September 11, 2001. A date that
needs no words said. A date that will forever live in the hearts of Americans.
On this day the largest attack of American history occurred, killing thousands.
When people hear this day, they remember exactly what they were doing, what
they were thinking, it’s as if time stopped and these memories were implanted
in our brains. I interviewed three people to see what they were doing on this
day and their thoughts.
As I asked the first person, who is actually
my dad, a now 57 year old retired firefighter, Mike Roberts. It’s hard for him
to talk about as he lost friends and so many of his brothers in the fraternity
that is the fire department. He said he had just gotten off work and gotten
home where my mother, who works night shifts was sleeping. He turned on the
news and was shocked, he could hardly believe it was real and begin to freak
out as we woke my mother. Very soon after his captain called him back into work
where he stayed glued to the television waiting to see what would happen next.
He voice still shutters as he talks about this day and all that happened. Blake
Hadley, a junior dietetics major is the next person I spoke to. He was in
fourth grade on the day of this event. He said out of nowhere it seemed like
everything in the school froze. He was called in from recess and everyone was
silent. The teachers, he said, were telling everyone to stay calm as they
turned on the T.V.’s. He had no clue of the seriousness of these attacks and
was sent home as the rest of the school was. When he got home his grandmother
made lemonade for him and his sisters. He was confused and full of questions
and just didn’t understand. Lastly, I asked Zack McMahan, a full time 20 year
old union worker. He said he didn’t know what happened at all that day. He was
in class and was told he was being sent home and was happy. He got home to a
crying mother trying to keep calm for her children. He said he remembers asking
his mother “why can’t we go to Afghanistan and blow up their tallest building?”
A child, shocked and confused, just as the entire country was.
As I write this story, I look back
and remember exactly what I was doing. I was in Mrs. Hawbwitzels fourth grade
class. She came in and told everyone to quiet down and turned the T.V. on, right
before telling everyone we would be leaving soon. I was clueless. I was picked
up by my mom as we went home and called my dad to tell him we love him. I was
scared but mostly confused and worried for my dad. I didn’t understand. This
day is one I will remember forever, one of the biggest pieces of history I have
ever been alive to remember and see.
September 11, 2001, a day we will never forget.
