I was living in the Fairbanks, Alaska area and got a call from my middle daughter who was attending college on the East Coast. She called after the first tower was hit and I watched in shock as the 2nd plane hit. I was working for the Alaska Dept of Fish & Game at the time, and attending school full-time pursuing a Social Work degree. I went to my first class of the semester that morning and it was my main Social Work class. Our instructor used the event as a teaching opportunity and we did a “Crisis Debriefing” about the attacks. Working for Fish & Game, it was the middle of hunting season and we had a lot of hunters out in remote areas that could not be picked up (planes were not flying) and some were very upset to hear from others who were floating down the river and were told that the United States was under attack. It was a pretty helpless feeling for a lot of the hunters and fairly confusing for those who didn’t know what happened until the planes could start flying again and get out to pick them up. Living in Alaska is different. For those vacationing, if you miss a flight in the States, you can just go get a rental car. It’s not that easy in Alaska!

Kris Jenkins

On September 11, 2001 I was just getting up when my mom called and told me to turn on the TV. Every channel had the towers on, front and center, my heart stopped. I called work and asked if they wanted me to come in, but the base was shut down and I was to stay home and close to the phone. Years later I bought a VW Bug and decided to paint it and decorate it to “REMEMBER 9/11”. I go to many car shows in California and to this day people are glad I honor the memories of those who died. We as a nation should never forget and I shall always remind people with my car.

Leslie Armstrong, NAVAIR

I am 75 years old this year 2011. The night before the Trade Centers fell to the ground I was playing with my “Microsoft Flight Simulator 98”. The night before I started my flying in a Cessna 172 out of Beaver-marsh, OR, a dirt runway and heading north to Bend, OR. There was not much to see so I went to Christmas Valley, OR and headed west, and again there was not much to see. Therefore, I chose a ready made flight over New York City and it started out at about 5000 feet elevation heading north and as I looked down to my left there was the city with a lot of tall buildings. I like the challenge of flying between the tall ones. Just before heading down and between these two real tall buildings I realized that I had almost over shot my approach to go between them, but knowing that this game would reset itself I was going to try it any way. It happened, I didn’t make it between them and I ran into that first one that was hit in the same area the next day and fell to the ground. Now you can imagine the surprise I had the next morning when I saw the news and saw the same building fall to the ground after it being hit by a real aircraft. I almost felt that it was my fault.

James Webb Sr.

I was lying in bed watching the today show with Matt and Katie when all of a sudden they showed a plan flying into the tower, I thought I was dreaming or it was a simulated trick of some kind. That day did and will always remind me of how life can change so suddenly, the innocent lives that were lost, families torn apart, children without fathers or mothers and mother and fathers without children. Such a senseless act. I learned that America is no longer viewed as a super power and that we too are vulnerable. Let’s learn a lesson and never forget 9/11, let us all be prayful, mindful, steadfast, watchful and do all we can as individuals to keep us all safe.

Terri Croxton