Memories from Germany
1. "I was one of the few Americans working at a European research facility. My lab had 16 people including me, the only American.
On September 11th, 2001 I was finishing up some work and getting ready to go to lunch with some of my lab mates. I thought one was coming in to get me to go too, but he seemed agitated.
'A plane just flew into the World Trade Center. Come, they have it on the TV upstairs.'
I was thinking a small plane, someone off course perhaps. When I got to the conference room the TV was in, there were about 40 people gathered watching. I stood in the back watching the news broadcast. We were all watching intently, when a second plane flew into the other tower. The gasps and commotion were audible enough to bring more people to the room. As the only American in the room people kept looking back checking in with me. I was tearing up as I realized this was an attack. A lab mate put his had on my shoulder the entire time but didn't say a word.
Within a short time the room was packed and people were in the hallway. We were all listening intently, there were reports of another plane crashing into the Pentagon. It all seemed so surreal and then the South tower collapsed. At this point I broke down into sobs. So many of my colleagues worked their way to me to give me hugs and reassure me. I wasn't the only crying. When the second tower collapsed, I sat on the floor sobbing with every one else.
After I was able to compose myself, I decided I needed to go home. Though my husband was back in the states and the apartment would be empty, I needed alone time. We lived in an old building on the third floor. I decided to put an American flag out the window with a strip of black cloth (which I tore from a T-shirt), something I saw the German neighbors doing with German and EU flags.
Later that evening someone rang our doorbell. I answered the intercom and the woman at the front entrance asked if the American flag was mine and I was American. She thought perhaps from the names on our bell were American. I answered in the affirmative. She asked if she could come up and give me a hug. I buzzed her in.
As she was walking up the stairs to our floor and saw me she explained that ever since the incident that day she was at a loss as to what to do. She wanted to express her sorry and love. When she saw the flag and the name on the bell she decided she needed to at least give whoever was in that apartment a hug.
She approached and wrapped her arms around me. I sobbed and we stood there hugging for a long while. That day, a random German gave a random American a hug and made him feel less alone.
For days after, the experience repeated itself in several times in different ways."
- Warren Lathe
On September 11th, 2001 I was finishing up some work and getting ready to go to lunch with some of my lab mates. I thought one was coming in to get me to go too, but he seemed agitated.
'A plane just flew into the World Trade Center. Come, they have it on the TV upstairs.'
I was thinking a small plane, someone off course perhaps. When I got to the conference room the TV was in, there were about 40 people gathered watching. I stood in the back watching the news broadcast. We were all watching intently, when a second plane flew into the other tower. The gasps and commotion were audible enough to bring more people to the room. As the only American in the room people kept looking back checking in with me. I was tearing up as I realized this was an attack. A lab mate put his had on my shoulder the entire time but didn't say a word.
Within a short time the room was packed and people were in the hallway. We were all listening intently, there were reports of another plane crashing into the Pentagon. It all seemed so surreal and then the South tower collapsed. At this point I broke down into sobs. So many of my colleagues worked their way to me to give me hugs and reassure me. I wasn't the only crying. When the second tower collapsed, I sat on the floor sobbing with every one else.
After I was able to compose myself, I decided I needed to go home. Though my husband was back in the states and the apartment would be empty, I needed alone time. We lived in an old building on the third floor. I decided to put an American flag out the window with a strip of black cloth (which I tore from a T-shirt), something I saw the German neighbors doing with German and EU flags.
Later that evening someone rang our doorbell. I answered the intercom and the woman at the front entrance asked if the American flag was mine and I was American. She thought perhaps from the names on our bell were American. I answered in the affirmative. She asked if she could come up and give me a hug. I buzzed her in.
As she was walking up the stairs to our floor and saw me she explained that ever since the incident that day she was at a loss as to what to do. She wanted to express her sorry and love. When she saw the flag and the name on the bell she decided she needed to at least give whoever was in that apartment a hug.
She approached and wrapped her arms around me. I sobbed and we stood there hugging for a long while. That day, a random German gave a random American a hug and made him feel less alone.
For days after, the experience repeated itself in several times in different ways."
- Warren Lathe
2. "I was in the US Army stationed in Darmstadt. We were in a class in the battalion HQ when someone came in and announced the first tower had been hit. Class went on until they came back in and announced the second tower had been hit. We were immediately released and told to go get our gear and report to our company where we were placed on perpetual guard duty. Things were pretty hectic for a few days. We were put on guard duty at random locations all over the area. I don't think I actually went home for three days."
- N. N.
- N. N.
3. "I had just separated from the military and moved to Germany to join my husband, who is in the military. I was in my second trimester of pregnancy and I was getting ready to run to the base and drop off some paperwork. I couldn't find my car keys and out of frustration, sat down to watch TV for a few minutes. I turned on European (England) CNN and saw the first tower on fire. As I was watching, the second plane hit the other tower. My husband called a few minutes later telling me to stay home, the base was locked down. I did not see him for over 24 hours.
Six weeks later I gave birth to a two month premature baby at an American army hospital. I was fortunately able to live at the hospital with him for three weeks until he could come home. The security was so heavy that getting in and out of the hospital was very difficult. My husband was in the first round of Airmen that shipped out to Iraq and that again threw us for a loop.
That entire phase of my life with a new marriage, moving overseas, 9/11 and a preemie was definitely very trying. Especially in the absence of no friends and family physically available for support. I appreciated the fact that our country seemed more unified than it had in decades and that is a feeling that we could so desperately use right now."
- Misty Betancourt
Six weeks later I gave birth to a two month premature baby at an American army hospital. I was fortunately able to live at the hospital with him for three weeks until he could come home. The security was so heavy that getting in and out of the hospital was very difficult. My husband was in the first round of Airmen that shipped out to Iraq and that again threw us for a loop.
That entire phase of my life with a new marriage, moving overseas, 9/11 and a preemie was definitely very trying. Especially in the absence of no friends and family physically available for support. I appreciated the fact that our country seemed more unified than it had in decades and that is a feeling that we could so desperately use right now."
- Misty Betancourt
4. "I was six when the towers fell. It was late after noon and my twin sister and I were sitting in the living room with our parents when they suddenly brought in live footage from the towers. I have never seen my dad cry before and I will never forget how horrified my mother looked as she sent me and my sister out of the room.
Months later it was revealed that one of the hijackers lived in Hamburg, just a few streets away from my school."
- Rick Makolla
Months later it was revealed that one of the hijackers lived in Hamburg, just a few streets away from my school."
- Rick Makolla
5. "I was 12 and on a school trip in 6th grade. We were on a hike through the forest when my teacher received a call on her mobile phone. She did not tell us the details of what happened but from what we understood, a building in the US was damaged/on fire/exploded and many people got hurt.
When we got back to the school hostel, we saw the news on TV. I sat alone in the lobby and watching the muted TV footage while everyone got ready for dinner. A very young boy sat down next to me and told me he was scared because now there would be a war."
- Lisa M.
When we got back to the school hostel, we saw the news on TV. I sat alone in the lobby and watching the muted TV footage while everyone got ready for dinner. A very young boy sat down next to me and told me he was scared because now there would be a war."
- Lisa M.
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6. "11 year old me was in her room playing the Red Faction demo. I kept playing it after seeing news about the towers and imagined shooting the bad guys who did it in the game.
- H. N. |
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7. "I remember that it had already happened when I got home that afternoon, my dad was fixated on the TV.
I ate something, did my homework, and tried to watch some Star Trek. It wasn't on. At 19:00, I was excited to watch some Dragon Ball Z and both episodes weren't on. I was quite pissed and probably played some video games instead. When my father told me what had happened my reaction was along the lines of, "Well...." The next day, I had basically no idea whatsoever why the teachers were so sad and expected us to hold a minute of silence. They never aired those two Dragon Ball Z episodes in Germany. - S. B. |
8. "I was 18 and came home from school, wanting to watch TV before going to my church volunteer work. A Tagesschau speaker announced the first plane had already hit and basically on every channel besides MTV and Viva was on a live broadcast.
A few minutes later I saw the second impact live. I had to sit down as I stared at the TV screen, that was absolutely surreal!
When the towers collapsed, there was an emptiness were they stood before... I was pretty dumbfounded.
I am normally not a paper newspaper reader but I bought a couple of them the next morning. I still have them.
Life changed after that. In Germany its now possible for the Luftwaffe to shoot down civil airliners. Security checks at airports are way more strict then they were pre-2001. The next couple of weeks we had the War on Terror as the constant theme in our politics teaching. We even had access to counselors.
Western Germany was always heavy inspired by US culture after WWII. There is a reason why the nickname of the biggest banking place in Germany/Europe Frankfurt at Main was called Mainhatten.
Around a half year later, we had the school massacre of Erfurt which was one of the bloodiest school shooting in German history. That school year was pretty ruff. It's crazy to think about it. Children which parents died in 2001 are now the age I was when its happened and many people that died then were my ago now."
- N. B.
A few minutes later I saw the second impact live. I had to sit down as I stared at the TV screen, that was absolutely surreal!
When the towers collapsed, there was an emptiness were they stood before... I was pretty dumbfounded.
I am normally not a paper newspaper reader but I bought a couple of them the next morning. I still have them.
Life changed after that. In Germany its now possible for the Luftwaffe to shoot down civil airliners. Security checks at airports are way more strict then they were pre-2001. The next couple of weeks we had the War on Terror as the constant theme in our politics teaching. We even had access to counselors.
Western Germany was always heavy inspired by US culture after WWII. There is a reason why the nickname of the biggest banking place in Germany/Europe Frankfurt at Main was called Mainhatten.
Around a half year later, we had the school massacre of Erfurt which was one of the bloodiest school shooting in German history. That school year was pretty ruff. It's crazy to think about it. Children which parents died in 2001 are now the age I was when its happened and many people that died then were my ago now."
- N. B.
9. "I was 12, in music class when my mom picked me up. She told me to hurry up and that she wanted to watch the news. In the car, she explained to me what the twin towers were and how there were hundreds of people now stuck in a burning building. Then we heard about the second plane and sped home. I spent the whole afternoon in her bed watching the news.
The next day at school was a weird feeling. Even the youngest of us realized something really bad had happened. There was an address by our principal over the intercom and a minute of silence. We didn't have any real classes that day, instead the teachers let us talk about what happened and let us ask our questions."
- C. B.
The next day at school was a weird feeling. Even the youngest of us realized something really bad had happened. There was an address by our principal over the intercom and a minute of silence. We didn't have any real classes that day, instead the teachers let us talk about what happened and let us ask our questions."
- C. B.
10. "I wasn't home on 9/11.
On that day, I was in the US Army, stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany. The attacks happened later in the day, German time, so I didn't find out what had happened until I arrived at my apartment off-post.
The next morning, I arrived on post to find that the surrounding fence was festooned with wreaths and flowers and ribbons and signs and candles put there through the night by the German citizenry.
An article online reported that the primary French newspaper ran a headline that translated to: 'Today We Are All American'
On the radio, I heard the Brits, who invariably play "God Save the Queen" at the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, instead playing "The Star Spangled Banner."
In the following days I found out about more and more people around the world who, while they couldn't bring back the dead, wanted so badly to show us how much they cared... whether through flowers in Beijing, mourning in Croatia, or prayers in Indonesia, or even the donation of fourteen cows to help the people of New York, generously given by the Maasai people of Kenya.
I'm getting old, now, and I am so, so sorry that my nation -- both at the time and today -- hasn't managed to live up to the love that all of you -- my fellow humans, around the globe -- have shown us. My government may forget, my countrymen may forget, but I will never forget that you were there for us when we needed you most, and I will love you forever."
- Jake Boone
On that day, I was in the US Army, stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany. The attacks happened later in the day, German time, so I didn't find out what had happened until I arrived at my apartment off-post.
The next morning, I arrived on post to find that the surrounding fence was festooned with wreaths and flowers and ribbons and signs and candles put there through the night by the German citizenry.
An article online reported that the primary French newspaper ran a headline that translated to: 'Today We Are All American'
On the radio, I heard the Brits, who invariably play "God Save the Queen" at the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, instead playing "The Star Spangled Banner."
In the following days I found out about more and more people around the world who, while they couldn't bring back the dead, wanted so badly to show us how much they cared... whether through flowers in Beijing, mourning in Croatia, or prayers in Indonesia, or even the donation of fourteen cows to help the people of New York, generously given by the Maasai people of Kenya.
I'm getting old, now, and I am so, so sorry that my nation -- both at the time and today -- hasn't managed to live up to the love that all of you -- my fellow humans, around the globe -- have shown us. My government may forget, my countrymen may forget, but I will never forget that you were there for us when we needed you most, and I will love you forever."
- Jake Boone