Where Were You?

Today is one of the most somber and infamous days in American history. Today marks the twelve year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I was in the 4th grade. 

We were sitting in Mrs Ilgenfritz's science/math class getting a lecture about a test that we were supposed to explain our mathematical answers, but none of us had really done it. She was telling us about the meaning of explaining our answers on tests. All of the sudden Mr. Elmore comes into the room, I remember his face looked very pale, and he told Mrs. Ilgenfritz to turn on the TV right now. His voice was very stern, more so than usual, and I got an immediate pit in my stomach. I didn't know what was happening yet, but the look on his face told me something wasn't right. What we saw when our teacher turned on the TV was something that no person should ever have to see in their lifetime. All we could see was the first tower burning. Mrs. Ilgenfritz said something under her breath, I don't remember what, and we all just sat there in silence trying to comprehend what we were seeing. We watched as the second plane hit the World Trade Center. We just sat in silence. Eerie, haunting silence. All of us trying inside our young minds to grasp what was happening. I don't think any of us really could. We were so young and, up until that point, we had lived our entire lives in a world where terrorism didn't exist. Shortly after the second plane hit, our principal came on the intercom and told the teachers to turn the TVs off. He understood that we didn't need to have this image in our young heads. He understood that this was a very scary situation to not understand, as many of us at Riverside Elementary didn't. Our teachers ignored it. We watched the towers come down. After that our teachers decided to listen and turn off the TV. We didn't need any more information. 

I remember the rest of the day, as we tried to carry on with school and when we got home, there was just this eerie, unsettled feeling. I didn't understand what terrorism was. I didn't know what was going to happen next. I didn't know if we were safe because we lived, and still do live, very close to an Air Force base and I knew that this would probably involve the Air Force. I remember my parents tried to explain to me what had happened and why. I remember my dad coming into my room and explaining that we will be safe and those who were responsible will be sent to justice. It was in that moment, for the first time since we turned on the TV that morning, that I felt like things were going to be safe. 

Recently, I was reading another blog, I don't know how I stumbled upon it. Maybe Pinterest? And the blog talked about how her children will read about 9/11 in their history books in school and how she'll tell them the story of what she was doing when she was a senior in high school on 9/11. She talked about how she remembered her dad telling her what he was doing as a senior in high school when JFK was assassinated. While I was reading, I realized this was such a huge parallel to my life. Not only will I also tell my children about what I was doing in the 4th grade on that day, but also my dad was just about my age when he experienced the Kennedy assassination along with the rest of the world. He too can recall that day just as vividly as if it happened a week ago. When I realized this, like the woman whose blog I was reading, I realized that both these moments taught us and our fathers just how big our nation's pride can be, and, like her, I hope that my children don't have to go through something as devastating as the assassination of our country's leader or a terrorist attack to feel that.

The attacks on 9/11 did many things for this country. It opened up a new sense of patriotism and a collective pride to be American. It changed the world that we lived in forever. It changed the way America runs. I will never forget what happened that day. As we remember the fallen and honor the heroes of 9/11, I am forever thankful for them. I am thankful for the men and women of the Armed Forces who continue to protect our well being and the freedom that we, as Americans, hold so dear. We will never forget.