On the morning of September 11, 2001, the calculus instructor opened my classroom door in the middle of an American History lecture and blurted out that a plane had just crashed into one of the Twin Towers in New York City. I turned on the overhead television just as the second plane hit the other tower. My students were tense. One of the females in the front row began to cry. It was impossible to continue with the lecture. I began to realize, as the reports were coming in, that nothing in the future would ever be the same.
The Twin Towers Disintegrate on National Television
The TV remained on, even as the next group of students entered. This was the Psychology class. There was no discussion, just silence as all eyes focused on the television screen and everyone attempted to comprehend the ongoing events. As the first tower began to crumble, however, one student, Tim, jumped up and yelled, “I have to leave.” Tim’s uncle worked in the World Trade Center, and he fully believed that he had just witnessed his uncle’s death.
That same night Tim called me at home. “Help me to pick an emotion,” he said. I did my best to just listen, and offer words of comfort. A colleague called me to say that a nephew had worked in the towers and she believed that he had not survived. It seemed that everyone had a special connection to the worst tragedy in America since Pearl Harbor.
First 9/11 Impressions
Washington, D.C. was shut down and Capitol Hill was secured. But my emotions peaked late that night as I watched the news and saw members of Congress, standing on the Capitol steps, singing “God Bless America.” I remembered driving home that day, more cognizant than ever of the many Stars and Stripes flying from hotels, businesses, and even convenience stores. Drivers were subdued; nobody was speeding and everyone was courteous.
For several weeks, National Public Radio’s “Performance Today” featured somber music as concerts in both the United States and Europe changed their selections to fit the worldwide sadness in response to the attack and loss of lives. People magazine (September 24, 2001) headlined September 11th as “The Day That Shook America.”
On the morning of September 12th, 2001 I searched the international press for coverage of the attack. The German daily Bild had a picture of two of the alleged terrorists checking in at Logan Airport in Boston. The pictures came from security photos. Within 24 hours, however, this link became unavailable. Too many stories were beginning to circulate and conspiracy theories were born. Why was FEMA already in New York on the morning of the attack? Did Condoleezza Rice really call friends advising them to avoid air travel on 9/11?
The End of the 9/11 Decade
In 2010 the shock of 9/11 has worn off. Most of my students were in their early teens and can’t remember what impact the event played in their lives. They have grown up with Middle East wars, begun to eradicate terrorists blamed for the attack.
The flags on driver’s cars are gone and the only emotional response to 9/11 in contemporary America is the debate over the proposed Islamic Center to be built blocks from what Sarah Palin called “hallowed ground” in her Facebook blog.
As a historian, the date is still seared into memory. I am reminded of how Americans viewed Pearl Harbor long after World War II ended. Visiting the Arizona memorial after 9/11, my emotions were the same. Time separates moments of extreme emotion and passion, but the voices of those who died still resonate.
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