60 20 70359 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I was at working at a speech and hearing center in Columbus, OH listening to the local NPR station when I heard a report that a plane had crashed into the first tower. I immediately thought it was a small aircraft that somehow became lost and hit the building. I went up to the 4th floor and watched the news reports when I saw the second plane hit the second tower. I knew then that we were under attack. I spent the majority of the day providing analysis of why these specific planes were used from these specific airports and why these structures were targeted as I spent 15 years doing intelligence work in the Navy. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? The collapse of the towers was perhaps the strongest memory of this day or any day in my life. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? The events of September 11, 2001 had a brief unifying effect and an equally brief appreciation for our Service members. Unfortunately, the unification was based on existing fear, hatred, and distrust of anyone that even resembled someone from the Middle East. The actions that the Bush Administration conducted reminded me of the terrible policies adopted by the Roosevelt Administration after Pearl Harbor was attacked. The country has returned to "normal" in many ways, but the feelings of hatred, fear, and distrust of those of Middle Eastern descent is still at an all time high and is constantly being fueled by those in policy making positions to push their agendas. For the record, I am not Middle Eastern and so I have not personally felt the backlash, but I have observed the activities that have occurred in this Nation since 9/11/01. 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 lc_story274.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. 2004-01-22 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 204.245.162.202 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I was at work as head cook in an elementary school kitchen, and one of the women came in for the 9:15 shift and told us that she might be confused, but she thought she heard that an airplane flew into the World Trade Center. At first we jokingly asked if they were making a remake of "King Kong". But there was an eerie pall in the kitchen, and although we have no access to television, somebody had a portable radio, and we started to listen. Word spread from the main office to all staff to please keep a calm demeanor, and don't mention the news to the children, as everything was turmoil, and nobody knew what was really going on. We continued, however to listen to the radio during the morning, and everybody worked in silence. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? When I reached home, my husband was already there, and the television was on. When we heard later that day that the US carrier George Washington was going to NYC, the situation immediately became personal. Our son Teddy was a nuclear electrician on that aircraft carrier. We knew that Teddy was in NYC. At first, by the next morning,we saw newsclips of the "Dub", as the George Washington is called, in the mouth of the harbor. They flew air missions off the carrier for 19 days. They moved the ship out of the harbor to the entrance of the airstrips at JFK airport, 7 miles east of the harbor. During wartime, or political unrest, sailors can't call or e mail out to family. It may sound corny, but the New Yorkers down there were so scared, and rightfully so, that I took CNN up on its offer to send a short message to the people of NYC , and they would play the messages on their rotating messageboard. I sent something to the effect that "Our son is on the aircraft carrier in the harbor to help protect you." LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? Well, these examples are certainly small potatoes compared to some, but as I said, I work in an elementary school in Upstate New York, near Lake Ontario. The dairy that supplies our schools with milk sent all they had down to the kitchens that fed the rescue workers for a day. The children were proud to help in that way. We collected flannel shirts and socks for the workers to change into after their shifts searching for survivors. We had a list of school members, staff and children alike who were in the military at the present time, so people could think good thoughts for them(Prayer isn't allowed in school), and although we are one of the poorest districts in New York State, we took up a penny collection, and raised almost $700.00 for the Red Cross. The children's fear at the constant and horrific news was channeled into doing positive things to try to help the situation. Volunteering and Good Citizenship are qualities that will serve these children well all their lives. We are a military family, and beside our son who was on the George Washington, one of our other sons was in the Navy, activating Naval Reservists, and my brother is a Navy SEAL. Our daughter had just finished 10 years in the Army. Although it hasn't lasted, the newfound feeling of national patriotism was a welcome sight for us. We, as their parents, are from the Viet Nam era, and remember the awful way our military vets were treated in that time. As I write this, on the day that Saddam Hussein has been captured, I can only hope that the supportive feeling for our troops rises again. Since that time, we also have a son-in-law who is a commander of a Bradley Unit on the North/South Korean Border. Whether or not citizens agree with political decisions made in Washington, they need to remember that our soldiers and sailors are in harm's way following these orders. 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 lc_story70.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. 2003-12-14 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.59.82.172 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I am a government worker in Atlanta. It was around 9:00 and I was going to break when I found out. I was wishing a coworker Happy Birthday when she said that it wasn't and told me why. I wouldn't believe it at first until I found a TV and watched the second plane crash. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? This means war and life will never be the same. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? Don't take life, peace and happiness for granted. 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 lc_story88.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. 2003-12-17 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 4.22.139.196 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) On September 11th I was going about my every day business inside the Pentagon. I had been stationed at the Pentagon for over a year and worked inside the National Military Command Center (NMCC). The NMCC is located in the C-ring and is on the opposite side of the building from where the plane struck. I had just heard from a co-worker that a plane had struck the World Trade Center in New York. My first thought was what a terrible accident, I hope no one got killed. Then the word came down that another plane had hit the Towers and I knew that it was not an accident but a terrorist attack much like 1993. How wrong I was in that thought. Just then I felt the floor shake and we all looked at each other wondering what had happened. Someone came running in to say that we had to evacuate because the Pentagon was on fire. As we were filing out of the Pentagon the rumors were floating that there had been an explosion caused by the construction crew working on renovations, it was a truck bomb came the second opinion, and then someone said that a plane had hit the building. As I look back now I marvel at the calm of those around me. Most of the work force at the Pentagon are government civilians. They were not trained for this but as public servants hold a unique trust of those placed in charge. There was no panic or pushing, just a buzz wondering what exactly had happened. As we filed outside, on what is called the Riverside entrance, I looked back and for the first time was impacted by the enormity of what had happened. The black smoke and flames could be seen shooting from the building. I stopped and stared, never would I have dreamed that someone would have the audacity to attack my Pentagon. Then came the secondary explosion of the aircrafts fuel tanks. The ground shook, knocking many people off their feet and setting off every car alarm in the parking lot. Then came the panic and screaming from some. The military first responders jumped into action to get everyone out of the parking lot and away from the building. As I was moving to our units rendezvous point I thought now would be a good time for another attack with all these people out in the open. Just then someone started screaming that another plane was headed our way. People dove to the ground and ran for cover. When I looked up saw and then heard the F-16s I almost broke out in tears. Now I really knew what the sound of freedom was like. My brethren were on guard and no more attacks would be coming from the skies. I was the Non-Commissioned Office in charge of the office that supplied the communications needs for the NMCC staff and support personnel. We had numerous cells phones on hand and had brought them with us. Unfortunately the cellular tower network was quickly overwhelmed. Each one of us wanted to let our loved ones know that we were all right. We also wanted to contact our co-workers who had to stay behind to man their posts. We had a mission to support and as our chain of command was working on getting us back into the building we were trying desperately to contact anyone to pass the word to our family and friends that we were still alive. I was finally able to get through but all I got was my wifes voicemail. We hadnt even been married a year yet and all I could think of was what she must be feeling or thinking at that very moment. After a few more fruitless tries I got through to my father in-law. I assured him I was okay and asked him to get a hold of my wife, Kimberly, and let her know that I would be in contact as soon as I could. We all waited outside on the grass beside the Potomac River, watching the Pentagon burn and wondering what was next. Some were chosen to go back inside to continue our support of the NMCC. The rest of us gathered around a portable TV that someone had retrieved from their car. We watched the news reports until the batteries died. Finally the word came down that the rest of us were released to go home. We were to stay by the phone until contacted with more instructions. I realized then that it would be impossible for me to get home. You see I car pool and there was no way to find my commuting crowd. I knew of some co-workers who lived close to me and asked them for a ride. We all crammed into the truck and off we went to go home. The trip home was usually about an hour, that day it took almost 3 hours. During that time we talked about the who, the what, and the whys of the attack. Wondering what enemy could reach out and touch us so easily. We each discussed how we were going to contact our loved ones either through phone calls or emails. We also wondered what was in store for us since our place of work was burning. All those thoughts disappeared when I pulled up in front of the townhouse I was renting at the time. There on the steps stood Kimberly. How she knew I was coming Ill never know. She told me that she knew I would be there and could feel me draw closer. As I held Kimberly I was finally able to cry, able to cry for those lost in the attacks, for Kimberly and for myself. I hated the fact that someone had put my wife, friends and family through hours of living hell. I hated the fact that I was powerless to do anything about it. Hours later I would begin to get angry. I knew that America would not sit by idly and let this go unpunished. As I watched the reports the rest of the evening I felt the same sadness, dismay, and anger that all of America was feeling. But I knew that sooner or later I would have a hand in making sure that whoever was responsible would be brought to justice. For you see the NMCC is the heart and soul of the Pentagon. The directions for military action would come from there and I was part of the mechanism. I had only been home for about an hour when the call came for me to report for duty the next day, in field gear, at the Pentagon. It is hard to explain the feeling I had when I arrived at 5:30 AM at the Pentagon. The flames were still shooting from the roof and I could see the damage from the parking lot as I slowly walked toward the entrance. It was eerie going into a building that was on fire. The halls were smoke filled and breathing was a little difficult. Parts of the Pentagon were without power and you could see the glow of the fire down some hallways. As I entered the NMCC the first thing that struck me was the cool clean air. The air handlers in the NMCC were the best in the business and had scrubbed the air clean. We all gathered in our office and received our orders from our commander. We went to work. I know that none of us gave a second thought to our situation. Inside a burning building, maybe a target for a second attack, and that we might have to evacuate again if the fire could not be brought under control. We all did what we had to do, what we were paid to do, what we volunteered to do and most importantly what we felt we were called to do, protect and defend our country from all enemies. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? I have many strong memories of that day. Two stand out in my mind. The feeling of security and pride when the F-16's came flying over head as we stood on the grass. Knowing that there wouldn't be another attack from the skies this day. Also the feeling of relieve and gratitude as I held my crying wife and assured her that I was okay. The realization that when it comes down to it all that really matters in life is those we care about. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? The events of 9/11 have affected the country in much the same way the Vietnam War did in the 60's. We have highlighted the differing camps in the US. We have those who stand behind our elected officials, we have those that disagree with our actions, either by belief or ignorance and we have those that are apathetic. I feel overall most people have put 9/11 behind them and have forgotten how terrible that day was for the entire country. There are those who were profoundly affected by the events and will never be able to put it behind them. We need to remind America occasionally that we stand for freedom. Freedom is never easy or cheap. The majority of Americans do not understand how the rest of the world lives or thinks. So we continue our daily lives and every once in a while we think momentarily about history. Personally it was nice to see the outpouring of patriotism but I knew that would fade with time. I feel less safe than I did before and tend to look up at the sky and over my shoulder more. I have a little survivor guilt now and then. I knew quite a few of the people who died in the Pentagon. I know how lucky I was to be in the right place at the right time. I know how lucky I was to be able to go home that night and be with my family. There were many Americans who were not so lucky on 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 lc_story141.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. 2003-12-19 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 164.214.4.62 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) First aware of attack on World Trade Center as I was driving to work in Syracuse, NY at 8:50 am Tuesday, September 11, 2003. In my office at about 9:00 am, we turned on the Television and learned of the enormity of the event and also witnessed the second plane hitting the south tower. At about 9:20 am, I phoned my daughter who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and who was expecting the birth of her first child the following week. She was unaware of the attack although she did say that she had been hearing many fire and ambulance sirens. A short time later smoke from the fires had reached her neighborhood about five miles north. On Thursday, Sept 13, my wife and I took the train from Syracuse to New York's Penn Station for a week's visit. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? The strongest memory of that day is the horrific TV views and trying to understand the insane hatred that would drive men to commit such an unspeakable act against so many innocent people. Also, in moving around the Upper West Side on Friday and Saturday, we passed many fire stations with candles filling the open doors in memory of lost firemen and police. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? The attacks have made us more conscious of our vulnerability especially to the terror provoked by suicide bombers. But the fact that over two years has gone by without another significant terrorist attack taking place in the United States by these extremists shows that President Bush and his administration have taken the right action both overseas and at home to improve our security. 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 lc_story128.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. 2003-12-18 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.59.209.35 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I was in my office in a NH law school library when told by a student that a plane had crashed into one of the towers. Thinking it was an accident with small aircraft I did not immediately react. When I heard of the second plane I knew it was no accident. As the towers fell I felt so unsafe. It brought back the frightening memories of the late 50's when in school we practiced "duck and cover" in the event of a nuclear attack. The sound of jets flying over made many of us kids run for cover in great fear. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? When I saw the towers fall I was filled with disbelief. How could this happen, why weren't we being protected? How could this be so easy to do? The dust rising as the giants fell,people with dusty tear stained faces,the news reports...later the pictures mounted everywhere of lost loved ones, I will never forget the sights and sounds. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? I feel unsafe. I am a target. My family is a target. I feel hated. I worry we will always live with the threat of terrorism, that my children and their childrens' children will also live with it. What becomes of a society that exists in fear? I worry about the loss of personal freedoms, and choices. I fear what the fear will bring. 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 lc_story252.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. 2004-01-14 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 65.120.116.3 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I walked into my house after dropping off my children at school and going to the grocery store and turned on the TV. The news was on and I saw that a plane had hit the World Trade Center, but no one was sure what was happening at the moment; no one knew the enormity yet of what was occurring. Then the second plane hit. I have family in New York and Boston and immediately tried to call them. I couldn't get through to New York, but reached my sister in Boston. Then I finally reached my parents in New York. As I was talking to my mother, I suddenly looked at the TV and saw only one tower was standing. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I spent the rest of the day in front of the TV in tears. When I picked up my children at school, they didn't know what had happened, except that all the parents were crying. On the way home, I explained to them what had happened and they watched the horrific events with me over and over. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? My strongest memory is just feeling like it was unreal, that we were under siege as I first watched what happened in New York, then Washington, DC and then that field in Pennsylvania. The feeling of how could this possibly be happening here and why so many innocent lives had to be taken. The grief is the strongest emotional memory I have of that day. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? About a month later I wrote this poem which appeared in poeticvoices.com: 9-1-1 c 2001 Nancy Rechtman On the last day of life as we knew it Madness rained down from the sky Horror took over our lives The heavens let out a great cry. In one moment of terrible evil The earth shattered, blow after blow Now a skeleton teeters above The abyss gapes madly below. Mountains of glass and of metal Once towered so proudly, so grand Collapsed in a fiery inferno Entombed thousands with hatred's hand. Paeans to hopes and to dreams Lie mangled, so brutally lost Shrouded in blankets of ashes and dust At such an unbearable cost. Our hearts are burning and tortured Our souls fill with torment so cruel The ache is so vast and unyielding A kingdom where only anguish can rule. Life upon life upon life now gone So savagely sudden, no more. We cry out in anger in fear and in rage Our beings shake to the core. Our tears flow freely in torrents Transform into rivers of pain Wash over our land in the knowledge That what was will never be again. But we see the heroes among us Who emerge from the darkness so bleak They light the way towards healing And offer the pride that we seek. For we are the steel Though twisted and bent And smoldering in the ruins Our wills are of iron Our souls writhe with pain No bandage can cover the wounds. But breath shall once again lift us Like the Phoenix, we, too, shall rise As we grasp onto those precious memories Of our dear ones and silent good-byes. Let our spirits rise up now in chorus Let our eyes seek the heavens above We are truly one nation united Instead of breaking, we will heal now through love. 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 lc_story75.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. 2003-12-16 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.24.51.89 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I was still in bed asleep. I got a phone call from my best friend and I remember getting mad at him for waking me up 15 minutes before my alarm would have. He quickly told me to turn on the tv, I asked him what channel, he said any would do. Videos were replaying of the destruction taking place in New York. "Another one crashed into the Pentagon," my best friend told me, "but they don't know if it's related to the one in New York." Not knowing how serious it was yet having just woken up, my first thought was if classes would be canceled at the university I attend. We hung up the phones. Not five minutes later I called him back screaming into the phone "another plane hit the other tower!" That's when I knew that this was serious. I decided not to ditch school even with all the chaos happened. I listened to the radio the whole way there to learn more. Every radio station had the same thing. My professor carried on like nothing was happening and I sometimes wonder if he knew what was going on at the time. I listened to the radio on the way home and they were still doing news up dates. I took my mom to the commissary at Ft. Bliss and there were only a handful of people in there. When I got home I watched the news all night in hopes of finding out more info. I wanted to know who did this, why they did it, and why the US didn't know this was going to happen. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? I just remember not feeling normal. Everything I knew was different. The radio stations on the way to school, any channel on the TV, they all had the same things. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? I felt safe before this. Now I don't. I can't go onto Ft. Bliss without being searched and asked for an ID. I've only been on a plane once since then and I was terrified, I honestly didn't know if I would be making it to my destination or not. I have noticed a lot of racism at school against Arab students and it makes me hate the people that are doing this. I heard of one incident in another school where an Isreali student got hit in the head with a rotten egg. It's horrible and it's probably going to get worse before it gets better. 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 lc_story192.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. 2004-01-05 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.188.208.38 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) In my home in Studio City, California. I turned on a news program and was still half asleep, watching the smoke come out of the first tower. I thought how odd, it must be the anniversary of the 1993 attack. I didn't pay attention, I needed to prepare for my new job interview at 3pm selling tours to Pakistan, Afganistan & India. Then the second plane slammed into the tower, I turned up the volume and was stunned, as the events unfolded, I was alarmed I live less than a mile from Universal, Disney & Warner Bros studios. Thought we were next. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? I went to my job interview, I thought for sure they would cancel, I actually got the job. I had been unemployed for over a month and was hanging on by a shoestring. The patrons on the bus were absolutely silent. Upon my return it was later in the afternoon around 4:30-5pm We got to Ventura Blvd a major street in Los Angeles. Cars began honking, cruising up and down with flags on the sides of their cars. People began to gather for candlelight vigils all up and down the Boulevard. For the first time I was actually proud of my city of Los Angeles, coming together like that. I cried openly on the bus. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? Never would I be the same, I did lose the job one week later as everyone canceled their trips to Afganistan, but I got a new one in less than a week. I had been trying to date a man for 5 years, and decided to confront him. No longer could I sit buy and take life for granted, we always don't have time, I continued at the new job to get promoted every 3-6 months and in 2 years left to form my own company. The man and I have been living together for over 2 years as Domestic Partners and plan to marry in Denmark. I have a wonderful home, family and still cannot help but shed a tear when I think of that day, and what all those families suffered. 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 lc_story250.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. 2004-01-14 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.190.209.97 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) when i herdd the news i was at the doctors office getting a check up before work. at the time i was a driver for domminos pizza inc. i could not believe it i thought that it was a joke at the time. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? the strongest memory of that day was when i went out side and saw the smoke riseing from the pentagon. i live and work about 30 min from the pentagon. i also remember that no one was able to get through to order any lunch. a coustomer came in and asked if we were afraid. no i wasent i was angry. death is certin for all of us, the question is when and how. and the manager and i knew that we as a country would do something about it. we jokes and said that we would find out who did this and turn that country into a parking lot. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? if i have changed it is the fact that i am no longer afraid of what other people think, or say about me because that is just worldly ego. and i have a right to be myself and if you like it it is ok, if not tuf luck. my father and my brother used to work at the pentagon but i feel glad that they were both retired when this happend. when something like this happens all you can do is rebulid and move on and not be afraid of what might happen. when it is your time, guess what there is nothing that you can do. it is a matter of when and how. 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 lc_story215.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. 2004-01-07 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.100.188.116 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I awoke late that morning. I live on the upper west side of Manhattan. As i first turned on the television the reports were just coming in... a plane had hit the WTC. It made me immediately recall how a few years earlier a small commuter plane hit the Empire State Building after some problems with its navagation gear ( I think it was cloudy that day) and hit the building. It survived and a few perished. The building was fine. It was odd and strange but not a freightening. I went in the shower and when I came out, the second tower had been hit. I was watching local news, channel 4 NBC, here in NYC. They were replaying the second hit, over and over and trying to figure out was it a missle or was this another plane, a jet in fact. It was incomprehensible. I watched in horror. At that point phone service was still possible. But as the morning progressed and the news got more freightening, Pennsylvania, The Pentagon... New York suddenly felt like a war zone. Phone service soon became unavailable. The normally busy streets of the city quickly became desolate. An occasional emergency vehicle flew down without the normal gridlock that makes travel in the city a tedious detail. Finally getting in touch with friends via the internet, I learned that my cousins husband was at work in the WTC that day. He had called his wife from his office in Cantor Fitzgerald, saying how a plane and hit the building, he was fine and they were evacuating. It was soon after that he left a call for his wife, while she was showering, that he left a passionate message of love for his wife and their new born child. Family members called and said I might expect him to eventually come to my apartment since travel to his Long Island home had now become impossible. He never came. I think the single biggest for impression for anyone in the city that day was one of sheer terror. Rumors of nuclear bombs, biological attacks and more planes were rampant. While some friends went down to see what was happening downtown, I stayed huddled in my apartment alone and wondered in terrified stupor what was next. The smell of burning plastic... and what could have been human life.. wafted to the northern points of Manhattan. This as the normally well dressed men and women of Wall Street finally made it to uptown, ashen covered, disheveled and some (so I heard) bloody. It wasn't a day of history! It was a day of fear, terror and loss. The loss of friends, the loss of security and the loss of my belief that mankind is essentially good at it's core. I lost many friends that day... one who was mearly visiting Windows on the World restaurant attending a business seminar. We lost so much that day but we gained an awareness, that NYC didn't belong to the people who live here, it belonged to the world. So in all of the sadness and loss a new perspective was born. PJM365 LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? 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 lc_story150.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. anonymously 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. 2003-12-20 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 64.12.96.12 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I was at work. It was a beautiful, sunny autumn day in the mid-West. I work in a large Medical Center and work from 9:00 to 5:30. I always come to work about 8:30 a.m. (Central time) to have breakfast in the cafeteria. I remember sitting there, looking outside and thinking how good it was to be alive on such a beautiful day. Then, for no reason, I felt terribly sad. I looked at the clock and it was about 8:45. I thought, how strange -- but it was time to go to my office and I shook off the feeling. As I rode up in the elevators, I heard people talking about the "accident" in New York. As I entered my office, I quickly learned about what was going on. I'll always wonder if that moment of sadness was the collective grief of a nation as it started to mourn its dead. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? So many -- it's hard to pin them all down. Listening in disbelief to the radio. Being very busy and being torn between doing my work or being where the radios were. I was born the month after Pearl Harbor and have grown up with stories of World War II. One of my first thoughts was that this was much bigger than that had been. And then I thought of the day Kennedy was was shot and our horror and disbelief that day. I called my mother and various members of my family, just to reassure myself that they were okay. I called my daughter in Atlanta, wishing we were closer and worrying about being so far from her. Trying to decide what the facts were versus rumors that were going around was hard. Working in Omaha and hearing that President Bush had just landed at Offutt AFB. I think not really knowing the what/who/why of what was going on and what else might be going to happen contributed to the feeling of unreality of that day. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? We have more restrictions now. Flying is more time consuming. It's harder to visit the Statue of Liberty and other places of historical significance. I think this was a wake-up call to government agencies and they are trying to keep us safe, but keeping our nation safe is almost impossible with cities that have millions of people and little towns with less than 100! We have urban areas, farming areas, mountains, deserts. Our people are diverse and of many ethnic origins. Our elders saw us through World War II and Korea, my generation saw us through Vietnam and the Gulf War, and our young generation is being asked to face the greatest challenge of all. To somehow protect the world, not just our nation, from terrorism that can strike anyplace at any time. I grieve for the loss of life that happened 9/11 but I grieve more for the young people who will lose their lives to keep us safe. And I hope that the world their children will inherit will be a safer, more peaceful world where something like this will never happen again. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource lc_story271.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. 2004-01-21 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 137.197.134.119 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I was in my kitchen and had turned on the local CBS morning show to check the traffic before I left for the day. National CBS interrupted the local to show the live images of the buildings being attacked. I couldn't feel anything until the World Trade Center fell. My husband and I had eaten in the restaurant at the top of the building, Windows on the World, and I couldn't believe that was gone. That's what made it real for me. I had to do something. I had been an U.S. military officer, and I had to do something. I did all I could do which was to go to the local blood bank. It probably didn't benefit New York or D.C., but it was all I could do here in addition to praying. I spent the day there. They were short handed, so I worked the desk. People constantly came to give blood and were willing to sit the hour or two. I was concerned about a cousin I have in New York. Our families were never close, but I hoped she was okay. I received a copy of her email in which she described how she lived across the river from the WTC and had gone to her roof after the first hit. She was up there when a second plane came around the corner and smashed into the building. She said there were papers flying everywhere. I still worry about her and hope she's okay after having seen this. Strangely, she did exactly what I did. She went to her local blood bank and worked the desk all day. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? Sitting down at my kitchen table and crying when it all became real. Another strong one is from the following day when I watched TV to see the Queen of England stand with others to sing our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? I think we all have a better understanding of what's important. I have never been a real "people person," but I reach out a lot more than I ever did. I always loved my family, but I try to do more for them. I write more. My parents lived through the Great Depression, and my father was in WWII. I always thought they were hopelessly old fashioned and a little simplistic. Now I understand them, and I find I'm adopting a lot of their attitudes and values. I've noticed many people seem to be living more and more this way. The ornate is becoming simple. People just don't seem to want a lot of big, expensive things as once they did. Also, I've always enjoyed making things, doing crafts and sewing. After September 11, it seems as if a lot of people have started doing that. I think it's wonderful because finally more people are creating. I have such a greater appreciation for everything on this earth, and especially in 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 lc_story155.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. 2003-12-21 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.218.197.47 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) As a muslim, I felt embarrased for the people that follow ben Laden and Sadamm think they are the leaders of Islam.To the people that know better, knowing the U.S.( my country)did not that do that much for us to suffer the 9/11 attacks. Allah will punish Those such as be Laden, Sadam as well as the followers who know that is the devil's dirty work. The only explaination I can concieve is that in third world countries even though the Holy Quran is free the people do not have as well acess as we do in the States. I think Allah I was born in this country, I repersent, there is no other country for me. My heart will all ways be in Michigan, California and Arkansas. To the families that lost love ones that was doing good from the heart, they are in a better place and looking down on you, so think of them and be happy for them. Thank you, Marlon findbrucewayne@yahoo.com LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? I was at work and another employee that playes around alot told me about the tragdy. I cussed him out saying you don't say any thing of that nature. He brought me to the radio and I listen to the horror. Sadly to say he was telling the truth. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? The trust is going from people of that country that shows attude to Americans. 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 lc_story130.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. anonymously 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. 2003-12-18 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.43.24.39 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) On September 11, 2001, I was a public school Librarian at Bath County High School, a small, rural school in Hot Springs, Virginia. At the time I learned of the events, Mrs. Noreen Mitchell had just brought her second period eighth grade English class to the library to research Greek mythology. The time was probably a little after nine in the morning. The Art teacher, Mr. Bill Lindsey, came into the library to say that a plane had struck the World Trade Center and one of the towers was on fire. The Pentagon had been struck, too, by that point. I had a small audio-visual room with a TV and cable, and so we went into the room and turned on CNN. Soon, other teachers began showing up in the library, and Mrs. Mitchell was having a difficult time keeping her students on task. Finally, she gave up, and we all crowded into this tiny room while others stood in the doorway and looked over people's shoulders. Teachers began coming to the library to ask if they could bring their whole classes to the library to watch. Finally, I connected the cable to the closed-circuit televisions provided by Channel One so that every class could watch the news in their own rooms. I remember that as events unfolded, a paranoia began to take hold, not just in my school but on TV and among news anchors and commentators. There were reports of other planes still in the air. The President's location was unknown for a lengthy period of time. There was a report that a plane was headed for the Capitol, or perhaps the White House. All the kids were wondering if school would be released early and perhaps cancelled the next day. Once it became common knowledge that the events of that day were acts of terrorism, immediately the adults in the school began to talk of war, though against whom no one could say. School remained in session, though no learning took place outside the context of what was happening in New York and Washington. Much of the day, Mr. Lindsey and I watched the news together and talked. I was only about 28 at the time; Mr. Lindsey was in his fifties, so he had a more experienced and liberal mind than myself. I was gung ho and ready to go to war; I was fearful and excited. He was sad and afraid. That night, my wife and I went home (she was a French teacher in the same school where I worked) and listened to NPR. We did not have cable TV at home. Around nine, the President addressed the nation. We listened to it with a mixed feeling of fear and excitement. Nothing feels as exhilerating and as terrible as living in a great moment of history. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? My most vivid memory of the day is how the Internet went down due to the sudden surge in traffic. Google simply posted a message directing people to major news sites, but these sites were either unavailable or not updated for long periods of time. The inability to get information on-line contributed to a sense that we were in the beginning stages of some kind of apocalypse. The overwhelming feeling of that day was of uncertainty and fear of the future. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? As for myself personally, previous to September 11, I expected to live out my existence in rural Appalachian Virginia. My wife and I had just had our first child in April 2001, and we were looking for a home to buy. By January 2002, we were both actively seeking new jobs and by extension, a different life for ourselves. I briefly looked into joining the Marine corps. and going to Officer Candidate School. I went so far as to talk to a local recruiter, as well as my brother-in-law, who was also a recruiter for the Marines. I had scheduled an appointment to take the entrance exam when I finally decided that joining the military at my age and my stage in life would be too difficult for my family. My wife didn't want me to do it, but was willing to support me; however, I decided it was too much to ask of her. Instead, I began to look for work elsewhere, as did my wife. She eventually found a job teaching French in a High School in nearby Lexington, Virginia. It took a little longer for me to find work, but by July, I was offered and accepted a position with the Library of Congress as part of the Digital Conversion group. I feel like 9/11 directly precipitated these changes in our life. I don't know why, but after 9/11 we both felt that we could not go on as before. We were not fully satisfied with our then-current jobs, but we were resigned to working in that school for the rest of our working lives because it was comfortable and we had the rare benefit of being able to work together on the same schedule. 9/11 caused us to reevaluate who we were and where we were going, and because of that, we decided that we needed more. We were not going to resign ourselves to a work environment we really didn't like, in a part of the country so remote that we had to drive forty minutes over a mountain just to reach a solitary Wal-Mart in a dead-end mill town (Covington, Virginia). I did not join the Marines, but I moved on to better things, and my wife and I are happier now. On a national level, my assessment of how 9/11 has changed the country has drifted from the conservative position I took for some time after 9/11. I think that fifty years from now, historians will say that the terrorists won a surreptitious victory on September 11, 2001. At the time, the President and others told us that we would not accede to the terrorists demands and desires. We were told that the terrorists wanted us to be afraid, that the terrorists wanted us to alter our lives, take away our own freedoms, react hastily and violently. And yet, we have reacted to 9/11 exactly as the terrorists desired and exactly as President Bush told us we would not react. Our freedoms have been curtailed via the Patriot Act. Our fear of terrorism is demonstrable in the fact that going through airport security is tougher than ever for everyone from toddlers to grandmothers, and precisely because it is non-discriminatory, most people feel that the increased security does not really protect us. General Tommy Franks and others have suggested that another terrorist attack, especially if it involves chemicals or biological agents or radiological weapons, would result in the rollback of the U.S. Constitution and the imposition of martial law. We have engaged in a dubious Middle East war in Iraq. And finally, in at least one case we directly acceded to one of the demands of Osama bin Laden: we have withdrawn troops from Saudi Arabia. True, we've withdrawn troops from Saudi in order to move them into Iraq, but nonetheless we have given bin Laden at least one of the things he has demanded of us. Two years after 9/11, I still remember the feelings of that day, the mixture of horror, sadness, fear, anger, and excitement. Yet two years later, I also feel sobered and less inclined to accept the belief that this war can be won via traditional military means. Perhaps establishing a peaceful, democratic Iraq will indeed defuse much of the hatred directed toward America from the Islamic radicals. From the close-up vantage point of 2003, it is difficult to see how that will happen. The Islamic fundamentalists have a cause for which to fight and a common, clearly identifiable enemy in America. Contrarily, most Americans have to think really, really hard to justify such wars as the one we just fought in Iraq, and our enemy is not so easily identifiable. Our enemy has no national borders, no organized military that follows the rules of engagement and the Geneva Convention. Whereas in previous wars, success could be measured in towns taken, divisions destroyed, material captured or destroyed, in the present case, success is not so clearly measured and there is no way to determine when the war will be finished. That last part is what is really frightening. I fear that a hot war that lasts for twenty or thirty years provides the President and military with far too much power over our lives and the course this country takes into the future. We Americans must safeguard our freedoms carefully, not from terrorists who cannot touch us in that way anyhow, but from our leaders who do have the power, the means, and the will to curtail our 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 lc_story245.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. 2004-01-13 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 140.147.89.42 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I was in college, but my classes were cancelled because a professor was going to be out of town. I had a dentist appointment, so I turned the radio on while driving. I was absolutely shocked! I could not fathom that this was actuallly taking place in New York. When I arrived, the dentist took me immediately to one of the rooms and I watched the television. The dental hygenist was encouraging me to floss more as the second tower fell. I felt strange as I watched the television and sat in the dentist chair. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? Honestly, the following year, I was student teaching at Vine Grove Elementary, here in Kentucky. We went out to flag pole and recited the Pledge as a school. I could hardly get through the words. One of the adults sang the "Star Spangled Banner." I was surprised that more of the children didn't show signs of any emotion, but I realized that for the most part they were not allowed to watch the events as they happened. I often wonder how this will effect their generation. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? I did not know anyone personally who was actually invovled in the situation, but I am very sensitive to stories I hear about the people who lost their lives. I was in New York City over the holiday and I was listening to someone talk about how New Yorkers could go to grocery stores and purchase items to help the relief workers. The story was not especially touching, but the thought of the day always ends up bringing tears to my eyes. 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 lc_story267.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. 2004-01-20 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 205.204.242.22 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I was working for NC Division of Emergency Management in Raleigh, NC. I was at my desk, but did not have my radio on. I happened to check my e-mail on a Web-based e-mail site, and a friend had sent an e-mail about a plane striking one of the WTC buildings. I was thinking "Cessna" or similar small aircraft, and thought how tragic for the pilot, passengers, and those in the area where the plane would have hit. But then, I couldn't get any news Web sites to come up. So I went to the break room, where the TV is, to see what was up...only to find just about everyone else already there. That's when my heart dropped and I knew that this was BIG. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? My cousin was modelling for a NYC firm, and had been going up there, some. I knew my parents were safely in the Pacific NW, so the first person I called was my Aunt, to make sure my cousin was NOT in New York, but safely at home in NC. I was thankful to hear that she was. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? I think 9/11/01 made America aware of a lot of things: our vulnerability, our need to remember who we are as a nation, the sense of community+country that had been lost in commercialism and daily life. Don't get me wrong, I'm almost as conservative as they come, and I am not criticizing capitalism. I'm criticizing the mentality of getting, of coveting...which ruins lives and isolates people from one another. I think 9/11 brought this country back from the brink...and we must stay back from it, and CONTINUE to realize how blessed we are. I think that day brought many truth-seekers "out of the closet" and closer to knowing God, His graciousness and providence, and His plan for salvation and 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 lc_story219.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. 2004-01-07 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 149.168.21.41 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) I was at home on Sept. 11, and heard about the attacks on the radio. I then went downstairs and watched TV. It was truly shocking to see before your eyes events taking place that you never believed could happen. My wife called me on the phone to see if I was watching. Later I signed on to the Internet, and I called or wrote notes to some of my friends. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? I'm afraid my strongest reaction, like that of so many others, is watching the tower fall from the sky. That and to hear spokesmen on the scene speculate about the number of dead. It was amazing and truly sad. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? That's a much more difficult question. Sadness obviously, at the sheer number of innocent people who were killed for no reason. Anger, of course, at the Middle Eastern people who had been behind it. But so much more. A more probing mind about what it is about this country that would lead someone to do this. Are we somehow responsible? Is it oil? The clash of religous beliefs? Are we living so well in our country in part by taking advantage of people in these other nations? Are the people who did this to us just a small fraction of Muslims, or do they represent a large and growing subsgroup within Islam? What do they seek, ultimately - merely for non-Muslims to leave their countries, or is their ultimate goal to take over? There are so many versions of Islam, and within the Middle East the more moderate ones are always trying to suppress the growing right wing minority. But it is hard for someone living in the United States to get a firm handle on which things claimed by Muslims are true and which are just bizarre. This truly leaves me asking questions, probing answers to try them out and see how they fit. 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 lc_story13.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. 152.163.189.166 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) On September 11, 2001, I was here at my home in Danville, California. My mother, Hilda Marcin, was flying from Newark, NJ to San Francisco, CA that day and I was up early getting ready to pick her up at the airport. My mom Hilda was 79 years old (young), had retired in June, 2001 from her job as an instructional aide to special needs children. She lived and worked in Budd Lake, New Jersey. Upon her retirement, she decided she would like to try living a good part of the year with my husband Tom and I here in California. So, September 11, 2001 was her moving day. She was a passenger aboard United Flight 93. When I heard the news of the Twin Towers being hit by planes (actually saw the 2nd plane hit a little after 6 a.m. pacific time), I froze, terrified and afraid for my mom. I ran upstairs and told my husband what was happening in New York and he assured me my mother's plane was already well on its way to California. I called United and they said everything was OK and the United 93 was scheduled to land on time. All I can say is that morning was the most terrifying and horrific day of my life. I feared so for my mother's safety; I prayed, cried, and made so many phone calls I cannot even remember them all. Later that morning, my sister Betty who lives in New Jersey and took my mom to Newark Airport that morning, and I were speaking on the phone, comparing notes, wondering who to call next. We both had on the TV and were watching CNN when the news flash appeared stating "United Flight 93 bound for San Francisco from Newark crashes in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania". I get chills when I write those words. My sister and I dropped our phones and both fell to the floor crying, screaming and physically sick from the news. It was not real to us; it could not be, not our beautiful mom. My husband immediatley left work, came home, where we hugged and cried in the driveway. Shortly thereafter, neighbors stopped by, some crying, some leaving flowers and notes. My husband Tom and I then went to see our priest; even he was at a loss for words. That evening, our church had a special service and they mentioned my mom's name; I still was in shock; could not believe any of it. Then and there, the long journey began. A journey that continues today and will for the rest of my life. I am heartbroken, not just over the loss of my mom, but for all the 9/11 families I have come to know and love. What we have suffered has been at times almost too much for anyone to bear. I hope and pray it never happens again. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? My strongest memory is the coming together of people in support of others. I cannot remember much about my own pain because it was so strong, so sickening, so difficult to put words to it. I do remember the stories of heroism; people helping others get up off the ground in New York; watching it on TV, at the time not realizing how my life would be changed forever. I wanted to get to Shanksville so bad, but couldn't unless we got in the car. My husband and I waited to see how the airlines would handle us, and three days later we were on our way to Pittsburgh, and then driven to Shanksville along with the other Flight 93 families. It was the longest three days of my life; waiting to get there. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? Personally, I have been affected in many ways. I lost my dear mom, my best friend, a woman who gave to others all her life and just wanted to spend the rest of her life enjoying the time she had left. She was healthy and looking forward to her stay with us. I have never been the same since that day. I have not flown much, only when necessary, and then I take tranquilizers. Every time I get on a plane, I visualize what happened on Flight 93 and how the passengers and crew members may have been acting/reacting. It's frightening and it haunts me. I have become involved in the FLight 93 Memorial process; am on the Task Force as Co-Chair of the Government Relations Committee; I write the Flight 93 Family Newsletter monthly for all the families. I am totally engulfed in something I would have never dreamed in a thousand years to be a part of; I sometimes have to remember that there were only 40 people on that plane -- what are the odds one of them would be my mom? The country has been affected dramatically as well, but I think most people have moved on with their lives since then. If you live in the West as I do, people were never as affected emotionally as in the East. It's just too far removed from their everyday lives. There are some of us in the West who where directly affected, but not like the numbers in the NY area. The isolation of that hasn't helped us much, but yet I do understand from my friends and family in the East that sometimes it is overwhelming for them being in the news constantly. I think people generally are more cautious now though, especially about flying. I think fliers are more aware of their surroundings and have accepted the security changes as a vital part of life. I know when I fly I look at everyone on the plane to see if they look suspicious in any way and like the passengers and crew on Flight 93; I would be ready for a good fight if necessary. The country has become more patriotic especially since our young men and women have been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. I support them 100% as does most of the country. I just feel so, so bad for all the 9/11 families; it's been a tough road for most and will continue to be forever. All the children left without parents; we still don't know the long term psychological affects. I can speak for myself though and say without question that I am a changed person; will never be the same again. I only hope to find peace and answers in the coming years. 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 lc_story105.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. 2003-12-17 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 63.80.232.194 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 Library of Congress Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of more than 200 user-submitted stories gathered from the Library of Congress's "Witness and Response" exhibition staged in 2002. LC Story LC Story: Story Where were you on September 11, 2001 when you heard the news? (Please share your experience of learning of the events and what you did afterwards.) On September 11, I was working in my office as a school counselor in a Bronx high school. My seventh floor windows faced south looking toward lower Manhattan. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? I recall that after 9:00 a.m. I saw a plume of black smoke in the distance, but ignored it. In time it grew larger and spread across the horizon heading east with the winds. By that time, we had been infornmed by the administration of the attack and prepared the building for early dismissal. I learned of the collapse of the towers from a colleague whose husband was watching it in television. I imagined the buildings filled with many thousands of people, innocent souls, tumbling towards earth. The horror was overwhelming and unbelievable. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? My sense of a secure future, in New York especially,has been altered. There is no longer the freedom to think that we are completely safe...safety was never an issue in my life. Now I anticipate that one day in this city we will be challenged again and have to suffer the death of many people. I try to wish this thought away but I have the anxiety that it will happen. I just hope no one I know is a victim. 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 lc_story257.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. 2004-01-15 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 165.155.160.122