story4964.xml

story4964.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I was at home (my parent's houseat that time) putting clothes away in my room. I had the local channel 8 news on watching the morning updates of traffic, weather and Michael Jordan returning to the game of Basketball. Urgently, the breaking news screen flashed and they began showing footage of 1 of the World Trade Center towers smoking. The reporters were asking each other if it was a bomb, then some eye witness reports began coming in of a plane crashing into the building. With the camera still focused on the tower, I watched in horror as a second plane made a sharp turn into the 2nd tower. I cried. I don't know anyone personally that worked there or could have worked there, but I still felt the overwhelming sense of sorrow, grief, helplessness and panic. I called my dad at his job and we sat on the phone, each watching different news channels telling each other the irradic reports flowing in. Then, in front of our eyes, on the phone together we watched the Pentagon come into view. Then we watched the 1st tower fall. In the mean time, I called my mother's place of work- the building had been evacuated. I tried to locate my fiancee' who had been at school in downtown Cleveland that morning. His cell phone had been off. Moments after the towers were both down, the mail lady came to the door asking for any news. I told her all I knew at the time. My mother pulled in the driveway, her building had a government office in it, but no one was told. I updated her as she walked in the house. I sat in front of the T.V. getting updates from every news channel I could. Varying reports, different information from every direction. Who did this, why, where there other attacks to come, how many where hurt, killed, missing. My fiancee' pulled in the driveway. Every building in downtown Cleveland had been evacuated and all cell phone lines jammed.
On my out a few days later there were firefighters walking in stopped traffic filling boots for NYC firefighters. I always have money in my car's ashtray for emergencies and because I don't smoke. I emptied it. But I filled it back up for several days just so I could empty it into a boot, anywhere.
My personal twist from most other people's- I was home that morning and not at school because I was getting ready to leave for Army basic training 11/1/01. I had signed up in June for the Army Reserves, long before any threat of attack. Now the moral dielma, should I still go? Maybe it was a selfish moment, I think we all had at least one that morning. I talked it over with my family. Most of everyone I know told me to just not go.
November 1st I got on a plane to Fort Leonardwood, MO to try my part. The first time in the airport after the attacks. I was ready to do whatever I had to do. At one point during training the drill sergants sat down and we all talked about how many joined because of Sept. 11th, almost everyone's hands went up. We all got our chance to say how 9/11 effected us and our decision to join the military. I met people who where right there when the attacks happened.
Unfortunately, I didn't make it through training. I was hurt and couldn't finish. Things were meant to be. When I came home I tried to get updated at much as I could and to my wonder, CNN was still running updated of vitims identified and still missing.
I have a small collection of books about 9/11, including a collection of the front page from various newspapers around the world.
The day the attacks occured I knew this day would be that historical day for my generation. Before mine had JFK's assasination, Pearl Harbor, Titanic and events as such. We've all seen them tell their stories on the History channel and PBS, we visit memorial sites, see exhibitions in museums. How will this history be captured, remembered, visited?