September 11 Digital Archive

[Untitled]

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How has your life changed because of what happened on September 11, 2001?

My life, like those of others, has never felt the same since that September morning. The country has fought in two countries in pursuit of the perpetrators of this treacherous act. I vividly remember that morning as I was a college student and I had been doing a report for my education class. I watched the news and then learned of what had happened.
I cannot imagine what those buildings must have been like for the people who were in them before the collapse. There have been so many accounts of human suffering and the great sacrifice of all the personnel involved in the rescue and later, recovery efforts. I can only speak for myself, but I still feel haunted by that day, and I believe I will feel this way the rest of my life, I have no doubt about that.
As a student of history, world powers have experienced an event that begins the decline of that country. I feel unhappy to say this, but I think this event was the start of the decline of our country. I certainly hope I am wrong as this is the greatest country that has ever been built in history. I see a country today that still has great military might but has several key divisive issues within its borders.
I feel our country has lost its invincibility that had begun after our major role in WW II. I still believe in our military and the ability to defend ourselves. But, I do not feel the same since that day. I will never forget what this country has given me. However, there is clearly something missing since September 11. Our sense of strength and pride has been violated by mindless terrorists. I also feel our privacy and our lives are watched more closely, in fact too closely due to the post 9-11 government policies. I look forward to seeing the Freedom Tower during my next visit to New York but they can build ten buildings, it cannot erase what happened that morning.

How will you remember the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks?

I remember the suffering and sacrifice of the people in those buildings. The firefighters and police who coordinated the rescue efforts is still a vivid memory. I still think of the people who hung out the windows of the towers calling for help. I hear the audio replay of firefighters asking for more men to put out fires on the 72nd floor. I remember that my hometown of Middletown, NJ lost 37 people that day. And perhaps the most emotional memory, a parent telling a son or daughter that mom or dad would not be coming home.
I have watched documentaries the past week on the events of that day. I remember the reports of the news media outlets, such as Tom Brokaw from NBC news and on the radio side, the broadcasts of 880 WCBS and 1010 WINS in New York City. I remember the unity that was ever-present after the terrorist attack. Unfortunately, this unity disappeared a short time after the attacks as we went back to our regular routine. However, we MUST never forget this day and remember all those lost on that day in New York, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, PA. In addition, never forget the soldiers who fought for us! God Bless America!

Citation

“[Untitled],” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed March 29, 2024, http://dev.911digitalarchive.org/items/show/97043.