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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I took the train from Albany to NYC on the morning of September 11th for a meeting at our NYC Office at One Penn Plaza. As soon as I got off the train and arrived at our office I knew something was wrong because everyone was outside and on cell phones. I asked someone if the building had been evacuated and they said that a plane had crashed into the WTC. If I looked South, I could see a lot of black smoke contrasting with the brilliant blue late summer sky. At about 9:30 am we went inside One Penn Plaza and were told that it was safe to be inside the building. We had no access to TV or radio, so my co-workers and I really didn't know much of the details of what was going on. In the conference room where our meeting was to take place, the big picture window looked out on the World Trade Center Towers. It was horrible to see the black smoke pouring out. I was able to call my husband back home in Albany and he told me that it was a terrorist attack and that the Pentagon had also been attacked. As people started coming into the meeting, we heard all kinds of stories from those who were coming from lower Manhattan. One women was in tears as she described see people falling from the Towers. A decision was made that our meeting could not happen given the situation in Manhattan. At about 10:15 the entire Penn Plaza complex was evacuated. We were back out in the streets, trying to decide what to do and not knowing if there would be further attacks on Manhattan. We decided to try to take the train back to Albany, so we went underground into Penn Station. From the TV's in some of the stores we watched as the Towers collapsed. At that point Penn Station was also evacuated and we were back out on the street. We walked to a restaurant and were welcomed in to watch the TV coverage. People were very quiet and were in shock at the events that were happening around us. My children were in school and knew that I had gone to NYC that day. My son wrote this poem in his 9th grade English class: I woke up that morning To a day that would end in mourning It started at around 9 o'clock It was a huge shock I can only wonder why I can only wonder how To justify The slaughtering of innocent people The carefully planned plot Makes me ask what Could possess someone To take so many lives I still can't believe it was done Maybe religion Or pure hatred Now they are all dead It's just an advertisement A very expensive commercial They were giving us a message Whatever happened to the radio An eye for an eye A tooth for a tooth A life for a life A massacre for a massacre Now they are all dead and gone And all I have to say Is it was the day The towers went away. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of 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 nmah5267.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. 2002-10-30 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 198.40.41.254