87 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 in my home in San Diego, California, getting ready for work and watching the "Today Show". I watched the events unfold from the first attack. As a native New Yorker, I was in denial about what I was seeing. Several of my family members worked on various phases of the Twin Towers construction (NY Telephone). In graduate school, I lived in Brooklyn and commuted to NYC for work. I crossed the Brooklyn Bridge every day, and saw the towers and the lady in the harbor each and every day. It was comforting to see them there. I watched them fall in disbelief and disillusion. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. September 11 made me realize that even though we are all caught up in our own lives, as Americans, we can all reach out to help our fellow Americans. Before 9/11, I would have liked to believe that, but now I positively know for sure. Having lived in NY, I would have not believed the humanity I witnessed after the event. NYC is a different town (and we're living in a different country now). While the events were horrific, it ripped away the indifferent facade that people wore on their faces. When I hear our national anthem now, all of the words have meaning to me. Before, it was words that I couldn't relate to. Now I can. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? That America pulled together like no other country in history as one group, determined to take care of those who were affected. We proved that we were the strongest country on the face of the Earth, and that freedom will always ring here. 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 a flag from my car antenna, and I, like everyone else in the country, put our national colors on my car with a decal. Now the flag definitely means "freedom" to me. 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 nmah953.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. 204.27.156.146 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. This is an email I sent to European coworkers on September 12, trying to share some of my thoughts and feelings in those dark days: Dear friends in Europe and the UK, Thank you for the expressions of support and concern that several of you have sent. Here is a day in the life of the US, September 12: We wake up hoping that yesterday was only a nightmare. We watch TV, but not as much as yesterday. People everywhere wear long, serious faces. The stores are quiet--we can hardly talk about the usual topics. The disasters are discussed wherever we gather. Airports are closed, and some family and friends are stranded. Churches hold prayer services each evening. Tears flow at all hours of the day and night. Friends and family call one another to ask, "Are you all right? Was anyone in your family flying? Do you know anyone in Manhattan? Have they found any more survivors?" Our hearts are broken. Most of us in the US don't think of ourselves as better or more special than others--we know we are blessed far beyond what we deserve. Most Americans, I'm sure, didn't believe we were invincible. Only God is invincible. When we are wounded, we bleed--like any nation, large or small. We are a young nation that happens to be very big: like a child, we rush impulsively into situations where we think we can help others and ourselves. We alienate nations and individuals through our mistakes--but also through our good acts. We are made up of nearly every race and ethnicity on the planet--yet somehow we are seen as the Ugly Americans. Who is an American, anyway? We are Arab, Jewish, black, white, Asian, European, indigenous. In my small town we are East Indian, Hmong, Maidu Indian, African-American, Caucasian, Mexican . . . Today, the US flag flew in countless places in our homeland: on cars, on houses and businesses, on bridges. One woman stood and held a flag on a hill near the Pentagon for an hour. There is angry talk of vengeance and terror in return, but there is also talk of justice and healing. We line up to give blood. We send checks to the Red Cross. We hug each other often and say, "I love you" in case there is not another opportunity to do so. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I have applied to work in public service, representing the United States. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? Many, many people were heroes on September 11, 2001. We should honor the acts of goodness that followed that act. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. 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 nmah2795.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. 12.246.209.95 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 in Old Town Alexandria, VA which is about 2 miles from the Pentagon in Arlington, VA. On Monday September 10, 2001 we found out that our office had been broken into over the weekend and several pieces of computer equipment had been stolen and on Monday September 10, 2001 that was the most important issue to us. On Tuesday September 11, 2001 it became a very trivial thing and was all but forgotten. When we heard about the first WTC tower being hit by an airplane, terrorism never occurred to us. When we found out about the second tower it was the first thought that occurred to us. After hearing about the Pentagon we went outside and could see the smoke ball in the sky. A few hours later we walked outside to grab lunch and there was a horrible stench in the air. I found it hard to breath. It smelled like burning plastic and I will never forget that smell as long as I live. We're in the flight path of Reagan National Airport so we were all used to constant planes flying closely overhead. Later that day the sky became eerily quiet. On our way back from lunch we encountered some garbagemen picking up trash. Normally we wouldn't have said a word to them and they wouldn't have said a word to us but on this day we smiled at them and they told us to "Take care of yourselves ladies." We responded back by telling them to be safe. 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? Obviously the lives that were lost and the property damage that occurred in several senseless acts of violence. But in addition the patriotism that had been long surpressed resurfaced throughout the entire 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? Yes, when we were finally able to find a flag to buy, we have flown it proudly since. 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 nmah4395.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. 66.44.43.74 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 didnt go to school that day because I had a ortho. appointment! I woke up at 8 or so, and my parents were in the living room watching the news. And by this time the first plane has crashed into the first building already. I was asking what was happening, but I kept on getting interupted by my parents saying," How horrible, who would want to do this stuff to America!" I went to the dentist and they had a tv in the lounge and we watched it in there! Then I went into the dentists room to get my teeth checked and all the radios were on and everybody was listening to it! When I was done I had to go back to school. I went to school and I was in 3rd hour. We didnt watch it in there becuz we really didnt know to much of what was going on. Then when 4th hour came, my teacher was crying, so we watched the news all of that hour! We watched the news most of that day in all classes! Everybody was devistated! It was like a movie, but it really happened! NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Life hasent changed for me so much since then! But my family is more patreatic now. We were always a big family that believed in most of americas rules and regulations! We hang the flag more and we have more red, white, and blue things around. Our neighborhood has had alot of flags go up and lights go up after the tragedy. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think that we should remember all of the men and women that helped recover bodys from the buildings. The men and women that were in the building and planes when they hit! People that donated stuff to help out New York, by just giving blood or money and good! All of that helped in some way so they should be remembered for what they have done! 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 did fly a flag after September 11th. We also had a flag up before September 11th happened! My feelings really havent changed to much to be honest, because I didnt really understand the stars and strips on there to much besides just what they stand for, colonies and states! I still dont really understand the flag to what I should understand it to. 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 nmah1022.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. 65.45.141.136 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. 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? My family put three American flags in our yard after September 11th. Whenever I look at our flag today, I remember all that was taken from us and I am proud that we can openly declare war against those that attacked us, while they only can whisper it and then flee back into the shadows. The flag reminds me of our power and liberty, and that those against us are jealous of it. Then I smile and know that they will get theirs in the end because we and our allies will not let them get away with it. 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 nmah4569.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. Here's a note I wrote to friends and relatives on the day after, telling of how events transpired here in Washington. I'm saving it for my children and grandchildren to get a glimpse of that terrible day. I save it also for me to re-read myself occasionally to remember what righteous indignation should feel like, and why we are currently engaged in the struggle against what otherwise would seem so far away. pax, T.J. Holland -----Original Message----- From: Holland, T.J. Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 5:57 PM To: Subject: RE: We are in sorrow ! Dear Cousins and friends, Thank you so much for your kind words of solidarity and support; I have received notes and calls from friends and family all over the globe expressing such heartfelt human sympathy, and it is most appreciated. Our nation has indeed been shaken by the horrific events of yesterday. As in New York City, here in Washington in particular we have experienced the unimaginable. Keep in mind that our nation -- and specifically our generation -- has never known war on the homefront. The blows came in such quick succession that it was difficult for the mind to process. You likely know the general outline of the events of the day, so I'll just share a few of my experiences here in Washington. A normal morning at the office, barely begun, was interrupted just before 9 a.m. by a colleague coming into my office telling me to bring up "CNN.com" and find out the news because he'd just had a phone call from his wife telling of a plane crash at the World Trade Center in New York City. For several frustrating minutes the internet would not cooperate -- one assumes that too many people were trying to access the news websites at once and they jammed up. At the same time I got a call from a good friend of mine who works for the US Congress on Capitol Hill. He also told me to pull up the internet news. And when I told him I couldn't, he filled me in on the crash telling me there had been a second plane to hit the other tower, which almost certainly proved the action to be a terrorist plot. We have a television set in the lobby waiting room which normally plays only marketing videos and headline clips. So we re-channeled it to receive CNN in order to follow the story of the disaster in New York. It was clearly no accident, but the question running through everyone's mind (or at least mine) was: who is responsible? Keep in mind that my office is in the Headquarters Building of the World Bank. The Annual Meetings for the World Bank and the IMF at the end of this month have been targeted by anarchists and anti-globalists for huge and possibly violent demonstrations. The same forces that rioted and caused such unrest (and a death) at the G-8 Economic Summit in Genoa two months ago are apparently amassing 100,000 like-minded protesters for the disruption of the Meetings. So therefore, the foremost question in our minds while we watched New York burning was: is this the beginning of activity by the anti-globalists in preparation for the Meetings? The World Trade Center would be a primary target for the violent anti-globalists, as would be the World Bank and IMF (across the street). We were all pretty nervous. Then came the news of an explosion at the Pentagon. Now, the core of Washington is not really all that big -- remember it's only 16 blocks from the Capitol to the White House, and another 10 blocks to the Potomac River. Just across the river is the Pentagon, which can be clearly seen from the rooftop terrace of our building. The reports were that an explosion had ripped through the Pentagon and that there was fire on the National Mall (where the Washington and Lincoln Monuments, Smithsonian Museums, etc. are located). Next came reports of a car bomb at the State Department. And an explosion at the Capitol. I tried to call my friend on the Hill, but there was no answer. Rumor had the Capitol being evacuated. Then the television reports said that the White House was being evacuated with personnel being told not only to leave, but to RUN. It was believed that a plane from Dulles airport nearby had gone missing, was possibly hijacked, and was targeting the White House or the Capitol. We are only 3 blocks from the State Department, and only one block from the White House. There was no panic in our offices, but reliable sources tell me that up on the 12th and 13th floors, where they could see the burning Pentagon, people were running and crying and jostling each other to get out of the building. Overall, the evacuation was orderly and immediate. At this point we felt fairly certain that the Bank was not a direct target, but clearly the White House and Executive Office Building next door to us were. What if they shot down an incoming terrorist plane? Upon what building near the White House would it fall? What if rumors of Chemical- or Biological-Warfare agents being used were true? Everyone wanted to get as far away from the neighborhood of the White House as possible. As quickly as possible. Downtown Washington was in evacuation. Rumor had it that the Metro trains had stopped running. And even if they were running, they would be packed to overflowing; and besides, it seemed like a bad idea to get into a tunnel not knowing what would happen next. A colleague of mine kindly offered to take me and several others in his car across the river and to the west into Virginia toward my home. As we crossed the several blocks to his parking garage, the scene outside was truly surreal. The Hollywood movies do, in fact, get this part right. All the streets and the Avenue were complete gridlock. Cars were everywhere, and not a one moving. Police and security guards armed with automatic weapons moved purposefully, but without much effect. Huge numbers of people were on the sidewalks and in the streets, walking across between the cars in every direction. There were no strangers in Washington yesterday morning. Everyone on the streets spoke to everyone else. "Is your cell phone working?" "Did you hear. . . ?" "Is it true. . .?" "Do you know if. . .?" And over it all, spreading like a wound across the stone-clear late-summer blue sky rose a plume of black greasy smoke from the Pentagon. We spent about half an hour in my colleague's packed car making our way the few blocks to the Roosevelt Bridge across the Potomac. As all the cars inched slowly forward, all the pedestrians in that quarter of the city seemed to be streaming toward and across the bridges. Normally, only on occasion will you see a runner or a cyclist crossing the bridge in his exercise togs. But yesterday a river of high heels and patent leather, sneakers and work boots, wing-tips and dress-oxfords carried thousands of Washington's professionals across the Potomac bridges to perceived safety in Virginia. Flight. Refugeeing. From Washington! I'm angry now typing it. The scene was heart-wrenching. The bridge was packed with cars and fleeing pedestrians. And so was the next bridge upriver at Georgetown. While the Memorial Bridge, down-river between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, was eerily empty of anything . And behind it the burning Pentagon with its dagger of smoke. Fighter jets and military helicopters swarmed overhead while National Guard and police vehicles wailed past us into the City. To call it a nightmare diminishes the reality of it. On the highway westbound toward my home we had a grisly reminder of the hell that had been unleashed. Several civilian vehicles came speeding up the curb lane (the 'shoulder' of the highway) with horns blasting. The driver of the first car had his arm fully extended out the window, holding something out (a badge, perhaps?). And behind him came a pick-up truck out of the tail-gate of which hung a pair of spit-polished shoes and soot-smudged USArmy-green uniform trousers. The man was covered with a yellow rain poncho, while a colleague held his head. I pray they made it to the hospital in good time. I and my colleagues all made it safely to our respective homes in just a few hours (normally 20 minutes). We were lucky. Others were on the road until well into the afternoon. The phones, especially long-distance lines, were extremely troublesome because of so many callers trying to locate loved ones. My mother was mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean on a SwissAir flight from Zurich to Miami, returning from 10 weeks "home in Denmark" with family. Television reports informed us that all air traffic in the USA had been immediately grounded, and that any incoming international flights already past turning around would be re-routed to Canadian airports. Although we knew (as well as one can) that she would be safe, we had no way of finding out where Mom's plane would be put down. And she had no way of knowing what had become of us in Washington. She'd heard the pilot's announcement, but not clearly. She'd heard something about "hi-jackers, explosions, the World . . ., and Washington, DC." So, of course, she thought of me at the World Bank in Washington. Other passengers quickly straightened her out, thankfully. They tried several Canadian airports and were finally welcomed someplace north of Montreal (Mirabel? Mirabeau?) She tells of incredible security measures checking them as they deplaned. The community there came together to provide a dinner for the stranded travelers, and we are hopeful that they will soon be able to resume their journey and make it home. Kim and the children are well, they were safe in the suburbs during it all. But the husband of Jack's teacher at St. Paul's School was at the Pentagon yesterday morning, and has not yet been heard from -- we fear the worst. Kim took over the class from her so that she could go. Everyone here is directly connected in so many ways to this unfathomable, heinous act. Thank you again for your love, support and prayers, especially for the people of New York and of Washington. All are needed now. It has helped me to write this out. Now if only I can find a way to answer Jack's question of "Daddy, why did they do this?" with much love, TJH -----Original Message----- From: JØRGEN LINDELØV [] Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 4:11 AM To: T.J.Holland Subject: We are in sorrow ! Dear TJ and Kim ! We are feeling with you and all Americans because the terrible action against World Trade Center and Pentagon. We hope that no of your relatives or friends are among the people who are dead, hurt or missing. We were very glad to have your mother here in Denmark. We think that it was a good visit and we learn your mother to know as a beautyful and nice lady. We like her much. The best wishes for you and all Americans. Birgit and Jørgen 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 nmah5399.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. 2003-01-10 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 65.170.174.150 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 Park Ridge, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. I was in my basement cleaning out a cabinet. I always watch channel 7 abcnews and the Good Morning America show. I remember they interrupted the broadcast to show the top of one of the world trade centers on fire. I saw the second plane hit the other tower. I remember calling my mother at work at her school. She is a school teacher. I wanted to tell her before she heard it from someone else. She did not see a television until she arrived home. I went out to do a couple of errands. When I got back both towers were down. I remember at that time hearing the pentagon had been hit as well as a plane going down in Pennsilvania. Mayor Daley had come on saying everyone in the city could go home. All airports were shut down. My home at the time was in Niles. I usually took our blue line which goes to O'Hare Airport home. I decided not to go that. I took an alternate route home. I remember looking at the television from then on. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. At the time of the tragedy I had a boyfriend. That boyfriend is now my husband. He is a wonderful man. We got engaged on February 7th of this year. We got married on Friday, May 31st. We went on to have three receptions to accomadate our families and friends. You really learn to appreciate life very much. 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 nmah5209.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. 2002-10-05 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.208.71 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 my senior government class in high school when another govt teacher came into the room and told us that a plane had crashed into one of the two towers. well, at that point no one knew that it was a terrorist attack and so we went on with class. at the end of my teacher's lecture, she took my class to the library where a tv had been set up for the staff to watch what had happened. as we were standing there watching the news broadcast, we witnessed the second tower fall. no one said a word and all i could think was, 'this looks like a movie, this cant be real'. 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 nmah438.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. 205.188.208.134 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 sick from school my freshman year on September 11th, 2001. I woke up and watched the whole thing on TV for the morning. My mom was also home and we watched it together. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Personally my life hasn't changed tht much. I know many peole were affacted by this by my life was not drastically changed. I now though appreciated everything much more through everything that has happened. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think everyone that passed away should be remembered. All firefighters and of course, the World Trade Centers should obviously be remembered as well. 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 sister and I both bought flags and she hung hers on her car for a while. I pit mine in my room. After a while, Kelly hung hers on her closet doors. The american icon is definatly an icon 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 nmah6303.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. 2003-09-21 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 206.216.162.203 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 love makeup. And as a consultant whose client list included BRIDGE Technologies (58th floor of the South Tower) and Merrill Lynch (World Financial Center), I'd spent the past two years of my career in World Trade Center, frequently shopping for makeup at Sephora on the WTC lower level, and planned to head down there that day, after my morning appointments. It was on my TO DO list. I was checking my TO DO list on the Metro North commuter train that lurched through the Bronx and paused for a long time before crossing the Harlem River Bridge at about 8:45 that morning. It was a heartbreakingly blue fall day, still warm. Suddenly the young man sitting next to me pulled the headphones off his ears, turned to me and said OH MY GOD, A PLAN JUST HIT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. He began to cross himself. Things slowed now, the train lurched forward and stopped, but a few minutes later we got onto the bridge, and I had a clear an unobstructed view of the southern skyline of Manhattan. There stood the North tower with a huge gash ripped into its site. It reminded me of a gored bull, oozing gray blood. It was very far away, but against the white-gray of the initial smoke I saw what I believed to be birds falling down, then flying back up on the drats. Why would birds be flying around there? I wondered as I stared. I thought about my friends in WTC and reassured myself that they worked in the South tower, and in the World Finanical Tower. I wondered if Sephora was ok. Then, as I stared at the burning tower, I remembered all the times I'd sat in meetings as helicopters and small planes cruised close to the building, so close they made me nervous. Sometimes I thought they might even hit us, and wondered "what would happen if one of them lost control and smashed into us?" Now it had happened, I thought. By the time we crossed the bridge and began to enter the GCT tunnel, the second plane hit, he heard it on his radio and began to almost weep. I knew then that this was no accident. People on the train were for the most part still oblivous, still on their way to work as usual. The man next to me began to panic. "We've got to get out of here, they're going to bomb Grand Central Terminal next," he said. But there was no way out of the slowly moving train. I tried to calm his fears, fighting my own rising panic, and spoke to him in soothing words tho I dont' remember what I said to him anymore. When we finally got of the train, I remembered there was a new back entrance out of GCT. The young man was so afraid, and so convinced that we were about to be bombed that I said, "follow me," and we began to run. I lead him at a dead run through the tunnels, up an escalator, and out onto Madison Avenue. Then I never saw him again. When I got up to the street level, I began walking toward the burnign towers as fast as I could push my way through the crowds. The streets were jammed with people watching the drama unfold, but all I could think of was "why aren't you going down there to help." The air reeked of jet fuel, and the smoke completely obliterated the southern skyline, but if you looked North, everything was blue adn normal. It was very wierd, a juxtaposition of tradgey and normality. I stood for awhile in a group of construction workers, who were more upset than any of the rest of us and some of these big strong men with huge muscular arms were crying openly. I know now that it is because, knowing much more about construction than I did, they realized how many people were dying as we stood and watched. One construction worker pointed at the sky above me. "It flew right over us," he said, "so close you could read the numbers. Then it turned right and there was the explosion." I looked at him and asked, "Do you think many people got out OK? Then the first tower fell, you could feel the ground rumble. I was very frightened, even in my ignorance. People were kneeling in the streets were praying and crying. I thought that it might be the end of the world, and there was so much gray smoke, everywhere now, it was creeping up over the blue and it stunk. Still I worried about my WTC friends... "Oh my God, I wonder if Jennifer got out..." and so forth. I kept trying to push my way south and West... down Madison Avenue, and then through Bryant Park and over to Fifth AVenue, and pushing down it. I wanted to go and help out. My sandled toes were stepped on, my bare arms gouged by bags and I was almost knocked down by the fleeing people. When I got a little further south, some of the early victims began passing me. They were covered in gray soot, weeping, limping, all full of little cuts like schrapnel. I realized that I was not equipped in any way to help people in this state. Finally I got through to my husband on the phone and he said, "They've hit the Pentagon, there's another plane in the air, get OUT OF THERE anyway you can. I heard there's one train being allowed out of GCT, you be on it." I was shaken by now, my hero dreams gone. So I ran all the way back to GCT and squeezed onto one of the last trains they allowed out of town that afternoon. But it was a slow trip...they kept stopping the train so the conductors could get out and check the tracks for bombs. This was unnerving. There were also victims on the train with us, clearly in shock. I took first aid before and always wondered how you'd know if somebody was in shock. It was abundantly clear....they were in SHOCK. People were either stunned into silence, or weeping, or talking about what happened in tones of disbelief. That afternoon I just got into my car and drove. I drove as far as I could, listening to the great music being played on the public station WFUV, and I cried. Drove and cried. When I finally composed myself, I came home and began to make calls and get on the internet and find out how and what I could do to help. The next morning, September 12, I was back on the empty commuter train, dressed in jeans and work boots and ready to do whatever they would let me. I reported to Chelsea Piers, please let me help, I said. My friends are in there. My coworkers. Are you an ironworker? They asked? Do you have any experience in search and rescue? No. OK, then you can sort socks. So I began by sorting socks that thousands of other New Yorkers brought, for the firemen and the rescue workers. Then I moved on the next day to join the REd Cross, who sent me to work on the Missing Persons Hotline for the City of NY. I worked in many different volunteer jobs for the next couple of months, nearly every day, serving food to workers, comforting families of the lost, and so forth. Until I could no longer stand the immersion and emotional overload of being down in the grief pits every day. I think I nearly lost my focus on my own life for a while I became so involved in trying to help. The entire lower half of Manhattan stunk of death. I had never smelled death before--its sweet. Sickenly sweet, I couldn't eat for days. Especially meat, especially anyting red or gooey. I coughed and choked on the air and smoke, I wept and had an emotional breakdown right in the middle of 8th Avenue when I first saw the fabulous Bronze statue for Firefighters. I had a psychic sort of "experience" where I melded with the figure on the truck, I totally LOST IT in the middle of the street. I thought they would take me away, but you know...the soldiers and policemen just stood guard over me and let me freak out. They understood. It took hundreds of pictures of the memorials erected spontaneously by people on the streets after September 11th. That was a very heartening thing. I made new friends and held hands and wept with total strangers. I got saved on a street corner by a Baptist preacher and confessed my sins and prepared to meet my God, right on the corner of 7th Avenue, right here in Manhattan. It's all over now, but sometimes in the dark of night I lie in my bed and I think about the way the old WTC Sephora used to look. Its rows and rows of colorful makeup arranged under high-tech lights, and how I still carry makeup in my makeup bag that I bought there. I don't think my husband understood why I was doing this. We couldn't talk about it, it put a major strain on my marriage but I didn't care anymore. I was there...it was a lot different if you were there, if you stood and watched people die and buildings crumble before your very eyes. I have put away my WTC badge now, but I still keep my volunteer badges tacked to my bulletin board. My involvement in the WTC recovery is the one thing in my life of which I am most proud. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. After the towers fell, I lost my job and my career. I made my living in Wall Street, and when their economy collapsed, so did mine. Since that time the only work I could find was to go into teaching college part-time, which I am still doing. So my life changed in that way, and instead of being one of the privileged techno-elite, I am now still struggling for survival. But my life also has changed because I came to understand two things that day: (1) life is very short. Enjoy it. Dance the tango, eat the best chocolate you can afford, drink champagne anytime it's offered; and (2) be kind. You never know what someone else is going through. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The people who died, and the people who struggled to save them. The spirit of the whole country and how we rose up against the oppressors. And that freedom is not free. 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? From the day after the attack, people in Manhattan started flying flags. We didn't have enough of them at first, so we drew them and painted them and sketched them in chalk on the sidewalk. 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 nmah5208.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. 2002-10-04 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 162.83.136.253 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. My name is Sara Vinti, I am 33 years old and I live on the side of the Atlantic Ocean, in Italy. On September 11 2001, I was finishing my working hours at the Gilly Hotel, as I was doing every day... The sun was shining up in the sky; there were no clouds to cover the blue heaven and nothing was telling about the terrible things which were about to happen in New York City (the Big Apple). I was tired and I just wanted to go home and rest for a couple of hours. I would have come back to work at 17,30 p.m... When I got home and took a beer from the fridge, I went to sofa and start to drink it. Ah, there is nothing better than coming home and have a cold drink after working.. It relax your mind... I turned the the televesion on... After a few minutes, a movie had gone away and an image of Palace in flame began to appear more and more often. Underneath there was a writing: "America under attack!" I could not understand what was happening...Even when they continued to show the first plane enter one of the Twin Tower, but when the second airplane entered the second one, I then realized that some crazy people were using those things to attack symbols of the free world. The images kept going on and on, and every time it was like a thousand knives reaching my heart and pass it... On and on and on... It seems yesterday since everything happened that calm morning in New York... Those orrible memories are still fresh in my mind and in my soul. I will never forget the faces of the people in the street, watching terrified and uncapable of helping their own friends and member of their own families. Innocent people and good workers who have been lost forever because of foolish ideals of crazy fondamentalists... Any of my friends and families, including myself, could have been there as well; I thank the Lord Jesus I was not... NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes, my life has been deeply changed by this historical event, as it has changed every other person of this living planet. "Thanks" to September 11, I realized life is too short to hate and to be angry with everyone I know or I don't know. I guess, that day has helped me to strength my faith in the Lord Jesus for my future, as much as all US Citizen have strengthed their own patriottism. If some person like Osama Bin Laden could think to separate them, they have made an hell of a mistake. No patriottism can ever be destroyed, especially if it is built on solid ideals of freedom and justice... NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think that the most important thing to be remembered of that fatal day, are the names of the people who died. All the business men, the fire workmen, the cooks, the kitchen assistants, the chef assistants, the clerks in their office, the waiters, etc... I realize it would have been too painful for many people, but I would have left the remaining pieces of the Towers. But I do hope that the future generation of USA and the rest of the world will be taught about this and will be taught about freedom; so that they will be able to build a better world for all people... 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 any plane of any company, european or american. I would have not been scared to fly after that day because the Lord Jesus Christ would have been at my side for sure and He would have protected me... My feelings for the US flags have never changed; as an European and Anglo-Italian, I respect it if other people respect my own italian flag. They both represent freedom for both of us, but they are just the symbols of historical nations; but for me and I guess for all those who believe in Christ Jesus, the right flag is His: Love, Justice, Solidariety, Democracy. His flag it is written in our hearts forever... 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 nmah5441.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. 2003-02-18 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 151.25.211.138 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 history teacher in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. On September 11th, as my first hour class was leaving the room, the students in second hour said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I immediately turned on the television and with my second hour class, witnessed the second plane hit the towers. The rest of the day, classes throughout the building were glued to the television. I tried to help my students deal with the tragedy but the "unknown" outcome of all of this devastation was hard to deal with. I encouraged my students to live and remember the moment because they were witnessing history. We talked about how this would change our lives and the future. When Ileft work, I hurried home to be with my daughter, who was then 12 years old. The stores and businesses throughout the city closed early so people could be at home with their families. As I drove home, I saw long lines at the gas stations. People were in a panic thinking that there would be a shortage of gasoline and other supplies. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I'm afraid to fly. I was planning on taking a trip to Germany this past summer (2002) but I postponed the trip. The events of 9/11 also has increased people's dislike of immigrants. I have been fighting against this dislike of immigration all of my teaching life and 9/11 added to the prejudice and discrimination against immigrants. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think we should remember the people who gave their lives for others--the fireman, the police, the average citizens... I also think we need to reevealuate our foreign policy. What happened was not justified but why do people hate America? What is it in our conduct that makes people dislike us? 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 American flag, but I've always been patriotic. Not blind patriotism, but a patriotism mixed with an understanding of our country's limitations. 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 nmah1292.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. 2002-09-06 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 216.56.22.34 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 just walked into my second class, Mrs. Davis's class. I'm an art teacher and at the school that I was at, I was a traveling art teacher.(I go classroom to classroom, hauling my art materials.) Mrs. Davis, ran up to me and whispers that the World Trade Center had been bombed. "Oh, my God," was all I could think, "Marlene works at the World Trade Center. My best friend. Oh, God, let her be O.K." Mrs. Davis said she was going to the Teacher's Lounge to find out what's going on. Then she left me there . I had to teach her class... my eyes filling with tears, a huge lump in my throat, and my shaking hands. My mind kept wandering, but I did it. When the class was over, I pactically ran to the art room to get my cell phone. No answer. "Call Jorge, my husband, and see if he knows anything" was my next thought. He told me he had spoken to J.P.,(her husband) and Marlene was O.K., Good. The shaking of the hands stopped but the lump remained.We were JUST there, 3 months before. We had spent the whole first day at the WTC. We were tired, so we sat down- We people watched. And then the buildings went down. GOD HELP US ALL. IS THE WORLD COMING TO AN END? ARE THESE THE FINAL DAYS? I didn't know what to think. Thank you God, for letting me experience the WTC and New York in a happy mood. (We went for the 4th of July to spend it with our friends.) I can now tell my future kids what N.Y. was like before 9/11/2001. Before all this happened. He let me take pictures for future generation to see and HAPPY memories to talk about. Thank you God for sparing Marlene, Jean Paul and all their friends that we met in New York. God help all those families who lost loved ones. I hope and Pray that they can look down at us. All united in mourning. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I am more aware of the posibility of death- for me, my loved ones and my friends. Not that I'm scared,(I know what my eternity holds.) I know where I'm going. Just that- it could be soon. We dont know when or where. Its a little sad to think of those that suffered. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The togetherness and the fact that it could happen again. Anywhere and anytime. 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 few flags. I have always loved Old Glory's colors and the symbol of our flag. Many items in my life containsthe stars and stripes. My feeling have never changed about our flag. Even though I was born in Puerto Rico, I have always considered myself 100% American. That will NEVER change. 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 nmah4196.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. 205.188.209.108 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 could not beleive that it had actually happened. It sounded like something that isn't possible something that is only in a book, movie, our small image in our dreadful minds. It helped our nation become one. We deserved it because our government thinks we are all "high and mighty" when we're not. It shows us that we need to wake up and pay attention to what is happening worldwide or even in a simple place. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. My life has changed because it showed me that anything can happen at any time, day or night. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? The people who died and the heros who helped. 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 did not fly the flag but we did buy one. I feel that little thigs should be recognized. An image is scared in my mind that we didn't even have a clue whatsoever that this was going to happen that we didn't notice the little things until tthe aftermath. 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 nmah3602.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. 205.221.2.129 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 remember watching with great sadness as I saw the World Trade Centers on fire.Soon I heard about the fire at the Pentagon and I knew that America had been attacked. My father who had fought in World War 11 had shared with me how you lose a sense of security and innocence when your nation is at war. He had experienced the range of emotions that one feels- fear,sadness,anger at the evil done and pride and patriotism to contribute to the fight for goodness to prevail. On September 11, I began my own personal journey to have those same range of emotions for our country.I with other concerned Americans went to church to seek GOD for his mercy, aid and peace. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I treasure life to be more precious in a new and deeper way. The principles of democracy, morality, justice and patriotism have taken on deeper meaning to me now. I seek to understand our past development as a nation in newer and deeper ways. I appreciate the enormous responsibility that our President, Vice-President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Justice more. September 11th events opened up my understanding of the national and global community that we are apart of in new ways. I see a increased need to understand other cultures and dynamics of our interdependance as nations better. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? We should remember that America was attacked by evil people who hated us for the freedoms, independance, patriotism, and value systems that we have as a nation. We should remember that people lost their lives in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania in an innocent manner. We should remember that people all over our great nation came together to pray, to aid those wounded, to counsel those grieving and scared, to make decisions to keep us safer, and to work in big and small ways to get life back into some type of routine. 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-our family has an American flag flying outside our home after the events of September 11th. Yes, I have an increased respect for the American flag and all that is represented in our past, present and future history with her sympolism.The flag stands for the honor of those who have died for the causes of freedom, democracy and liberty. The flag stands for every individual American who has the blessings of liberty. 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 nmah430.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. 2002-08-25 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.208.134 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 school in my 2nd period class in science. I was just doing my work until a teacher walked in and told my teacher to turn on the tv. when she turned on the tv we all saw a plane crash into a tower. We were all shocked. That's how I saw most of everything else. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes, because we all never know what next bad experience might happen and I might be in that experience and that's scary. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think the thing that should be remembered the most is when the World Trate Center being destroyed and the 3,000 people who died in there. 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. 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 nmah4730.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. 209.158.162.201 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. We witnessed History on September 11th because it was one of the largest suprise attacks and lots of people died. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Yes because it makes me realize just how much can happen overnight and you never know what will happen the next day. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think the guys who gave their life to rescue people and all of the firefighters for NY for doing what they did. 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 we have not flown an american flag but i do feel that the flag has great meaning to every american and has effected alot of peoples life. 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 nmah3925.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. 64.8.162.66 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. On september 11,2001 we were hit with a devistating attack. I was in my third period class when Mr graceffa csme on to the loud speaker and announced that one of the world trade center towers had been hit. At first I thought it was an accident or a malfunction in the plane. We turned on the tv and we were watching the news and then we saw the second tower being hit live. Then i knew we were under attack. Confusion, fear and anger were the first things to come into my mind. Befor I knew what was really going on i was confused because I couldnt understand why one man would do this. Anger and fear filled my head at the same time, anger because thousand of lives have been lost from one devistating blow. Fear because all of these lives have been lost due to one man and whose knows what he will do next. One of my friends uncle was was on the plane, the next day in school i saw her in my second period class and I was speechless, I couldnt think of anythig to say because I couldnt imagine how much pain she was and just the fact that she was in school shows how emotionally strong she is. When she showed up at school the next day it also showed me that she showed no fear in Osama Bin Laden or in the Al Quaeda. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Since September 11, My life has changed because we were hit in the heart of America. I never had the chance to visit the world trade center and now I never will. He took away one of Americas monuements. After the attack everyone has flags on their houses and on their cars. To me , we should have been united like this befor the attack, but we needed the attack to bring us together. NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I Think that The picture of the three firmen raising the flag shoudl be remembered because it shows that we have no fear in them and that our flag is still standing. President Bush Said it is them new day of infamy. This day will be remembered like The attack on 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 did fly an american flag after the attack on america. My feelings for the flag didnt change because I always soluted the flag and always showed respect by standing up and holding my hand across my heart during the national anthem. 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 nmah4875.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. 206.208.184.59 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 school and i had heard some one in the hall saying something about buildings falling down. i thought they had watched a movie or something in class. when i got to my fourth period class my history teacher told us whta was going one. I remembered that my dad was on a flight that morning for a bussiness trip. HIs flight was leaving newark at 8:00 the same time as the plane that hit the trade center left from newark. i didnt know what to think. Our teacher turned on the T.V. and let us watch the news. i was amazed i had no idea that it was to the extent that it was. i was worried that whole day but i knew my mom went out that moring to ride her horse so she wouldnt have heard any thing about it or any news from my dad. i called her later that day when i was in school she said that she had heard and all of our family and friends had heard as well and were callin. i was suprised at how quick the news traveled because our family and friends from england were callin to see if we were alright. My mom told me that my dad was ok and the plane had landed safely she toldme about his experance. He was on the plane and the pilot came over the speaker and said we will be landed the plane now because the U.S. goverment has said that all planes in the U.S. are to be grounded. He said that everyone just looked at each other like did he say what i think i he said. My dad said that everyone pulled out cell phones to see what happened and the news spread slowly throught the plane. It turned out that the plane that hit the trade center left right before they did. That there plane was next inline to take off. So my mom got done teliing me because my dad had called from his cell phone to let her know he wasalright. But i remember peole cryin in school because there parents worked in or around the trade center but tthankful no one i knew had died. NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. Well it has change by being more carefull when we life. I always seem to look for any thing or any one that doesnt look normal. I keep thinking that they may attack the U.S. again and if so if in New York will what they use harm the area around us. So i guess im just worried like every one else is as to what may hapen in the future NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? I think what we should remember is that America can be attacked and that we may not always be the strongest country. WE should appericate all the freedoms we have and that our country does not have battle on our land around our homes. That we have choices in our lives and to appericate what we have. Be happy that we have a home to go back to, to have choices that many other countries dont. To be happy to be an American. 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 did not put up a flag but my feelings have changed since september 11. i use to think it a flag that i pledge to every morning but now i see the reall meaning of the flag i see that it truely is a symbolof our freedom. It helps our country remember how lucky we are to live in this day and age and the this 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 nmah1728.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 witnessed the events while working at my job in Corona, Queens N.Y.C. We in our office saw everything from the 11th floor in our building. The Lefrak office building had a clear view of lower Manhattan that very day. My father called me about a few minutes after the first plane hit the Tower. He said a huge fire was reported due to a plane hitting the Tower. I immediately thought of the Empire State Building when it was hit by a plane in the thirties.I did not think of terroroism but I thought it very odd a plane could accidently hit such a huge skyscraper by accident. I remember reading about BinLaden from Time magazine and other reputable sources such as Newsweek. I thought if a terrorist would strike it had to be him. I walked over to the office areas facing Lower Manhattan. We saw the second plane hit the other Tower. We all knew this was no accident!!! People cried and were afraid. I saw the Towers both collapse in front of my eyes! I knew the Towers were doomed because from a distance the Towers started to look crooked. They were no longer standing straight. I saw the Towers start to warp. People said to me I must be crazy to say such a thing. I said look carefully. They no longer looked totally upright. The viewpoint of the Lefrak office building had a perect view of everything happening. A picture perfect day lead everyone from a good vantage piont from a distance to view the end of an era of American security to a new beginning of uncertainty for the future of our nation! NMAH Story: Life Changed Has your life changed because of September 11, 2001? If so, tell us how. I helped thousand of people. I worked at the World Trade Center Hotline for New York City!! I then worked the Lower Manhattan Air Quality Hotline for New York City!! I worked away from my job in Queens for over eight months!! I worked in Manhattan. We had phone calls from around the nation and even from around the world to our center. I helped to answer questions relating to financial aid to anthrax to terrorism. This experience made me a better person for the rest of my life!! Helping others is a pleasure! dealing with familes of the dead and injured and dealing with a panicked public made me more sensitive to people and delicate situations. When I played Sants Claus for the widows and orphans of 9/11 at pier 92 in Manhattan I held in my arms babies born right after 9/11. I talked to the wives of the deceased. I saw the children's pain when they picked out teddy bears and wished their fathers who were the firefighters were still alive. I cannot ever forget the human toll of such an event. Our nation has many forces outh there willing to destroy it! From within and throughtout the world people are jealous of our freedoms and of our Nation's place in history. I cannot ever let someone belittle our nation ever again! When I do have children I will tell them what I did to help others. I will tell them of what I had heard and saw. I will tell them to be proud Americans!! NMAH Story: Remembered What do you think should be remembered about September 11th? Sacrifice, courage, unselfish dedication are virtues for people to remember now and forever!! Never must we forget all the brave men and women who dies and were injured in helping others in our time of need and sorrow. 9/11 must be remembered for the people who perished. 9/11 must be remembered for the acts of heroism performed. 9/11 must be remembered for the will of people who view themselves as Americans to fight on! 9/11 is an act of war!! Us against them. America must never forget as America forgot Pearl Harbor's lessons. Ignorance will surely doom our 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 I did!! I put a flag up in my cubicle. It was stolen. I got another one to replace it. I let it be know I will be very angry it another is gone. I flew another flag wil driving my car. My father and I flew a flag outside our apartment window in Jackson Heights. I still fly a flag at my job. My work area still has old glory proudly displayed! When candles were lit around the nation to pay respect to the dead of 9/11, my neighborhood and many neighborhoods throughtout New York City displayed their heartfelt sorrow and loss of our nations's people killed in the terrorist attacks. The Towers are gone probably forever. The pentagon will be rebuilt. Objects can be replaced. Structures can be rebuilt at a new location. Only the people are what matters! The dead can never be replaced. The memories of those who died must live on!! The American flag is a symbol of our nations's resolve to live on in the face of danger and trying times. Our flag represents courage, and resolve. Our flag to me is a symbol why BinLaden wants us dead! The flag resents all that is good in America. Our flag resents the best of us all!! Our flag resents courage and will. The virutes of our flag are the characteristics a snake like BinLaden and his thugs will never have. He is a coward. We as Americans are brave!! 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 nmah43.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. 2002-06-29 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.246.81.164