story20417.xml
Title
story20417.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2006-09-11
911DA Story: Story
On September 11, 2001 I was on my way to Wolfetrap Park with the rest of my fifth grade class. We reached the parking lot, but just as we were about to step off the bus, my teacher's phone rang. She became confused, and she asked the person on the other end of the line to repeat what he had said. Then, her face blanched, and she turned away from us. She stepped off the bus, and we could hear her begin to cry. After about fifteen minutes, she returned with a face rubbed raw by her tissue. She told the bus driver to return us to the school at once and forbid any further questions.
Upon reaching the classroom, she first closed the door. She whispered that she would be in trouble if the school staff knew she was about to say anything to us. Then, she quietly told us the horrible truth, and told us that her husband worked at the Pentagon, and she didn't know if he was okay. Then, she turned on the television, muted it, and gave us work to "complete." We were to begin writing if anyone came in, but we could watch the coverage when no one else was around.
When class ended, we were told to go straight home and not to say anything to anyone else about what she had said. When I reached the house, I finished the homework she had given us and began to watch the news. I can only remember thinking how I had woken up that morning expecting to have a great time at the park, only to experience the tragedy.
My teacher quit her job and moved away when she found out that her husband had died. Now, when I remember September 11, 2001, I remember her courage and determination to make sure that we all knew everything, and to not show her fear and sadness. On that day, we finally received the message from all those nations who had dealt with similar attacks, and it was this: we cannot be ignorant to our enemies, no matter how far away they are. We must be prepared to steel ourselves and live out our lives no matter what happens.
We will never be able to bury that event for good, but hopefully, in the future, we'll look back at it as time when we were weak, but we were made strong.
Upon reaching the classroom, she first closed the door. She whispered that she would be in trouble if the school staff knew she was about to say anything to us. Then, she quietly told us the horrible truth, and told us that her husband worked at the Pentagon, and she didn't know if he was okay. Then, she turned on the television, muted it, and gave us work to "complete." We were to begin writing if anyone came in, but we could watch the coverage when no one else was around.
When class ended, we were told to go straight home and not to say anything to anyone else about what she had said. When I reached the house, I finished the homework she had given us and began to watch the news. I can only remember thinking how I had woken up that morning expecting to have a great time at the park, only to experience the tragedy.
My teacher quit her job and moved away when she found out that her husband had died. Now, when I remember September 11, 2001, I remember her courage and determination to make sure that we all knew everything, and to not show her fear and sadness. On that day, we finally received the message from all those nations who had dealt with similar attacks, and it was this: we cannot be ignorant to our enemies, no matter how far away they are. We must be prepared to steel ourselves and live out our lives no matter what happens.
We will never be able to bury that event for good, but hopefully, in the future, we'll look back at it as time when we were weak, but we were made strong.
Collection
Citation
“story20417.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed April 7, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/17892.