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'll just make it brief. It painfull to recall it all. I was at my office, 140 WEST STREET, 19 floors up when the planes hit the Twin Towers. At first I could not believe what I was seeing but reality sunk in when I watch five innocent people fall backwards and plunge to their deaths. Two of the five I'll never ever forget because one landed beside the fire truck in the street and just disappeared into a red spot. The second was even worse because she landed on top of Six World Trade (Federal Custom House)and just disappeared into a red spot. Nothing resembled a human being or form. These "FIVE" I call them are most likely some of the one that would never be identified because the Towers later fell on top of where they landed. I was there and in the street after I left my building in search of my wife, when Tower Two came down first. I knew then that there could be no one alive. My wife had found me up at Penn Station. We got home and that when I cried. And till this day still cry, but in private. I had written an eulogy for my Trade Center, which I just submitted to this site and had sent it to the White House after I had written it. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Has Life changed because of September 11, 2001 ? Yes! How? Seems like little petty stuff just doesn't get its place in my life anymore. I have become aggressive. I don't let people push me around or say just what they feel like saying to me with out some kind of a reply from me. I have very little fear of death because I witness how fast life can be taken away in a moments notice and I just live for the moment and wecome it whether it good or bad. I just try to make the best use of my time for myself and everone else around me or who I may have an affect on. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The first thing that I personally will all way remember is the "FIVE" and "My Trade Center". The five people that I had witness their deaths are unknown to me, but to be able to remember them, I gave them each a name in the order that they perished. "ROB". "ARTHUR". "JOHN". "BILL". and "LORETTA". There is a small memorial at the bottom of my lawn in remembrance of them with an American Flag for each, one with a pink ribbon for Loretta. I also had made a replica of the Trade Center that has been there for almost the whole year. The replica will be removed after September 11, 2002, but not the FLAGS of the FIVE. I feel that we should remember all those who lost their lives that day in a memorial that would look similar to the Baseball Hall of Fame at Coopertown, N. Y., but mostly we should remember and pray for all those who were left behind when their loved ones were taken from them. Their pain will never go away for as long as they live , but we should pray that their pain will lessen over time without feeling guilty about it and to remember their loved ones for what and who they were in their lives and to always remember them as Heroes who went to work that day and died for Freedoms Sake and not for nothing. Whether they were Male or Female. Young or Old. Children to Adults. These people that day were U. S. Soldiers of Freedom. 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? I alway fly the Flag 24/7. I have a light on it through the night. My feeling for the Flag has never changed. This is "MY FLAG" & "MY PRIDE"! And you can't beat that no matter what! 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 nmah932.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. 2002-09-04 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 166.68.134.174 Notes Notes about this item. > From: thomas.w.oconnell@verizon.com > Date: Wed Sep 04, 2002 02:06:21 PM US/Eastern > To: info@911digitalarchive.org > Subject: A Positive Reply > > To Whom it may Concern, > I could not reply to you under my other e-mail address shown below > through Lycos. > So I am responding to the very last sentence of this copied e-mail. Yes > please make public my contribution to both > the September 11 Digital Archive and Smithsonian Web sites. > > I thank you for this rare opportunity in history. > > Thomas Wm. O'Connell, Jr.