110 20 2325 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. My town (Brecksville, near Cleveland, Ohio) got hit hard, even though it was so far away. I was in 3rd period (freshman health class) in high school, like so many others. It was our picture day and everyone was discussing when they were planning on getting them taken and talking about what they were wearing. My principal got on the announcements and he sounded clueless (like everyone else was) and said that the WTC had been hit by a plane. We turned on the TV and saw President Bush being informed and the little kids wondering what was wrong. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal, because I was in shock. All through the day, some teachers had their TVs on, some didn't. By the end of the day, there was a rumor that a kid in the middle school had a parent in the WTC on a business trip. I didn't know the kid but it still didn't sink in that he might have been killed. In fact, even when I went home, it hadn't sunken in the horrors of the day and how many lives were lost. Eventually details got shared in the papers and magazines but until then I was clueless. The rumor was true, sadly, and the boy's dad (William Moskal) was killed (he was on one of the top floors). Our tiny town was shocked as Mr. Moskal was extremely well known and we weren't anywhere near NY. It just goes to show that it really did affect the whole world...victims weren't just from NY and DC, but from anywhere. What if Mr. Moskal hadn't been on a business trip? He would still be alive. It's incredibly sad and every patriotic day is sad in Brecksville because of the family of Mr. Moskal and his neighbors and friends. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Well, my entire town changed. The whole town was covered in red, white, and blue and the sense of community was overwhelming. Even people like me who didn't know the Moskal family seemed to be so much in grief. It really brought the tragedy home for me and made it seem so real. I will never again take my country for granted and I realize that everyone can be affected (directly or indirectly) by events like these. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The victims and the terrible horrors they had to go through. I can't imagine the physical anguish, mental grief, and fear that every person had to go through, whether on a plane or in a building. Also, we need to remember how close as a nation we got after 9-11. I wish people still had that patriotic attitude, and many do, but it certainly has faded. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes and we still do. It was so sad during those few weeks afterwards to see the flag everywhere at half staff...in fact, it seemed so weird to fly them at full staff later on. I have respect for the flag...not because it's a piece of cloth, but because of what it represents; freedom, independence, sacrifice, and triumph. 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 nmah6471.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. 2004-03-19 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.50.230.49 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. My roommate and I had recently graduated from college. We grew up together on the same street in Southern New Jersey, didn't attend the same college, but kept in touch during those years we atteneded college. After graduation, we decided to move to Manhattan together - we found a great apartment about 2 blocks away from the World Trade Center, right on the water. My roommate loved living there because he worked in the World Financial Center (which used to be connected to the World Trade Center by a bridge over the West Side Highway). During the morning of September 11th, I had been running a little late for work and was watching SportsCenter on ESPN when my roommate reminded me that I should get a move on if I wanted to make it to work on time - I work in midtown and commuted each morning by the subway underneath the World Trade Center complex. I began work on August 27th, two weeks before the tragedy. On the morning of September 11th, I walked to the subway at the WTC and when I got out 15 minutes minutes later in midtown, everyone was looking downtown. From midtown Manhattan, you used to be able to see the twin towers by looking straight down most avenues. All we could see at that point was smoke coming out of one of them. I ran inside my work office to watch TV and to hear what had happened; the TV room was packed as all of my coworkers huddled into the room to hear what had happened. I made a phone call to my parents to let them know that I was OK. Some of us went back to our workstations. Then there was a rumor that a second plane had hit the second tower. We tried to tell each other that "no, there was only one plane, and only one tower was hit." But then someone ran down the hall to tell us that indeed a second plane had hit the second tower. I tried to call my parents again, but all of the cell phones that morning didn't work. I wrote an email to my father on his 2-way pager letting him know that I was safe in midtown, but that I hadn't heard from my roommate. Within the next hour, I heard from just about all of my friends and family - checking to see that I was OK, and letting me know that they were OK. The story from my roommate was that he and his coworkers had left the World Financial building and adjourned back to our apartment. They wanted to go back to work, and on their way back into the office, the second plane hit and they ran for their lives away from the towers. The rest of the morning was a blur, and this is what I remember. We watched at work on the television as the towers collapsed. People cried. People shook their heads. People said "NO, this can not be happening." We watched as the broadcasters let us know that there was a plane in Pennsylvania and another one in the DC area that had gone down. What could we do? We were in a conference room watching the TV as people were in complete chaos downtown? My new neighborhood quickly turned into a national disaster area - I couldn't return to my apartment for 2 weeks. But we had it the easiest - all we had to do was move to a new apartment...my thoughts, prayers, and wishes go out to all of those families who lost loved ones, and to all Americans that were affected on this tragic day. I met up with my roommate that night in Union Square, where a candlelight ceremony was being held. It was so good to see him. I slept over at my cousin's apartment that night in the upper westside. But Manhattan was eerily quiet that night. It took me about 10 blocks to find a cab on the street to take me to my cousin's apartment, when usually there are cabs on every corner. The streets were empty. The next morning, September 12th, I went to work. The streets of New York were empty. My workplace was empty. I was scared. I sat with a few other hundred people outside of CBS studios where we watched large screen TVs giving us the latest updates. How did I witness September 11th? I witnessed it by sight - from midtown looking downtown. I witnessed it with coworkers - huddled around TVs in a conference room crying and wondering how this happened. I witnessed it with fellow New Yorkers in a plaza the day after watching what had happened in our city, in our capital, and in our Pennsylvania town. I witnessed Ground Zero. I witnessed the signs and posters of missed ones posted on every telephone booth, every hospital entrance, and in every subway station. I witnessed September 11th, and will never forget September 11th. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I value life more. I live more freely, and with more carefree thoughts. Every once in a while I think about that day, about those that passed away, about those families that waited to hear from their loved ones. I think about what happened, why it happened, how it happened. But then I think about where we live, and how we live...then I think about how lucky we are to live in America - the greatest country in the world. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think there are certain stories that should be remembered forever when one speaks of September 11th. The valiant struggles the people on the flights put up with the terrorists. The good-natured, and good-hearted people that tried to help our disabled people in the World Trade Center buildings, and were eventually killed because they were trying to help these people out of the building. The fire fighters and police officers who were doing their jobs that day. Remembering September 11th is nothing without remembering the stories of that day. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? After leaving Manhattan a few weeks after September 11th, I went home to see my parents in Southern New Jersey. That weekend, my father and I tried to buy an American flag, but all of the flags were sold out in the stores we went to - he then remembered that one of his patients had given him a flag. We hung a huge American flag from the top of our garage that draped down a few feet. Now, as I venture around Manhattan, I see American flags in apartment windows, draping from sky scrapers, hanging out of car windows, worn on tee-shirts...and in the back of my mind I think of September 11th. 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 nmah326.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. 2002-08-20 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 155.201.35.50 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. i was in Math and the teacher left then came back and told us that the Trade Center was Attacked. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes my mom whould let me cross the Mackinaw Bridge now that this happend she wount let me. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The people who died. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes to both questions 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 nmah3935.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 204.38.32.6 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. On that tragic morning, I awoke at 6:30AM, and turned on the TV, and instead of seeing the usual morning show, there was a breaking news flash, "Twin Towers, New York." I had never heard of the twin towers before, so at the time I was confused about how big the buildings were. As I watched the horror of the twin towers, encircled by dust, debris and smoke, i could only envision the many people running for their lives. What had seemed to be another normal day in September, turned out to be one of the most important historic events in the lives of thousands, and captivated the hearts of those far away, which could only see the images on TV, and imagine the devastation. The picture seemed unreal, part of a movie, but then I realized that this was all happening, and even though it was hundreds of miles away from my home, it touched me in a way that until now is unexplainable. Who knew that this wasn't the only tragic event that would take place that morning. The whole day at school was filled with mourning, and television updates. When the second plane hit the other twin tower, people screamed, they were schocked and angry,and at the same time confused, that a human being would be so heartless, and cause so much pain. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My life in itself, such as my daily routine hasn't changed, but some modifications to my behavior have been made. Now, i realize and value my loved ones a lot more, and it's so sad to think that a tragedy had to take place, so that the United States could become more united, and hang their flags. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? What should be remembered about September 11th, is all the people that risked their lives to save others, and those who died, and the legacy that they left behind. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? No, I did not fly a flag after the events, because i was always patriotic in my heart, and my patriotism is in me, i don't feel the need to express it in hanging a flag. My feelings towards the flag have always been the same and will stay the same, it stands for unity. 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 nmah5204.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. 2002-10-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.79.81.243 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I was in high school when the attack first occurred. It was about 10:30 in the morning and my friends and I were eating lunch. The TV's were turned on but there was no sound, and we couldn't get close enough to read the captions. I saw smoke coming out of a building and assumed a bomb had gone off. Lunch was pretty normal - sure, we were worried, but we didn't know what had happened. Once I got to my next period, which happened to be history, my teacher explained everything to us. Our class went to the library and watched CNN. We did the same thing in all of my other classes but math. I remember how none of us could concentrate, but our teacher insisted that we work. I have no idea what we learned in class that day. When I went home, my mom was there and we both started to cry. The news was on, and I was eager to see how many people had been rescued. Unfortunately, it wasn't any. I remember that almost every channel, with the exception of a few kids' networks, had live coverage of the horrendous events. My family watched the news together until it became too much and we just had to turn the tv off. The day after was when you began to here the personal connection stories. My neighbor had an uncle who was a missing NY firefighter (luckily, he phoned home 2 days later). One of my classmate's mother and stepfather had survived the pentagon attack even though their desks were less than 50 feet from the collision. Everyone had a story to tell, and that's pretty much all anyone talked about all day long. Throughout the year after, I began to watch the news more and pay attention to the War on Terror. I've become much more interested in current events relating to the US. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Everyone's life has changed one way or another. I'm much more patriotic than I used to be. When I say the Pledge of Allegiance now, I actually mean the words I'm saying. Not that I didn't before, but it seemed more like a chore or something you had to do. I have a fear of more terror attacks, like many other people. At first, I refused to fly. I was too frightened. I even didn't go on vacation with my parents because of it. But I realized that by doing that, I was letting the terrorists win. I appreciate how great my life is, and I have a greater respect for those in public service. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? 9/11 was the day that America was unfairly attacked. Innocent lives were lost. But it was also the day when we became a more unified nation. Freedom and liberty and rights have so much more meaning now. Every rescue worker and vollunteer's courage should be remembered. Everyone who gave blood, ran a fundraiser, donated money, and helped in so many other ways should be remembered. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? 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 nmah4242.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.93.96.42 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I was witness to the events of Sepember 11th via my local television station. I am a special education teacher and was preparing for my day. While copying some material in the office, one of my co-workers called and I happened to answer the phone. She said "Did you see? A plane just hit the Trade Center". I turned on the television to see the disaster and was witness to the second plane hitting the second tower. I remember praying immediately, praying for survivors and thinkng "How could this happen on such a beautiful day?". NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. There is an uncertainty to every day, a feeling of discomfort that I feel. I worry that my 7 year old daughter will not be able to enjoy the same kind of "fearless" childhood that I did. I am more grateful for my country, my freedom, those who selflessly give their lives in daily duty. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think we should remember the courage of those who were involved in the rescue and how fast our great country responded to this tragedy. Living about an hour south of NYC, I was witness to so many ordinary people just getting in their cars and going to help immediately after without regard to consequenses. It was overwhelming. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes, I did fly my flag as a sign of solidarity and perhaps defiance to the terrorists, but I do not think that flying the flag has alot to do with patriotism. The American Flag is an important symbol, but patriotism is in your heart. 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 nmah412.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. 2002-08-24 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.12.96.70 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I live in Phoenix, Arizona. I was getting ready for work, had the TV on in the bedroom. I came out of the bathroom and saw a building on fire. I said to my 9 year old son, it looks like an airplane hit the building, by the shape of the impact. I sat there and watched to see what was happening and then to my horror, I saw the second plane come around and hit the tower. I just sat there with my mouth open, I could not speak or move. Needless to say, I was late for work that morning, as I was glued to the TV to find out what was happening in our world. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My life really hasn't changed. My outlook on life has. I realize just how quickly our life can be wiped away. I know just how important it is to say "I love you" to the special people in my life. It has been burned into my soul, that if I don't do it when I have the chance, I may not get the chance. I stop to smell the roses in life. I take pleasure in all the small things in life. I laugh a lot. I value life a lot more. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? Just how vulnerable we were. The United States of America has allowed most anyone to live here. We are a haven for the lost, the lonley, the poor, and yes, the terrorists. We are the land of the free, and that to some is the one thing in life that want most. And for others, it is the one thing in life they want to destroy for us. We need to remember that freedom always comes with a cost and that the land of the brave will always stand strong. We should remember the victims, their families, the heroics of all, and most importanly, just how cohesive American became once again. What others did to try and destroy us, only brought us closer together and more determined to remain the land of the free and the home of the brave. How quickly our enemies forget our respone to Pearl Harbor! NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes I do. I never felt so proud to be an American, as I did after 9-11. The way it was so hard to even find an American Flag! Awesome! Everywhere I looked I saw them. Even now the way huge billboards around the country show the flag, the eagle, united we stand, etc. It is truly an honor to be an American. 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 nmah181.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. 2002-08-19 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 63.142.7.250 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I was bound for California, a passenger on an American Airlines plane that was on the runway at Logan Airport in Boston at the time that, unbeknownst to us, the second plane hijacked from Logan crashed into the World Trade Center. While we awaited take-off on the tarmac, the pilot announced that our flight would be delayed, a common occurrence that about to turn into a singular experience. About 15 minutes later, the pilot made a most unusual announcementour flight was canceled due to a national grounding of planes. I turned to the woman next to me, saying, What the heck is this? I never heard of such a thing. The pilot then said that we had to deplane, take all our belongings with us, but that we could not leave the terminal. He added that we were free to use cell phones to let others know about our status. The woman seated to my left called her husband who in turn said that CNN was reporting that a hijacked jet had struck the twin towers. As we filed off the plane and returned to the terminal, I saw a long line of people standing outside an airport bar. Upon reaching them, I found that everyone was straining to see a television. There was a collective gasp as we all watched a tower fall. I was unaware at the time that two of my children were witnessing the same scene at their school. Since they did not know my flight number, they were terrified that one of the planes was mine. I was unable to contact them for two hours since the degree of telephone traffic rendered cell and airport pay phones useless. At some point, through the public address system, we were advised that the airport was going to close and that we should retrieve our luggage. As we approached the security checkpoint, we were met with the unexpected sight of a whole line of Massachusetts State Police who seemed to be scrutinizing each passenger. Someone said the luggage from our plane was being searched. My son Erik had never left the airport since he caught some early CNN coverage and anticipated at least some delay. He later found me at the baggage claim where people were telling each other about the latest development, the crashing of another plane, this one at the Pentagon. As people were speculating that we were being invaded, I was grateful for my sons presence and I hugged him closely. By the time I was able to get my bag, the airport was virtually deserted. We found ourselves in the only vehicle on the road. Nearby tollbooths were unmanned and open. It was an eerie journey home: a chill ran through me as imagined how terrified the hijacked passengers must have been and how close I had come to being one of them. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Every time I fly, I find myself carefully looking over my fellow travelers for signs of anything suspicious. I wouldn't describe myself as paranoid; rather, I feel alert to new concerns I never considered before September 11. Also, it has saddened me to realize that so many middle-Easterners hate Americans. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? America has vulnerabilities that can't be ignored. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? We always flew a small flag but got a larger one after September 11. The American flag is more appreciated today as a symbol of unity and patriotism. Americans have probably not felt this strongly about our country since December 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. 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 nmah5625.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. 2003-09-01 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.218.122.217 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I had taken the day off from work that day for the purpose of taking my infant son to a doctors appointment. I remember the phone ringing, answering it still half alseep, and hearing my wifes excited voice telling me that The World Trade Center had just been bombed. I didn't take her seriously initially. Nevertheless, I managed to find the remote control for the television, and upon turning it on, I was immediately brought to a full consciousness by what was unfolding before my eyes. One tower had already collapsed and in the process of the media replaying clips of seperate airliners crashing into both towers, the other tower began to buckle, collapse, and crumble. I could not believe what I was seeing. I remember surfing through the major stations to get different veiws on what was happening, and remember seeing the words that will forever be etched in my memory. "AMERICA IS UNDER SEIGE BY UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS". After it was reported that a third plane had been hijacked and subsequently it to had crashed, it was painfully obvious that we were being targeted by some very angry and desperate people. My first reaction, as I began to get my son ready for his very first routine appointment,was not one of anger or rage as many others will confess to. My first thoughts were ones of sorrow for the lives that were being taken through no fault of thier own. My heart and prayers were and still go out to the families of those unsuspecting people who were in those buildings and on those airplanes. I think like so many others,I went through the rest of that day in a state of shock or disbelief. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I cannot say there have been any drastic changes in my personal life, but I believe I have a better appreciation for life itself. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? That so many lives, innocent lives ended prematurely. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Being a 42yr. old Afro American male, before Septemeber 11, I never looked at myself as a "Patriotic American", but in the aftermath of that tragedy, I have come to embrace this country more than I had in the past. I applaud the efforts of the countless people who left their homes and families to assist in the recovery process. I had never before flown an american flag at my home, but I do have one now and I fly it proudly. 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 nmah184.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. 2002-08-19 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.193.33 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. On September 11th I was in shop class working on a casting of a bald eagle. Someone from the class next door came over to tell us the news. I dropped everything I was doing to go check it out. At first I thought it was an accident that the first plane had hit the tower. When I saw the second one collide into the other tower, I knew something was wrong. For the next few weeks, and even longer, everyone was still in disbelief. When we resumed normal classes, I finished the eagle casting and now have it hanging up as my reminder of that day. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? September 11th should be remembered for the great losses that were suffered, not only as Americans, but all of the familes, friends, and businesses. So many innocent lives were taken, it seems for almost no reason. It wasn't just Americans that were lost. Many other people from different races and religions were lost, so the attack on America wasn't a good reason. Aside from that, all of the Police, firemen, and emergency workers should be remembered for their courageous efforts to try and save others by risking their own lives. I don't know if I could have done what they did, knowing the danger involved; they did it without even giving it a second thought and they deserve to be remembered. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? 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 nmah4609.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. 2002-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 206.82.16.35 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I work right across the street from the World Trade Center, in the World Financial Center. When you see the view of the site on TV, it's the shiny building with the round dome on top that sits right next to the Wintergarden. (The Wintergarden is the short, rounded glass atrium with the palm trees in it). The morning of 9/11, I left my house at about 7:30, and took the Newark subway to Newark, and then the PATH train in to work. I was running a bit late, and I arrived at the PATH station at right about 8:30 am. The PATH station sat right about under the South Tower. I stopped off at my favourite bagel place, Akbar's, which was in the PATH station, and then came up through the mall and walked over to work. I walked through the lobby of the North Tower (the first one hit) at right about 8:35 am .. about 10 minutes before it got hit. I was at my desk by about 8:40 am. I had just logged onto my computer when I heard a very loud banging, and I felt the floor rumble a bit. I worked on the 34th floor, so we didn't get any street noise. I did work fairly close to the freight elevator, though, so I thought it was somebody rumbling carts through there. Then an emergency email popped up from one of the news services, saying that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Almost instantaneously, we had an announcement over our building's loudspeaker system. The voice said that there had been an emergency, and a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center towers. They said that we needed to stay in our building, and should not leave (due to falling debris). The message also said that the emergency did not effect our building, and we absolutely should not attempt to leave. So, I walked out of my office, and went to see what had happened. I remember the first thing I saw as I rounded the corner was all sorts of burning papers and debris swirling around the top of our building. We had just had a ticker tape parade for the Yankees shortly before, and it looked like that ... all sorts of paper and other things in the air .. except this time, some of them were on fire. I rounded the corner and walked to the windows overlooking the World Trade Center. Our floor was very quiet, and I could hear a lot of people on the phones, talking about the plane flying into the building in German and English. There was quite a crowd already assembled at the windows, watching the North Tower burn. You could tell that entire floors were on fire, and the flames seemed to roll from bottom to top of each floor. Huge chunks of burning debris were falling from the building, and I watched them land on the roof of the Marriott Hotel below, and on cars parked in the lot next to the Marriott. At this moment, most of us seemed to think it was a small tourism plane that had flown into the tower, and one of my coworkers commented angrily that maybe now they would keep the planes further away. (We used to have small planes and helicopters flying quite close to us all day long). Another coworker and I quietly speculated on whether it might have been deliberate, but we brushed it off as an accident. Still, on such a bright, clear day, it was hard to see how someone could have accidentally hit something as big as a WTC tower. Since we couldn't leave, we sat there and watched the burning debris. When a particularly large piece fell down, we pointed it out to each other, and said "Look at that one!" There were pieces the size of cars falling from the building, most of them on fire. Then one of my coworkers gasped, and said, "Oh no .. that one is a person!" I looked up, and I saw a man in a business suit go flying by the window. I still remember that he had brown tassle loafers on, and the tassles and his tie were floating upwards as he fell. He looked almost like he was surfing ... one leg in front of the other, looking down as he plummeted. He fell out of view behind the Marriott. Then I looked more carefully, and I could see people clinging to the side of the building, and I watched a few more fall or get blown out of the building. The smoke was getting heavier at this point .. it was a huge stream of black smoke that blew straight south, enveloping the top of the other tower. At about this moment, I heard the weirdest jet noise .. very high pitched and fast, and it seemed to be coming from the south. It sounded like a jet when it banks hard in one direction, but it also sounded very close. I looked south, but I couldn't see anything but smoke. Then all of a sudden, out of the smoke, I saw a United Airlines jet appear. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, because it was so close that I could see passengers at the windows. They looked terrified, and some of them were pulling down their windowshades rather hastily. Then it banked very hard, seemed to accelerate, and it ran into the tower. When it hit the tower, I could see metal and other things flying .. I think I saw a person or two fly out, too. (I was practically right across the street from where the South Tower was hit, and it was just a few stories above me). When the plane disappeared from view, there was a HUGE fireball explosion .. it really lit up the whole sky. Someone on our floor shouted that now the second tower had been hit, and someone else shouted that we needed to get out of there. I started running and then I figured that I couldn't outrun an airplane, so I slowed to a fast walk. I went to my office and grabbed everything I could, and made sure our vault was locked. First I headed to the elevators, where other people were waiting. No elevators were coming, so I said that maybe we shouldn't take the elevators and should take the stairs instead. We walked over to the stairs and started going down. It takes a LONG time to walk down 34 flights of stairs, even under the best of circumstances. Everyone was quite quiet and orderly, and looked scared. The first few flights were quite fast, but as we got further down, more and more people joined us, and we had to stand and wait a lot. We couldn't see anything in the concrete stairwell, so we had no idea what was going on. At one point, the entire building shook, and we thought we had been hit. Still, nobody panicked, and a few people reminded everyone to stay calm and collected and move in an orderly fashion. Building security was in charge of the evacuation by this point, and they had the fire doors open on some floors, and were urging people to leave. I tried looking past the fire door on a few floors to see what was happening, but all I could see was more burning debris flying by the windows. I tried my cell phone but couldn't get reception, so I typed an email on it to my mother, telling her I was okay. Well, when we finally got to the bottom, they ushered us through the lobby, and out the back escalators onto West Street. Once there, we were kind of on our own. The police had all streets leading to the WTC cordoned off, but we could stand there and see what was happening. On the South Tower, I could see huge strips of metal (the exterior panels of the building) hanging down, and a gaping hole where the plane had flown in. I tried calling my mother on my cell phone, but got no reception. SO, I tried sending her the email on it. There was one pay phone in our area, but it was apparently not working. Since there were still huge chunks of burning debris coming our direction, I decided to move further away. I also decided that I needed to get a disposable camera so I could photograph what was happening. So, I walked into the grocery store nearby, and I found a black and white disposable camera (the only type they had for sale) on the wall for $14.99. The lady at the register paying ahead of me was commenting to the cashier how lucky she was to have been in the store getting soda, or she would have been in the tower as it was hit. Once I was back on the street, I snapped some pictures of the burning towers, and decided to move to the area where our company was supposed to assemble during a fire drill. More and more people were moving away from the WTC and over to the waterfront, probably because of the debris coming down. We moved as one big herd, and every so often, everyone would start running for no real reason .. probalby because things were landing near them. Once I was over by the harbour, things were a bit calmer. There were still some people there proceeding as if it was a normal day .. riding bikes or jogging or roller blading. Other people had fled, and there were empty shoes near the waterfront, facing in all directions. I guess the shoe owners had kicked off their shoes to run away? A few people from my company had converged near the volleyball court, and one of our managers had a clipboard with all of our names, and was checking us off. I gave him my name, and he reached over and hugged me and told me he already had me listed. A firefighter walked by, and I could see that his face was badly burned .. very white, with blood around the side of his face. Someone else was leading him, and had tied a white T-shirt around his head. The police came up to us and told us it was a secure area, and that we needed to all move north. I grabbed my disposable camera and shot pictures of the burning towers as we kept moving. Some of our employees were crying, but most were very calm. I accidentally walked into someone as I was taking pictures, and he reached over and hugged me, and told me that was okay. On the other side of the yacht basin, a ferry was waiting, going to New Jersey, where I live. The rest of my coworkers continued to head north, and I told my coworker Ellen that I would be taking the ferry and going home. We hugged, and I wished her well. I almost DIDN'T take the ferry when I first got on the platform, because the ticket window was closed, and I didn't have much cash with me, anyway. At the ferry entrance, a neat line of ticketholders was on the left, quietly handing the tickettakers their tickets and boarding. I walked over to the other tickettaker to ask where I could buy a ticket, and he shook his head and told me just to get on. I did, and we pushed off a couple of seconds later. I was lucky .. this later turned out to be the last ferry to leave that day. Once we got into the middle of the river, I leaned back over my seat, and kept taking pictures of the burning towers. Everyone was talking quietly, recalling what they had seen, and speculating what had happened. As we got close to the other shore, there was some confusion. The boat captain announced that the next stop would be Harborside, which was where I wanted to go to catch the PATH train. But as we pulled into the dock, the tickettakers urged all of us to get off the boat. I walked off of the boat to the landing, but then turned around to ask one of the tickettakers how I was supposed to get to Harborside. Just as I was turning, though, there was a huge booming noise. Someone yelled that another plane had hit, but as I looked across the river, I could see that it as the North Tower collapsing. I grabbed my disposable camera and took pictures, while a huge police officer told all of us to run away. He was yelling that there was another hijacked plane unaccounted for, and that it was probably coming our direction, and we needed to run as fast as we could. At that moment, an F-16 came streaking across the sky, scaring all of us, and we turned and ran across the open field in front of us. On the other side of the field, there was a tall, chain link fence, and a couple of my fellow passengers had to help me over it with my parcels. (I was carrying a birthday package for my friend Irene that I needed to mail, as well as my usual briefcase and lunch bag). It took me a couple more hours to get home after that. Everyone was fleeing Jersey City by car, but the roads were backed up, and the entire PATH system was down. I wound up taking a gypsy cab (who didn't charge me) to the Journal Square PATH station. Then I caught another gypsy cab (which charged us $20 apiece!) with some strangers to Newark Penn Station. I didn't have that much money with me, but one of the men paid for me, and I insisted on writing him a check. (I remember asking him what day it was, and he said, "I think it is September 11th".) Then I caught busses home. I heard the second tower fall as I was waiting for the second bus. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Very much so! Since I worked right across from the towers, I was working in a temporary office from September 11, 2001 to May 12, 2002. Then we went back downtown. Our office was hardhit economically by the disaster, though, and I was laid off one week before the one year anniversary of the disaster. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think it should be remembered that this didn't HAVE to happen. It wasn't a natural disaster; it was caused by destructive people with an "agenda". NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? I think the flag as a symbol was overused right after the disasters. I saw a lot of people who were so unfamiliar with hanging flags that they hung them backwards. Now, a year later, I think we have a healther renewed sense of patriotism ... more pride in the country than before the disaster, but without the "hype" and hysteria that we had right after 9/11/2001 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 nmah5018.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. 2002-09-16 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 149.150.236.80 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. My name is Jimmie Duncan I was at school when it happend. September 11/01 I was at school watching the news.When the first plane hit the first tower.There were so many things going throught my head.I didn't know what to think about.Then the second plane hit I was scared all I thought about was family and what thay were doing. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? 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 nmah6242.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. 2003-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.88.86.3 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I am a music teacher in a small town in Texas. The school principal, who is also my husband, knocked on my door and said, "One of the World Trade Towers in New York has just been hit by a plane. It seems to have been a deliberate attack. Keep the kids in the room and hold them until further notice. Do not say anything to the children and try to continue as if nothing has happened for now. Watch a movie or something until we know what is going on. I'll be going to each room personally so as not to frighten the children. I love you." There were twenty-five third graders in my room at the time, and I was told to continue on as if nothing had happened. Initially, I was stunned. It just had to be some kind of terrible joke. Turning from this news, I looked into the eyes of my students, bit my lip, and said, "Hey, let's sing "Spoonful of Sugar." It was hard not to cry. I knew that our children's lives would be changed forever by this horror. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I am a Christian, but that does not mean I am perfect. God tells us to fear not, but I still struggle with this problem. Flying is not my favorite way to travel, but it is even more uncomfortable for me now. My husband's hand is red from the force of my grip on take-off and landing. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? Those who risked their lives for others, those lost, and the anger felt by all Americans at this moment. For once, politics, was forgotten and we truly were united in our stand. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes. Every time I look at the flag, I think of all of those who died to keep our nation free. My feelings about the flag and what it represents have always been strong, but now I just want to shake it in some people's faces. 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 nmah6290.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. 2003-09-17 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 170.76.20.253 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I acted very much as a witness, caught up in the terrible events occuring before me without having the recourse of being able to physically do anything about it. I was watching mid-afternoon television, waiting for my children coming home from school and then sky television news broke the news that there had been an 'accident' in New York . I watched as the second plane plummetted into the World Trade Centre, I couldn't believe it was happening, it was only afterwards when reports were coming through about the phone calls coming from the trapped people inside and the people in the plane that the human cost became so much to bear. As a Northern Ireland Catholic, I have seen my share of terrorist attacks, I was burnt out of my home in 1971, we were the victims of three bomb attacks after that, but when it was happening, especially when we were being dug out of the first bomb attack, we had no time to think, no time to be aware of what was happening. I wouldn't have been as brave as those people trapped and knowing what was going to happen, I wouldn't even have been as desperate as those who threw themselves from the windows. My heart broke on 9/11 I planted a tree in my garden in Warrenpoint, looking over the Mourne Mountains, and wished for peace for those lost souls and for their families left behind in grief. My thoughts, my prayers and my sympathy go to you mary NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? Bravery, NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? 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 nmah6480.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. 2004-03-27 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 195.93.32.10 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. Being a former worker at the Pentagon and feeling that massive structure shake like it was just in an earthquake, seeing the ball-of-fire come over the window and feeling the air being sucked out of the bldg for a split second and then knowing that this not a drill and someone has decided to play God on that is an experience no one would want to experience or witness. There is not enough words in the English dictionary to explain the range of emotions one is feeling. From being lucky to get out to know that there are the very people that you work with, pass in the hall, have lunch with, ride the subway home with, that are no longer here to enjoy, the everyday things that I myself took for granted, but no longer due. Seeing the news flashs, waking up in the middle of the night for the next week crying, knowing how close to the point of impact of that plane hitting the pentagon that I was is beyond description. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My life has changed considerabley, I have gotten a new job. Let's stress, in the sense of little things that use to irrate me no longer due. Taking life for what it is. Just living, enjoying life. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? What should be remembered is that It made the Baby Boomer Generation realized that the things that our Parent, Grandparents, Great-Grand Parents, fought for we should hold fast to and continue to fight. Nothing should be taken for granted. We should prepare our children for what may be yet to come. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? 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 nmah642.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. 2002-08-30 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 204.108.8.5 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. As a student at UMass Amherst, I did not have class that day until 11:15am, so I took advantage of the morning, and slept in. I woke up around 10am and went to breakfast, having no idea that anything out of the ordinary had occured that morning. I finished my breakfast, and returned to my dorm to ride the elevator up 22 floors to my room. People in the elevator mentioned that a "plane had crashed," but I had no idea that it had hit a building, nevermind the Twin Towers. To tell you the truth, I was not really familiar with the significance of the World Trade Center until they were destroyed. Anyway, when I returned to the elevator after getting my books for class, I was notified by a dormmate that two planes had hit the WTC. I was a little in shock, but since I thought I didn't know anyone who was involved, I still didn't think much of it. I continued to class, and when I got there, our teacher mentioned that she knew people who may have been involved at both the WTC and the pentagon, and that we all needed to go watch the TV and learn more about the attacks, so our class was canceled. When I arrived back on my floor, the top floor in a tower, it was really eerie. Every room that had a TV in it had the news on, with many people hovered around it. I called my parents to see if they had heard the news, but no one was home, so I called my dad at work. He told me that my brother(who also works at GE)'s boss was on one of the planes that had hit the WTC. I didn't know the boss, but I still was surprised that someone in my family knew a victim of the attacks. Classes were cancelled for the rest of the day, and any University workers other than the cafeteria workers and essential personnel were sent home. I finally got a hold of my mom, and neither of us knew what to do next. She wondered if students would be sent home, and if I needed a ride, etc. I said that I hadn't heard much other than classes for that day were cancelled. For the rest of the day, there was nothing else really to do besides watch the TV. We watched many leaders from all over the world trying to prove that they had not attacked and they were behind the U.S.A. 100%. We saw video of Middle Eastern countries with things that looked like fireballs going across the screen, although it was not definite if they were American missiles or not. Finally, after feeling too depressed to watch the towers collapse again and again, my RA suggested that we watch a movie. We weren't in denial, but we had seen enough, and we needed to get our minds off of the terrible event. It's amazing how watching TV, and not doing anything can make you tired. I went to bed that night, not knowing if 9/12 would be like 9/11 or would it be back to normal. Fortunately, the next day was a day of healing during the aftermath of a second day that will live in infamy. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? Yes, my parents hung my Grandfather's flag, given to us upon his passing, in our front window. In the past year, I have learned what it really is to be an American. I have never seen so much patriotism, and so many communities coming together, while in the back of my mind, I often wonder if it will all happen again. 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 nmah3903.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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 128.119.12.89 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. I was at home. I hurt my leg so i had to stay home from school for the week. I was asleep.My mom woke me up around 9:00 to 9:30.She said, "Jeremy wake up we might be going to war." That night i went to Outback Steak House. The had a t.v. there.The t.v.'s were pn c-span i think.George Bush started giving a speech and everyone grew quiet.After the speech was over everyone started clapping.I said to my self, "This really is a big deal." I didnt know about Osama Bin Laden or let alone any terrorist.I do now though. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I think all of our lives have changed.Bin Laden did this to try to tear us as a nation upart...i think all it did was bring us together.My dad is more cautious about where im at and what im doing. he wants me to call him instead of leaving a note. He has a cell phone and when im going to like the mall or movies he wants me to bring spo i can call if anything happens. Now this west nile virus is going around and they have had oner two hundred and fifty cases.I was thinking where it had come from...or who it came from.Like if Bin Laden did that and the anthrax. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think we should remember that we are a naton and that noonecan bring us down.family. It just makes me feel so proud of my country that we can take that sort of hit and still stand.It makes me feel safe anywhere in this country. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? No, my family hasn't but all throughout Nederland I have seen all sorts of sizes of flags.You can tell how this sort of incident has changed people. 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 nmah649.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. 2002-08-30 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 208.191.87.61 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. It was my second day at my new job. I was reading the employee manuals in the breakroom, when one of the operators came in and said, "A plane just hit the World Trade Center." I didn't think I heard him right, but then he turned on the television, with the coverage of the first tower being hit. Other workers started coming in, talking about the tragic "accident". Then, right before our eyes, the second plane hit. For a split second, no one said anything, then reactions of shock and disbelief in realizing that these weren't accidents. The attack of the Pentagon, the crash of Flight 93, the collapse of the twin towers-I have never felt so overwhelmed, so helpless. I tried to get through the day as best as I could, only to find myself at home glued to the television for the rest of the week, crying most of the time. I could not stop watching the news coverage. I felt as if someone close to me in my family had just died, and they had. America IS my family. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. It has been one year ago today, and September 11, 2001 has no doubt changed the world. On a personal level, I am more apprehensive about the future. I want to be defiant in the face of the people that have done this to my country and to the world, yet I have a daily fear of waiting for the other shoe to drop. One thing is for sure: I refuse to stop living my life. I refuse to let those responsible have that kind of power over me. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think that September 11th should be remembered as a day that brought out the best in people. People sacrificed their time, their safety, their blood-their lives. It is a shame that it took something such as this to bring us closer together. We have July 4th to celebrate being American; maybe we need September 11th to reflect upon what being an American really means. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? I flew the American flag where I spend most of my time-my car. My feelings about the American flag have changed; I have learned more about the symbolism, and after all these years, I look at it-REALLY look at it-and realize how beautiful it is. 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 nmah4434.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. 2002-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 66.119.33.135 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. On September 11 I can remember that I was walking into my second hour when someone in my class said that the WTC had been attacked. It was very shocking to me. For the rest of the day in every class we got to watch what was happening and it was all so surreal to me. I really didn't think anything had happened but I was wrong. America had been attacked. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes I think my life has changed since September 11 in many little ways. I am so much thankful for living in America now than I was before. I am grateful for all the freedoms I have and for everything that the United States of America has to offer. My patriotism to our country has changed the most. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think people should remember how America delt with September 11. We were all very mournful and sorrowful. I also think everyone should remember all of the people who died in the WTC attacks. We should always remember them and keep them in our hearts along with their families. We should also be grateful for all the firemans, policemen, etc, that helped out on September 11 and saved many lives. NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? 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 nmah5117.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. 2002-09-18 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.15.198.166 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: Bearing Witness to History" Stories Submitted Online Description An account of the resource Visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's, "Bearing Witness to History" online exhibition submitted these reflections beginning in 2002. NMAH Story NMAH Story: Story How did you witness history on September 11th? Share your experience. yes NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. yes i got more sensitive NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? the twin towers NMAH Story: Flag Did you fly an American flag after the events of September 11th? Have your feelings about the American flag changed as a result of September 11th? no i couldnt afford one 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 nmah2533.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. 2002-09-10 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 151.198.226.2