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 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: Sept. 2001 was the beginnig of my basic training for the U.S. Army. After waiting an entire 2 weeks I, along with hundreds of other recruits was to begin my Army career. {our training had been somewhat delayed due to lack of drill sgts. at the time.} The days prior to the 11th we had been practicing a ceremony in which we would meet and greet our new drill sgts. and swear into basic training. Yes, I was excited I was to begin my army career. The day began as best it could for a day in trainig, early chow, roll call, room check, ect.. At around 8am, my unit marched to the area where the ceremony would take place, and took our places. We sang the army song, repeated army core values and stood at parade rest as several recruits marched around in military uniforms from past wars. Each of us unaware what was taking place in our homeland. The ceremony went well and we marched back to our companies, excited, nervous, and Proud!!!. We stood in line waiting {you do that often in the military.} A drill sgt. approached us and in a stern serious voice informed us that OUR nation had just been attacked by terrorists. At the time we took it for granted that it was just a scare tactic to get us prepared for the next 9 weeks, but as the day went by, and we were instructed to contact our families if they lived in NYC. We began to realize this was not just a Drill's idea of a joke, but a sick, sad reality. I can't explain the sickness that over came each of us, we had just sworn to protect the freedom of our fellow americans agianst all odds, and suddenly this. We were aware of the possibility, but this soon? I called my family on the pay phone, they tried to describe what had happened, and what the news was showing everyone, but it all seemed to unreal. The world was falling apart and I was 500 miles away from my southeastern Ky. home? My family was together and I was here alone, unsure of where I may end up. Later that evening one of the drill sgts. decided to let us catch a few minutes of news coverage. 10 soldiers at a time walked into that room, each of us walked out changed, tears were in the eyes of those who seemed had no heart, and for the first time we began to feel like family. Each of us alone, a scared, only one another to turn too. For next few days life seemed a dream. We were updated on the attack whenever there was something new to tell. On the following tuesday we held a ceremony outside of our unit, military personnel, civilians and trainees alike joined together to salute those who had died, as we listened to the silence we could hear the sadness in the wind, smell it in the air feel it in the coldness of a Sept sun. I spent nights fighting to sleep only to be awaken by dreams of bombs and attacks, even though I only seen 2 minutes of live footage. I knew now more than ever that I had made the right choice by joining the military. I was always proud to be an american, but now I was proud to serve america, the people who died in the Sept 11 tragedy, and those who lost their loved ones are the real heros. I salute you all those gone, those still here, may God bless you. 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 story10519.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. 2004-04-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 172.209.145.129