65 thoughts on “Blog #158 – Oral Interviews about 9/11/01”

1. Daphne Breen September 19, 2023 at 10:06 am

   What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
   Peter Breen, I was 30 years old at the time.
   Where were you when the attacks happened?
   Amsterdam, the Vrije University Hospital, doing my last internship for PT school.
   What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
   Well I was in Europe, and Dutch colleagues and patients were all very sympathetic, and the comment I heard over and over was how horrible this was that it happened to the US because we have been known as a stabilizing force in the world.
   What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?
   It was a constant 24-hour broadcast. The images were replayed over and over and our permanently embedded in my brain.
   Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?
   Where I was, I didn’t have access to a TV, so my colleagues and patients were telling me about the plane crash, only one at that point. I thought it was a small plane that hit the first tower. I struggled to find coverage online but had to wait several minutes before I could get something to load. When I eventually saw the first image of the plane crash, I was shocked at how devastating it was.
   Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why?
   Immediately after the attacks the world sympathized with the US and was willing to offer assistance. Unfortunately, we squandered much of that goodwill with our international policies. Those policies were instrumental in creating some of the deep divisions that exist in our country today.
   Has America stayed the same since then? In what ways?
   The constant element of the US is our ability to unite when we are faced with a common enemy. That hasn’t changed. Our tolerance toward countries or individuals with different views has been significantly diminished.
   Has 9/11 affected your life personally in any way? If so, how?
   Well, you are here because of 9/11, kind of, I worked at the Dutch National Ballet multiple times during my internship at VU. Where your mother danced professionally. My last day at HNB was September 12, 2001. I went into the ballet thinking “This could all end tomorrow, I’m going to ask Veronique out.” I did, and she said okay, and the rest is history.
2. Lauren Goins September 19, 2023 at 10:19 am

   What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
   “[My name is Mit Goins,]I might have been 22”
   Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
   “I remember, I was at work. It was at my first real job out of college in Forest City North Carolina… because I was at work, and I worked at a plant, the day still went on. So, it wasn’t like we all had office jobs and were standing around, they still went on…because I worked at a plant, they didn’t stop at all, I didn’t get to watch it all day… but that’s the nature of the job I worked at”
   Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?
   “Uncle Matt was there, Auntie Mia was there, Auntie Megan might have still been there… so it was very unreal”
   “And then they [crashed into] the Pentagon…and I remember just trying to call Uncle Matt, because Uncle Matt was still in D.C. at the time, and not being able to get through, because everybody in America was trying to call their family in D.C.”
   “I think I remember him talking about that he could just see the smoke from where he was”
   Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?
   “…they said a plane just ran into one of the World Trade Center towers. And they kind of had it playing on the break room TV. And I was just like, wow, that’s unreal. And then I went, and I kind of sat and watched the newsfeed for a while, and then the second tower hit. And I just remember thinking, is this real life? Did that really just happen?”
   What are your opinions about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? Explain.
   Current opinions:
   “I didn’t agree with the war in Iraq, I did agree more so to [handle] bin Laden… America does not country build well. We go in, we k**l a bunch of people, we blow up their whole government, but we dont give them something better in the meantime. They were in Afrganistan for 20 years, just for it to go back to how it was. America isn’t getting a high return on those wars”
   Past actions based on opinions:
   “…We threw a party, but we had a party going anyway. We called it the we got Saddam party”

   The perspective that my father spoke from was a recollection of events that I was more or less familiar with. However, I did not stop to think about my relatives that were attending Howard at the time, and were in D.C. during the 9/11 attacks. Learning that my father had way to know the exact whereabouts and wellbeing of his siblings, was both shocking and terrifying. Hearing about his recollection of 9/11, specifically the phone call with his brother, really opened my eyes to the indirect effects of the attack. In addition to the phone call, his story about the Saddam party also exposed me to a narrative that I never knew existed; the narrative of my young, unbothered father, who threw a party to celebrate the capture of Saddam Hussein.
3. Max September 19, 2023 at 12:02 pm

   What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
   Regina Schardt, I was 42 on 9/11.
   Where were you when the attacks happened?
   When the attacks happened I was at work in Atlanta, GA.
   What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
   Everybody was in shock and they couldn’t believe what had happened. Family in Germany had sympathy and were shocked.
   What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?
   For days it’s all that people would talk about and it was on the news everywhere.
   Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why?
   When the attacks happened the entire country was in unity and people were sympathetic and kind. The US unfortunately made unwise decisions post attacks and eventually the unity did not last.
   Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?
   I knew people in Washington DC so I immediately reached out and wanted to get more information on what had happened and to make sure that they are okay. After 9/11 when I visited the city for the first time after, the skyline looked different without the twin tours and a few years later i visited the memorial.
   Has America stayed the same since then? In what ways?
   America has stayed the same way because America continues to unite against a common enemy. The country continues to have no tolerance to any acts of terrorism like this and we all do anything to stop something like this from happening again.
   Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?
   I broke down in tears that day, and I was supposed to fly to Chicago later that day. I remember telling my boss that I needed to stay home with (my dad) and he agreed and told everyone to go home.

   I can tell that this a very emotional story to my mom and many other people who were alive and witnessed these attacks. I would have been in shock and every year I would have to relive the horrible things that happened that day. Talking to her about it made me truly understand the gravity of the situation and how many lives these attacks affected and how much time was spent post attacks to avenge those that died that day. I hope that one day the country is able to share the unity between each other and the people like the days after the September 11th attacks.
4. Helena Zweig September 19, 2023 at 12:17 pm

   Helena Zweig (Interview with Father)

   What’s your name?

   Russell Orlando

   What was your first memory of when you heard about the attacks?

   Well, I didn’t hear about them. I was at the gym. I was working out at the gym on the treadmill and they had screens up on the wall, and I was watching CNN and they said they believed a plane hit one of the towers and it was not a big deal at the time. So they just showed it and there was smoke coming out of the building. So everybody at the gym was watching. It was not really anything. They thought it was a small plane. And then I was watching it and then all of a sudden another plane hit the tower. I didn’t know what was going on. I was confused at the time, but I knew it couldn’t have been an accident if two planes hit the tower. I didn’t understand what was going on though, like I thought, were the planes being directed the wrong way? I really was confused at the time. So that’s when I first heard it, I was watching it live when it happened.

   What did you do when you heard about it?

   After that I went to work and I was working and then someone called me and said “You have to see this, the actual buildings are falling down,”. So they had it on the screen in the conference room and I went and I saw it and I I thought we were under attack by someone or something. I didn’t know who was involved but it was very scary. It was surreal.

   Did you ever see the building after it was destroyed and they hadn’t cleaned it up?

   Yeah, so several years later, I went back and they cleared up the area, but I saw there was nothing left, it was just an open space where the two buildings were. And they just cleaned it up and they had a defense all around and I walked around the perimeter. Because I happened to be working there at the time and I wanted to see it and the scale blew me away, how big it was.

   What did you think about the media coverage of the attacks?

   Well, they played everything over and over and they do that now, but they played it over the buildings getting hit. And then they showed some of the people jumping out of the building when it was on fire, many people they showed were falling out of the building. So that was very horrific to see all the people either jumping or falling out of the building and you saw that. But they kept playing it over and over and I remember the interviews of the firemen and so many firemen didn’t make it after that and they went in to risk their lives to go save someone. But, I thought the news coverage was very good to show it, but to see it over and over again, I don’t know if it’s beneficial to keep seeing it over and over again.

   Did you think that you may have been in danger or did you think about the country more?

   I thought more of the country, and I knew the whole country was in a lockdown. Like all the airports were shut down and everyone kind of just went home and it was kind of like no one really knew what to do. It was kind of scary. And the president, they showed the president at the time. They showed the coverage where they told them actually it was happening. And he was, I think he was at some kind of school, children’s school. And they whispered to him and you could see his face went numb. Right when he was with the children, he got the message…And I don’t know how I’d react with that kind of message either. But I think a lot of people were really afraid.

   And now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think that America has changed and grown?

   Yeah, I think we have changed. I think airports have more heightened security now. You can’t get into terminals now, they’re way more observant and when you go through the airport. Security’s at a higher level than it’s ever been, so that’s very different. Doesn’t feel the same way it used to be. It’s more precautious and I think people are more aware when they go on the planes and they think about it more. I also think that the plane that crashed at the Pentagon too, didn’t make it there, that there were people that actually fought the actual terrorist and the plane actually crashed and it didn’t make it to the Pentagon. And they actually fought them. And I thought how brave they were and they actually…it was heading toward the Pentagon and they fought back. And I thought how brave those people were. Then we learned more about the facts, what happened, and who did it, and that only came after. How they hijacked the plane, Some of the terrorists were actually pilots and able to fly. And they had to be on high alerts, the people who learned how to fly planes. I just think it made people more on edge and I still think they carry it today. People are more afraid, I think. That something like that could happen again. No one ever expected that to happen. To use our planes or technology against us is frightening. Which I think we still worry a lot about, like AI. And now we start thinking about other ways that terrorists can overtake us in different ways, like technology. We’re more heightened with that.

   I’d asked my parents about 9/11 before on various occasions, but some of the things my dad told me here I’d never known, like where he was when it happened or that people jumped from the building. While my dad was telling me the story, watching his face helped me visualize the dismay and confusion that must have plagued America once this happened. What was going on? Was it really happening? No one knew anything, but once more was revealed, America was in a state of panic. The president, as mentioned by my dad, was stricken with horror when informants revealed to him about the crashes. Who could have ever been expecting this? The country was afraid to trust itself and it took measures with airport security to cut down and further ensure the safety of passengers so that something like this could never occur again.
5. Henry M September 19, 2023 at 12:42 pm

   What’s your name? How old were you on 9/11?
   My name is Sara M, I was in my first year of law school on 9/11.

   What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?
   I was walking to class and heard that something was happening in New York. I didn’t really know what was happening and had no idea the magnitude of what was happening, so I just went to my Constitutional Law class unbothered.

   Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter/change your views of the cities and their inhabitants?
   Yes, I have been to both, but I don’t think either really changed after 9/11. There was a brief period after 9/11 when everyone, especially in New York and DC, really came together to support our country, but that ended after a few months.

   Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?
   I was in class and our professor, Daniel Halberstam, told us that yes, our country was being attacked, but these kinds of things happen sometimes and if we just stop and panic, we are letting the terrorists win so we are going to continue class. I don’t remember anything else he taught that day. After class, people were huddled around a TV that had cable news, watching it, crying, and trying to call their families in New York. Classes were eventually canceled and I didn’t know what to do, I felt really helpless. So I called my dad and asked if we are at war and I should go somewhere, and he didn’t know either. It was really noteworthy that no one seemed to know what was going on.

   How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks?
   The next day, my professors were talking a lot about how it was awful but would also be used for government overreach. And sure enough, the Department of Homeland Security was created soon after, and anyone who flies knows what a waste of tax dollars the TSA turns basic screening into.

   What did you think of President Bush’s address later that night?
   I was never a fan of George Bush so I didn’t think much of his address. It didn’t have enough information, I was hearing more from my professors with government connections.

   Her perspective was nothing new to me. Despite this, I still learned some things about the day. For example, I didn’t know how bad President Bush’s address was. Of course, I knew there were problems with it, but the fact that professors were giving more information than the President of the United States is astounding to me. As she talked about, nobody knew exactly what was going on, and I believe that Bush should’ve given out more information. A lack of information could’ve easily been a factor contributing to America’s willingness to declare war on several Middle Eastern countries. Also, TSA screening is all I’ve ever known, and this interview made me think about how much of a hassle it is and how nice flying would be without it.
6. Gabe Macwilliams September 19, 2023 at 1:50 pm

   INTERVIEWEE: MY MOM
   “How old were you when the 911 first happened?”
   “I was in my first year of law school. So I was 22 years old”
   ‘What was your first reaction when you heard about it?”
   “Well, I was in disbelief, and I didn’t know what to do. But I was in grad school, so I went to class figuring that once I got there, our professors would have something smart to say. My Constitutional Law class was my next class, and Daniel Halberstam was my professor at Michigan Law. And he said, ‘yes, we’re being attacked.Yes, it’s happening now. But the thing is, if you understand our system of government, we’re always under attack.And if you stop and panic, then you’re letting the terrorists win, so we’re going to have class.’So he proceeded with our Constitutional Law class, and I don’t remember a single thing he taught me that day besides that speech about if you stop and panic, the terrorists win.”
   “Where were you when you first heard about it? What were the reactions of people around you?”
   “Well, I was walking to class, and people were saying something’s going on. There were people in the hallway whispering about it, and I didn’t know what was going on, so I went to class. After class, I was really scared, and I saw a bunch of my classmates huddled around a TV that had cable access for 24 Hours news, and everyone kind of glued to it, crying. That’s when I realized it was probably serious. And I called my parents. I called my dad first, and I asked if it was really bad and I needed to come home. He said he had no idea. So I went home, found my boyfriend, who’s now my husband, and asked what I should do, and he didn’t know either. “
   “What do you remember about media coverage of the event?”
   “That nobody seemed to know what was going on. We were watching all the 24 hours news cycle, and it was happening in real time, and nobody really knew if it was a war, or if it was an isolated actor. Everyone was kind of huddled around listening to all these journalists speculate what was going on.”
   “Did your life change at all in the immediate aftermath of the attacks?”
   “Well, the biggest thing I remember is I was in law school, and all of my professors said ,this is going to be an excuse for government overreach, some of it’s legitimate and some of it’s not. Shortly thereafter, they created the Homeland Security Division, and we were actively debating in class whether there was already administrative law overreach. And so I was very attuned to, yes, there’s real things going on, but many actors in our government are going to use this to get things for themselves. I realized that I had been naive, and you can never trust anybody to tell you the truth.”
   “What are your thoughts on the wars in Iran and Afghanistan?”
   “Knowing what we currently know, we had no business ever going into Iraq.I adamantly support the citizen uprising in Iran, I don’t think our government should have anything to do with it, and I don’t think it’s a good use of our resources militarily. “
   “Were your views any different when these actors happened?”
   Yes, because I was fairly naive going into law school,and I was still fairly naive until that happened. To their credit, my professors opened my eyes to the fact that you really can’t trust anybody in any government anywhere. But even still, we have to protect our country very aggressively. Because if a couple of random terrorists can fly a plane into the World Trade Center and hijack three planes, it’s really easy for anyone who’s more coordinated and more sophisticated to attack us. It made me a lot more supportive of the military than I ever had been.
   “Would you say you supported the war in Afghanistan when it was first announced?”
   “No, I thought it was a complete waste of our resources.”
   “It’s been 20 years. Do you think that America has changed since then directly because of the terrorist attacks?”
   Because of 911, yeah. I think it was a great excuse for government outreach or overreach by both Democrats and Republicans and continues to be. I think anybody who’s been through an airport recently will notice the disgusting waste of tax dollars as rather than just putting people through basic security like they do in a concert, they make a point of strip searching random old people, random moms with kids, and go way overboard to justify their positions.And I think that’s a tragedy.At the same time, our military spending has increased dramatically, and a lot of that is justified.

   From my mom’s perspective, the events of 911 while jarring, were massively overplayed. 911 changed her, but not in the common ways. According to her, she was very naive before the towers were attacked, and the reaction of many people after the attacks took that out of her. 911 opened her eyes, and helped her to see the power of the media, misinformation, and misguidance. 911 was a tragedy, but the reaction to it also was. The entire saga of “wars on terror” should’ve never happened, and only did because the media is so powerful.
7. Ella K September 19, 2023 at 7:15 pm

   What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
   Tracy Kecskemeti, I was 23.
   What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?
   I was told by a coworker, and I remember being confused, and we didn’t have a lot of information yet. I had never been to New York before and I didn’t know what the world trade center looked like, so I didn’t know until I saw the image of the planes crashing into the building what was really going on. I remember thinking it was some kind of accident, I didn’t assume it had been done on purpose.

   Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
   We were in the office, and at the time we didn’t have smartphones or instant access to the news, so people were finding out what was going on at different times. We didn’t even have a TV set up in our office so somebody rolled out an old TV from a storage closet and plugged it in and tried to get a signal. And then we all sat in the lobby watching the news coverage. Everyone was just very silent, and we were all sitting there and everyone was just in absolutely stunned silence, no one could even believe what was going on.

   Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter / change your views of the cities and their inhabitants?
   I hadn’t been to New York before the attacks… The only image I had was from movies or TV, of a big crowded city.

   Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?
   Yes, my college roommate was living in Washington DC, she was working for Congress at the time so I was immediately worried. We instantly tried to contact her, but it was still days before we heard from her. There were probably a lot of people calling her, I remember getting in touch with her family. What was difficult was having friends I wasn’t as close with who I knew were in the cities, so I wasn’t going to reach out to them because you know other people are wondering about them, but you’re still worried about them.

   What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks?
   One thing I remember was this sort of overwhelming need to help. You saw people in the 20s or 30s enlisting in the military, you would usually think of people enlisting right after high school. But I knew people who were leaving careers because they felt so strongly, this huge calling to serve. I remember feeling helpless because I wanted to help them out but, what could you possibly do?

   Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?
   I remember a bunch of grown people sitting on the floor watching a TV, an old one, on this rolling stand, and it was like being in elementary school and the teacher would roll a TV in for movie day. And it was just dozens of people sitting there in silence watching the coverage. And then the image that’s in loop in your head is the planes hitting the towers.

   How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks?
   It wasn’t so much a life change for me, I wasn’t directly impacted. I hadn’t lost any friends or family, but there was this political tone that changed. This very sort of war-focused, like anything, was acceptable in the name of defending this country. And this terrible sentiment turned towards people of Middle-eastern descent. It was sort of scary to watch that happen from a privileged view point.

   I had heard my mom talk about hearing about 9/11 for the first time before, I knew that she was at work, but I didn’t know that she had a friend in DC at the time. This friend is a family friend for us, and what I’m sure was really scary was knowing that she worked for Congress. Although I didn’t live through 9/11 this was one of my mom’s responses that I felt I could relate to most. Since we live in a time with a lot of school shootings when MSU and Oxford happened I knew friends of friends, or people who lived nearby but no one I was so close with that I felt I could bother with asking if they were okay since they were going through so much. So I can imagine that 9/11 was similar to that just on a much larger scale and country-wide. Again after a disaster like that I can understand wanting to help but not even knowing how. I didn’t know that people left jobs to join the military and it surprises me hearing of how common that feeling seemed to have been. This interview helped me to connect the emotions of what people, like my mom, who weren’t affected by 9/11 directly felt.
8. Clare G September 19, 2023 at 9:57 pm

   Clare- Do I have your consent to record this conversation?
   Amber(mother)- Yes

   C- What is your name and how old were you on 9/11
   A- Amber Gress, I was 21 years old

   C- What is your first memory when you first heard about the attacks what kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings did you think it was an accident or something worse and why?

   A- My first memory was an employee at Meijer, which was where I was working at the time for Handelman company, came out and said “something’s happened to one of the Twin Towers just got hit by a plane,” …that was the first Tower.I went back into the break room to see what was going on. We weren’t really sure at the time what was happening I guess, if it was an attack or if it was just something terrible that happened. And then as we were in the break room we watched the second tower get hit by the second plane and we knew that we were under attack

   C- Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter / change your views of the cities and their inhabitants?

   A- I was in New York the previous weekend at the US Open with my mom and we also had some friends there at the time, and they were staying a little bit longer…my immediate thought was to be fearful for those people that I knew that were there and I was also thinking about how lucky I was that I was already gone.

   C- Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were ok? What was the conversation like?
   A- We knew some people that were there visiting because they’d been there for the US Open. I think that my mom tried to contact the mom of my friend who was there so that we could hear what’s going on, but I didn’t have any direct conversation with people that were there

   C- What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?
   A- I think now my memories of all of the media coverage are kind of muddled by tributes that we’ve seen over the years to that day.It’s hard to remember exactly what it was like as I watched it… I remember the anchors of The Today Show being on forever, and watching them continue coverage for quite some time.
   C-What did you think of President Bush’s address later that night?
   I think after watching President Bush’s address that night I felt profound sadness, but also proud to be in a place where people came together to help one another so quickly and immediately after the tragedy.

   My reaction to this interview was sadness for all the people that had to experience the fear that comes with being under attack, but also I felt a little bit relieved because I didn’t know that she had been there the weekend before. It’s quite possible that she would’ve stayed longer and I might not have a mom.
9. Matias September 20, 2023 at 10:56 am

   My name is Irene Hernandez, I was 20 years old on 9/11

   I was in my college dorm watching the news about how a plane had crashed into the north tower of the twin towers. At first I thought it might have been an accident but when I saw the second plane crash into the south tower around 9:03 I immediately knew it was a terrorist attack.

   A couple of years before the attacks I had been to New York City and when I went back a couple of years later after the 9/11 attacks it felt weird not seeing the two towers anymore.

   My parents did not actually care that much because we lived in Mexico, but that night my parents just called me to see if I had seen what happened in New York.

   What were other peoples’ reactions like in the days after the attacks? People in the city in which I went to college(Monterrey) just were acting as if nothing had happened, I also went to school the day after the attacks and everyone was just having a normal day.

   My most vivid memory of 9/11 was when I saw the second plane crash into the south tower while I was eating breakfast on top of my bed, I didn’t have class that day because there was a huge storm the night before and everything was flooded so they just canceled all classes.

   How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks? It really didn’t because it did not affect me or any of my family members, the only thing is that i could not travel to the US.

   What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks? I remember the reporter talking about how there were still a lot of people trapped in the towers before the towers collapsed, and I also remember the same people that said that scream and cry after both of the towers collapsed.

   What did you think of President Bush’s address later that night? I really liked the way President Bush reacted to the attacks in a way in which he looked calm, and it probably gave a sense of calmness to all the US citizens.

   Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why? Has America stayed the same since then? In what ways? After twenty-two years since the attack I believe that America has changed in some ways such as all the security on an airport, all the new rules you have to follow when being in an airport, also I feel like America is ready if an attack like that was happen again, also I feel like the American patriotism has increased a lot after the attacks of September 11 2001.

   My personal reaction to the Interview:
   I thought that it was very interesting to learn about my mom’s experience of the events of September 11, 2001. Even though my mom did not actually experience the events while being in the United States I still thought it was interesting the way she found out about what had happened and how she got to watch the second plane crash on live TV. I feel bad for the people that lost a friend or family member during the attacks, I would be very sad if I would have lost a family member that day. This interview also made me feel sympathy for my neighbor that lost her husband during the attacks, by making me think that if people from another country also felt bad for what happened I am a hundred percent sure that losing a husband during the attacks must have felt a thousand times worse.
10. Sofia Alrawi September 20, 2023 at 11:05 am

    What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
    My name is Amy Alrawi, and on 9/11 I was 26 years old.

    Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?

    I was sent to another school for testing, so I was traveling (staying at a hotel). I was about five minutes away from the school in a different city in California. At the school I was at, all the students and teachers were jumpy and panicked whenever they heard a plane overhead.

    Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?

    I didn’t know anyone in the cities since my mother in law and sister in law were away from their home in New York at the time. They were very worried though since they knew many neighbors who were in the cities. I knew people from my old job who might’ve been there but we weren’t in touch anymore, so I was worried but didn’t try to contact them.

    Could you describe your most vivid memory of that day, 9/11?

    My most vivid memory is the morning I woke up and the school I was going to was only a 5 minute drive from my hotel. I woke up, got breakfast, and turned on the T.V. right before leaving to see something quick like Good Morning America. I turned it on and it had already happened; I saw the videos of them recording the buildings as people jumped from the windows and they actively tracked the planes still heading towards Pennsylvania.

    Now that it’s been over 20 years since the attack, how do you think America has changed since that day? Why? Has America stayed the same since then? In what ways?

    People have certainly gotten more careful, less trusting, security is tougher and getting on airplanes has been made very complicated. My parents used to come up to the gate and hug me before I boarded, but now they would hardly even be able to get into the building. We never had to take our shoes off either. Obviously, since the attacks were carried out on airplanes it caused airport safety to be ramped up; nobody is as trusting as they used to be. America is the same in a way because life still goes on as it used to. Schools are still the same as well as the economy, but there are many things that have been permanently changed because of the attacks.

    I find it very frightening that my mom was away from family when the attacks occurred, and I can only imagine how scared I would’ve been if I had turned on the T.V. on a seemingly normal morning and seen something as unbelievable as what appeared on the screen. I also think it’s interesting to see my mom’s experience with the ways America changed after the attacks, since I wasn’t alive to know what life was like with so few restrictions at airports, such as not having to go through a metal detector or having your belongings searched. Additionally, when my mom mentioned my grandmother and aunt’s reaction to 9/11, it makes me wonder what their recollection of that day is like since New York and the people who lived there are very dear to them.
11. Hannah Martens September 20, 2023 at 11:09 am

    What is your name and how old were you on 9/11/2001?

    My name is Kellie Martens, I was Kellie Reid at the time, and I was sixteen years old.

    What is your first memory of when you heard about the attacks?

    I was in school so the teachers told us about the terrorist attacks and we were sent home immediately.

    Had you previously ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reaction to the attacks?

    I went to New York pretty frequently because I had family there, they were the first thing I thought of when I heard about the attacks in NYC. I think my dad was the one who called to check on them, nobody was hurt, but they knew people who died. Specifically my aunt who lived there talked about her experience even several years later, she talked about how different it felt just to walk around the city without the towers standing, knowing what it used to look like.

    What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?

    As teens some people talked about it, but others acted like everything was normal. Teachers talked a lot about it in school, I remember it was specifically my history teacher who I heard a lot of information from.

    What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?

    The news was basically the only source we had to find out what was happening, so everyone had it on for the next few days. I saw really graphic videos of people jumping out of the burning buildings, and heard audios from people calling to say goodbye to their loved ones from a hijacked plane. I don’t think people talk much about this, but I specifically remember hearing audio from the flight that was headed to the White House, but was collectively stopped by passengers and crew on the plane. It really put me into their shoes and made me think about how that would’ve been to use however many minutes they had to create a plan and stop the terrorists while knowing they’d still die.

    How did life change for you and your family in the weeks and months immediately after 9/11?

    I think the biggest thing that changed for me was the mindset I had on events like that. I wouldn’t say I was necessarily nervous, but I was definitely made aware of the possibilities like that, especially considering we didn’t know the purpose of the attacks, so we didn’t know if they were over or not. I wasn’t afraid for my personal safety, it was just eye opening in general.

    Personal reaction: Every year for as long as I can remember we recognize and are taught about 9/11 in school, but the personal aspect is usually lost. Hearing from someone who lived through it and even had relations with people in New York City gave me more perspective on the whole thing. Specifically the fact that she was just about my current age gives me the ability to know how that might have felt for her. When she mentioned how aware she became of those possibilities it reminded me of when the school shooting happened in Oakland. I obviously knew due to the drills we have to practice that school shootings existed, it just somehow never occurred to me that I wasn’t actually entirely safe from that until it happened so close to me. It seems that Kellie Martens felt the same way about the much bigger scale attack that was inflicted on America.
12. Mamy Diop September 21, 2023 at 6:47 am

    What is your name and how older were you on 9/11?
    My name is Bolo Sow and I was 26 years old

    What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks?
    I was in the hospital…… I was at the hospital and my dad from Africa called me to check on me and he’s the one who told be about September 11 and I turned the T.V on and called my husband, he already knew about it and while we were talk that’s when the second plane hit, while I was watching the T.V

    What kind of conclusions did you come to when the plane crashed into the building?
    Actual I was… my head wasn’t on it, I was in pain, I had surgery on my feet I was really sick that day

    What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?
    I think everybody was surprised, cause like I said I was in bed at the hospital.

    Have you ever been to New York city or Washington DC?
    Yes I did

    How did that affect your reaction to the attacks?
    Umm, I don’t know

    Did you know anyone in the city’s ?
    Yes, the first thing, when that happens while I was hat the hospital I called my cousin to check on home but I couldn’t get in touch with him until late night when he called me to keep me posted to let me know he was okay

    What were other peoples reactions like in the days after the attack?
    All the nurses and everybody was talking about it at the hospital they was talking about how people gonna….and all the fire fighters was going to new your city’s to help, to get the body’s out of the buildings and help people out

    How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath off the attacks?
    Me personally didn’t change much, probably other people who live in New York

    Me and my mother have talked about this before, but it was interesting to hear more details about it. 9/11 is a day that everyone will remember wether you were alive or not. When ever we talk about 9/11 we never really talk about those who weren’t in New York. I wonder what it must of been like to be in the airport or at school. My mom couldn’t really comprehend what was happening because she was in pain after surgery. I wonder what would have been her reaction had she not been in the hospital. 9/11/ was an emotionally day for all and it still is to this day.
13. danedimmer September 25, 2023 at 7:58 pm

    Q: What is your name and how old were you on 9/11?
    A: My name is Mike Dimmer and I was 34 years old on 9/11.
    Q: Where were you when the attacks happened? What were other people’s reactions to the attack?
    A: I was in my office at work in Troy, I was listening to Drew and Mike on the radio, and the first plane hit so we went to the front lobby and we watched news coverage of it live and I saw the second plane hit and I watched the towers collapse. My coworkers were devastated about it and I was in shock.
    Q: What did you think of President Bush’s address later that night?
    A: I think it was pretty moving and it got a lot of people going. I feel like it helped unite us as a country even for a little bit.
    Q: What did you remember about the media coverage of the attacks?
    A: I remember them not knowing what was going on and it was confusing for everyone. After the second plane hit there was some skepticism about it being an accident.
    Q: What are your opinions about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq?
    A: I think the wars are complete jokes and millions died for no reason but money and oil. All we did was create unrest in the Middle East.
    Q: Now that it’s been 20 years since the attacks, how do you feel America has changed since that day?
    A: I think we felt more vulnerable after the attacks and you think that something like that would unify the country but we definitely feel less unified nowadays. I feel like there’s less justice in the world now.
14. geoffwickersham (Post author) September 27, 2023 at 8:54 am

    What is your name? How old were you on 9/11

    “My name is Michael Lloyd (my father and I have the same name) and I was 36 or 37 during 9/11.”

    Where were you when the attacks happened?

    “I was at my house (in Michigan) after getting off a long day of work.”

    What were other peoples’ reactions to the attacks?

    “My neighbor and I were talking about it at the time. We thought it was unreal and we did not know what to do as citizens. Nobody could wrap their heads around what was going on and we all though the situation was a drastically crazy experience and we thought to call our relatives and people that are closest to us.”

    What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?

    “The next days every single TV had on the same thing. News cast of what had just happened. For the next couple months it was the only thing people talked about and was an unreal experience.”

    What are your opinions about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? Explain.

    Did you know anyone in the cities?

    “Yes I knew your uncle David was their at the time.”

    I’m sure you were worried

    “Yes of course. We eventually talked but he was fine because he had just left New York on a flight a couple hours before the incident happened.”

    How has life changed since then?

    “The first thing that comes up in my mind is definitely the airport. Back then, their was no TSA and you could bring scissors, pocket knives, all types of stuff. You didnt have to wait in the TSA line and everything. That was a major change. At that time you could bring almost anything reasonable on the plane”.

    Well that was the last question thank you for your time!

    “Of course!”

    Michael L.
15. Delilah October 11, 2023 at 7:10 pm

    What is your name? How old were you on 9/11?
    Chris Covatta. I was 29 years old.
    What is your first memory of when you first heard about the attacks? What kind of conclusions did you come to about the planes crashing into the buildings (did you at first think it was an accident or was it something worse)? Why?
    I was getting ready for work and I saw the news that one plane had hit one tower, so I didn’t know what was going on. I guess before we left I saw the second plane on the news and I thought right away “this is not just an accident”.
    Where were you when the attacks happened?
    We were in Chicago in our apartment.
    Have you ever been to New York City or Washington D.C.? If so, how did that affect your reactions to the attacks? If not, how did the attacks alter / change your views of the cities and their inhabitants?
    I have been there but I don’t think it changed my reaction.
    Did you know anyone in the cities? If so, did you try to contact them to see if they were o.k.? What was the conversation like?
    Yes. My sister lived there at the time. I wanted to make sure she was safe, which she was. I was grateful that she was safe, and we were all very sad at what was going on in her city and across the country I guess.
    How did life change for you in the immediate aftermath of the attacks?
    The increase in security was obvious, I had to deal with more security more often. Working in downtown Chicago, all those facilities got more secure quickly. Being an attorney I had to go into buildings like that quite frequently.
    What do you remember of the media coverage of the attacks?
    It was non-stop for I think close to a week, that’s what I remember, even though there was not any real information for a little while.