do? I went back to my desk. It was then that I heard the booming echo that we later knew to be the sound of Flight 77 striking the Pentagon just across the Potomac River! Events were a blur after that. Word was received that non-essential employees were to go home. Many left immediately, others (including me) lingered because our past experience told us that traffic jams that would happen as everyone was released at once. The phone was useless as circuits were flooded by call volume. I was able to get email messages out to my home, to our daughter in Florida, and to my wife?s school address before the flood of communications made that means impossible, too. On toward noon we decided to have what lunch we could from the picnic items people had left behind. As we spread the food on the table in our Division Director?s office, we found that our new Under Secretary and his staff had come to our agency Chief?s office to set up a makeshift command center. Word of our food spread and we found that we had a crowd of 35 or so who gathered for lunch. We had enough salad, condiments, hot dogs and buns, and soft drinks for all. By the time our carpool left at 1:30PM traffic was nonexistent. As we passed by the Pentagon on I395 we could see the firefighters directing water onto the flames. It was too real, too close. I said the first of many prayers that day for those who died and those who were trying to help. It was so good to see my wife and son that afternoon!! We hugged and hugged! Our church was full that night. It seemed the right thing to do. We gathered to find support and strength. It was a profoundly sad day. I felt burning grief that I had not felt since the death of my mother in 1992. That feeling was not to go away for several weeks. It still comes back when I think of the day?such as now as I type this recollection. Over the past year I have also realized that I feel a profound sadness for the mindless passion that was manipulated with evil and malicious intent to wreak this upon our country. I have asked myself if I am angry. I admit that I am angry at times. I am also filled with resolve to carry on. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story2202.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. 199.128.218.116 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 I had to stop by are local police dept. when the dispatcher told me that a plane just flew into the World Trade Center. I asked him if he was serious, the look on his face was so unreal. I got back into my vehicle and heard on the radio that the other plane had hit. I was blown away it was like total shock. I just couldn't believe that anyone would have such little regard to anyone elses life. I was in New York for my first time in July of 2001 and to this day I can't even imagine the pain the families and heros felt. When I got back to work we tried contacting our 2 stores in New York and we where just fearing the worst. I seriosly pray that nothing like this ever happens again. I've been through a lot of sorrow in my life but my God nothing compares to the depression I was feeling for everyone effected by this tragic event. 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 story4635.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. 205.185.226.183 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: 9/15/01 The vigil On Friday night our neighborhood lit candles for the people who are missing in the World Trade Center tragedy. It started small...Kenny and I and the baby went downstairs with a little white votive candle in a glass cup. We met Daniel and Caren on the way down; we found out that Caren worked in the WTC (or was it in 5 or 7?) and was a little late to work on Tuesday; when her train reached Cortland St. instead of stopping it went on to Rector St. As she got to the street she saw the first tower in flames and then saw plane crash into the second tower. She ran down the street; I think she said that a fireman or someone pulled her into a doorway to cover her from the debris; then she ran further east and got onto a train uptown. I?ve heard so many stories now, I?m confused what happened to whom, sorry. I should knock on her door tomorrow, it seems that people are feeling even worse now that the enormity of it all, how close they came, begins to sink in. Caren said that she?d been feeling sick all week, and she looked puffy and not put together; usually she has such a great sense of style... Anyway soon two women who live in Dennis? old apartment came down, then Maggie who lives with Misia and then Karen T. We all had candles and lit them. Across the street at the musicians? building there were some people with candles; it was just beginnng to get dark so we could still see each other but the little glows of the candles across the street shone more brightly for being under those thick trees that fill with white blooms in the spring. Looking down Claremont Ave we saw people in front of the next building, one of the several our landlord is renovating and we have been comiserating with some of the tenants who are now suffering what we have gone through. Soon it became clear that people were moving up the block, beginning to walk with their candles; some who looked like students; Latina mothers and their kids; a prof kenny knows from Rutgers and his family. We followed them around the corner to Broadway. There on the corner we gathered for a while, while the mostly empty trains passed overhead, bored conductors looking on with surprise. Some people carried flags -- one young man had a big flag like someone leading a parade might carry, but with a shorter pole so it washed through the crowd at eye level. Someone started singing and then we all joined in as we could; we did God Bless America; the Star Spangled Banner, and Oh Beautiful. I don?t like these songs, usually, or their nationalist meaning (well Oh beautiful is ok, at least it?s about natural beauty of this land). But this night I could hardly get the words out thinking of all those people lost in an instant never knowing what was happening or having a chance to say goodbye to the people they love. And also thinking about this gathering, how extraordinary for this whole mixed up neighborhood to be doing something all together, any simmering resentments or prejudices or misunderstandings or blindnesses ignored, insignificant for now: students paying exhorbitant rents for crowded shares in shoddily renovated apartments; older folks who have seen waves of us come and go, some with children and grandchildren and great grandchildren on the block or even the same building by now; the family who works in the laundry and parks their lawn chairs on the corner, smoking and hanging out with their kids all the summer nights; musicians who settled in after attending the music school down the street; the guys with the african talking drums who played at the demos to fight the eviction of the roti restaurant and the old lady over on tiemann place ... Karen T and I caught up on our news and what we had heard while Kenny carried baby Leo on his shoulders and mingled with his friend the professor and others, too, I guess; lost track of Caren and Daniel, maybe it was too much for them. But there were a lot of people now, still coming down from Claremont and from Broadway and maybe even from Morningside Gardens and the Grant Projects. We started moving up Broadway again; past the Chinese and African Restaurants, the newly expanded laundry, Thrifty?s supermarket ( I still miss Angel Sr and Jr); the other remaining bodega. We stopped again in front of Toast, the new yuppie restaurant bar (yummie portobello mushroom sandwiches and strong coffee), now maybe a hundred people crowding around, on the other side too in front of the new pizza place and the Chinese takeout and African art and frame store all the way down to the Chinese drycleaner on the corner. In the middle in front of Toast a woman and two guys, one with a flag, seemed to be leading the songs: probably music students because they could sing all the hard to reach notes.We were spilling out to the street now, I walked around to see what was happening and tried to get ?all we are saying is give peace a chance? a chance itself but it didn?t catch on. The candles glimmered more now; dusk was settling in. Some people like us had little votive candles; others had big dripless candles with paper cups around them to keep the wind from blowing them out; one woman had a tray with five or six big candles well melted on and bright. Then we started moving again; I caught up to Kenny and the baby though our candles kept blowing out as we crossed Broadway and I had to ask people for their candles to light it again. We turned at the Twin Donut onto 125 St and crossed again on to ?Old Broadway? by the Community Board office. When we passed the old synagogue it was open for services; it was the first time I?d seen inside: small and somewhat plain but people were there; it looked like a church with rows of benches leading up to something like an altar in front. Around the corner the crowd filled the street; we first passed the emergency services garage to the station itself, but then the front of the crowd came back, led by a cop, I guess, but not in a regular uniform. He said, they have lost someone... We gathered around, next to a emergency truck coming out of one of the garages. A man thanked us for coming and for bringing so much support over the past week -- -- he said that three of their crew were still missing and that in the 17 years that he had been with the force, that he had always felt that they were giving something to the community, ?but in the last four days, what you?ve given to us I could never repay.? He repeated himself, he wanted to say more but couldn?t. We all applauded, and sang some more; I didn?t see but K said when the man finished speaking he turned to break down in tears. We continued on 126 st, passing several cops who had come outside to watch and possibly the commanding officer (with lots of medals and badges on his shirt). I wonder if they had ever seen a demo in support of them before in this neighborhood. West Harlem isn?t known, I don?t think, for its strong support of our cops though I know on our street there are several families with cops and firemen and other city workers. For me it was moving not only because of what happened but also because in a way, this is what it should be, we should be able to appreciate their courage and commitment (which after all, is to protect us) and not be angry at their failings. Back on 125 st we approached the fire house, picking up more people; famlies, individuals, homeboy teenagers with a couple candles each. It took a while for everyone to gather round across the front and again we spilled into the street. One of the firemen spoke; I don?t remember what he said. But people sang again; some guys looked on from the windows on the second floor and then everyone started filing past to shake all the firemen?s hands, thanking them personally, one by one. It took a long time. Then they carefully placed their candles to the side of the entrance; a woman asked the drummers to play a rhythm for ?this little light of mine, I?m going to let it shine? and we all sang that for a while (Leo fascinated by the drums, watching intently and trying to touch or shake the tamborine sometimes). Afterward Kenny and I spoke to one of the firemen, a big guy; clearly with arms of steel and a warm face. He said that this firehouse was a busy one so that people were moved through it, I got the impression that especially newer firefighters came through for a year or two to get experience. So far one guy who had just finished his first year there was missing, and someone who had spent seven years there but was now with another unit was also missing; the unit hadn?t been called up at first so no one was missing from their current staff. He said that he can deal with the two or three funerals a year of his friends, usually it?s heart attacks, young guys, but this was too much, this is different. Some units downtown have 12, 13 members missing, and some of the special units are just gone, he said. Then he asked if he could hold the ?little guy? and he picked him up and swung him in the air -- high but gently -- I felt that Leo had recieved some sort of special blessing, a laying on of hands, something that would give him a special protection for the future. We walked back and it didn?t seem as dark.... diana agosta 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 story895.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. 2002-07-16 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.244.179.115 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 last september 11th. Just before the first tower got hit by the first plane. I remember watching it in horror. Wondering to myself how. How could someone have so much hatred in them to kill innocent people and hurt many others. I personally lost no one. But my heart goes out to all the families who did. It was a tragic day in history. hopefully it pulls us together to become a better nation than we were. It hurts every day to think of so many people that lost their lives. How they are going to miss out on their children growing up. And the children who know longer have a mother,father,sister,aunt,uncle,and brothers. It was a horrifying day No one will soon 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 story5237.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. 216.93.16.170 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 still in bed asleep when the first tower was hit, although I was to wake up just a few minutes later. My clock radio woke me at 5:55am PDT (8:55am EDT) that morning, just five minutes after the first tower was hit. I had it on a Phoenix news/talk station. As I was trying to wake up, the first things I remembered hearing were panicky voices and words like "fire" and "building". Then I heard "World Trade Center". I thought they were playing a tape of the first attack in 1993. Then I heard the local announcer's voice saying that we were listening to live coverage from NYC radio station WCBS Newsradio 880, then he said what happened. I then ran to the TV, put it on CBS and saw the most horrible sight I ever woke up to. There was a hole in the North Tower and it was on fire. Bryant Gumbel, then the host of "The Early Show", was interviewing a witness by phone as they were showing the live pictures. Initially, no one was sure what to make of this, was it an accident? They also considered terrorism only because of the first attack years earlier, otherwise they had no clue what caused that plane to smack into the tower. The witness who called in said the plane did not show any signs of trouble, other that it flew "very low" and "looked as if was aiming for that building". Just a few minutes later, I saw the second plane smack into the South Tower as it happened live. The person Gumbel was interviewing screamed, "oh my God, a second plane just hit the other tower!" She then concluded, "I think it's obvious, this was done on purpose." To say that I was thinking "this day is not going to be like any other" was an understatement. 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 story1910.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. 2002-09-08 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.3.79.243 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 started out like any other school day as far as I can remember. I took the bus to school went to first period and slept. At around 9:10 I traveled down the hall to my next period, which was Spanish at the time and took a seat thinking it was going to be just another normal day of Spanish class. About 10 minutes into the period Mrs. Gipe (my Spanish teacher) walked out of the room to have a quick 1-minute talk with one of the fellow teachers next door. She came back in with a look of disbelief and concern on her face. Then she told my class and I that there was something on T.V that we needed to see as she turned on the T.V. There stood tower one of the World Trade center with a smokey gaping hole a little bit above the middle of it. My whole class was shocked and speechless. We all just sat there and stared at the T.V screen in awe. We all thought that it was just an accident; some plane was just flying too low and lost control. But, about 15 minutes later a large charter plane came out of the left of the T.V screen and smashed right into tower number 2 of the World Trade Center. It was the most horrific thing I had ever seen in my life. The only thing I could think about was my whole family and if they were ok, considering my whole family lives in New York. For the rest of the day there was basically no school just a bunch of very concerned and confused people walking around the halls and the classrooms with the TV's on wondering why this had to happen. I will always remember exactly where I was and what happened on September 11th 2001, how could anyone 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 story3076.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.50.139.249 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 is a day that I will never forget. I was at home doing my housework listening to the Today show, when I heard them say that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers. Then a little while later when the second plane hit all I could think of was what in the heck was going on with the planes in New York. As the time went by, I like I'm sure everyone else was, sat there in front of the tv crying and praying to God that there would be people found alive. I watched the news coverage all day and night and into the next few days. I remember as a child the anxiety of the Bay of Pigs and all that anxiety came flooding back to me. Not concern for me, but for my grandchildren. I must say though, that when I heard the President speak I did feel a little less anxious. It it a shame that there are people that hate Americans, when in this day and age everyone should just get along. I still pray to God that these people will be stopped so no one else ever will have to worry about terrorism 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 story3608.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. 12.110.173.2 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: on september,11 2001 i was lock up but it hurt me very much i wish till this day i could fight for the country i love but this country will never fell and pray that this want happen again but you never know what might happen i just thank god for letting me wake up every day thats really something we shall be pround of. GOD BLESS AMERICA FOR EVER ALWAYS 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 story8633.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-11-07 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 216.109.8.110 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 an 18-year old college freshman. It was my second day of college, and I arrived at school at the exact moment the first plane hit the World Trade Center. I ran to find the nearest TV that wasn't crowded, so I went to the school bookstore, and watched in horror at 9:02 a.m. as one of the towers came down. It was so scary. The images played before my eyes over and over again. I went to class at 10:30 that morning, and the class was dismissed at 12:20, as it was supposed to. The campus cancelled all of its classes after 2:30, and all of the residents had to remain on the campus in the dorms and apartments. Commuters (like myself), faculty, and administration had to leave the campus. he next day, we discussed what happened during my Media, Culture, and Society class. I'm now 20 years old and will begin my junior year in September 2003, but I'll never forget what happened my freshman year, on that beautiful late-summer morning. 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 story9364.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. 2003-07-03 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.209.8 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 woke up around 8:50 am. September 11, 2001, to get my daughter ready for her kindergarten class in the afternoon...turned on the tv. with the volume all the way down...which was set on CNN from the night before...., I called my sister and said something was on cnn that looked like a movie....only to soon after witness the second plane hitting the second tower of the trade center....I turned up the volume and realized then, that this was not a movie...it was completely real...and could not believe in my heart of hearts that someone would actually cause such chaos, hurt innocent people and ultimately end up killing so many......I will never forget that day for the rest of my life.....I now have a fiancee' who's buddy was Tommy Foley of Rescue Co. 3 NYFD, who ended up dying that day...it effects my fiancee' greatly and myself to see families, friends and aquaintances hurting so much.....May God Almighty avenge these victims and their families...and I believe He will...... 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 story3264.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.60.226.30 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: This day still makes me feel a little bit creepy. Back in those days I used to work as a Flight Attendant for a portuguese airline (AIR LUXOR). And during the Summer 2001 we were having 3 flights a week LISBON (PORTUGAL) to JFK and NEWARK. I was in the last flight crew. As the plane returned to Portugal, we stayed in Newark resting and we were returning to Lisbon (in a TAP AIR PORTUGAL flight) during the 10th September afternoon. I was with my wife, Sara, who was also my colleague, and I remember crossing a bridge towards JFK Airport as we saw Manhattan, and the Statue of Liberty, and I said: "Look Sara, this is all we get this year. You know... I'm already missing those walks downtown through ChinaTown, TriBeCa, SoHo. And look the Twin Towers, the ...". Ten minutes later a car crashed into the van that was carrying us to the airport. We stayed still in a traffic jam for a long time and when we arrived at the check-in it was closing. We were the last 10 people to check-in. The next morning at home, watching those images I wondered what could have happened to me if had stayed there. As we had the car crash and were thinking about losing the flight, we were planning to climb the WTC the next day. Everyday in the Summer 2001 when I was in NY, we stayed in Newark and we used to take the train to the WTC station, where we were used to arrive about 8.30/9.00 in the morning and have breakfast near the station exit. Was it luck, was it God. I think will never know. But one thing I know. I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET THOSE TWO DAYS AND HOW THEY COULD HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE. God bless you all and that those who deceased rest in peace forever and in our hearts. 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 story6050.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. 212.18.166.19 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 recently asked my mom if she ever contemplates how another terrorist attack would happen. She replied, ?I don?t know. You should get help.? I realized that I was causing her discomfort so I decided to change the topic. We chatted about my sister and her kids, argued over my dad?s business, and discussed the new door they?ve installed out in the country. I have always been capable of talking about one thing while thinking about something else. I responded to her questions with fluidity and coherence, ?What kind of door?? ?When do the kids start school?? At the same time, I was thinking, ?Will it be a brief flash followed by a mushroom cloud?? My mother and I hung up the phone and I was grateful that I didn?t cause her despair over my morose state of mind. I felt good about disguising my usual panic and terror for once and hearing her say, ?Goodbye, Sweetheart? instead of ?Would you like me to get on a plane and meet you?? The Office of Homeland Security has once again heightened the level of terror alert to "High". Now, as I write, I?m wondering if it will happen the very moment I glance out my window. Will it occur at Yankee Stadium tonight at 8? Will a van carrying nerve gas crash into the Brooklyn Bridge? Will I be lying in bed at 4:30 in the morning when I hear a sonic boom? Will I know what hit me? Will I have time to react as a loud rumble ripples toward my apartment in Brooklyn Heights as the wave of destruction obliterates me and my entire city? John Ashcroft is asking the American people to be vigilant but to go on with their business as usual. In the weeks following last year's attacks, Tom Ridge and the director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, repeatedly asked the average citizen to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Well now, that's rich. Suspicious people are precisely why New York exists; the maniacs and shysters of the world have been flocking to this city for centuries. I often suggest to my mom that I would like to move away from here. She reassures me by telling me that I just have to live my life day by day, and if I die, well? Then I die. She seems to be just a little too at ease with the idea of her only son being blown to bits. I mean, she?s mortified, yes, but she?s also resigned to the madness of human behavior; and that?s something she can not control. She reminds me that as a child in Budapest during the war, Jews were being rounded up as bombs rained over their innocent little heads. Some comfort! What have I personally done? What has my family done? My friends? What have any of us done to deserve to live in such terror? Basically, I'm just this stupid man thingy... I've got allergies and paper cuts; I have hair on my knees; I can imitate that guy from the B-52?s; I need to replace my cordless phone (I?m sick of having to buy a new one every ten days!); I can make people laugh. I'm just a big dummy who is being forced to live under this umbrella of fear for the rest of my life. Why don't I move? Sometimes I think I'm just like the Jews of Europe refusing to leave knowing they were doomed. I tend to push it all out of my mind as I bargain with myself: I'll just stay a little longer, until I can see some small success in my measly life; I don't want to move away without feeling that I've accomplished something; I don't want to move and have to start all over again. New York fills me with self-doubt and hate. I'm fat, bald, old, grey, unemployed, sexually dysfunctional, forever single and alone... Where am I going to go? How do I start over with all this damage and meshugas? I have so much emotional baggage; I don?t need a lover, I need a porter. And, why are my parents so complacent, anyway? They seem to be as impotent as I am, but I?m the one who?s hysterical. Oh yes, I forgot? I?m the one living within spitting distance of Ground Zero while my family is way up in Canada, shopping at Costco and buying doors at Home Depot. A few years ago, I had a New Age therapist when I moved back to Montreal after my second ?vacation? (that?s what I call my nervous breakdowns. What do you call yours?). The therapist?s office was filled with the soothing sound of synthesized classical music and smelled like a hippy who had finally taken a shower. In fact, my therapist was a kind of 60's-guru type with a PhD in Psychology: a spoiled, rich, WASP male, with all the luxury and comfort to afford a life of yoga, feng shui and organic food. I hated him immediately. In my second and final session, I walked into his office and saw him waiting for me across the room; sitting in his leather executive office chair in the lotus position. He unfolded his legs as I sat down, and rolled himself over to me using his bare feet for propulsion, just like Fred Flintstone. He came within a couple of inches of my face and stared into my eyes. He whispered in a soft and caring voice, ?Ernie, where do you live?? He placed his hand firmly on my head and asked, ?Do you live here?? Then he moved his hand down to my heart and continued, ?Where do you live, Ernie? Do you live here?? Finally, he slid his hand onto my crotch, and asked, ?Do you live here?? After getting over my initial shock, I pointed to my head and replied, (long pause) ?Here.? With all his shakra nonsense and crystals, I suppose he wasn?t as bad a therapist as I thought. Ten years later, I am still trying to move all the energy from my mind into the rest of my body and live more viscerally. In this city that never sleeps, I am wide awake. It is 3:20 am. Believe me, I would prefer sleeping over ranting at this very moment, but I can?t stop the neurons from bouncing around in my head. My mind is overflowing with ideas and thoughts; I, like many people, moved here for stimulation and to become rich and famous for achieving something or other. Even before 9-11, New Yorkers have been perceived as neurotic, self-obsessed and malcontent ? overall, however, I think we are the most resilient and well-adjusted people in the Western world. Contrary to popular belief, New Yorkers have a healthy balance of self-actualization and self-doubt. This city forces people to focus on the madness around them as opposed to the madness within themselves (and today, my dear reader is the maddest time of all). With the exception of the Son of Sam, New York has never produced a disenchanted young boy locked in his parents? garage building pipe-bombs or white supremacists forming militias. At very least, New York is the perfect antidote to life in quieter places where people stand out if they?re too bright, too happy, too depressed, too gay, too creative, too horny, too independent, too ambitious. For those of us whose minds are constantly racing, New York is the Kentucky Derby. Because of September 11th, however, my thoughts are stuck at the gate. I blame everything on the 11th: my weight gain, my inability to focus on editing a film I shot two years ago, my sleeping problems, my failure to be in a relationship, my anxiety, my drifting from job to job, etc. Nobody knows that I?m referring to the 11th of March, 1973, but why should that matter? The truth is, I came to this city because I?m a dreamer. I still harbor fantasies of becoming a Broadway dancer or an actor or David Bowie or an astronaut or a fireman; constantly reinventing myself in true New York fashion (even if it is only in the shower). When it comes to who I am or what I want to be, I know less at 37 than I did at 17. Although, I?m constantly depressed and bored with myself, typically, my Jewish sense of the absurd prevails; I shrug my shoulders and sigh, ?As long as a 767 doesn?t fly through my forehead, why get upset?? Everyone advises me that I can?t live in constant fear. ?You have more of a chance to die in a car accident than getting killed by Bin Laden.? I don?t think they get it. I suppose I?ve always been conscious of my own mortality, but in the past, I?ve never given much thought to Zabar?s being vaporized. I guess my mom?s right: I?ll just have to live my life day by day, and if I die, well? Then I die. In the meantime, I?ll just pour myself a Manhattan, pray for another subway series, and enjoy the time I?ve got left. 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 story3501.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. 152.163.188.6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 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 drinking coffee on our balcony early that morning, my husband turned on his pager, and read a news alert about a plane crash. We turned on the TV and saw the Pentagon on fire, and then the newscasters switched back to NYC. My husband left to go to work, and he called me to say that the roads were empty. As we spoke, the first tower collapsed. I remember simply sobbing to him, horrified and saddened for those unfortunate souls trapped inside. I know intellectually that human tragedies of enormous, soul-sickening proportion happen all the time... I am a history instructor, after all. However, seeing it in color on TV, and hearing the trembling voices of those left behind, mourning their loved ones has made a permanent etching in me, like acid on glass. I guess that like many fellow Las Vegans, I worried-- and still do-- that our city remains an easy target, but I will never walk in Vegas or fly throughout the US in fear. Fear is a victory for terrorists. 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 story1982.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. 2002-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.120.52.171 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: Like any other day I had taken my 8 year old to school and had my 11 year old with me for homeschooling. I was thinking how it was my brothers birthday and what I would get for him. I had to make a stop at the store and over heard someone say a plane hit the World Trade Center. I thought no big deal someone flew a small two seater to low they would have it fixed in no time. Well was I ever surprised when I found out what really happened. I know that I was in such shock I really did not know how to act. My son asked me what happened and I explained to him what little I knew. When I got to work and saw on T. V. what was really going on I thought oh my god how could anyone do this to all these innocent people. It has been a year and I still cry for all of those people that lost there lives on that day and wonder if my heart will ever stop aching for them and their families. I know now not to take life for granted kiss and hug my husband and children everyday no matter what and to make sure that the first and last thing that they hear from me is that I love 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 story3423.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.244.229.11