nmah6471.xml

nmah6471.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-03-19

My town (Brecksville, near Cleveland, Ohio) got hit hard, even though it was so far away. I was in 3rd period (freshman health class) in high school, like so many others. It was our picture day and everyone was discussing when they were planning on getting them taken and talking about what they were wearing. My principal got on the announcements and he sounded clueless (like everyone else was) and said that the WTC had been hit by a plane. We turned on the TV and saw President Bush being informed and the little kids wondering what was wrong. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal, because I was in shock. All through the day, some teachers had their TVs on, some didn't. By the end of the day, there was a rumor that a kid in the middle school had a parent in the WTC on a business trip. I didn't know the kid but it still didn't sink in that he might have been killed. In fact, even when I went home, it hadn't sunken in the horrors of the day and how many lives were lost. Eventually details got shared in the papers and magazines but until then I was clueless. The rumor was true, sadly, and the boy's dad (William Moskal) was killed (he was on one of the top floors). Our tiny town was shocked as Mr. Moskal was extremely well known and we weren't anywhere near NY. It just goes to show that it really did affect the whole world...victims weren't just from NY and DC, but from anywhere. What if Mr. Moskal hadn't been on a business trip? He would still be alive. It's incredibly sad and every patriotic day is sad in Brecksville because of the family of Mr. Moskal and his neighbors and friends.

Well, my entire town changed. The whole town was covered in red, white, and blue and the sense of community was overwhelming. Even people like me who didn't know the Moskal family seemed to be so much in grief. It really brought the tragedy home for me and made it seem so real. I will never again take my country for granted and I realize that everyone can be affected (directly or indirectly) by events like these.

The victims and the terrible horrors they had to go through. I can't imagine the physical anguish, mental grief, and fear that every person had to go through, whether on a plane or in a building. Also, we need to remember how close as a nation we got after 9-11. I wish people still had that patriotic attitude, and many do, but it certainly has faded.

Yes and we still do. It was so sad during those few weeks afterwards to see the flag everywhere at half staff...in fact, it seemed so weird to fly them at full staff later on. I have respect for the flag...not because it's a piece of cloth, but because of what it represents; freedom, independence, sacrifice, and triumph.