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 was at the rural school in North Carolina when the first plane hit the towers. Since I had a student teacher in my class room I was able to leave the class for brief periods. It just happen that I was in the principal's office when a parent came in and told us to turn on the TV something bad was happening in New York. We watched in horror as the building smoked and burned. I went quickly up and down the hall telling the teachers what was happening and telling them not to turn on the TV's in class because we did not want to alarm the children. When the second plane hit I was in the principal's office again. We were all shocked and dumbfounded. We were worried about what else could happen. It seemed to be a flash back to films and pictures I had seen of WWII. Then the report came about the Pentegon. I was frozen with fear as my son and daughter in law live and work in DC. I quickly tried to call them. I was pretty sure my son was OK because he works out of the city in Farfax. But my daughter in law was a student at American. I knew she often went to the VA hospital and other sites in DC. I could not get through to them. All the lines were tied up. Eventually, I got a hold of her mother who told me they were OK but that she had been at the VA hospital for hours as they were afraid to let anyone leave. When word of the plane in Pennsyvania came I truly worried for their safety. Parents started coming to the school to pick up their children. We were told by the district supervisors not to tell the children what was happening but to let their parents. They knew something was happening but they did not know what. I felt guilty not telling them but at the same time relieved to know that for one day, one short day, they did not have to see what I had seen. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I have never been to New York City. I've never really wanted to go there. But this summer, as we traveled back from Boston, Mass I just had to see the Manhatten sky line. We stopped off at Liberty Park. I stood across from Manhatten and stared at the space where the proud towers once stood. Suddenly, a man with his family, motioned to us. "Let's move," he said. "There's a book bag lying on that beach with no one around it. No one in New York or New Jersey would do that. We can't be too careful." It struck me then and there, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty and the New York sky line, that our country was truly changed. Land of the free we still are. But no longer can we be land of the carefree. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? We still live in the most powerful country in the world. When you are on top of mountain many will wish to knock you down. But as the Japanese found out in WWll, they have awakened a sleeping giant. As I traveled to Washington, Boston and New York this summer, I was struck by how much friendlier people seemed to be. That is what I will try to remember about September 11. Not the smoking towers, or the screams of the people, or the tears of those left behind But the strength of a people that can see past their differences and bond together to protect the life that we have and the country that has provided it. 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? A flag flies in the grass under my mailbox. But my feelings for the flag stay the same. I am proud of it. But I do not want us to wrap ourselves in the flag....I want us to remember what it stands for, Freedom. 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 nmah2053.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. 2002-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 65.143.251.111