story9379.xml
Title
story9379.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2003-07-20
911DA Story: Story
As I awoke one tuesday morning in early September, my thoughts turned to what roots sweatshirt i would wear, what i would have for breakfast and weather my teacher would believe that i really did do my homework and jsut forgot it at home.
I carried on as usual getting to school at arounf 8"20 am, meeting my freinds in the school yard and discussing last nights television shows. Nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't until my principal made that memorable announcement on the P.A that i began to realize this was not such an ordinary day after all.
At 8:45 am on Tuesday September 11, the school announcements had just finsihed. I started shuffling through my books to prepare for my first subject of the day. Religion. Little did i know that at the same time, American Airlines flight was crashing into the north tower of the world trade centre in New York City. Later that day you heard that peaople thoght this crash was mearly and airplane accident, but at 9:03 am as we were proceding in out studies, a second plane, United Airlines flight 175 crashed into the south tower. Images of these planes crashing into these significant towers and bursting into flames will always be in my mind. Scenes of terrified people in the windows of the buildings and the despiration of those who chose to jump from floors high, make me feel sick to my stomach.
By about 9:10 am most people realized that 2 planes crashing into the World Trade Centre Towerd like they did was not just a coincidence but something more.
As I was wondering what new pieces my class would learn in instrumental music that year, at about 9:40 am American Airlines flight 77 crashed into a helicopter landing pad at the Pentagon, a well known nerve centre for the United States military located in Washington D.C., killing everyone on board. The news of terrorist attacks on one of the biggest countries in the world was begining to spread quickly.
While i was chatting with my friends and watching the guys play basketball at 10:10 am, the south tower in New York plummeted to the ground and United Airlines flight 93 en route from Newark to San Francisco crashed into a feild in Jennerstown, Penn., which is about 20 km southeast of Pittsburgh, no survivors. Aboard this aircraft, the passengers knew they were being hijacked. They also knew of the tragic events in New York and Washington. A group of 3 passengers had the presence of mind and strength of spirit to contend with these hijackers inorder to prevent more attacks on their country. They probably thought that as long as they were going to die, they might as well save their country as well. Those brave men and women were hero's to think not of themselves but of all the other people the the United States.
Mass hysteria, panic, devistation and ciaos were all apparent on the streets of New York City. Sights of people running from burning buildings crying and bleeding are hard to erase from my mind. Innocent citizens covered in ash and debris who witnessed this wretched attack was all i could think about for weeks. You saw and heard of about people giving thir time to help and volunteer with all that they could. Off duty doctors and nurses would come to what was later called Ground Zero. All arounf, strangers were helping strangers.
The New York Firefighters, Police offices and Paramedics who pride themselves of being the greatest in the world were faced with a disaster never before imagined. From this tradgedy arose numerous heroic stories of firefighters in particular showing great acts of heroism. These men and womenput their own lives in danger to save the trapped and the helpless. It is the image of these fearless indivudials that have inspired me to think of all the good going on during this devestating tradgedy.
Before September 11 the word terrorism was not a part of my vocabulary. I really didnt have a good idea of where Afganistan was and I had never heard of Osama Bin Laden but as the events of 9-11 unfolded i was becomming more aware of such things.
Before September 11, i didnt think twice about getting on an airplane. It never orccured to me that those metal dectors that we go to before getting on a plane were for our safty. Now i am much more aware.
Just as we have heard our parents and grandparents speek about where they were November 22, 1963 which was the day John F. Kennedy was shot or what they were doing when canada won the Canada vs. Russia summit series in 1972, i too will always remember that i was in the seconf week of grade 8 and st bonaventure school in toronto on a day that began as ordinary as any other but quickly changed to have some of the most significant days in american and world history. What a difference one day can make. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
I carried on as usual getting to school at arounf 8"20 am, meeting my freinds in the school yard and discussing last nights television shows. Nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't until my principal made that memorable announcement on the P.A that i began to realize this was not such an ordinary day after all.
At 8:45 am on Tuesday September 11, the school announcements had just finsihed. I started shuffling through my books to prepare for my first subject of the day. Religion. Little did i know that at the same time, American Airlines flight was crashing into the north tower of the world trade centre in New York City. Later that day you heard that peaople thoght this crash was mearly and airplane accident, but at 9:03 am as we were proceding in out studies, a second plane, United Airlines flight 175 crashed into the south tower. Images of these planes crashing into these significant towers and bursting into flames will always be in my mind. Scenes of terrified people in the windows of the buildings and the despiration of those who chose to jump from floors high, make me feel sick to my stomach.
By about 9:10 am most people realized that 2 planes crashing into the World Trade Centre Towerd like they did was not just a coincidence but something more.
As I was wondering what new pieces my class would learn in instrumental music that year, at about 9:40 am American Airlines flight 77 crashed into a helicopter landing pad at the Pentagon, a well known nerve centre for the United States military located in Washington D.C., killing everyone on board. The news of terrorist attacks on one of the biggest countries in the world was begining to spread quickly.
While i was chatting with my friends and watching the guys play basketball at 10:10 am, the south tower in New York plummeted to the ground and United Airlines flight 93 en route from Newark to San Francisco crashed into a feild in Jennerstown, Penn., which is about 20 km southeast of Pittsburgh, no survivors. Aboard this aircraft, the passengers knew they were being hijacked. They also knew of the tragic events in New York and Washington. A group of 3 passengers had the presence of mind and strength of spirit to contend with these hijackers inorder to prevent more attacks on their country. They probably thought that as long as they were going to die, they might as well save their country as well. Those brave men and women were hero's to think not of themselves but of all the other people the the United States.
Mass hysteria, panic, devistation and ciaos were all apparent on the streets of New York City. Sights of people running from burning buildings crying and bleeding are hard to erase from my mind. Innocent citizens covered in ash and debris who witnessed this wretched attack was all i could think about for weeks. You saw and heard of about people giving thir time to help and volunteer with all that they could. Off duty doctors and nurses would come to what was later called Ground Zero. All arounf, strangers were helping strangers.
The New York Firefighters, Police offices and Paramedics who pride themselves of being the greatest in the world were faced with a disaster never before imagined. From this tradgedy arose numerous heroic stories of firefighters in particular showing great acts of heroism. These men and womenput their own lives in danger to save the trapped and the helpless. It is the image of these fearless indivudials that have inspired me to think of all the good going on during this devestating tradgedy.
Before September 11 the word terrorism was not a part of my vocabulary. I really didnt have a good idea of where Afganistan was and I had never heard of Osama Bin Laden but as the events of 9-11 unfolded i was becomming more aware of such things.
Before September 11, i didnt think twice about getting on an airplane. It never orccured to me that those metal dectors that we go to before getting on a plane were for our safty. Now i am much more aware.
Just as we have heard our parents and grandparents speek about where they were November 22, 1963 which was the day John F. Kennedy was shot or what they were doing when canada won the Canada vs. Russia summit series in 1972, i too will always remember that i was in the seconf week of grade 8 and st bonaventure school in toronto on a day that began as ordinary as any other but quickly changed to have some of the most significant days in american and world history. What a difference one day can make. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Collection
Citation
“story9379.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 8, 2026, https://www.911digitalarchive.org/items/show/14477.