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Members of Islamic Society of North America in Plainfield, IN, bow in prayer during an interdenominational prayer service in the mosque on Friday, Sept. 14, 2001.
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy) 
9/11 Memorial in Indianapolis, IN.
(Photo: Indiana War Memorials) |
Joe remembers how his father ran the family's small town gas station the night of September 11th as prices began to rise all across Indiana.
Written Stories
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Ally McBeal intro
(Fox) |
1. "I was having a girls night watching Ally McBeal or something the night before. My friend Jenny woke me up and told me something had happened. We didn't have cable at Jenny's and it took forever to refresh the Yahoo News page. The first image we saw was of the a burning tower.
My Nokia rang and it was my boyfriend who had just flown out overseas the day before to give a University lecture. He was awake watching it on TV and I went outside to take the call. It was such a beautiful day. He and I cried together on the phone as he described what was happening on TV. His hotel phone bill turned out to be over $300 and nearly twice what a months rent was at the time. |
I don't know why I remember that and not how I got home that day, only that when I did I noticed the lines outside of the gas stations as I went past. "What do these folks in the lines know that I don't?" I thought.
'Is it over, or is this just beginning?'"
- Mary Alice P.
'Is it over, or is this just beginning?'"
- Mary Alice P.
2. "I was a sophomore in high school taking Indiana's standardized tests. We had already started testing when the attacks commenced. They did not interrupt us, but you could see teachers and faculty speaking to each other in hushed tones. When we finished our testing before lunch, they had us all go to our afternoon class early; it was there that the teachers told us what was going on. My teacher was one of the few to have a TV hooked up in her classroom, so we spent the remainder of the day watching the news and discussing. Afterwards, my mom took me and my sister to our grandparents and we watched nonstop coverage of the event. The rest of the week was watching the news and trying to wrap your head around this attack."
- Mark M.
- Mark M.
3. "I was in 6th grade. I remember sitting in class when the teacher turned on the TV. Everyone in the class sat in silence. Just - Stunned.
The teacher was crying, my classmates were crying. I remember not much work getting done and we just had a discussion about what happened the rest of the day. I will never forget seeing those images on the TV and the looks of my classmates."
- Ryan M.
The teacher was crying, my classmates were crying. I remember not much work getting done and we just had a discussion about what happened the rest of the day. I will never forget seeing those images on the TV and the looks of my classmates."
- Ryan M.
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4. "I was listening to Bob and Tom Morning Show; for anyone that doesn't know, they make fun of everything. So when I had turned on the radio, and they announced the Pentagon had just been hit, I thought it was another of their bad jokes."
- D. G. |
5. "I was a freshman in high school religion class. The Catholic school wheeled in TVs so we could watch the coverage. As we saw the aftermath of the first tower being hit our teacher turned it off saying nothing further was likely to develop.
I didn't learn of the second tower being hit until after school.
I remember my father learned of the first tower being hit on NPR. Because everyone is so calm on NPR, he thought it was a private plane hitting the tower and not a major commercial airliner."
- N. G.
I didn't learn of the second tower being hit until after school.
I remember my father learned of the first tower being hit on NPR. Because everyone is so calm on NPR, he thought it was a private plane hitting the tower and not a major commercial airliner."
- N. G.
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6. "My wife and I were getting ready to take our daughter to preschool. We heard the news on the radio of the first plane and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up because I read something similar happening in a Tom Clancy novel (Debt of Honor). We watched the rest of the morning play out on the TV news."
- K. B. |
7. "I was middle school gym and we saw our coach crying. Being boys, we poked fun at him. He got a bit upset with us and made us watch the TV just before the second plane hit. I didn’t really understand what it all meant, but I knew something serious was going on when we were all sent home. My mom came and got me and my brother, and when we got home she explained everything a bit better and it was at that point that I understood the severity of what I had witnessed an hour or so earlier on TV. It’s been almost 20 years now but it still seems so surreal."
- Nic X
- Nic X
8. "I was in 3rd grade and had no idea what was going on. The teachers weren’t allowed to show the students the TVs and when I came back from first recess everything seemed off. When school had ended and my dad had picked my brother and myself up, he told us to hurry and buckle up because we needed to get to the gas station quickly. We pulled in and there were probably 20-30 cars in line waiting. I asked my dad what was going on and he had told me that people flew two airliners into the World Trade Center towers in NYC.
Seeing that I was only in 3rd grade I could never imagine people doing something like that to harm others. I sadly thought it was cool that it happened not realizing what was going on and the pain and damage that was afflicted to thousands of innocent people. Even to this day I sometimes think of how I felt when I was little and feel like a complete ass.
To all everyone that was there and helped save lives thank you. You’re more than appreciated by myself and millions of others.
And to the people that lost loved ones to such a senseless tragedy. I’m sorry for your for your loss, it’s something that no human being should ever have to go through "
- K. M.
Seeing that I was only in 3rd grade I could never imagine people doing something like that to harm others. I sadly thought it was cool that it happened not realizing what was going on and the pain and damage that was afflicted to thousands of innocent people. Even to this day I sometimes think of how I felt when I was little and feel like a complete ass.
To all everyone that was there and helped save lives thank you. You’re more than appreciated by myself and millions of others.
And to the people that lost loved ones to such a senseless tragedy. I’m sorry for your for your loss, it’s something that no human being should ever have to go through "
- K. M.
9. "I was a freshman in college. We were the first graduating class of the new century and for the firs time in my life I had moved away from home.
It was a beautiful and sunny morning, I was headed to my first class of the day when I heard people chatting and something seemed off. There was a sign on my classroom door that said class had been canceled and for us to please stay home.
I walked back to my on campus apartment and my roommates were there with the TV on. One of the towers had been accidentally hit by an airplane. I remember thinking how crazy that was. How could a plane mess up that bad?
Then we saw the second plane hit. In real time.
Everyone screamed, there was so much screaming. On TV- In my apartment- In my head.
The Pentagon was hit and then a plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. What was going on? Are they coming for my city too?
We hadn’t been exposed to things like this before on our soil. Live images of death and destruction! People jumping out of windows to their death! Clouds of dust and ash plowing towards the screen, consuming everything and everyone in its path!
I remember watching the night searches. Men and women climbed through the rubble, trying to free people stuck underneath. Everyone’s faces covered in gray.
There was a feeling of collective pain the country shared, that the whole country was one. We were a family and our heart had been attacked. People from across the country rushed to NYC to help however they could, to dig through the rubble.
That time was one of pure terror and at the same time hope and love.
I had a few very close friends join the military immediately. We were 18 and just beginning our lives. Our bright and safe futures no longer a guarantee. One of my best friends got sent to Iraq. I watched the first bomb drop on live t.v. I was on spring break. I remember everyone cheering outside my hotel room.
I ran to the bathroom and threw up."
- J. Cooper
It was a beautiful and sunny morning, I was headed to my first class of the day when I heard people chatting and something seemed off. There was a sign on my classroom door that said class had been canceled and for us to please stay home.
I walked back to my on campus apartment and my roommates were there with the TV on. One of the towers had been accidentally hit by an airplane. I remember thinking how crazy that was. How could a plane mess up that bad?
Then we saw the second plane hit. In real time.
Everyone screamed, there was so much screaming. On TV- In my apartment- In my head.
The Pentagon was hit and then a plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. What was going on? Are they coming for my city too?
We hadn’t been exposed to things like this before on our soil. Live images of death and destruction! People jumping out of windows to their death! Clouds of dust and ash plowing towards the screen, consuming everything and everyone in its path!
I remember watching the night searches. Men and women climbed through the rubble, trying to free people stuck underneath. Everyone’s faces covered in gray.
There was a feeling of collective pain the country shared, that the whole country was one. We were a family and our heart had been attacked. People from across the country rushed to NYC to help however they could, to dig through the rubble.
That time was one of pure terror and at the same time hope and love.
I had a few very close friends join the military immediately. We were 18 and just beginning our lives. Our bright and safe futures no longer a guarantee. One of my best friends got sent to Iraq. I watched the first bomb drop on live t.v. I was on spring break. I remember everyone cheering outside my hotel room.
I ran to the bathroom and threw up."
- J. Cooper
10. "I had just arrived at work when a co-worker who was a known jokester told me a plane hit the World Trade Center.
'Uh-huh, sure it did.'"
A few minutes later another co-worker arrived with similar news. Everyone at work rotated in and out of the break room throughout the day to watch the news for a few minutes. I'm pretty sure no actual work was done that day."
- L. Miller
'Uh-huh, sure it did.'"
A few minutes later another co-worker arrived with similar news. Everyone at work rotated in and out of the break room throughout the day to watch the news for a few minutes. I'm pretty sure no actual work was done that day."
- L. Miller
11. "I was dithering over what to wear to school, and I walked into the living room to ask my mom if I looked cute. My dad was awake, too, which was highly unusual has it was, and they were both sitting and staring at the TV. I opened my mouth to speak and they both shouted at me to stop talking.
Something awful had just happened.
The news hosts were confused and scrambling as they tried to make sense of everything. We all watched in horror as the second plane hit the South Tower. I know a lot of people say they were in school when the attacks happened, and I don’t remember why I was still at home. I think maybe we had dentist appointments, and that’s why my dad was awake, too.
At school, I remember the teachers coming in and out of classrooms and whispering to each other in the halls, but not talking to us about it. I played cheerleaders at recess with some popular girls, which was why I was so concerned about my outfit that morning.
- M. W.
Something awful had just happened.
The news hosts were confused and scrambling as they tried to make sense of everything. We all watched in horror as the second plane hit the South Tower. I know a lot of people say they were in school when the attacks happened, and I don’t remember why I was still at home. I think maybe we had dentist appointments, and that’s why my dad was awake, too.
At school, I remember the teachers coming in and out of classrooms and whispering to each other in the halls, but not talking to us about it. I played cheerleaders at recess with some popular girls, which was why I was so concerned about my outfit that morning.
- M. W.
12. "Listening to the Bob and Tom Morning Show and I thought it was just a bad taste joke till we were called into the office. I went home and tried to call a friend of mine who was from Poland and had a job interview at the towers as an interpreter that morning.
She had gotten out 30 minutes before the first plane hit."
- D. G.
She had gotten out 30 minutes before the first plane hit."
- D. G.
13. "A band I really liked had just released their debut album and I listened to it on the ride from Lafayette to Indy that morning. I was in Meridian when the CD was over so I flipped on the Bob and Tom show for some laughs before work. They were talking about the towers and I wasn't sure if they were playing some sort of joke. By the time I turned into the parking lot of the office, I realized this was real. Got into the office and everyone had their internet up, which at the time was a big no-no during office hours.
A friend instant messaged me, asking how I was doing. She had just woken up and hadn't turned on the TV yet.
'Go turn on your TV right now.' I said.
'Which channel?'
'It doesn't matter.'"
- B. T.
A friend instant messaged me, asking how I was doing. She had just woken up and hadn't turned on the TV yet.
'Go turn on your TV right now.' I said.
'Which channel?'
'It doesn't matter.'"
- B. T.
14. "I remember the video on TV and my mother screaming. I was a 3rd grader being home schooled that year, the only year I ever was.
To this day, she says she was glad I was home and not in school."
- Y. C.
To this day, she says she was glad I was home and not in school."
- Y. C.