September 12, 2001 front page of The Shreveport Times.
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President Bush addresses the nation from Barksdale Air Force Base.
9/11 Memorial in Lake Charles, LA.
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Louisiana resident Penny remembers how the children condemned terrorism and killing through art.
Written Stories
1. "This question always makes me feel far older than I think fair. I was in my third year of college and my then girlfriend, now wife said,
'Did you hear some idiot flew a plane into a building in New York?'
'What building?'
'I dunno. One of the tall ones.'
We entered the student center and a small crowd was gathered around the television when the second plane hit. That shifted the conversation from 'operator error' to 'attack.' There was general panic, but I went ahead and went to class with my girlfriend.
It was an 8:30 am history class and one of us told the professor,
'Hey professor, did you hear we might be under attack... are we still having class?'
'Well, if someone is attacking us, we probably deserve it. No, class isn’t canceled.'
So... I sat through class and discussed whatever primary text we had read. After class, we went back to the news and watched as the towers fell. Then the news spread that classes were being canceled. We weren’t far from a Barksdale Air Force Base and news was all over that Air Force One would be landing and taking off again from the base.
We watched the news for the rest of the day. I tried to check in on a cousin that lived in NYC working near Wall Street, but couldn’t because of communication issues. He ended up being fine.
Prayer vigils were set, t-shirts were made, red/white/blue ribbons were selling out – along with candles. I believe my t-shirt said, 'Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.'
Several friends enlisted in response despite only knowing 'America was attacked.'
I attended a night organized by a couple of Quakers in opposition to unnecessary war. But that was a bit further on as the WMD chat was picking up in the months following."
- J. W.
'Did you hear some idiot flew a plane into a building in New York?'
'What building?'
'I dunno. One of the tall ones.'
We entered the student center and a small crowd was gathered around the television when the second plane hit. That shifted the conversation from 'operator error' to 'attack.' There was general panic, but I went ahead and went to class with my girlfriend.
It was an 8:30 am history class and one of us told the professor,
'Hey professor, did you hear we might be under attack... are we still having class?'
'Well, if someone is attacking us, we probably deserve it. No, class isn’t canceled.'
So... I sat through class and discussed whatever primary text we had read. After class, we went back to the news and watched as the towers fell. Then the news spread that classes were being canceled. We weren’t far from a Barksdale Air Force Base and news was all over that Air Force One would be landing and taking off again from the base.
We watched the news for the rest of the day. I tried to check in on a cousin that lived in NYC working near Wall Street, but couldn’t because of communication issues. He ended up being fine.
Prayer vigils were set, t-shirts were made, red/white/blue ribbons were selling out – along with candles. I believe my t-shirt said, 'Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.'
Several friends enlisted in response despite only knowing 'America was attacked.'
I attended a night organized by a couple of Quakers in opposition to unnecessary war. But that was a bit further on as the WMD chat was picking up in the months following."
- J. W.
2. "I was in 4th grade and my memories from then are vague. I was in grade school in Louisiana and honestly, no one told us. I've had friends from back then confirm this so I know my memory isn't faulting me here.
On the way home, I remember hearing about it on the radio and I remember people talking about it, but I didn't understand what happened fully. I didn't understand the ramifications of what happened:
That so many died.
That such important buildings fell.
That a foreign attack had been committed on American soil!
As I started to see the world around me change, I began to understand something big happened. It was weird, slowly understanding what exactly had happened while my friends and I were all having a normal day at school."
- J. A. H.
On the way home, I remember hearing about it on the radio and I remember people talking about it, but I didn't understand what happened fully. I didn't understand the ramifications of what happened:
That so many died.
That such important buildings fell.
That a foreign attack had been committed on American soil!
As I started to see the world around me change, I began to understand something big happened. It was weird, slowly understanding what exactly had happened while my friends and I were all having a normal day at school."
- J. A. H.
3. "I was a sophomore in high school. The first class I had that day was Civics/Free Enterprise, and we had a test that day. When I got to the classroom, the TV was on. By this time, the first tower had been hit, and there was just nothing but confusion.
Had there been an accident? An attack?
At this point, we didn't know. The teacher decided to continue class, passed out the test, and tried to have a normal day, but he kept the TV on. The second plane hit in the middle of that test. After a few minutes, our teacher calmly stepped in front of the class, but made sure not to cover the television, and spoke to us. I don't remember what he said verbatim. There was a lot going on at the moment. It was something to the effect of this being a pivotal moment in our lives, that he thought this was an attack and not an accident.
The rest of the school day was a blur, every class had a television airing the attacks. I watched the towers fall in geometry class. Eventually the school sent everyone home. I had a conversation with my mom about it when I got home. I remember feeling very numb throughout the day, almost as if I was living in a movie. None of it felt real."
- Tim Holt
Had there been an accident? An attack?
At this point, we didn't know. The teacher decided to continue class, passed out the test, and tried to have a normal day, but he kept the TV on. The second plane hit in the middle of that test. After a few minutes, our teacher calmly stepped in front of the class, but made sure not to cover the television, and spoke to us. I don't remember what he said verbatim. There was a lot going on at the moment. It was something to the effect of this being a pivotal moment in our lives, that he thought this was an attack and not an accident.
The rest of the school day was a blur, every class had a television airing the attacks. I watched the towers fall in geometry class. Eventually the school sent everyone home. I had a conversation with my mom about it when I got home. I remember feeling very numb throughout the day, almost as if I was living in a movie. None of it felt real."
- Tim Holt