story4379.xml
Title
story4379.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
I grew up in New Jersey and have lived in Colorado for the past 6 years. When I lived in Jersey and would travel the NJ Turnpike, I couldn't help but stare at the twin towers. No matter how many times I saw them they never ceased to awe me. After moving to Colorado, I'd get home to visit a few times a year. Landing at Newark Airport, the first thing I'd look for would be the WTC and I'd know I was home.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I'd gotten up with my almost 9 month old son and as was our normal daily routine we settled in front of the local news to have his bottle. The broadcast was of the first tower to be hit, and the anchorpersons were still speculating as to what happened, that some pilot has miscalculated and that it was an accident. They then went to a NY station that was broadcasting from a helicopter. The news person was talking about what was going on, when from out of nowhere came the second plane. I stared in astonishment at the screen, and could hear the shock and disbelief in the reporter's voice. I yelled downstairs to my husband to turn on the news, the twin towers had been struck by planes. We began calling family in NY and NJ, and stared in horror at the TV as the towers fell. All that day and for about the two or three weeks after I was dumbstruck, and wept daily for the people killed for no good reason than that they were Americans. I still find it hard to believe it ever happened, but am reminded every time I fly into Newark, and those familiar towers are no longer there to greet me.
Patricia Kaplan
Littleton, CO
(formerly Clifton, NJ)
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I'd gotten up with my almost 9 month old son and as was our normal daily routine we settled in front of the local news to have his bottle. The broadcast was of the first tower to be hit, and the anchorpersons were still speculating as to what happened, that some pilot has miscalculated and that it was an accident. They then went to a NY station that was broadcasting from a helicopter. The news person was talking about what was going on, when from out of nowhere came the second plane. I stared in astonishment at the screen, and could hear the shock and disbelief in the reporter's voice. I yelled downstairs to my husband to turn on the news, the twin towers had been struck by planes. We began calling family in NY and NJ, and stared in horror at the TV as the towers fell. All that day and for about the two or three weeks after I was dumbstruck, and wept daily for the people killed for no good reason than that they were Americans. I still find it hard to believe it ever happened, but am reminded every time I fly into Newark, and those familiar towers are no longer there to greet me.
Patricia Kaplan
Littleton, CO
(formerly Clifton, NJ)
Collection
Citation
“story4379.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 10, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/9661.