story7761.xml

story7761.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-17

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 started out as any normal day would for a high school teenager. The thought of an attack on America seemed inconceivable, like it was only in the history books about December 7, 1941. Like the rest of the U. S., I wasn?t expecting an attack, and had no reason to. Who on earth would be stupid enough to attack the most powerful country in the world? Unfortunately, that question was answered on my way to band class.
I walked in to the band room that Tuesday with my usual group of friends. I noticed a particularly large group of people, including my teacher, huddled around the television. I proceeded to unknowingly embarrass myself as I shouted, ?Hey alright! We get to watch T.V. in band!? The cold stares I received from my classmates were not what I expected. I turned to look at the TV and saw the World Trade Center on fired. After asking what happened, my teacher informed me that a plane hit the Twin Towers. Again embarrassing myself, I said, ?Well that was stupid. How do you fly into a building? It?s not like you can?t see it coming!? That was the last stupid comment I made as I watched the second plane fly straight into the other tower. That was no accident I thought. I remember feeling like it should have been a movie?because it couldn?t be real. Something like that just doesn?t happen in America. But it did. I didn?t move the rest of class. Literally. Everyone was standing exactly where he or she was when he or she first arrived. After the initial shock oft the attack, came word that a plane had just hit the Pentagon. That?s when the tears started. People rushed out of the room to call their parents. I wad still in disbelief of what had happened in the past few minutes. I never called my parents, but I knew neither of them were in the area, so that provided what little comfort it could at such a time. That was by far my worst day of school. The rest of the day was spent watching the news in all my classes, except for AP US History. Which made me a little mad. My teacher barely acknowledged that anything had happened, and proceeded with the days? lesson plan. Of all classes to not discuss what had just happened! I though it was very disrespectful, and still today, one year later, am still bitter about that.
The long-term effects of September 11, 2001 have been rather big for me. I have applied for Army and Navy ROTC scholarships, and am in the process of applying to West Point and the Naval Academy. The attacks have certainly put a different perspective on things. With the current War on Terrorism, and the probable invasion of Iraq, it is inevitable that as a part of either the Army or the Navy, I will personally be involved. It was rather hard to stomach at first, and is still sometimes hard today. But, despite any hesitance, I am proud and ready to serve and protect this country from cowardly terrorists. My family and friends feel differently, only because it is their son and friend who would be fighting, but I know in the end I will have their supports no matter what I do. The way I see it now, the terrorists just lit a fire under the toughest military in the world, and I?d bet they?re real sorry now for making the strongest nation in the world even stronger.