I remember that date very well. We were watching television around 6 that morning. My husband was getting ready to go to work and we were in the kitchen, in our condo in Southern Calif. My husband yelled that a plane had hit the Twin Towers. We thought it was an accident since planes have done that to the Empire State Building previous times. Then another plane crashed into the Towers and all of a sudden we knew there was a problem! The next day we were due to leave from LAX to British Columbia for a week’s cruise to Alaska. We went about our business the rest of the day. I even went to have a pedicure. We actually thought we were going to leave for the cruise. We even packed. Of course, that never happened. We then drove down to Coronado to spend a few days. The freeway was pretty empty except for Marines coming from Camp Pendleton. There was a sign above one of the freeway overpass praising the USA. The shock of that day still lives within me. I think about the passengers on Flight 93 and the “Let’s Roll” motto. I still get tearful remembering that week.

Zelda Quiring
Bullhead City, AZ

My shocked reaction on Sept. 11 would hardy distinguish me or my story from practically every other caring American. But the next day would. You see, on the day following 9/11, I left my D.C. apartment to donate blood at the AmericanRed Cross building on E Street Northwest.When I left that building, I had a burning desire to see the building which had been evacuated the previous day as a probable target of terrorists, the White House.

As I stood in front, watching the flag blowing at half-staff, I thought of the yet unrolled deaths that the flag honored and represented. Then I suddenly realized that tours had not been cancelled. When I expressed my surprise to two guards near me, they said that they, too, were surprised. I walked to the East Gate. There stood four guards talking, but no line for tours. A guard told me I could go right on in. I did. No need to empty my pockets; the guard there said he could watch me. I took more than an hour just walking through this building with a renewed sense of patriotism. I looked through the window at the South Lawn landing area where just 16 hours earlier President Bush had landed in Marine One under the escort of four f-16 fighter planes.

That evening on the news I learned that only 200 surprised people toured the White House that day, that the safety perimeters of the White House had now been extended, that PA avenue was now closed to pedestrians as well as to vehicles, and the Lafayette Square was cordoned off. The next day, the White House was again evacuated. Then and now, ten years later, I feel fortunate to have experienced the up-close and personal sharing of the People’s Mansion.

Vance Garnett

On 9-11 I was in Buffalo City Court having coffee with fellow police officers waiting for our cases to be heard when we were notified of the attacks. As soon as I could get out of court I raced home listening to the news reports on the radio. At the time I was also in the New York Army National Guard. Upon arriving home I contacted my unit and was told we would probably be activated. I packed all my gear, went to the armory and spent the night loading gear on our vehicles. The next morning we made the long convoy to the NYC area. I remember every car passing us on the thruway honking horns and yelling at us in support. It was one of my proudest moments as an American.

I was close to the 20 year mark and prior to 9-11 I was going to take my 20 year letter and retire. I ended up staying in another nine years. Those nine years after 9-11 were the most challenging and rewarding of my military career. I retired in 2010 with twenty-nine years of military service. My only regret is that I wasn’t a younger man at the time so I could continue to serve my country.

Steve Malkowski

I was just cut back to part time at work, and was still in bed when my brother woke me up to tell me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.  I got up thinking I was watching a replay of the first attack, when in reality, I was watching the second plane hit.  I remember wondering what was going to happen next, and then seeing both of the towers fall.  It is hard to believe that it has been ten years.  My heart goes out to the lives lost, and the ones who were left behind. God bless America!

Stacey Sealy

How was it? For everyone differently. As for me, my wife and I celebrated her 70th birthday with our daughter in North Carolina, and a few days later we were driving homewards to Indiana. We stayed overnight at a motel and, after breakfast, got back onto I-64 westbound to Louisville. I switched on the radio, just in time when the first hijacked plane sailed into one tower. From then on it was one sheer horror in real time. It was clearly an attack on America. Only later did we hear of the second plane, of the towers’ collapse, of the Pentagon, and of the heroic resistance of the passengers on the fourth plane as it crashed in Pennsylvania. But I will never forget the abomination, Pearl Harbor 1941 renewed. Truly, this day too, as FDR said “will live in infamy.” It still does and it will.

Andrew Lenard
Bloomington, Indiana