story6600.xml
Title
story6600.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-12
911DA Story: Story
I WAS IN A FRIENDS HOUSE ON 9-11-2001 WHEN ALL THE SUDDEN THE T.V. STATION INTERRUPTED THE REGULARY SCEDULED PROGRAMMING. "OH BROTHER WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT NOW THAT THEY NEED TO INTERRUP MY SHOW" I THOUGHT TO MYSELF. WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I SAW PICTURES OF AN AIRPLANE FLYING INTO THE WORLD
TRADE CENTER. I SAT IN HORROR AS I WATCHED IT HAPPEN NOT ONCE BUT TWICE. IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO REALIZE THAT IT WASEN'T ONE PLANE, BUT TWO! I WAITED FOR SOMEONE TO COME ON THE AIR AND SAY THAT SOMEHOW THIS WAS JUST A BAD JOKE, BUT NOBODY DID. AS I WATCHED OVER AND OVER AGAIN, MY HEAD STARTED REELING. I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS SEEING. I FELT SICK TO MY STOMACH AS THE NEWSCASTER BEGAN TELLING THE HORRIFIC STORY OF WHAT I WAS SEEING. TERRORIST? WHAT KIND OF HUMAN BEING WOULD HURT ALL THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE LIKE THAT? JUST BECAUSE WE DIDN'T AGREE WITH THEM ON SOME THINGS?
THIS WASEN'T A HUMAN, THIS WAS A MONSTER. THE KIND YOU READ ABOUT IN STEPHEN KING NOVELS. THEN I SAW PICTURE OFA MAN WHO REMINDED ME OF JESUS ON THE SCREEN. THIS WAS THE SICK PATHETIC PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THIS GRIEF? WHAT COULD WE HAVE EVER POSSIBLY DONE TO THIS MAN OR HIS COUNTRY TO JUSTIFY THIS KIND OF ACTION?! NOTHING, NOTHING COULD EVER JUSTIFY SOMETHING LIKE THIS. FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS I SAT CRYING TO MYSELF. NEVER SINCE I HAD BEEN ALIVE DID I EVER WITNESS SOMETHING SO TERRIBLE. AS I WATCH OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, I JUST FELT SICK AND KIND OF NUMB AS I WATCHED THE FAMILYS OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS MONSTER. I FELT SO BAD FOR ALL THESE POOR PEOPLE. I ALSO WATCHED NIGHT AND DAY ON TV FOR SOMEONE TO INTERRUP MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMS TO TELL ME THAT THE MONSTER HAD BEEN CAUGHT OR THAT HE WAS DEAD. I'M STILL WAITING....
I WILL WAIT UNTIL THE DAY I DIE IF I HAVE TO. I NEED TO SEE JUSTICE DONE FOR MY COUNTRY, FOR THE VICTIMS FAMILYS AND FOR MY OWN SENSE OF SECURITY. WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.....THATS WHAT I NOW NEED FROM MY COUNTRY.
TAMMY JO WILHELM
TRADE CENTER. I SAT IN HORROR AS I WATCHED IT HAPPEN NOT ONCE BUT TWICE. IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO REALIZE THAT IT WASEN'T ONE PLANE, BUT TWO! I WAITED FOR SOMEONE TO COME ON THE AIR AND SAY THAT SOMEHOW THIS WAS JUST A BAD JOKE, BUT NOBODY DID. AS I WATCHED OVER AND OVER AGAIN, MY HEAD STARTED REELING. I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS SEEING. I FELT SICK TO MY STOMACH AS THE NEWSCASTER BEGAN TELLING THE HORRIFIC STORY OF WHAT I WAS SEEING. TERRORIST? WHAT KIND OF HUMAN BEING WOULD HURT ALL THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE LIKE THAT? JUST BECAUSE WE DIDN'T AGREE WITH THEM ON SOME THINGS?
THIS WASEN'T A HUMAN, THIS WAS A MONSTER. THE KIND YOU READ ABOUT IN STEPHEN KING NOVELS. THEN I SAW PICTURE OFA MAN WHO REMINDED ME OF JESUS ON THE SCREEN. THIS WAS THE SICK PATHETIC PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THIS GRIEF? WHAT COULD WE HAVE EVER POSSIBLY DONE TO THIS MAN OR HIS COUNTRY TO JUSTIFY THIS KIND OF ACTION?! NOTHING, NOTHING COULD EVER JUSTIFY SOMETHING LIKE THIS. FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS I SAT CRYING TO MYSELF. NEVER SINCE I HAD BEEN ALIVE DID I EVER WITNESS SOMETHING SO TERRIBLE. AS I WATCH OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, I JUST FELT SICK AND KIND OF NUMB AS I WATCHED THE FAMILYS OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS MONSTER. I FELT SO BAD FOR ALL THESE POOR PEOPLE. I ALSO WATCHED NIGHT AND DAY ON TV FOR SOMEONE TO INTERRUP MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMS TO TELL ME THAT THE MONSTER HAD BEEN CAUGHT OR THAT HE WAS DEAD. I'M STILL WAITING....
I WILL WAIT UNTIL THE DAY I DIE IF I HAVE TO. I NEED TO SEE JUSTICE DONE FOR MY COUNTRY, FOR THE VICTIMS FAMILYS AND FOR MY OWN SENSE OF SECURITY. WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.....THATS WHAT I NOW NEED FROM MY COUNTRY.
TAMMY JO WILHELM
Collection
Citation
“story6600.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 28, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/18608.