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A man holds on a sign on the Broken Arrow Expressway on Sept. 11, 2001.
(Photo: Joe Iverson) |
On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City was bombed in a domestic terrorist attack that killed 168 people. In the aftermath of 9/11, the Oklahoma City National Memorial expresses its solidarity with those affected by the attacks.
(Photo: AP Photo - J. Pat Carter) 
A gas station in Peoria, OK runs out of gas as resident begin to panic buy following the attacks.
(Photo: Stephen Homan) 
Inscription on the Oklahoma City National Memorial which is universal to remembering and mourning any terrorist attack.
(Photo: Peggy Woods) |
"Where were you on 9/11?" as remembered by those in Oklahoma that day.
A student serving out a school punishment remembers the isolation he felt on September 11th.
1. "I was in seventh grade in-house suspension, which is basically a closet, when I suddenly heard the front desk ladies and principals screaming and crying. They yelled,
'They're all dying, everyone is dead!'
I sat in my closet of a room, pondering what was happening and what to do. I peeked out and saw the crying hysterical staff and asked,
'Hey, what's going on?'
They quickly snapped back and told me to go back in and be quiet. I said,
'Well, if everyone is dying then I'm leaving and taking my life into my own hands.'
That's when they told me airplanes have been hijacked and flown into the Twin Towers. I understood, went back and took a nap. They were preoccupied and stressing wouldn't do me any good. I wasn't in New York, I was in school suspension in Oklahoma"
- Anonymous
'They're all dying, everyone is dead!'
I sat in my closet of a room, pondering what was happening and what to do. I peeked out and saw the crying hysterical staff and asked,
'Hey, what's going on?'
They quickly snapped back and told me to go back in and be quiet. I said,
'Well, if everyone is dying then I'm leaving and taking my life into my own hands.'
That's when they told me airplanes have been hijacked and flown into the Twin Towers. I understood, went back and took a nap. They were preoccupied and stressing wouldn't do me any good. I wasn't in New York, I was in school suspension in Oklahoma"
- Anonymous
Written Stories
2. "I was sitting in kindergarten classroom at Preston Elementary School.
My parents came to pick me up and took me to my grandparents' house three hours away. We held up there until we were given instruction that the coast was clear. I recall watching people skydiving from buildings without parachutes... at least that's what my father told me was happening."
- M. M.
My parents came to pick me up and took me to my grandparents' house three hours away. We held up there until we were given instruction that the coast was clear. I recall watching people skydiving from buildings without parachutes... at least that's what my father told me was happening."
- M. M.
3. "I was visiting my parents who lived in a small town in eastern Oklahoma, turned on the TV right as the second plane hit.
I had a dentist appointment that morning so I listened to the coverage on the radio as I was driving. The towers fell as I pulled into the parking lot and I couldn't believe what the reporter was telling me.
I just couldn't visualize it.
There were long lines at the gas stations by the time I got out of my appointment and the police were there I guess to keep order. As we were waiting in line, employees kept going outside to raise the price on the sign. I would actually love to pay those gas prices today!"
- B. C.
I had a dentist appointment that morning so I listened to the coverage on the radio as I was driving. The towers fell as I pulled into the parking lot and I couldn't believe what the reporter was telling me.
I just couldn't visualize it.
There were long lines at the gas stations by the time I got out of my appointment and the police were there I guess to keep order. As we were waiting in line, employees kept going outside to raise the price on the sign. I would actually love to pay those gas prices today!"
- B. C.
4. "I worked evenings and was asleep that morning, my wife called and woke me up. She heard about something strange on the radio so I turned on the television and told her a plane hit the World Trade Center. I hung up, turned off the TV, and went back to bed.
When I got up a few hours later I found out it was worse then just a plane crash."
- D. L.
When I got up a few hours later I found out it was worse then just a plane crash."
- D. L.
5. "I was on the trim (custom woodwork) crew doing the law center renovation and expansion at OU Law. Someone came by and said a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I figured it was a Cessna or something and kept working.
When the second plane hit, law center staff set up a TV in the main lobby area and everyone in the building, students, professors, all the construction workers just sat and watched it all unfold. I remember there was a woman that had some sort of connection with a person on site and was incredibly upset.
Never found out if she lost someone close, but I like to think she didn't."
- U. A.
When the second plane hit, law center staff set up a TV in the main lobby area and everyone in the building, students, professors, all the construction workers just sat and watched it all unfold. I remember there was a woman that had some sort of connection with a person on site and was incredibly upset.
Never found out if she lost someone close, but I like to think she didn't."
- U. A.
6. "I had just turned 18 and was living in my first apartment while attending senior year of high school. My best girlfriend was my ride to school and she had just called to say she slept in by accident and was on the way.
I was already dressed for school, so, I sat down on the couch and turned the TV on. The first tower had already been hit and it was on every channel. My girlfriend walked into the apartment and I called out,
'Hey, you’ll never believe this. Some dum-dum flew a plane into the World Trade Center!'
She sat down on the couch next to me and we watched for a moment. I remember seeing what I thought was a fly move over the TV screen. It was actually the second plane. I was unable to accept that I had just watched another, large, commercial sized airplane surely full of passengers fly into a skyscraper. How could another plane have done the same thing by accident?
We both sat, in shocked silence, watching this fireball that used to be an airplane full of people. I looked at her and said,
'Oh my God. That wasn’t an accident, was it?'
She used my landline and called her Mom. I remained on the couch, eyes glued to the TV. Her Mom was freaking out, yelling about terrorists and insisted that she get in her car and go home immediately- don’t stop anywhere, don’t talk to anyone, get in your car and get to the house right now.
After she left, I realized that I truly wasn’t a child anymore, but all my friends were. I had cut ties with my family and didn’t have an adult to call. All of my friends were going to find safety with their parents and families. And, what kind of world was I living in now? Suddenly, this wide open world that I was so excited to discover on my own was daunting and bleak.
We were all the way in Oklahoma, pretty far away from NYC, but I along with a vast majority of America felt like this had just happened right down the street.
I obviously didn’t go to school that day. I sat, glued to the TV screen, and watched the day unfold in NYC. I watched thousands of people die, right before my eyes. It was a shock to the entire system, physically and metaphorically.
I went into work that evening and it was the first time I left the house that day. The streets were empty. Everything around town was disturbingly quiet. I had never not sat in traffic on the busy thoroughfare that the theater I worked at was on.
At work, we saw no customers, not one the entire night. We ended up dragging a TV from the office into the scullery so we could watch the news. There was barely any talking except whether more was coming, were we in a big enough city for us to be a target?
It was a scary, scary, time and it was the day that I became an adult."
- Allison
I was already dressed for school, so, I sat down on the couch and turned the TV on. The first tower had already been hit and it was on every channel. My girlfriend walked into the apartment and I called out,
'Hey, you’ll never believe this. Some dum-dum flew a plane into the World Trade Center!'
She sat down on the couch next to me and we watched for a moment. I remember seeing what I thought was a fly move over the TV screen. It was actually the second plane. I was unable to accept that I had just watched another, large, commercial sized airplane surely full of passengers fly into a skyscraper. How could another plane have done the same thing by accident?
We both sat, in shocked silence, watching this fireball that used to be an airplane full of people. I looked at her and said,
'Oh my God. That wasn’t an accident, was it?'
She used my landline and called her Mom. I remained on the couch, eyes glued to the TV. Her Mom was freaking out, yelling about terrorists and insisted that she get in her car and go home immediately- don’t stop anywhere, don’t talk to anyone, get in your car and get to the house right now.
After she left, I realized that I truly wasn’t a child anymore, but all my friends were. I had cut ties with my family and didn’t have an adult to call. All of my friends were going to find safety with their parents and families. And, what kind of world was I living in now? Suddenly, this wide open world that I was so excited to discover on my own was daunting and bleak.
We were all the way in Oklahoma, pretty far away from NYC, but I along with a vast majority of America felt like this had just happened right down the street.
I obviously didn’t go to school that day. I sat, glued to the TV screen, and watched the day unfold in NYC. I watched thousands of people die, right before my eyes. It was a shock to the entire system, physically and metaphorically.
I went into work that evening and it was the first time I left the house that day. The streets were empty. Everything around town was disturbingly quiet. I had never not sat in traffic on the busy thoroughfare that the theater I worked at was on.
At work, we saw no customers, not one the entire night. We ended up dragging a TV from the office into the scullery so we could watch the news. There was barely any talking except whether more was coming, were we in a big enough city for us to be a target?
It was a scary, scary, time and it was the day that I became an adult."
- Allison
7. "I was a troublesome kid in my Tulsa high school marching band and got disciplined a lot, which meant running laps after practice. I'd been especially bad that day and had to run more laps than usual. At this time of the morning, most of the band kids were changing into regular school clothes and there wouldn't be many people in the band room. When I came in, the TV had been rolled out on its metal cart and the teachers weren't in their office like they usually were.
They were congregated with the students in the band room itself.
It didn't seem real. None of us could believe it. People were using the office phone to call relatives. I just kind of sat there feeling numb--I did very little but observe. Teachers were going to and from emergency meetings and everyone was confused.
After we all had watched for a good hour or so, the band director said we were all allowed to stay if we wanted to. Many went home.
I stayed in the band room, but do not remember anything from those following hours."
- C. Roselle
They were congregated with the students in the band room itself.
It didn't seem real. None of us could believe it. People were using the office phone to call relatives. I just kind of sat there feeling numb--I did very little but observe. Teachers were going to and from emergency meetings and everyone was confused.
After we all had watched for a good hour or so, the band director said we were all allowed to stay if we wanted to. Many went home.
I stayed in the band room, but do not remember anything from those following hours."
- C. Roselle
8. "I was in Mrs. Lillard's 2nd grade class of Northridge Elementary in OKC. There seemed to be this secret between the teachers all day.
When I got home, I watched the news with my dad but I was only 7 years old with terrible eyesight so I really had no idea what was happening, I just knew all of the adults were concerned."
- Jacob Harris
When I got home, I watched the news with my dad but I was only 7 years old with terrible eyesight so I really had no idea what was happening, I just knew all of the adults were concerned."
- Jacob Harris
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9. "My mother was an elementary school music teacher at a small school in Stonewall. I was 6, almost 7 years old and that day we were both sick at home with a stomach bug that had been going around. We were laying around in the living room watching Boomerang when the phone rang. My mom answered and it was my grandma frantically telling her to switch to a news channel. My mom asked,
'Which one?' And my grandma said, 'Any of them. It’s on all of them.' |
She flipped it to CNN and there was that infamous black smoke rising into the air. I was too young to understand what was going on, I just remember being scared because it was obvious that my mom was scared too. She called my dad and he came home from work, because nothing was getting done anyway. We all sat huddled around the TV the rest of the night."
- Caleb S.
- Caleb S.
10. "I was working at a job with a 45 minute commute. When I got in my car, the first plane had already hit the WTC and the radio was nothing but jokes about bad pilots. By the time I got to work, another plane hit, and there were false reports of a car bomb at the State Department. Our business was pretty dead. One woman came in and said to get gas because it was going to be $6 a gallon by 5 o clock.
The governor eventually had to make a statement about gas stations price gouging. Oklahoma and Missouri, the only two states to have this shameful level of capitalizing on a crisis."
- D. C.
The governor eventually had to make a statement about gas stations price gouging. Oklahoma and Missouri, the only two states to have this shameful level of capitalizing on a crisis."
- D. C.
11. "Working in a call center in Tulsa. We always called the east coast early on and with every first NYC call people were frantic saying they were being bombed by planes/terrorists and couldn't talk. Then all the NYC/East Coast calls just quit connecting and everyone on the floor stood up in their cubicles and we were chatting about what was going on.
We all went downstairs and put the news on and watched the chaos for 45 minutes to an hour until they sent us home for the day. I drove by a QT by my apartment on the way home and the parking lot was jammed full from people trying to get gas. Got home and watched the news for a few hours with neighbors."
- G. I.
We all went downstairs and put the news on and watched the chaos for 45 minutes to an hour until they sent us home for the day. I drove by a QT by my apartment on the way home and the parking lot was jammed full from people trying to get gas. Got home and watched the news for a few hours with neighbors."
- G. I.
12. "I was living on Tinker Air Force Base when my active duty spouse, already out on patrol, suddenly bust in through the front door as I was getting our kids ready for elementary school. He turned on the TV and I couldn’t understand how the plane didn't avoid a skyscraper! He said, 'The word is it’s a terrorist attack.'
And ran back out. After that I only saw him sporadically when he could come home to eat and rest. His unit pulled many many days in a row of incredibly long shifts.
After that came years of various deployments."
- L. F.
And ran back out. After that I only saw him sporadically when he could come home to eat and rest. His unit pulled many many days in a row of incredibly long shifts.
After that came years of various deployments."
- L. F.
13. "I was a kindergartner at Geronimo Elementary on base in Fort Sill, my dad was a chemical captain for the Army. I remember a rush of parents (a lot still in uniform) come in during the morning and pull their kids out of school. I was one of the last kids picked up. When my mom got there, I kept asking her what happened and she refused to say anything. When we got home, the TV was on showing footage of the plane crash. She pointed to it and said that was what happened.
My mom was late picking me up because she went off base that day to go to the hospital for a pregnancy test. The attack occurred while she was off base, they locked down and it took her forever to get back on base to pick me up. My dad was in the field doing drills.
For a while he thought the attacks were part of the drill."
- Kaela Clark
My mom was late picking me up because she went off base that day to go to the hospital for a pregnancy test. The attack occurred while she was off base, they locked down and it took her forever to get back on base to pick me up. My dad was in the field doing drills.
For a while he thought the attacks were part of the drill."
- Kaela Clark
14. "I was in second grade, so 7 years old, not old enough to understand what was going on, but old enough to know SOMETHING was going on. The teachers were all coming in and out of classrooms, all the classes were grouped together so we could watch movies on the limited TV carts. My mom finally came and picked me and my little brother up from school around noon. We went straight home and were allowed to watch the news and my mom really didn't say too much about it. When my older brother got home from school, we celebrated his 18th birthday, maybe a bit more morosely than a normal 18th birthday party would be."
- Kelli Hansen
- Kelli Hansen
15. "I was at work that morning, an assistant manager for an auto dealership. We always had news on in the morning and we were having coffee when a special broadcast came on. A plane had just struck the World Trade Center!
I am a Marine and I was working with a fellow Marine, Mike, at the time. We both looked at each other like, something's not right. A few minutes later, the second plane hit and almost in unison we said,
'We're under attack!'
I called my wife, who worked at the Local Oklahoma Bank. She said people were calling and saying they were coming up to get all of their money out. Police had already been called as well because some people were demanding to come into the building.
Gas stations immediately doubled and tripled their fuel prices. The lines had already started to form and people were threatening the station attendants for raising prices while they were filling tanks.
Within ten minutes we had two different people try to steal cars. One was even an employee! I asked Mike if his wife was at home and he said she was. We then agreed that I would go to the school and get both of our children and take them to his house out in the country.
As soon as I had the kids, I went by my house to grab my weapons, ammo and Blue Heeler Molly. I knew that if Molly was with the kids they would be safe. So I took the kids and Molly to Mike's house and called my wife to tell her how to get there. I asked if she needed a gun and she said,
'No, my friend has one and we're leaving the bank now.'
I went back to the dealership and Mike and I stood watch over the inventory. We had a few more attempts during that day but nothing got out of hand. Mike and I were both so pissed off that we were on the verge of tears. We couldn't believe that someone would be so evil as to destroy the lives of so many noncombatants. Innocent lives destroyed just to promote a political/religious idea.
Both of us and others that we spoke with over the next few weeks were just flabbergasted. How could anyone attack our great nation? Why would anyone want to destroy that many innocent lives?
All these years later, it's still hard to believe how much the world changed that day."
- David Daniels
I am a Marine and I was working with a fellow Marine, Mike, at the time. We both looked at each other like, something's not right. A few minutes later, the second plane hit and almost in unison we said,
'We're under attack!'
I called my wife, who worked at the Local Oklahoma Bank. She said people were calling and saying they were coming up to get all of their money out. Police had already been called as well because some people were demanding to come into the building.
Gas stations immediately doubled and tripled their fuel prices. The lines had already started to form and people were threatening the station attendants for raising prices while they were filling tanks.
Within ten minutes we had two different people try to steal cars. One was even an employee! I asked Mike if his wife was at home and he said she was. We then agreed that I would go to the school and get both of our children and take them to his house out in the country.
As soon as I had the kids, I went by my house to grab my weapons, ammo and Blue Heeler Molly. I knew that if Molly was with the kids they would be safe. So I took the kids and Molly to Mike's house and called my wife to tell her how to get there. I asked if she needed a gun and she said,
'No, my friend has one and we're leaving the bank now.'
I went back to the dealership and Mike and I stood watch over the inventory. We had a few more attempts during that day but nothing got out of hand. Mike and I were both so pissed off that we were on the verge of tears. We couldn't believe that someone would be so evil as to destroy the lives of so many noncombatants. Innocent lives destroyed just to promote a political/religious idea.
Both of us and others that we spoke with over the next few weeks were just flabbergasted. How could anyone attack our great nation? Why would anyone want to destroy that many innocent lives?
All these years later, it's still hard to believe how much the world changed that day."
- David Daniels
16. "I was a 4th grader, sitting in class when my teacher turned on the news just a few minutes after we arrived. We sat in silence, watching everything unfold and not quite grasping how big it was.
We saw the second plane hit.
We saw the first tower fall.
Our teacher kept leaving to go to the teachers lounge to discuss the events with other teachers/staff. My parents pulled me out of school around noon and I wasn't allowed to watch TV when I got home. I could play outside but my mom refused to let us leave our street."
- P. B.
We saw the second plane hit.
We saw the first tower fall.
Our teacher kept leaving to go to the teachers lounge to discuss the events with other teachers/staff. My parents pulled me out of school around noon and I wasn't allowed to watch TV when I got home. I could play outside but my mom refused to let us leave our street."
- P. B.
17. "6th grade, students had to take attendance sheets down the hall to the principal's office and 9/11 was my turn. While I was walking back up the hall, I saw classroom doors open and TVs on showing the news. My mom couldn’t get ahold of my dad, who was living in Pennsylvania but did occasionally work at the Pentagon as part of his job. He finally called us back and said he was fine, not in DC that day."
- P. C.
- P. C.
18. "I was a high school freshman in the marching band, which met at around 6:00 am before the school opened and was also my first class of the day. So, being out marching in a field, I didn’t find out until second period shop class, which luckily had a TV. My friend told me when I came in that the Twin Towers were attacked and that one fell down. One of my other friends was rambling about the Middle East and the USS Cole. Then we watched the North Tower fall.
The rest of the day’s classes were spent watching the news. I also remember watching the news live later that day when WTC 7 collapsed."
- F. C. P.
The rest of the day’s classes were spent watching the news. I also remember watching the news live later that day when WTC 7 collapsed."
- F. C. P.
19. "12th grade English class in Moore, Oklahoma. When we heard the news, we all went the choir room to watch the TV there. The classrooms were connected by a tiny hallway (those that attend Moore High know what I'm describing.)
When we all made it there, we watched the news live as the second plane hit."
- S. G.
When we all made it there, we watched the news live as the second plane hit."
- S. G.
20. "I was only in kindergarten. School got out early and my mom was a single mom working overtime, so a neighbor took me home early with their kid. I remember seeing the replay only an hour or two so after it happened and my best friend's mom was crying hysterically. Didn't understand what was going on at the time, but it definitely affected my environment growing up."
- Maria Ellen
- Maria Ellen
21. "I was in kindergarten, living in Blackwell, OK. The first thing I remember of that day is getting to school in the morning and going to class. I do not remember much of the morning until a bit later when I can recall there being three teachers in the room and which I thought was odd. I could also sense a franticness from them. Then the next thing I know, they are sending every one home. We were all lined up at the car loading zone, which was weird because they were not letting anyone walk home. So my mom had to leave work to come get me.
When I got home, I remember walking in the living room and seeing my mom standing in front of the TV with her hand covering her mouth. I looked at the TV and saw a skyscraper with smoke coming from it, I was confused and thought it was a movie at first, but it was the news. I was old enough to understand something bad was obviously happening. My mom kept trying to get me to go play but I wanted to see what was happening on the TV. Then my mom let out a scream so terrible that it still gives me chills. I ran around the corner and got a glimpse of the TV and saw a person moving fast with black and white stripes behind them. Then I realized, they were falling. That got me real wide eyed, but I didn't understand that they were jumping, rather than burn alive they chose to jump. I could not understand what was happening. The next thing I remember is seeing the building collapse, and that is when I got scared. My mom was in full tears and we just hugged, crying."
- Gaige Hau
When I got home, I remember walking in the living room and seeing my mom standing in front of the TV with her hand covering her mouth. I looked at the TV and saw a skyscraper with smoke coming from it, I was confused and thought it was a movie at first, but it was the news. I was old enough to understand something bad was obviously happening. My mom kept trying to get me to go play but I wanted to see what was happening on the TV. Then my mom let out a scream so terrible that it still gives me chills. I ran around the corner and got a glimpse of the TV and saw a person moving fast with black and white stripes behind them. Then I realized, they were falling. That got me real wide eyed, but I didn't understand that they were jumping, rather than burn alive they chose to jump. I could not understand what was happening. The next thing I remember is seeing the building collapse, and that is when I got scared. My mom was in full tears and we just hugged, crying."
- Gaige Hau
22. "I was a junior in high school and a band geek. We had to start school an hour early at the middle school across town for marching band practice and then drove over to the high school for lessons. My friend and I usually listened to whatever comedy show was on the radio at the time, probably Roy D Mercer but I can't be certain. I thought the plane crashing into the building was part of a really bad joke but the announcers sounded more and more serious. We started changing radio stations and it was on all of them.
When I arrived at school, I was in some crazy fog/state of shock and the school was just as quiet as normal (we would arrive near the end of period 1). At this point, it still wasn't apparent that it was more than a horrible accident. I asked the receptionist to turn on the TV and was late to my lesson as the second plane hit live on TV. Not long after, much of the rest of the school watched as the South Tower collapsed.
Throughout the rest of the day, a number of parents came to take their children home. I don't think it was a lot. I do remember how quiet we all were the rest of the day. No usual lunchtime activities, just a lot of hushed conversations and quiet contemplation."
- John Elliott
When I arrived at school, I was in some crazy fog/state of shock and the school was just as quiet as normal (we would arrive near the end of period 1). At this point, it still wasn't apparent that it was more than a horrible accident. I asked the receptionist to turn on the TV and was late to my lesson as the second plane hit live on TV. Not long after, much of the rest of the school watched as the South Tower collapsed.
Throughout the rest of the day, a number of parents came to take their children home. I don't think it was a lot. I do remember how quiet we all were the rest of the day. No usual lunchtime activities, just a lot of hushed conversations and quiet contemplation."
- John Elliott