#1465 | Thursday, July 11th 2002
On September 11, 2001, I sat in the band room at school while the jets crashed into the World Trade Center and later the Pentagon. I vividly remember the peacefulness I had felt that day while practicing, the bright sun outside, the only sounds being my music and the tapping away of my teacher at his computer. I had no idea that terrorists were attacking only 25 miles from my school and my house.

At about 10:30 I walked into American history class to hear my friend talking about a plane hitting a Twin Tower and knocking it down. I had no idea what he was talking about, and asked him to explain it to me. A crowd gathered around his desk and soon we realized that he was talking about something that actually happened, not a movie or story. The information he gave was slightly wrong because the events were still going on and reports were mixed, but it was enough to terrify us. He had been getting food in a store down the block when he saw the news on TV and had been among the first of the students to hear about what had happened. We spent the rest of American history class discussing what little we knew of the events, living out, ironically, the enormous part of American history that was being made as we spoke.

The rest of the day was a blur of rumors and emotion, students and teachers crying because friends and relatives worked in or near the World Trade Center and no one knew how many people had made it out alive. The school was put on lockdown, meaning no student could leave until further notice. The day wore on and we were brought to the gym, where it was announced that all students had to be picked up by a parent, and teachers were in the process of calling them all. Students took out cell phones and called parents themselves to make things go quicker, and also to hear how loved ones were.

I'll never forget watching the footage of the jets hitting the towers or of the people jumping from windows. I'll never forget the footage of the children in Afghanistan celebrating our tragedy. I'll never forget the stories about my friends' parents walking home from Manhattan because there was simply no other way to get home, arriving here covered in soot. I'll never forget the terror I felt that evening as I heard a plane flying overhead, when I knew planes weren't allowed in the skies, until it was announced on television that it was only a military plane.

Several days later I went to a park near my house and I could still see the smoke. I used to be able to see the towers, but instead I saw grey soot where they once stood. It was the first day planes were able to come back to America, and there was a continuous line of foreign jets going over my head.

The 9/11 aftermath continued for a long time for me here in New York. One of my teachers was absent many times because her husband was a fireman and she had to attend the many funerals of his fallen friends. Luckily, her husband survived, and he was part of the rescue/cleanup crew. Little things continued to remind us here of the tragedy, and still do. We will never, ever, forget.

Erin | 17 | New York

#1450 | Monday, July 8th 2002
I skipped school that day with a friend to stay home and play some old nostalgic nintendo games. When I got to the last level of the game I ran out of missiles and died. I turned the game off and there they were on the TV, the burning twin towers. I didn't hardly knew about the towers, but I was very chocked and I've heard that many people say it was like a movie but I don't agree with them, it was more like... A nightmare where you couldn't wake up you could just stand there and watch in horror. All this turned me into a WTC collector, since I think they were the most beautiful towers ever created. Feel free to contact me if you want to.
Anton | 17 | Sweden

#1446 | Saturday, July 6th 2002

I was in my 2nd period Film study class when I learned of the attack. My teacher had the TV on, and at that time, only one tower had been hit. Nobody knew what was going on, we didn’t know if it was a small private plane, or a jetliner, and no one suspected terrorism. He turned off the TV after a minute, and we resumed class, assuming that nothing too major had happened. 3rd Period came around, and we were getting ready to leave school to play ice hockey for gym. While waiting our teacher came to us and said to go to the cafeteria, where half the school already was. MSNBC was on, and I saw smoke coming from the second tower. After a minute, they replayed the footage of the 2nd plane hitting tower 2. There was a strange hush among my fellow students when the plane appeared, and utter shock when the plane plunged into the tower. Quite a few screamed "O my God," we could not believe what we had witnessed. I could already feel tears in my eyes, but I held back. Others around me could not. We watched reports for the rest of the period, but after that it was back to class. I did not learn of the Towers collapse till I got home. I could not hold back anymore, and I cried very hard. Ill never forget that day as long as I live, and when I think about it, I still feel like crying.

Dan | 17 | Illinois

#1282 | Wednesday, May 15th 2002
Well the month of september of the 11th I was sleeping. When i heard noises outside of my room i had to see what was happening and then everyone in my family was watching the news and they told me that the twin towers in New York was going down because of those stupid terrorist. I didn't actually knew what was the twin towers but when i saw it on the news burning down i was so scared of what's going to happen next.
Judy | 17 | United States

#1269 | Monday, May 13th 2002
It was such a tragic event in the United States when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked by terrorist. I was in tonga when this happened. I woke up that morning and my father was sitting in the living room watching television. From where I was standing it seemed to me that he was watching a action movie. But then I realized that they kept on replaying the same part over and over again. I asked him What happen? He was stunned. He was surprised somebody would dare do this to the U.S.. Because America is such a powerful country. I am so sorry but I cant go on its too unforgettable.
Luke | 17 | Hawaii

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