75 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. I was a freshman student, just beginning to experience all the new experiences of high school, when on September 11th, the world changed. I was the first one to enter my second class of the day, when I noticed my teacher was acting a little unusual - he was staring at the TV monitor with a blank look. Wondering what the deal was, I glanced up, and held my gaze in shock. There, immortally framed within the recesses of my mind, was an image that will stay with me forever. There glared the timeless New York City skyline over the bay - in flames. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Besides the obvious psychological effects of the people around me, a multitude of changes existed in the aftermath of 9/11. For a while, the security of our great nation was shaken. Airports closed, people viewed each other with wary eyes, and even the security at the Power Plant where my father worked was increased. Life changed dramatically, sometimes profoundly, sometimes more subtly. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? As the dust clears at Ground Zero, and a thousand dreams were shattered - As tireless workers work into the night to save the lives of people they had never met - As people turn and pull their loved ones a bit closer tonight- We are a nation. 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 flew a flag in the aftermath of 9/11, as did almost all of our friends and neighbors. I believe more in the strength of our country's flag, not as a symbol, but more as an emotion of unity keeping the fabric of American society together despite conflicting views. 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 nmah1021.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. 2002-09-04 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 216.148.246.70 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 was woken up by my mom to go take a shower and get ready for school. I remember it was only about the second or third day of school. I got dressed and headed downstairs to find my mom panicking over the phone saying turn on the news now. So confused about what was going on, I went to go find out for myself. There it was, the footage that millions of people will remember. two planes had hit the World Trade Center building. I was speechless and could not believe what I was seeing. Going school that day was one thing I will always remember. Everyones conversation was about what had happened earlier that morning. We sat in class and the principal had made a announcement over the PA system. The principal asked everyone to rise and say a little prayer for the people who suffered the loss of a loved one and for all those who were helping others out of the rubble. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. From that day on, I realized that I should be thankful for what I have and that none of my friends or family was hurt. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? We should never forget those who gave their lives that day to try and rescue another person. Us as a country should always remember that in a time of need, we will unite together as one and rebuild whatever was lost. 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? My family always had an American flag in the household, but after September 11, we flew the flag on the outside of the house. I've always had respect for the American flag, because My family would not be where they are if it wasn't for America. 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 nmah6781.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. 2004-09-13 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.125.159.170 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 the morning of September 11, 2001 my husband and I were at home with our 2 children. My husband is a firefighter for a department that is about 30 miles south of Chicago. The phone rang and a friend of ours asked us if we were watching the news. He then told us about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center. We immediately turned on the television and saw the second plane hit the towers. My heart sank to my stomach and we knew that this was no accident. Soon after we heard about the plane hitting the Pentagon. My husband was put on alert by his department and all I could do was cry. Our son was 4 years old at the time and was asking a ton of questions. We kept it as simple as "There are people in the world who don't like Americans so they crashed the planes into the buildings." Fortunately, that was enough for him. As the day went on we listened to the reports of FDNY firefighters that were missing, presumed dead or injured. I saw the concern on my husband's face be! cause he had known many of the firefighters that were undoubtedly there at the time of the tragedy. Throughout the day we just hugged eachother and our children and cried. When reports started coming in revealing the names of the FDNY firfighters that were dead, my husband recognized quite a few. He had taken many classes that were either taught by or attended by guys from New York. It was amazing to hear just how many of them he knew and considered his "Brothers". Everytime the phone rang I would wonder if it was work calling him to send him to New York for assistance. Many friends from other departments went immediately to offer their assistance. Finally FDNY stated that if any department wanted to help, please inform them of 10-20 people who would be coming out and add their certifications. They were in need of men certified in Structural Collapse. Ironically, this was the class that my husband had taken with the majority of the FDNY guys he knew. He never ended up going to Ground Zero, but our hearts were there with all of the Brothers as well as their families. I have kept all of the newspapers, magazines and articles I have found regarding the attacks of September 11 so our children can use it for reference later in school. We will also have the stories of comeraderie and "Brotherhood" from my husband. Since the attacks, I have never once watched my husband go to work, gotten off the phone with him, or kissed him goodbye without telling him to be careful and that I loved him. It has made me realize that there are no guarantees that my husband will come home after his 24 hour shift. We have to live each day to the fullest and remember to say, "I love you". My heart goes out to all of the victims, not only firefighters, rescue workers, or police officers, but to everyone who worked in the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon and everyone on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. May their families be watched over and blessed everyday. God Bless the United States of America!! 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? We always fly a flag! The events of Septmeber 11, 2001 have shown us how fortunate we are to live in a country that comes together so well in the wake of tragedy. 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 nmah4129.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. 64.209.61.85 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 2001, I was working on a state contract for the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was a normal day, I had a meeting with a sub-contractor at Richmond International Airport and the meeting was proceeding normally when all of a sudden, an employee rushed into the conference room and turned the television on. What we saw was one of the World Trader Center buildings burning. The news reporter was talking about a plane that had crashed into the building. People in the room started discussing the crash as an accident. I then remembered watching BBC America a few days before and a report of the Northern Alliance Afghan Leader being assasinated by Al Qaeda. Along with the USS Cole attack, I immediately knew this was terrorism at work and I said to everyone in the room that this was not an accident. People looked at me like I was crazy. Shortly thereafter, the second plane crashed into the second tower. There was then no doubt. We were being attacked. We adjourned the meeting, wishing to return to our office in downtown Richmond. As we left the building, we heard the distinctive noise of one fighter jet after another taking off. It was F16's of the Virginia National Guard. Later we heard that they were heading for Washington DC to intercept a plane that was off track. This was the plane that would eventually hit the Pentagon. As we headed downtown, we found that we could not get to our office as all government building were being closed down and roads were being sealed off. I called my wife and told her I was heading home and that I wanted to be with her during these horrific times. We spent the rest of the day searching the news channels for some kind of hope, not believing that the World Trade Center towers had collapsed, killing thousands of people. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. In the days of the cold war, you knew who the enemy was. He sat on the other side of the fence known as the Iron Curtain. You knew he had nuclear weapons and nerve gas agents and multiple other ways to destroy the world 100 times over. But you also knew that if this enemy attacked, he would be in a tank, he would wear a uniform and he would come from the east. After 9/11, you no longer know who the enemy is. The person walking down the street greeting you could have in his hand the dirty bomb that kills thousands. You have the feeling that you should stay away from risky areas, you shouldn't fly, you shouldn't take any risks. But they have won if you change your life to meet their strategies. Today, I am more aware of my surroundings but I refuse to change my life for these people. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? 9/11 is not like Pearl Harbor or any other significant attack on the United States. In 9/11, it wasn't army against army or country against country. This was terrorism against 3,000 civillians who did nothing more than say goobye to their families to go to work and never returned. 9/11 should never be forgotten. 9/11 should be kept out of the hands of commericalization, politics and the media. The people own 9/11 and the people are the ones who should never forget. Not one organization should decide how 9/11 is remembered. Every person in the world who believes in freedom and democracy are survivors of 9/11 and should never forget the fateful day in 2001. We should remember the way we feel comfortable remembering. 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 flag and I am prpud to be under the protection of the flag and always will be. 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 nmah6501.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. 2004-04-17 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.57.67.188 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. Pentagon Employee[Occupant of Rosslyn Swing Space]. This is to remember how the day of Terrorists attacking the Pentagon was just a few moments and 300' from the impact. I remember the day just as many others started. I was waiting for the Swing Space bus in Pentagon's South Parking E stop. I had just missed the bus head to Rosslyn at 8:45am, the bus driver who pulled away the way those drivers do when they see you coming, but can't wait. Well I was going to have another bus to catch. The newly renovated wedge of the Pentagon was going in faster that I had expected, and already some of the occupants were moving back to this area from our Rosslyn swing space. I knew of several offices from our HQ in the Pentagon who not long ago were in Rosslyn just 2 miles away. Now I don't know why I missed that bus but another one was only ten more minutes behind. I did get on that next bus. I was in my office getting the day going as I heard reports on a radio someone had on. Then I was in touch with the Pentagon as the Trade Center was attacked again. The person said they had to evacuate the Pentagon, and a quick good-bye. At first, we heard there was a Bomb that went off in the Pentagon, but the crash didn't take long for us to hear about. Everyone's cell phone stopped working, no service messages, for what ever reason. Maybe just over use by the CELLULAR providers. Computers didn't work and when they came back about an hour later we had very little work that could be done. People were very panicky, many when home before the release was announced, but nobody wanted to tell them everything was alright. Buildings in the Metro area were closing for the day. My car was in South Parking at the Pentagon, I had to find a way home; it was almost like fate but my phone rang it was my son on his cell phone asking if I needed a ride. YES. I was glad to take a ride. I waited outside my office in Rosslyn and as I remember the street was very empty, I was not the first to leave but the street was like Sunday morning real early. At last my ride arrives, what a mess on the outbound highways. My son stops at the corner. He steps out of the jeep he drives. Then just like out of some movie, we see the military helicopters going fast by us up the Potomac, as they head out of town. The remainder of the day I wouldn't go anywhere because I had no car to use. I did get a ride to the Pentagon that evening but couldn't retrieve my car, it was in the parking lot, that was now a tent covered lot and emergency vehicles and rescue people were hurrying everywhere. It would be two days before I got my car back. I just would have rather had some of the friends back. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes. I still park in the Pentagon lot. I take a look at the new Pentagon building and the rebuilding worker's daily from the same spot. It takes a while to move forward with this tragety but I think the shock of this event has taken too many by surprise. Life is changing for everyone, more security for the Pentagon, and talk about the new building going to ready on 11 Sep 2002. People who are moving into this new space, are being given special treatment. Some tenants are or were there as before, just lucky. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? Surely not all the newscasters making the same story sound like special announcements. I would remember the events of the day and what now was going to be a new reality. 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. Patriotic flags were everywhere. We flew one on the front porch, one on the car antenna and one on the side of the Pentagon. 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 nmah437.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. 2002-08-26 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 206.38.114.99 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 the eleventh of 2001, I woke up to walk my dog, to take a shower, and to trudge off to school, like so many other American teenagers. I thought nothing of our nation's saftey, or of the hate that is projected towards us by some countries of the world. I was in relative bliss, tucked away in my corner of the world, taking my freedoms for granted when my dad told me to come look at the television. At first I thought that there had been some sort of freak accident. I didn't realize the magnitude of the impact; the impact of that first plane that shattered the lives of so many, and the psyches of so many more. As we stood in the room trying to comprehend what was going on, the second plane collided with the other tower. Then I was scared. I felt vulnerable. What was going on? We listened to the radio on the drive to school. We heard that all of the airports were being closed, the air force was taking over the skies, the planes were hijacked, rescuers were going in.... In class, we were glued to the TV as well. We saw the towers fall, and the frantic people fleeing ground zero. They reminded me of pictures of Mount St. Helens with ash billowing down and filling the streets. No one knew what to say. The teachers were silent. Nothing like this had ever happened before. 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? In my opinion, the single most important thing that should be remembered is the unwaivering courage of the American people. We should remember those who lingered in the streets to help usher the survivors away from the danger, the firefighters, paramedics, and police officers that went above and beyond the call of duty to protect others, and those on the planes who fought back and tried to stop these horrific tragedies from happening. I hope that Americans have learned that there is a world outside of our own, and that many cultures believe America in some respects is not as wonderful we sometimes think. We need to understand that we can improve as a nation, and in turn act as a model for others. War is not an acceptable answer to acts like this. Returning violence with violence only breeds more violence. And ultimate patriotism is not an unquestioning faith in our leaders. We are a democracy. We are trying to protect a democracy. A democracy is a system where we the people of this country decide set our own course. We need to think for ourselves, and not hand over our power to a select few in Washington. 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. My feelings have not changed very much. Although it is important to show national pride, that is one of the very things that angers other nations; the misinterpreted pride that comes out as "AMERICA RULES". 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 nmah1020.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. 2002-09-04 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. When a coworker told me that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center, I thought he was joking. Then I learned that a second plane had hit. We were all gathered in the conference room, watching the news on TV, when we learned that a plane had just hit the Pentagon. Some people said they were leaving and I decided to join them. I work two blocks from the White House. I walked home. I lived in DC at the time. When I reached Thomas Circle, I saw people watching something from a hotel roof. I turned around and saw the smoke from the Pentagon. All that morning from my apartment I could see people walking up 16th Street. Most of them were talking on cell phones. I called my husband at work and urged him to come home. Finally he did. We were glued to the TV for the next 12 hours, when we weren't trying to call people. I had all the typical thoughts--this is like a disaster movie, this is war. No one knew what would happen next. I still remember Peter Jennings saying that the second tower was peeling like a banana--only there were people inside. It was such a stupid thing to say. We were very lucky. We didn't lose anyone we knew. My father's neighbor lost 25 coworkers at the Pentagon. The next day I went to work as usual. Everyone came but it was very quiet. It was strange, seeing the tanks in the street and snipers on the roof of the White House. They cleared all the homeless people out of Lafayette Square. Some of them had lived there for years. Then there was the anthrax. For a while it was one thing after another. Mail would disappear for months. When it finally was delivered it was baked in a plastic bag. At first, strangers were kind to one another. Drivers would let people merge in front of them. It went back to normal after a few weeks. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I'm more aware of how things can change but I try not to think about it. We actually bid on a house near DC the day after the attacks. We had been planning to do it anyway. I had no intention of leaving; this is my home. I have tried to keep my life as normal as possible. I want to appreciate the life that I have now. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The people who suffered and died, and those who were 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? If the flag makes some people feel better, great. I don't think it changes a thing. The worst is when flags are pasted all over a big SUV. It's such a contradiction, only people don't see it. I had a bumper sticker made that says "Be patriotic, conserve gas." There is a small flag on that sticker. 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 nmah4396.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. 138.88.87.228 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 7th grade at the time. I had just woke up to get ready for school. I came into the living room where my mom was watching the news like she does every morning before work. My mom then told me that a plane had just crashed into the Twin Towers, and I was shocked! I couldn't believe it! Was it an accident? Was the plane maybe carrying to many lugages? Or was it because someone had purposely caused the planes to hit and crash? I asked my mom if the president was ok, she said yes. Then when I got to school, I also watched the news with other students there. The whole day all everyone could talk about was wat had happen, and the lives of those who were lost. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes, now I have to be more cautious, and I'm more afraid to go on airplanes then I was before, due to what happened on September 11, 2001. And now I have anger and hatred in those Afghanistan people, because of what they did. But at the same time, I also feel sorry for the kids over there who can't even go to school, or eat that many food like the people over here in America. The kids in Afghanistan don't deserve to suffer, because of what Bin Laden did. One time I saw this poem that said that you don't know if you're going to see ur mom, dad, uncles, aunts, anyone, for the last time or not. So you must tell them you love them everyday before they leave off to somewhere, tell them sorry, tell them anything that you have kept from them that they need to know, give them a kiss, hug them, etc. Or you might not get a second chance. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think the lives of those who died both on the plane and off the plane should be remembered, because they were innocent people who died before their time had to come. And policemen and firemen who helped to save the lives of those who were in need and danger during Septemeber 11th should be remembered, because they risked their lives to save the innocent people who were in danger and need, and some of them died while trying to help those who were in danger. 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'm ashamed to say no that i did not fly the American flag after the events of September 11th, but my feelings about the flag has changed. Now, I take the American flag more seriously. 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 nmah1065.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. 2002-09-05 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 198.237.72.252 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 11,2001 I thought that we were all going to die. I thought we were at war with Cuba or Saddam. I didn't know what was going to happen next. I remember being in commercial art, we were listening to music on the radio. In the middle of Welcome to the Jungle someone came on the air, and said that a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center. My teacher immediately wheeled a t.v. into the room,and we were able to see the second plane hit the other tower live. What bothered me the most about the whole thing is my good friend Kristen's uncle was in town. The night before he told Kristen's dad that they were going to save the bottle of Hennesy that he had brought for Christmas. The next morning he went to take a flight back home to Los Angelos. When Kristen's dad found out he had his kids dismissed from school. A few nights ago, (9/10/02) Kristen and her family planted a tree in memory of their lost uncle. Kristen's dad poured out the bottle of Hennesy for him on the tree. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My life has changed due to September 11, because I will never look at New York the same way today. Also, I will have to go to war next August, because I would feel bad staying here while people are dying to fight for my freedom. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? We should remember what hate can lead to, and also how important it is to stand together. As a wise man once said "together we stand, divided we fall"-Roger Waters 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, but the flag symbolizes a lot to me, such as my freedom and rights. 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 nmah4872.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. 2002-09-13 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 206.208.184.60 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 witnessed history on 9-11 when i was in Mr. Merrill's third period science class. As soon as I walked in the room , I started talking to Bailey Wright, Nicole Ostertag, and Nicole Stebal. One of the teachers came in and said that the pentagon was gone and Mr. Merrill turned on the tv. We all saw the repeat on the news as the first plane hit and then the second. I remember at first I was in shock like oh my God how can that have happened. I also felt scared and I wanted to see my brother and go home. When I did get home, all I remember is watching the news and hearing about all of the people who parished; that made me sad. I swear that if my dad wasn't 48, he would have went to war. He kept saying,"All i want to do is kill those f'n bastards." I got scared that my dad might go to war, but he never did. He wanted us to nuke the people over in Afganistan. I also went over my cousins and talked to them about what happened too. I will never forget what my dad wrote on the back of his car. On the top said may god forgive you, an american flag in the middle, and on the bottom Because we won't. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. 9-11 has changed my life in many ways. I have learned that life is too short and that we have to be thankful for what we have, like our friends, family, and a roof over our heads. I have learned to forgive people because if you don't, then you could have lost a great person in your life and you not realizing it. I think that the rules have been inforced more and that we have to do some things different, like airport security and such, but it is for the best. 9-11 has affected everyone around the world and certainly never will be forgotten. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think that the people and the heroes should be remembered. Even though we have been in "war" for almost a year everyone that has been fighting and who have died, whether they are good or bad should be honored for their bravery. The World Trade Centers definately, even though they are no longer here physically, they will always be in our hearts and in our minds. And most importantly the people who died in the tragic event that happened almost one year ago. 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 we did fly our flag, actually we have never taken it down. I respect it a lot more than I used to and when I think about what the pledge of Allegence really means, I am thankful that I live in this country and I am proud 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 nmah1674.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. 2002-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.99.16.132 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 home getting ready for work listening to the news, I heard Matt Lauer the newsanchor say that it appeared a plane had hit one of the towers an apparent "accident." When the cameras were showing the viewing audience a picture of the tower that had been hit, I remember seeing the second plane coming toward the tower thinking "that plane looks low," and witnessed it hitting the second tower. I was speechless. I live in upstate New York and immediately called my mother, sister and husband to let them know what was happening. My husband called me from work and as I was talking with him the third plane crashed into the pentagon. I was scared for all of the nation at this point knowing that there were multiple targets. When I had heard there was a fourth plane still not accounted for I was on my way to work and remember hearing that it crashed in Pa. I had such an array of emotions thorughout the day, I couldn't wait to go home to be with my family. I remember that night my husband and I slept cuddled together more than usual both knowing that we were grateful to be alive and that we should not take life for granted. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I don't take each day for granted, I am more alert of what others do around me. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The thousands of people who perished that day, thier families and the nation. 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. Yes, I take great pride in flying the American Flag. 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 nmah118.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. 2002-08-07 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 198.190.230.66 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 supervisor and I were in Brookgreen Gardens, in Myrtle Beach. We'd spent the morning going through the gardens and seeing the sculptures. Around noon, we went into the gift shop and found everyone huddled around the radio. When we asked what had happened, the sales clerk told us that someone had bombed the World Trade Center. One of my favorite sculptures is "The Pledge of Allegiance." It shows several grade school children standing around the flag pole with their hands over their hearts. When we entered the garden, the flag was all the way up; when we left, it was at half mast. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes. I'm more grateful for my country, and I'm proud of its people. We saw so much heroism in the aftermath of the tragedy. For every anti-American demonstration, we had several more countries offering us their prayers and support. I'm also more aware of security, but not to the point of being obsessive about it. I don't mind taking longer to fly, and I still prefer it to other modes of travel. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The decent people from all over the world who offered help, compassion, and kindess. So many people were heroes--the fire-fighters and emergency crews who dug through ground zero, the producers and movie-makers who used their equipment to light the ruins so the emergency workers could keep working; the engineers who helped shore up the ruins so that more people whould not be lost; the people from all over the world who sent what aid they could. September 11 united every decent person in a common goal; we will not be terrorized by cowards who use religion as an excuse to commit murder. 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 yes. I fly the flag more often. It not only stands for our country and the freedom we offer, but as a symbol for all those who were lost on September 11, regardless of their country. 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 nmah5669.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. 2003-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 134.20.74.81 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 work and overheard a co-worker mention two airplane's had crashed into the World Trade Center. I went online but all news web sites were overloaded, I could not bring up any web sites. Then I went to Yahoo broadcast to listen to the Manhatten Police Scanner but that too was overloaded and I could not connect. They had another link for the Long Island Police frequency which I was able to connect to. I was listening as they were organizing and loading firefighters and firetrucks on ferry boats from Long Island to Manhatten. As I listened, you could hear the terror in the voices on the frequency. And then I heard the following conversation which still brings chills up my spine. Voice one, "The south tower collapsed!" Voice two, "What, you mean the top?" Voice one, "No, no, the whole building collapsed, the south tower is gone." Office management had placed a TV in the executive meeting room where employees went to view the horor on national TV. Part of me still could not beleave what I was told was happening and what I just heard over the Long Island Police frequency. I went down to the executive meeting room to see it on TV and seen the horor I was just listening too. Management closed the office at noon. 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? The United States is vulnerable and the way the Nation became united (patriotism). 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 flew the flag after Sept 11 and I haven't taken it down since then and never will. I feel a great sense of pride about the American flag. 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 nmah196.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. 204.87.160.3 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 work for a bank/broker-dealer, Credit Suisse First Boston, in the Operations Risk Management Group as an Assistant Vice President in the Operations Division of the Firm. On 8:46am that morning, my colleagues and I were evacuated down a stairwell in 5 World Trade Center after the first plane struck Tower One. I departed on the upper lobby level of the mall intercourse (adjacent to the satellite airline ticketing centers) and walked into the human and building debris which was falling into the World Trade Center Plaza. I then proceeded down an escalator into the mall concourse and went into the lobby of Tower One to look for my wife, Amy. My wife, Amy, works as a Benefits Administrator for Marsh USA based in midtown but often attended training seminars on the 100th Floor of Tower One. When I was pushed away by security guards in Tower One, I proceeded through the mall concourse past the PATH Train entrance; Cortland St. 1/9 Trains; Au Bon Pan but then exited past the Sam Goody store in the mall concourse (in 4 World Trade Center). As I exited the building, the second plane crashed into Tower Two directly over my head. I was then instantaneously trampled by the stampede of people running and fell face-first to the cement on Liberty Street (below the impact of the second plane in front of Two World Trade Center). I was then found by a co-worker, in City Hall Park (a few blocks from the point of impact) lying on a park bench at approximately 9:30am. It was estimated by EMT's that I lost consciousness for 5-10 minutes. I was taken to NYU Downtown Hospital (Beekman) where I was treated for head trauma and contusions to my back. I also breathed in the debris cloud resulting from the collapse of Tower Two as the hospital is located within blocks from the World Trade Center. I was further treated at a local hospital (Mercy Medical) and by other health care providers for several months after 9/11 for lingering physical injuries (pulmonary specialists; etc.) and have attended group counseling since late October, 2001. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I am fatalistic about the twists and turns of life. I had accepted a position with Cantor Fitzgerald a year prior to the tragedy and would have been working on the 101st floor if not for a last-minute decision to accept a job at CSFB. I was also one of the few Five World Trade Center workers injured as a result of searching for my wife in Tower One that morning. I survived after being knocked unconscious and left for dead under the impact of the second plane colliding into Tower Two while there were some who were blocks away who were hit with falling debris. How did I survive and others did not have the similar fortune ? The events of that morning has changed my outlook on life as I now live every day to the fullest. I have been involved with many support groups and am involved in the World Trade Center - Oklahoma City Family Exchange Program. I am also completing my travel of the United States as I will have completed the 48 continental states by the end of July. Achieving personal goals is a must and my wife and I are expecting our first child in late November. Focusing on positive; not negative goals is a must-do step in recovery. I will always have the events of that day embedded in my memory forever but I have learned to use this tragedy to gain a greater resolve and determination. I have used the aftermath of the events of 9/11 not as a crutch, but as a motivating force to make my life a meaningful one to myself and my loved ones. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I believe September 11th should be a remembrance of all victims - not only the uniformed heroes. Using the term "civilian victim" is a denigrating term. Every loss of life (with the exception of the perpetrators) was equal and should be grieved and remembered with the same vigor. There should not be a caste (hierarchical) system in tragedy. September 11th should be remembered as a day when innocent Americans lost their lives in a manner uncomprehensible to most. As a witness to the brutality and viciousness of this attack, it is important for all Americans to never forget and to try to embrace the unity that unified the country after 9/11. It is unfortunate that many people have moved on, forgotten this tragedy, and continue to function in an un-American manner. I feel that if every American could feel - for one second, one minute, one hour, one day - the pain and suffering that all of the survivors and victim's friends and families have felt since that day, there would be a change in the attitudes and psyche of most Americans. Only then will we be one unified country with the same vision and fortitude. The same spirit which brought many people of many different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds together after that day needs to continue as we are all Americans regardless of background unified under one God. 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 patriotism has increased. I marched in the Flag Day parade, as a WTC survivor, which was coordinated by the Sons of the Revolution, who own & operate Fraunces Tavern Museum, and participated in the NYC Flag Day Parade and Ceremonies in NYC as a VIP guest. On June 14th, they honored all of the Heroes of September 11th. The organization invited WTC United Family Group family members to march in this year's NYC Flag Day Tribute to the Heroes. After the Flag Day Parade and ceremonies at City Hall and Fraunces Tavern, they held a luncheon for all the marchers. 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 nmah38.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. 2002-06-27 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 198.240.130.75 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 witnessed history of the September 11th tragedy in a couple different ways. First, I saw the breaking news and watched it as soone as got to school. I also witnessed it by reading the newspapers and magazines that had articles about the tragedy. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes, my life has changed because of September 11th in some different ways. One way it has changed is making sure to live each day to the fullest and live your dreams. It has changed this way because I realize that you may never even have a clue when you last day will be. Also, it has changed because I know you always need to make sure your loved ones know you love them because you never know when the last time you'll see them will come. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think that there are many things to be remembered about September 11th. One being to remember all of the firefighters and police men who helped and risked their own lives to save others. Along with them we should remember all of the nurses and doctors. Another thing to remember should be to realize how our country came together and helped and prayed for the people and the country as one. 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 September 11th I had a flag in my bedroom so every time I came in I could remember everything in America and what we stood for. 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 nmah1042.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. 2002-09-05 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 198.237.72.252 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 staying home from school that morning, sick with a stomach virus that I sometimes get. I was watching the Today show, because I wanted to know what was going on in the world. When they went live after the first plane hit, I remember sitting on my couch in my underwear, totally flabbergasted as I watched the second plane hit, live on TV. I immediately called my grandparents. They live in Brooklyn, so I knew they would be all right, but I wanted to call anyway. It's like when they and my dad called me the day after Columbine, because even though I was perfectly safe in Denver (Littleton is a suburb of Denver proper), and they knew it, they wanted to talk. My grandparents hadn't yet heard, and when I told my grandpa the only thing he could say was "Jesus." Just like that. No exclamation mark, no disbelief, just shock. Jesus. Indeed. I stood on the top of those buildings once. I can remember it was a clear day; I could see for miles and miles. They were so huge, so grand, a testament to the wonderful things humans can do. And now they're gone. My father used to work in those buildings. He used to go to Tower 1 every day for his job, well before I was born. He was living in Tampa, FL at the time, and still does, but even the fact that he used to work there, that he might conceivably have been there, the thought is terrifying. And, understanding the loss too many people have felt, the grief and the rage, if only intellectually and but a pale shadow of the personal experience, I still have to speak up. The terrorists who did it thought they had more than enough reason, and in some sense they were right about injustices this country has done them. Does that make them any better? Absolutely not. Was their action inexcusable? Yes. Pointless? Absolutely, though they would have disagreed. But do I hate them for it? No. I don't have it in me to truly hate anybody, not at this point, anyway. I understand the rage and the desire for revenge, but if you think about it more objectively I think it's impossible to escape the conclusion that vengeance won't help anybody. Look at any of a million different cases in thousands and thousands of different places and times and cultures. Bloody vengeance may be satisfying, but it doesn't solve any problems, and usually makes them bigger. But I shouldn't say such things at the moment. I have a lot of opinions that may not be held by the populace in general. And this truly isn't the best time to discuss them. So I apologize to anyone whom I have offended. What the hijackers did a year ago is inexcusable, and I am sure they will be punished for it. The Quran says nothing about holy war or jihad that I know of. Some Islamic religious texts include the Ten Commandments delivered unto Moses by God. There can be no excuse, no forgiveness for the people who did those acts. But that doesn't mean we should hate all of them. How many innocents died in Afghanistan? How many will we kill if we invade Iraq like our moronic President wants? For that matter, how many do we kill each day with our unfair trade sanctions against that nation? Chopping off the Hydra's head does no good if you cannot sear the necks or pierce the creature's heart. This September 11, I have one wish for everyone affected by the terrorist attacks, and for everyone else as well. Don't let those people have died in vain. Don't forget that there are other people in this world besides Americans. Don't let your anger and your grief overcome your conscience and your humanity. Remembrance is a good thing; grief is okay to a point. But don't take it too far. Don't preach hatred because of the actions of a tiny extremist group. Remember and grieve, but don't let it turn into anger and hatred. Remember the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the principles this country was founded on. All men created equal. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Patriotism is the support of ideals, not just something to play at because something terrible happened. Not just something to do because it's in fashion now. Patriotism is permanent, not volatile. Remember 9/11/2001, but don't hate. It's not forgivable, and certainly not forgettable. But the actions of 19 hijackers who killed so many people do not speak for all of the Middle East, all of Islam, or even all of Afghanistan. Please, don't give in to the anger and the hate. If I could do one thing for everyone in the world, the country, or even just everyone who plays Alleria, that's what I would do. I would erase the hatred. Hate helps nobody, and makes us less than human. Keep your humanity. Ridiculous though it sounds in this context, Yoda was right. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to the Dark Side. Once you start down the dark path, you can never return to the Light. Be angry if you must, that's fine. But don't let it consume you. It's not healthy, and it's not cool. Why do you think these people felt they had to do what they did? Why do you think they thought they needed to fly planes into those buildings? Hate. If you resort to hatred, you lower yourself to their level. How is nuking Afghanistan or Iraq or anyone else any different or any better than what they did? People have families and lives there too. Depeche Mode. Yoda. Martin Luther King. Gandalf. The Founding Fathers of the United States, and so many more it's impossible to name even a fraction of a fraction. They all had the same message. Everyone, everywhere all has the same worth, the same humanity. I hate to sound preachy, and I suppose to some people I must. But I mean every word. This September 11, remember and grieve, but don't hate. Please. 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 nmah2895.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. 158.104.5.132 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, 2001, I remember being between lunch and English class in school when I first heard about the news. Somebody told me that two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center towers. At first, since I had no details besides that, I mistakenly thought at first that the crashes were unfortunate accidents. When I got home, I immediately turned on the news, and learned that it was actually a terrorist attack. I kept the news on all that night, filled with anger at the terrorists and curiosity for how it could have happened. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. The attacks made me feel much more patriotic and supportive of our country, but it also made me concerned with the legal system and general security of our country. I feel if that the system was more refined, the September 11th attacks could have been prevented. In closing, I would like to say that the world needs to work together to isolate and eradicate terrorism. I find it absolutely repulsive that some governments support and endorse terrorism. These governments and their countries need to be restrained before the events of September 11th can be repeated in another location. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The memory that stands out the most was watching the towers collapse. The clips that they continuously played showed all of the citizens run away from the cloud of debris that seemed to pursue them. It made me feel bad that the World Trade Towers, a symbol of our economy, could be so easily destroyed by a group of people who refuse to accept our way of life. I do not think that should be remembered, however. I think we should try to go on as if it never happened. If you are going to run and hide because of the attacks, then the terrorists have already won. 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 a flag, to show my support for my country. The American flag is more that just a piece of cloth. It is a symbol that defined our nation. It stands for freedom, justice, and purity. It is our duty as Americans to enforce that upon those who wish to strike us down. 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 nmah2913.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. 152.163.201.56 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 with coworkers, here in Orlando, Fl, when another co-worker called in and told us that a plane had hit the World Trade Center building. I lived only 5 minutes away and ran home to pick up a spare TV set so that we could all see what was going on. We tuned in about 4 minutes before the first tower came down. We all stood there in shock, watching. Then together we all lowered our heads and said silent prayers, each with tears in our eyes. We are in the computer service business but had no service calls that entire day. We watched the news coverage that entire day and for many days to follow as work permitted. All thru out the day on Sept 11th I was praying. I couldn't wait for the day to end to be at home with my family. I couldn't help but think of those whose loved ones never came home that day. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. It did change my life as I renewed relationships with family members that I hadn't spoken to in over 10 years. It made me appreciate my family more and to realize that in the grand scheme of life the disagreements that we had just weren't important anymore, not important enough to keep us distanced from one another. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? That on that day we all witnessed the best and worst that humanity had to offer. 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 fly a flag 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 nmah5138.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. 2002-09-22 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 152.163.188.65 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 teaching my 3rd period Sophomore English class when a teacher in the next room interrupted me to ask if I had my television on. I thought this was a funny question (why would I have the tv on during class time) so I asked why. But one of my students (a 15 year old boy) was able to guess. "We're being attacked," he said as I turned the tv on. Needless to say, my lesson plans for the day changed immediately as we watched the horror unfold before us. I will always hold a special place in my heart for these particular students because of this traumatic experience we shared together. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I can't really say that my life has changed because of 9-11, but my perspective certainly has. I know how vunerable we Americans really are; therefore, I tend to be greatful for all the blessings I have. And, I live with the knowledge that a horrible act like this could happen again. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? First of all I think we should remember that we are not immune to the horrors of the world. We have been attacked, and could be again. Secondly, we should remember the heroes of this tragedy...from those who worked at Ground Zero, to those who gave selflessly in other ways--giving blood, sending donations, sharing with children. 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 flew an American flag after the 9-11 attacks, but I have always flown the flag. My parents instilled in me at a young age a very patriotic attitude. As a result, I proudly salute the flag, say the pledge, and thank my veterans with tears in my eyes. So no, my feelings about the flag have not changed. I have always been proud 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 nmah864.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. 2002-09-03 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 152.163.188.163 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 walked into my 3rd period history class with Mrs. Sutton and noticed that the TV was on. I sat down and continued to watch as the rest of the class did. It was turned onto the news and the cameras were fixated on the World Trade Center towers, one of which was smoking. On the screen it said that one of the towers was struck by an oncoming airplane. At first I was thinking to myself, "Oh, it's just a small plane why are we watching this on TV?" Then, it happened! There was a plane heading straight towards the undamaged tower and went behind it, but the plane did not come out. Then suddenly, a great big ball of smoke emerged from the building and fire and flames rip out towards the sky. This is when I realized that it was a passenge rplane and not a private jet or a new flyer that lost it's way through the sky. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I still think of that day and I keep it in the back of my mind. To others they question, "Where was God on 9-11? How could he let that happen?" To me it has not hindered my beliefs in him, but to others that's a different story. Now as you drive places on your morning commute or come home from school or work you see a bounty of flags. "There's one at there house and one at theres, oh look there's one at there's too," is what goes through my mind. Nowadays you see the flag everywhere on peoples clothes and houses. Now the nationality people have for there own country is so great that almost everyone would risk their life to fight for the US. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I remeber all of the emotions and fear in everyone's faces. All after school activities were cancelled and everyone was to go straight home. When people got home from work or school they embraced their loved ones knowing that they were safe, while others had no one there to come home to. This is what should always be remembered about 9-11. It is something that has brought our nation together and made us realize how great life is here and it should never be forgotten. 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? Now after the events of 9-11 you will always see an American flag at my house. It is something that I am proud of and will always be proud of. To me the super bowl was pretty symbolic. Everyone expected the Rams and Steelers to be in it but no, it was the Rams and the Patriots and the Patriots won. This is symbolic because they are America's team playing America's sport. They represent themselves by wearing the colors of the flag and they themselves are patriots just like everyone else. 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 nmah1744.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. 2002-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.99.16.132