September 11th's Ten Year Anniversary: A Memoir Entry
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It's Been Almost Ten Years...
Do you remember where you were or what you were doing on September 11th, 2001? What were your thoughts that day, when you had heard that our country was under attack and that buildings in New York City and in Washington DC had been hit by terrorists? I remember very clearly what I was doing and what I was thinking that terrifying day, and why? Because I wrote it all down so that I would be able to keep it fresh in my mind, ten years later...even fifty years later.
This is in remembrance of the people who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001 and in honor of the ten year anniversary of September 11th. Keep in mind that I was in eleventh grade when I wrote this, so it may seem a little naive or immature, but this is what I wrote on September 11th:
September 11th, 2001 (Tuesday)
Today was a complete and utter nightmare. The two world trade center towers in New York City were ran into by passenger planes which were hijacked by a group of Muslim terrorists. Shortly after the two towers were hit...they collapsed due to the immense heat. Thousands of people are estimated to have lost their lives. Also, the Pentagon in DC was hit by another plane, on its west side. Hundreds were killed there. Another commercial jet headed for DC crashed somewhere near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Over 200 passengers were killed on these four planes. America in on a code red alert, and we are under a state of attack.
No one has claimed these acts, but many believe that it is the Palestinians...Bush spoke tonight at 8:30 pm. He assured us that we would hunt down the people responsible for these crimes and punish them. Many people lost their lives and/or family members or friends today. Thsi day will go down in history for hundreds of years to come. No one deserve these deaths. After the first attack, many rescuers/fire-fighters entered Trade Center 1 and were caught inside when the building collapsed. Schools have been closed, government and businesses.
American is joining together as one to defend freedom and bring justice to these cowards who committed these horrific crimes. Many say that these crimes were made to show the world how weak we are, but I believe that this has made us even stronger. It is uniting us in ways never before have we been united. Unfortunately, I did know someone involved in these acts. Her name was _____ ______ (not giving name for privacy reasons). She was a sweet person whom I had met a few times through friends.
A need for blood almost became a crisis, but Americans everywhere have given blood, donations, and almost anything needed to help with these tragic events. The fires are still burning at the Pentagon and it is now 10:30 pm.
I believe many people don't realize how serious this is for American history and our own lives. Many laugh it off or act like nothing's going to happen, but I don't think anyone is prepared for the future.
The loss of the World Trade Centers could be a major crash for the stock market and our economy.
I think that anyone who is mad at anyone else needs to see past their anger and apologize. We need to be here for each other. We need each other's support more now than ever. We need to also enjoy the lives we have and love each other's company.
I really don't see how there could be a god; especially now seeing all of this happen. How could he let all of these innocent people suffer and die? This has caused fear in everyone's hearts in some way, and I believe that this day will be the start of a change for America and possibly the entire world.
This day is widely compared to the Civil War and Pearl Harbor in ways.
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I agree, Peter. Thanks for commenting.
I was at home getting ready to put my oldest on the kindergarten bus and looking at my youngest who was 16 days old ... worrying about what their lives would be like.
You know, I don't think anyone will ever forget the events of that day, but in my opinion, one of the best things to do on September 11th is to go about your life and do what you would normally do. Take your kids to school. Go to work. Read the paper, watch the news, or listen to the radio. Don't /let/ your life be changed by the terrible act of a pack of fanatics.
The very best thing to do on September 11th -- and every day -- is to bother your elected representatives (email, snail mail, phone calls, visiting their offices, however you can make your voice heard) until the erosions of our freedoms that were so hastily enacted in 2001 are fully repealed. I'm not talking about the changes that make sense (like having all first responders able to use the same radios to talk to each other, or letting local cops talk to the CIA if they think they found something international) but about the insidious things like warrantless wiretapping (which still continues under the new administration), and warrantless searches of bank, bookstore, and library records. I'm talking about the security theater foolishness of not being allowed to carry nail clippers or toothpaste on an airplane, or having to submit to a criminal-style frisking before boarding.
Lots of people of all political persuasions talk about how our troops are overseas "defending our freedoms." The problem is that while the troops are defending our freedoms overseas, we, the people have fallen asleep on the job of defending our freedoms here at home.
I remember it well. I was on the bus coming home from the dr's as i was pregnant and was just having a check up. The bus was packed and it was so hot. The bus driver had the radio on and i heard a plane had crashed. All the people on the bus were like OMG. I could't get home quick enough. I put the news channel on and could not believe what i was seeing. It was like something out of a film. I sat for hours watching, i actually started crying at one point when they showed people jumping out the building. My heart went out to all them people who were trapped, for all the family's who were sitting at home wondering weather they would see their loved ones again. What a sad sad day!!!
Sad article,
And we all remember very well what we were doing after 8.43 am on that infamous day.
LORD
I was in a poetry class in college, barely awake, when I heard the news. Our class was put on hold right away and we had a discussion on what was occurring. A handful of kids were crying (I was in upstate NY and many of the kids were from the NYC area) and the professor dismissed us. Many of us went to the dining hall to grab something to eat, where the TV's were all tuned in to the coverage. I remember a friend saying that it was like something out of a bad sci-fi/action flick like "Independence Day". I'm not sure any of us realized the significance until a little later when we really saw the destruction at Ground Zero.
Thanks everyone for sharing their memories and views on 911 with us here. They are all special and unique in their own right, but the same in that they draw us closer together as Americans.
My wife and I were debating on who would stay home with our daughter (who has gotten sick the night before) we were getting dressed and NBC's morning show was on, and that's when we saw the first plane hit.....
Hi all, I was one of the first pilots scrambled on 9/11 from Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod. I will never forget arriving over New York and seeing the second tower fall. All of lower Manhattan was covered in smoke and I will never forget what that looked like. I remember the sea of people walking north out of the city. Our job that day was to track down all of the civil airliners still airborne and escort them to land at the nearest suitable airfield. I wrote about it in my book SCRAMBLED (10 Year Edition) which you can find on my Hubpage or on my website. Also, on September 5th, if you have the Smithsonian Channel, there is an amazing documentary called 9/11, The day that changed the world will air at 8pm. I worked with the producer and director and it looks tremendous.
Hi Kitty,
A beautiful hub if obviously sad. But you have reminded us of the raw anguished feelings we felt at this time.
As you know I'm from Scotland but I can honestly say that everyone in my country and the whole of the UK were horrified at the cowardly attrocity committed that day. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house at my work place when we watched those horrific events on TV.
Today? What I can say now is that obviously no one in Scotland or the UK has forgotten those innocents who lost their lives and never will. In Scotland we of course still honour many of your innocent countrymen and women, as well as our own, who were murdered, over Scotland's skies, in the Lockerbie plane bomb so many years ago. So we are familiar with the way your country can hold its head up and face adversity square on. But we also feel admiration for the way your nation has re-built itself up - as well as the towers. This I believe is the real way to beat these instigators of hate and evil. Re-build, keep on living and keep on loving - this is what terrorists can never beat and never will.
Yes Kitty- A day that few of us will ever forget! Almost unbelievable and it is hard to imagine how survivors of this horrific attack could ever recover. You are right though, somehow getting past any feelings of anger is a sure route to faster healing and most of all - learning to appreciate each other and what we do have because it could all be gone in an instant! Thanks for sharing, a sobering reminder! Up - useful and beautiful!
Thanks, Delmer for sharing your story about 911.
Opus - wow, that had to have been scary for you. Thanks for sharing with us and the world. Keep on writing and telling your story!
seeker7 - Thanks for being so supportive. Though you are in Scotland, you still show your sympathy for our tragedy of 911. That really touched me. Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts. :)
Chatkath - I'm so glad we've come ten years without another incident of the same magnitude. It really has made us stronger and wiser, I believe. Thanks for commenting, as always!
I was in the Philippines when it happened. I cried because I thought that was the end of my American dream. Then, my mom comforted me and gathered us (my siblings and I) together and we knelt down to say our prayers for America. No one cooked and nobody had dinner. Our whole neighborhood held a prayer vigil. On the 3rd day of the vigil, everyone who have money rushed to the market to buy food and groceries and there was panic-buying. It was not just a sad day ... It was a many, many sad days. As before, your writing is commendable, kittythedreamer :)
We do all remember, Pete said that truly.
Thanks, Paradise. Absolutely true.
Great post! Sharing our memories, pain, and then hope helps us to heal!
I agree, Coldsnow. Good point, simple but true.
Kitty,
So young but such a wise analysis of the day our country lost its innocence. Voted UP & UABI, mar.
![Remembering Sept 11th 2001, The Pentagon and World Trade Center Attack (updated 9/6/2011) [17]](http://s3.hubimg.com/u/4146910_50.jpg "Remembering Sept 11th 2001, The Pentagon and World Trade Center Attack (updated 9/6/2011) [17]")
PETER LUMETTA Level 6 Commenter 8 months ago
We all remember, we will never forget,
Peter