story3366.xml
Title
story3366.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
It was a typical work day. I worked out of my home for a telecommunications company and I was in my home office working and had "The Today Show" on in the background. As the hosts appeared to be wrapping up the show, they were interrupted to bring on a live shot of the WTC on fire. At first, it looked like there was a furnace explosion or something to that effect. Later on, while watching the show and hearing the events unfold, I saw the 2nd plane coming in to the towers. I thought "That must be some type of media plane trying to get closer footage". Then it hit. I started crying and hugged my 2 year old very tight.
I had people who reported to me who worked in New York and who were unreachable. When we finally spoke, they relayed the events to me over the phone. My wife was at our daughter's school in a meeting and I called her immediately and told her to bring home our daughter as I already had our son at our home.
When I heard about the Pentagon, I was still rather numb to the events but the final crash in PA shook me deeply. The belief that these people actively participated in their own deaths to protect 'an ideal' seemed to me to be as selfless an act as there could be. Soldiers do it all the time.....but with the full knowledge that they could die on the job. These fathers, mothers, retirees, children, etc. had no preparation. It still brings me to tears and inspires me to this very day.
The last image I have is from Mike Luckovich - a cartoonist that shows up in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. His image of the Statue of Liberty with the reflections of the towers in her eyes and a single tear was moving. Also, the rendering of firemen and policemen on clouds at the Pearly Gates radioing down that 'They have reached the top' moved me greatly. I cannot look at either of them to this day with out crying.
Because of this, I do believe I appreciate life a little more, stand a little taller when patriotic songs or the National Anthem is played, and I try to take life a little less seriously. What I do not do is try and understand fully why this has happened.....I can never fully empathize with the terrorists or their supposed 'cause'. I can only believe that my God has a greater purpose and that, through this tremendous loss, I can grow as a person and help my children make a difference in this world.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak of this event.
Curtis M. Frazier
I had people who reported to me who worked in New York and who were unreachable. When we finally spoke, they relayed the events to me over the phone. My wife was at our daughter's school in a meeting and I called her immediately and told her to bring home our daughter as I already had our son at our home.
When I heard about the Pentagon, I was still rather numb to the events but the final crash in PA shook me deeply. The belief that these people actively participated in their own deaths to protect 'an ideal' seemed to me to be as selfless an act as there could be. Soldiers do it all the time.....but with the full knowledge that they could die on the job. These fathers, mothers, retirees, children, etc. had no preparation. It still brings me to tears and inspires me to this very day.
The last image I have is from Mike Luckovich - a cartoonist that shows up in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. His image of the Statue of Liberty with the reflections of the towers in her eyes and a single tear was moving. Also, the rendering of firemen and policemen on clouds at the Pearly Gates radioing down that 'They have reached the top' moved me greatly. I cannot look at either of them to this day with out crying.
Because of this, I do believe I appreciate life a little more, stand a little taller when patriotic songs or the National Anthem is played, and I try to take life a little less seriously. What I do not do is try and understand fully why this has happened.....I can never fully empathize with the terrorists or their supposed 'cause'. I can only believe that my God has a greater purpose and that, through this tremendous loss, I can grow as a person and help my children make a difference in this world.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak of this event.
Curtis M. Frazier
Collection
Citation
“story3366.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 22, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/9349.