61 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.) LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? BAY SHORE MIDDLE SCHOOL Wednesday September 11, 2002 1st Anniversary of the Attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon SEPTEMBER 11TH REMEMBRANCE Kenneth Summers, a Brightwaters resident, spoke at an emotional remembrance service at Bay Shore Middle School on September 11, 2002. Ken is among the more fortunate individuals who were at work at the World Trade Center that fateful day. He was severely burned that day but is alive and able to tell his story. We are grateful to Ken for sharing his emotional story. Good morning! Over the last 200 years our country has suffered many tragedies. In 1836 there were cries to Remember the Alamo. In 1898 it was Remember the Maine. In 1941 Remember Pearl Harbor. I dont think that there is a person from my generation in this audience who doesnt recall where they were on November 22nd, 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I know where I was. I was an eight grader, much like yourselves, when the announcement came over the loudspeaker at school. The world was devastated by the news. An entire nation was despondent and many people thought that this was the end of our nation. But they were wrong. As a nation we persevered and prospered. We went on to fight a war in Vietnam that almost divided our country. Yet despite this and the loss of over 58,000 men and women, we continued to hold our heads high. We valued our freedom and democracy above all else and as a nation we pledged to protect the weak and defenseless from the tyrants who threatened to take that all away. On the morning of September 11th I caught my usual 5:30am train from Bay Shore that got me to the World Trade Center at about 7:10am. I immediately went up to my office of Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield that was located on the south side of the 27th floor in One World Trade Center (the north tower). At about 8:45am I left my office to go to the post office. After stepping out of the elevator in the lobby, I passed through the security turnstiles, the inner glass push doors and then out through the revolving glass door of the west entrance to WTC I. This brought me out under the glass-covered overhang where the taxis and cars drew up off of West Street. As I was in the revolving door going outside I heard a loud rumble that sounded more like an empty 18-wheel truck slamming on its brakes and skidding to a stop than it did an explosion. I had no idea at the time that anything was happening to the building. There was no indication of smoke, flame or the smell of fuel. I had walked no more than 10 feet Out of the revolving door when I looked to my left and saw a co-worker of mine running north along the west side of WTC 1. He was ducking down while he ran and used his hand to indicate to me that I should look up. I did and saw numerous items coming down from the upper floors of the building. I remember thinking that a bomb had probably gone off in the upper floors. Not spending more than a second to evaluate the situation, I ran back to the revolving doors to get back into the building to avoid being hit be any falling debris, Immediately after entering the revolving door I seemed to notice a discoloration of the air of the lobby. I had but a split second when suddenly the temperature inside the door increased tremendously. I must have seen a flicker of flame for I put my hands up to my face and then the explosion followed. The glass shattered into my face and the next thing I recall was that I was lying outside near the planters in front of the revolving door. There was black smoke and flaming debris all around. I believe that the doorframe was wrapped around me. I did not notice anyone else in my vicinity but I guess I was too stunned to notice. My hair was on fire, as was my shirt, which I quickly extinguished with my hands. I had no idea of the severity of my injuries. I knew I was severely burned, but I got myself up immediately and started to walk away from the building. I walked out onto West Street and asked everyone I saw if they could help me. I proceeded to the southwest corner of Liberty and West Street, across from WTC 2 and the Marriott Hotel and sat down on the steps. I had been sitting there about 5 minutes when I heard the increasingly louder whine of a jet engine and suddenly a loud explosion as the 2nd plane flew into WTC 2. I did not see the plane but debris and flames came out of the west side of WTC 2 directly toward where I was sitting. The crowd screamed and started running behind the World Financial building. Amazingly, I got up or was dragged by someone and ran with them. I had run behind the World Financial building for about 50 feet, when a man named Steve Newman came up to me and offered to help me. At the same time a girl in a gray business suit asked if she could help. I told her I needed a cell phone. She had one, pushed it in front of me and asked what number I wanted to call. I gave her my wife Nadines work number at Bay Shore Middle School and I got through to her co-workers on the first try. They got my wife and I told her that I was alive, that I was severely burned but that I would make it. I told her that Steve was offering to help get me medical attention, that I loved her and that I would get back to her later from wherever I ended up. That was the single most important thing that I did that day and I was greatly relieved that I accomplished it. Steve told me that he was the son of a doctor and that he would stay by me. He told me he felt that I was going to go into shock. My bums were painful but not terribly so as I was probably already in shock. Steve felt that the best thing for us to do was to get to New Jersey using the ferry from the World Financial Center docks. I agreed with him and we started walking toward the ferry along the Hudson River wall. As we stumbled along we came upon a fireboat tied up along the Hudson River seawall. The firemen spotted us and yelled, We Got One, and jumped off the boat to help. So far they had not seen any other injured people. The firemen brought an oxygen mask and put it over my face. I asked for water and they gave me some to swish in my mouth. They also tried to clean me up a little with a wet cloth but stopped when they realized that it might be too painful. After several minutes, I asked them if they could take us to New Jersey on the fireboat. They replied that they were ordered to stay where they were. Steve and I informed them that we then must get to the ferry. They protested but wished us good luck. Steve and I, accompanied by a fireman from the fireboat, proceeded to walk north on the Hudson promenade toward the marina. I recalled looking at my building and hearing what I thought was an explosion. I saw a cloud of debris going past my building. To me, I thought it was another explosion and I yelled to Steve that they were trying to bring WTC 1 down by exploding another bomb in the underground parking area. Unknown to me, the roar I was hearing was the collapse of WTC 2 which I could not see since the building of the World Financial Center blocked my view. I recall that the crowd parted like the Red Sea when they saw us approaching the ferry. There were thousands of people trying to escape Manhattan and still everyone cleared the way. There was no panic. They let us pass right up to the edge of the ferry dock. The ferry had just pulled away from the dock and when they saw me standing there, they, nosed back in and Steve and I and several other people jumped on board. The debris from the WTC 2 collapse did not reach us at all. I did not look back towards the city and was unaware that WTC 2 had collapsed. It would be two more weeks before my wife and daughter would inform me of what really happened that day. From the ferry I was taken by ambulance to the Jersey City Medical Center. The hospital wanted to airlift me to the burn unit at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey but all aircraft were grounded that day. Later in the evening of September 11th I was accompanied by my daughter as I was moved by ambulance to Saint Barnabas where I stayed a little over three weeks. During my stay at Saint Barnabas I underwent four skin graft operations to my hands and my arms and have been recovering at home ever since. The events of September 11th are a tragedy of world proportions. Never before have so many people been affected by an event. It touched all of our lives whether we witnessed it first hand or overdosed on the endless replays of television and newspaper coverage. It has indeed shaken our confidence, our ability to get on an airplane, ride a subway or even go into the city. But though we suffer now, we will surely rise from the ashes. While I recovered in the hospital I was told stories of the American flags that draped the overpasses and adorned cars and homes. I recall that it was one of the greatest comforts that I experienced on my drive home from the hospital a month later. To know that I had the support of so many people gave me renewed strength to get through this ordeal. People discovered the need to offer their prayers and support, both emotionally and financially, to those of us who have suffered or lost. Organizations like the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the United Way, to name a few, received donations from Americans and people all over the world, in amounts that were unprecedented in our nations history. If my own personal experiences during my recovery over the last year are any indicator of our communities strength and support then we are all well on our way to a full recovery. Since the very beginning good friends and strangers have always been there for my family and me. From the former limousine owner who snuck my wife onto the Belt Parkway to get her to my bedside at the hospital in New Jersey to the Bay Shore students who came and raked up all my leaves this past fall we have received such generous support. We have had tearful strangers with flowers appear at our front door offering their sympathies and members of my local congregation helping my wife Nadine put some order to the chaos in our lives. The casserole patrol to our home was endless. At times I felt that we would never have to cook again. As I faced a new uncertain world upon my return, there were good friends who just stopped by to talk and assure me that I was not alone in my fears. Other friends got me out of the house for a ride to the beach on a beautiful windy day, filling my heart and soul with the passion to become a part of the world again. For all of these acts my family and I will be forever grateful. My life has changed dramatically since that day. I suppose because of my injuries that my emphasis has really been to get better again and I dont deny that this is my main objective. Things that I truly enjoyed so much in the past such has playing the piano, or golf or tennis are not available to me right now and may never fully be in the future. However, with my situation come new challenges and opportunities. Opportunities to help others like they have helped me with things just as simple as the willingness to listen as they share their pain or as complex as helping someone sell their home and move away. My family has been the recipient of so many acts of kindness during this past year and I urge you to continue this tradition to those less fortunate than yourselves. You will be amazed how great it will make you feel to offer your time and services to someone in need. I still have a long road ahead and I anticipate at least 3 more surgeries for my hands starting with the first in October. I dont look forward to these surgeries which will most likely put me out of commission for another 6 months or more, but I do look forward to the relief from then pain they may offer and hopefully enhanced functionality for my hands. I would be a liar if I said that I was not bitter towards the people who did this, but I also accept that this is the only life I will get and that I received a second chance where many people did not. I am thankful to be alive by Gods graces and I realize that harboring hatred serves no purpose in my recovery. I want my life back and I intend to get it. What lay ahead no one can predict. To tell you that something like this can never happen again would be untrue. However, you have seen with your own eyes the response of our nation and the world to this outrage and if any country can rise to meet this challenge it is the United States. I also realize that I cannot do everything alone and maybe you cannot do it alone either. Therefore I urge any and all of you who are still suffering in the aftermath of 9-11 to seek some help if you feel you need it. This help came come from talking with your family and/or even your friends. The professional guidance counselors here at school and other outside organizations such as Project Liberty are also there for your support. I was young once myself and I know how stubborn I was and how important it was to put on the appearance of invincibility. But when you hurt, just know that you are not alone and there is help available, so dont be embarrassed to need or accept it. In closing, I need to stress that the only lasting thing that these cowards managed to accomplished a year ago today, was to strengthen the resolve of the American people and the world. Part of this resolve is the importance of the role that our families and friends play in our lives. Honor your family like you honor the flag of your country and there will be no enemy that can defeat you. I want to thank the Bay Shore School District for the privilege of allowing me to speak before you this day. I would also like to express my love to my wife, family, friends and strangers for all of their understanding, love and support during this most challenging time in my life. Thank You and God Bless America Ken Summers EPILOGUE JUNE 2003 I had my surgery to reconstruct my right hand in November 2002 and on my left hand in January 2003. I have greatly increased movement has a result, but FAR from perfect. I still attend Occupational Therapy 3 times a week. I returned to work in February 2003 which requires me to go into NYC at least 2 times a week which makes me rather uncomfortable but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I have spoken many times about my experiences to individuals all over the world. To this day, they are dumbfounded that there were injured victims. This reaction amazes me, but in reality it is true, since among the 1,100 people injured that day (mostly with respiratory and ocular injuries from dust and floating debris) there were only about 40 people who were hospitalized for more than 2 days and 37 of us were burn victims of which only about 20 survived. I have not played golf yet nor have I skied (I am 53 I started skiing when I was 3). I am starting to play the piano again with great difficulty, but it is good therapy. I found that I have a fairly decent tenor voice and thus joined my church choir which I really enjoy. I have had the opportunity to give my speech or a modified version on two other occasions. I enjoy speaking and look forward to speaking at future engagements whenever they arise. I am always well received No Pitty Thank You and I KNOW that my words have made a difference to hundreds of people, since they have told me so. I am here to help if you need me. Today the sun is out and I am going out to enjoy it. It is great to be alive. Enjoy life! Ken Summers EPILOGUE OCTOBER 2003 There was an article in Newsday, a Long Island paper, entitled Two Steps Forward, One Step Back. This story detailed the routine of three of the WTC burn victims. Wow, was this story ever on the mark except that sometimes I feel that it is more like Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back. I had my reconstructive surgery and skin grafts to my left hand on Sep 30th as anticipated. I guess my one step forward could be considered by the fact that I did not have to have surgery on my right hand yet! I can only say that I wont be swinging those golf clubs for a long while. This graft, which was supposed to be a piece of cake, was larger than my last two grafts. Hopefully the final result will be worth it. Back to OT on Monday (10/13/03). Good news is that I get a break from work for several weeks. Every cloud has a silver lining (or so they say Id like to know who they is). Chin up! Ken Summers 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_story85.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. 152.163.252.8 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 a librarian in the Cataloging Department at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. A colleague who listened to the radio on a walkman gave us the news of the first plane's hitting the WTC. I assumed it was an accident. Then my colleague told us that a second plane had been flown into the towers and we all knew it had to be deliberate. I heard about the Pentagon the same way. By this time I had tried and failed to get into any U.S. internet news site, including all the Indianapolis television stations and the newspaper. The BBC website was also inaccessible from the volume of traffic. Finally I realized that it would be late night in Australia, so I tried and got into the Australian Broadcasting site. They didn't have much detail. By this time my email had begun coming in fast from friends all over the U.S and the world. There was much checking on friends in NYC and DC. I was especially worried about two friends who work for the Smithsonian, as if there was a fourth plane crashed into Washington, the target would probably be near them. Fortunately they both were safe. Being a seminary, CTS held a prayer service in the chapel. I am proud to say that when the congregation was asked for individual intercessions, someone promptly prayed for the safety of Arabs, Arab-Americans and Muslims who would be in danger of being attacked by revenge-seekers. I didn't see the famous tape of the plane hitting the towers until after I got home, about 4:30 pm. and turned on CNN. I felt a great sorrow for a long time afterwards, but not anger. What was done to us that day was beyond anger. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? E-mailing and being e-mailed from all over. I am the policy setting listowner for Forkni-l@lists.psu.edu and Fkfic-l@lists.psu.edu, both focused on the television show Forever Knight. Normally I am very strict about staying on topic and not allowing anything but fanfic on Fkfic-l. Now that all went by the board as the fandom reached out to each other. I made a point of saying on both lists that I was not going to enforce the topicality rules, that we were a family who needed to comfort each other. This occured on other e-mail lists, but as the listowner of these two I was in the middle of the comraderie. We didn't know it at the time, but we had a member whose husband, a New York Port Authority police officer, just missed being inside when the second tower collapsed. Another member who worked in the Pentagon barely made it out safely. I only had to intervene twice in unsuitable threads. The first was when someone who meant well but hadn't thought of the inflamatory effect tried to start a discussion of the attacks in relation to U.S. support for Israel. This was quickly withdrawn, with an apology, at my request not to discuss the political aspects of the situation. The second was someone who insisted on posting an anti-Arab diatribe on Fkfic-l. He refused to promise not to do it again and I removed him from the mailing list. 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 are much more security conscious, but unfortunately I think the public mood has become frighteningly militaristic and authoritatarian. 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_story185.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. 2004-01-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.29.208.184 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 Elizabeth, NJ first grade classroom. I received several calls over the intercom that "so and so" is going home but, to wait for security to come and get them....do NOT allow them to come to the office on their own. It was very strange. This kept up. Finally, my neighbor opened the foor and told me what happened....but not to tell the kids. I remember feeling numb...trying to be normal but, dying inside. By noon, I had 2 students left and it hit me that my brother works three blocks from WTC. Cell phone not working. Mom called school at 2 to tell me he's fine. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? Going home, driving on Routes 1&9 north past Newark Airport (closed at the time) and being the only car on the road. This is normally a busy, crazy driving kind of road. It felt like a ghost town. Passing the airport, you could see the smoke from Manhattan in the background. I cried the whole ride home. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? Personally, I keep in touch much more with my family. I almost lost a brother that day. I hadn't spoken to him in weeks because we were both busy. I also feel particularly close with the students I had that year. The country always seems to be on edge....especially NYC now. National Guard at the ferries, tunnels, etc. 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_story248.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. 67.80.129.85 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 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 a customer's house doing house cleaning. It was getting near time for "The Price is Right," so I turned on the television. At first I thought it was just a terrible accident, then the pictures flashed from the burning towers to the Pentagon building. The faces of the newsmen were grim and their voices sounded sluggish and exhausted. The word that stood out was "attack." Suddenly I felt very nervous and afraid. I just wanted to get my babies and go home where it was 'safe.' Then I saw the buildings collaspe. I finished my cleaning job (very quickly and totally in a trance). What was going on outside? Were my children safe? My mind just kept screaming at me to get home. Once I got to the school, the staff was on full security alert. That made me even more nervous. I'd never had to show identification to sign my children out of school. Parents were arriving in droves to pick up their children. I couldn't speak. My children wanted to know why they were getting out early. All I could say was 'some crazy people flew airplanes into buildings and killed a lot of innocent people.' I couldn't stop watching the television. I didn't want to, but something just pulled me to find out what happened. I believed in my heart that they would find many people alive in the lower levels of the buildings. I just knew that people were going to come out of that basement, with the help of the rescue squads. Despite the fires, the devastation... I held out hope and prayed that hundreds would be found in those lower levels... My brother works in DC and one of my sisters travels alot on her job. We called around until we knew everyone was safe. I wanted to cry, but I didn't want to upset my boys. I wanted to scream. I wanted it all to be a nightmare that I would wake up from. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? My strongest memory was the feeling that 'the home of the free and the brave' had been betrayed. I remember how I suddenly felt so insecure. How could my country allow this to happen? We are supposed to be the strongest, the most sophisticated country in the world. How come no one knew? How come this was not prevented. The images of those towers falling haunt me to this day. I cannot look at pictures of them without imagining the terror those trapped inside must have felt. And to have them come down like that...I often (still after all this time), wonder if they knew. What about the ones that were almost out? They were crushed when they were so close to getting back home to their loved ones. It haunts me still and it hurts...So many families devastated, so many promising lives lost. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? While taking a health class earlier this year, I was relieved to know that I'm not the only one in the world who feels the anxiety that I do. I look at tall buildings and imagine a 110 ft building coming down. I see airplanes flying low and become afraid. I started having anxiety attacks. I have no faith in the security of this country. I didn't want the terrorist to win, but they did - by taking away my sense of security in my own homeland. I spend a lot of time with my children. I'm actually afraid to go into a tall building and I will never fly again unless I'm in a casket. I've seen nothing the US has done to make me feel better. Police departments (i.e., the Park Police, border patrol, etc.) are understaffed, low on resources, funding, etc., Everytime a new law is enacted to better secure the country, some legal rights group comes along and says, "hey, that ain't fair - you're stepping on peoples rights." Meanwhile the border police are understaffed and can't stop the flow of people coming in (a great way for terrorist to just jump a fence and make themselves at home)to plan another worst attack. I think people in this country, despite the flag waving and USA chants are more on edge. They seem to be more 'every man for himself' than ever before. They seem to be more aggitated. They are feeling insecure, maybe angry... I don't feel we have the brotherhood that we should. An event like this should have bought us closer together. It seems to have separated us further. Everyone in their own little world.. everyone collecting their water bottles, building their safety bunkers, hoarding duct tape - waiting for the other shoe to drop. Not finding Bin Laden after all this time? Again, my confidence in the leadership of this country is at its' lowest point ever. 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_story146.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. 67.74.224.155 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 office, about 4 miles south of the Pentagon. A call came in to tell me about the first tower. My window faces the Pentagon, and while it is blocked from my view, a colleague and I saw the sunlight hit the wing of the plane that hit the Pentagon as it banked sharply down and then disappeared from view. A second or to later we heard a muffled blast and saw the smoke. We closed the office. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? Wanting to see my wife and daughters. Waiting to hear that my brother and neice (who work and go to school in NY) were ok. As a native New Yorker I was shocked as the Towers came down, and felt helpless being in Maryland. Concern for all the innocent victims and their heroes. Fearful of the jingoism which would result. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? I think it has affected the country adversley. While a devastating event, America's swift and brutal response has accomplished little. But it did give the current administration the rationale it was looking for to "relive" the 'good old days'. Rumsfeld , Ashcroft, et al, have a replaced their longing for a cold war with this cause, and I believe that this will not serve in the best long term interest of the US either home or abroad. 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_story9.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. 2003-02-14 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 152.163.194.178 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 my house in Charleston,IL when I heard the news. I immeadily remembered my friends sister was in NEW YORK. I was really sad. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? My memory was my grandfather fighting. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? Ifeel that we should stand up to this nonsence from Iraq!!! 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_story111.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. 216.176.72.196 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.) Sept. 11, 2001 I was working in a store when a customer walked in and asked if we heard about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center in New York City. The restaurant next door had a TV so I walked over to watch the mayhem. I'm a New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn. I moved to Maryland when I got married in 1969. Once a New Yorker always a New Yorker. It's in your blood. I went back to the shop and unfortunately it was business as usual. BUSINESS AS USUAL!! Were they nuts. MY New York was being attacked. My cousin works in New York and he saw the planes hit the towers. He knew immediately it was not an accident, but an assult because of the way the planes deliberately crashed into the buildings. He saw the people jump from the towers. He said the press was very conservative with their coverage of the jumpers. Thank God. Martin (my cousin) had to walk home from downtown Manhattan, across the Brooklyn Bridge to Maspeth, Queens. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? My strongest memory of that day was my boss' attitude that it was business as usual. The whole world was changing before our eyes. How could anything ever be "usual" again. I lost my 22 year old son, Patrick, in a road rage incident on June 23, 2000. I could relate with the people who lost loved ones on 911. I felt their pain, anger and grief. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? I think Americans turned to a higher power for comfort. I'm a Catholic so it reaffirmed my belief that things of this world are only temporary and God has plans we do not forsee. Free will controls our actions, be it good or evil and God does not interfere. I hoped that the highjackers were in Hell with the devil. I still visit New York and my family. I still ride the subways and walk the streets of Manhattan. That will never change. I love New York and the strength and courage of the people living and working in the city. I think 911 took away our sense of security. The United States was vulnerable. 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_story164.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. 2003-12-22 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.49.64.168 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 office in Washington DC. Just came into work and the news of the first plane was on the TV. At first I refused to believe it all was on purpose. After we saw another plane hit and heard of another plane headed towards the Capitol...we all bolted for the door and headed to a coworkers home. People were running straight down the street in every direction...as long as it was away from the Capitol Building. On the way to the house, I heard what I thought was another plane hitting the Capitol...I ran back to see for myself and saw it was ok...but the thought of that happening was terrifying. Later I heard it was either a supersonic boom from a fighter overhead or a secondary explosion at the Pentagon. We all watched TV together at my coworkers house. No one's cell phones worked and the land lines were down. The hours watching the tragedy seemed to speed by. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? Eventually getting home and my phone beginning to work again. My voicemail box was full and I heard from people I hadn't heard from in years, all hoping I was ok. It was an intense feeling knowing so many people were so frightened for our well being. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? It has made us more aware of our place in the world community. We aren't as safe as we once believed and it is important that we recognize that and deal with it accordingly. 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_story196.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. 165.224.215.3 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 was at work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, in my office in the Colvard North building. I walked into the break room to get some coffee and someone told me to watch what was happening on television. I had no idea what had happened. First I thought it was an accident. I watched the TV and the CNN website for most of the day. The Atkins Library staff rolled televisions on carts out into the library, and students in the library likewise watched television all day. LC Story: Memory What is your strongest memory of that day? Sadness. Disbelief. Watching all the people streaming out of New York across the bridges, on foot. Watching the towers fall down. And then, after we received word that something had happened at the Congress or at the Pentagon, wondering if we still had a government. LC Story: Affects How do you perceive that the events of September 11, 2001 have affected this country and/or you personally? We realized that life is uncertain and we can't take it for granted or waste it. We're a lot more suspicious and less trusting. 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_story242.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. 2004-01-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.74.70.176 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 American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story Working in the ER Department at an upstate hospital, you would think we heard of the events at the WTC. But we saw the events unfold infront of us, for that day we received new television sets in the new section of ER that was constructed. As a former employee of the local chapter in Emergency Services, I knew not to call right away, for I knew that chapter would be calling soon enough for DSHR volunteers. On September 13th I left my life and family and my 17 month old son behind and headed with 3 other DSHR volunteers. Intially I was to work in Mass Care and upon arriving saw a need in Logistics. On the morning of the 14th I start to work with the Logistics Officer and Assistant Officer. I kept thinking back to the events of 9/11 as I worked at HQ. I kept thinking of my young son and wondered what I would tell him of the events of 9/11. Now almost four years later, I am still not sure what to tell him, but I can tell him I was there to help and hope that I made a difference on the days that followed. RC Story: Response I called my local chapter and told them I would like to help. It did not take long for chapter to call to say there was a need. Within 4 hours of getting the call I was on my way from Albany to NYC. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee 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 rc_story127.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. unknown 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. email 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. 2005-07-23 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 216.136.67.166 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 American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story As I heard it on the news I was paged by NHQ as part of the Air Team Response Goverment Liaisonto give me a heads up. I was asked that once in Dallas to head to NY. Well as we know today the Airports were shut down. Since I could not get to Dallas I return to work and help provide assistance locally as best we can. I did get to NY on Sept 13 early in the morning though. RC Story: Response I arrived in NY on Sept 13 as the Govt. Liaison Officer. As you can imagine the Mass Care issues alone were consuming to a team of 36 Govt Liaisons working in NY. We did the best we could and I belive if it were not for our work timly and effective assitance may not have been met. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee yes 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 rc_story33.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. unknown 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. email 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. 2004-06-14 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 172.199.32.15 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 American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was at work, with my computer on when I recieved a news alert from CNN. I was horrified with the first attack, but like everyone else I thought it was a horrific accident. Then the next tower was hit. I didn't think it was an accident any longer, but terrorism never entered my mind. I didn't know what to think. I had an Dr's appt. a couple hours later and had to leave work. When I got to the hospital, everyone was standing around the tv's as the first tower fell. We all wept. Patients, Dr's, Nurses. I drove home an hour later, with such a sense of erieness, no planes in the sky. It was so quiet, and so scarey. Our lives will never again be the same. With every tragedy we will think terrorism. Isn't that what they want though. RC Story: Response I dontated blood. My husband volunteered for the Red Cross. He was one of the first to be on the security team at Ground Zero. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee 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 rc_story21.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. unknown 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. email 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. 2004-01-25 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 141.149.234.3 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 American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was there when the first planes struck and became a first responder. Professionaly I train military, law enforcement and emergency services personnel. In the days, and weeks that followed, i worked with rescue workers at ground zero and became tremendously impressed with varios Red Cross workers. Now, two years later, I've moved away from NY and have become active as an ARC volunteer in Vero Beach, FL. RC Story: Response I worked as searc-n-rescue on 9/11 and immediately after. For 9 months I continued to serve as a recovery volunteer at Ground Zero RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee 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 rc_story7.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. unknown 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. email 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. 2003-09-13 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.158.228.83 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 American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story That day I was in the Dallas chapter training for Americorp/Corps Across Texas. We were in the middle of a class when our director at that time, Rena, came in and told us what was happening. We turned on the tv in the room and we saw all the news about it. RC Story: Response We as a group were asked if we wanted to help answer phones since all national phone calls were being transferred to the chapter. I said yes and volunteered to dp the night shift, 7pm to 7am. We were responsible on answering the hotline and take well being information about a missing person.I also went to New Jersey in the month of November to help with the assistance center there. I was there for about one month helping with Mass Care at Liberty State Park, where the assistance center was at. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee yes 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 rc_story26.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. unknown 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. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-04-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 4.37.217.252 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story My name is Rob Webb and I live in Bristol, TN. September 11th. I had just gotten out of bed and turned on the TV to watch the Today show. The first plane had just hit and Matt Lauer was stating that they were trying to get confirmation of the plane crashing into the World Trade Center. I am a Red Cross Volunteer and do National Disaster Response so I called my Local Chapter and let them know what was happening and then I called my parents in West Virginia to ask her if they knew what had just happened. Me and my mother were on the phone when the second plane hit and I knew then that something really bad was happening. I went down to my Local Chapter a few blocks away in Bristol, VA and watched in horror as the towers collapsed. RC Story: Response Due to the airports being closed and the chaos I wasn't able to go to New York for Disaster Response until October 5th. I worked at as a 12-8 Shift Supervisor at Ground Zero in Respite Center 1 located in St. Johns University. I worked for a few weeks, went home for a few weeks, went back and worked again as a 12-8 Shift Supervisor at Ground Zero in Respite Center 1. I helped close that Respite Center on December 2cnd and then went to work at the Staten Island Landfill. After a little over a week at the landfill I went home and it took a month of intense emotional dealings before I could go back to help the People of New York again in March. I worked at Red Cross Disaster Headquarters in Brooklyn this time as a Courier for 42 days. I saw the World Trade Center from near the beginning until near its end and met a lot of great people in between. I have several friends that I made while there and still keep in touch. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee 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 rc_story17.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. unknown 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. email 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. 2003-12-07 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.184.170.218 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 American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was training that day and had a new class that had just started. When we heard what was happening, everyone was so upset and the new staff certainly weren't in any frame of mind to learn anything so we gave them a quick course on beltline and put them to work. This freed me up to work in our Center. We had a tremendous response ( we had so many donors that we had to open up our auditorium so that they would have a place to sit). Our staff worked with such compassion and without any complaints well into the night. Donors were waiting as long as 5-6 hours to donate and for once no one complained about the long waits. Donors were even helping out by manning the registration stations and making red, white & blue ribbons for everyone to wear ( they were incredible!) This was happening at all our bloodmobiles and fixed sites that day. The emotions were running high from both donors and staff. Everyone felt so helpless and wanted so badly to do something. I needed to work to fill the hours until I could hear from my daughter and my brother that day. Both were scheduled to be on a plane that day and I couldn't get in touch with either one of them. I finally heard from my daughter around 1PM and I can't even begin to express my relief when I heard her voice. It still tear up even after all this time when I think about it. My brother finally called me at 10PM that night. He had been helping people all day to evacuate NY city. He lived in New Jersey and worked in NY....He was crossing the bridge into NY and actually saw the second plane hit. He told me that he had a meeting schedule that day at the World Trade Building, but his plans changed at the last minute. The meeting went on and all who attending were lost. He was devastated and spent a great deal of time with the families of those that were lost. September the 11th will be with me always. I experienced such a range of emotions that day....extreme fear, grief, frustration, helplessness, a sense of great loss, gratitude and joy that my family were all safe and such sadness for all that lost their lives that day. RC Story: Response Like everyone around me.....You simply did not think about yourself, but rather the needs of our community. They were feeling such helplessness and such a great need to "do something" and also to be with other people. Some had families in NY and Washington and just wanted to be with someone who would listen with compassion and understanding. We spent more time than usual with our donors that day just listening and crying with them. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee yes 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 rc_story2.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. unknown 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. email 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. 2003-09-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 162.6.218.122 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 American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I heard the news on the radio on my way to work at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. I sat around with a group watching TV for a few minutes and then by myself. I was in disbelief. It suddenly dawned on me that I was a Red Cross nurse, volunteer and Board of Govenor member and had responsibilities. I turned to my assistant and told her I was leaving to do whatever I could for the Red Cross and I did not know when I would return...it could be days or weeks. I went to my local chapter, the Central New Jersey Chapter in Princeton, and told them I was available to do whatever was needed. They sent me to the Red Cross staging center in New Brunswick, NJ. I did not want any special treatment so, I never told anyone at the staging center that I was a board of Governor member. I just told them I was a Red Cross volunteer nurse and was there to help. I must have somehow appeared calm, clear headed and experienced as they gave me the assignment of answering calls from the family crisis line. My nursing skills were well utilized as I listened carefully to the desparate pleas of family members to help them find their family members. They trusted the Red Cross and because I was the voice at the other end of the line they trusted me. I had no easy answers for anyone that day, but I could listen to their pleas, take descriptions for our missing person center, and generally encouraged them to call back as much as they wanted. One man, a father in his 50's, called back to tell me about his son who worked for AON. He described his 26 year old son as having hair so red, that it simply could not be missed as the search for survivors began. He called me three times that day to remind me of the color of his sons hair and to ask if we had found him yet. The family pleas were heart wrenching, but I knew the best thing I could do was listen and offer hope, a hope that all of us as Americans were feeling collectively more strongly than I had ever seen in a lifetime. Later that evening I set up a shelter for a group of Hispanic office cleaners who could not return to their homes in NY. The following morning I was the nurse assgined to a shelter further up in North New Jersey that was in habited by a group of elderly citizens from NYC who could also not return to their homes after a day of gambling in Atlantic City New Jersey. For approximately two weeks thereafter, I did whatever I felt needed to be done, from putting together a mental health referral sheet together for the phone handlers in our area, to hand out brochures on how to help children cope with this disaster, to organizing a business/school help network, to making official visits to the 9/11 Family Center at the Pier in NYC and visit the Red Cross shelters at the World Trade Center sites. RC Story: Response See above RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee 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 rc_story1.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. unknown 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. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-09-01 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 63.124.222.25 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 American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was in jail, watching the TV, when the show that we were watching was interrupted and the news came on and said that one of the towers had been hit. At first, everyone thought that it might have been a terrible accident. But, when they came on and said that the Pentagon had been hit, there was no question about it. As soon as the Pentagon story came on I had to make a phone call, as one of my old Navy buddys was stationed there. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get through for about 12 hours, and when I did, it wasn't good news. He had been one of the many casualties of the strike on the U.S. I still pray that the people that sponsored this will be brought to justice, and be made to pay for these attrocities. RC Story: Response Unfortunately, being in jail there wasn't much that I could do except to make a small donation to the relief effort. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee 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 rc_story18.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. unknown 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. email 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. 2003-12-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.122.190.26 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 American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was woke up by a frantic phone call from I think my cousin I never asked who called.He is a paramedic supervisor for Queens and Brooklyn hospitals. All I heard was "look....window.....move it!!!!" So I looked, I have a 7"high by 8" wide window view of Manhatten more prominently the WTC. I damn near hit the floor when I saw one tower was billowing smoke. I franticaly got dressed grabed my jump packs and hit the road, I to am a New York medic. I did get threw to him a short time later, around he told me to stay away, HELL NO!! I went in anyway, no way was I going to sit back, it's my job to help those in need, they call "we" come no matter what the incedent. You can imagine how the rest of my day was.....enough said. RC Story: Response I did my job giving medical attention to those in need, providing support in any way required. I was also able to obtain a large truck and got it filled by a local grocery store, water, caned foot, ect. when I had done all I could in the initial phase and it was clear we had a recovery situation not rescue, so I turned my attention to the salvage of ems vehicles so we could continue to provide any emergency medical transports that might arise. In the days..weeks...months ahead I gave all I could to support those in the recovery of the victims, and my comrads who in the face of insanity and horror had the courage to stay in harms way to save as many poeple as they could. One final thing, to the family members of the passengers on flight 93, the fallen police, firemen and medics, There is no greater love of humanity, than to give ones self that others may live. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee 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 rc_story16.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. unknown 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. email 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. 2003-10-29 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 162.83.213.89 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 American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was at school and we were told that the two World Trade Centers were bombed and our teachers were afraid that the people that high-jacked the plane were going to bomb our school. Everyone was worried and they were all yelling and stuff. I was just sitting there doing my work but then I got a little worked up because we all heard this noise in the sky and we all yelled. I was glad when I finally got home.... but my sister was still worked up when I got home. Everyone was also talking about it on the bus. RC Story: Response I was worried about how they were going to live like that but our community didn't really need anything extra. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee 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 rc_story44.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. unknown 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. email 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. 2005-02-15 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 156.63.200.97