When people hear the date 9/11 a moment of terror creeps through their memory. It’s not just a date that comes and goes; it’s here forever. All of this is true because of those who remember the heroism and sacrifice and keep it alive. Residents of Minnesota still remember where they were and what they were doing the moment the second plane hit the anticipating tower. The 1,196 miles between Cannon Falls and Manhattan is merely a number. Mrs. Schwartz, a new teacher in the district, gives details of where she was when she heard about the World Trade Center being attacked. She explains that she was only in 9th grade when the catastrophe occurred. “It was during passing time when we heard that this had happened. We were very confused, got to second hour choir and it was confirmed that it had happened… then we watched the second plane hit the second tower. We were silent all day. It was something very scary. We didn’t know what was going to happen next”.

It had never occurred to me that fear would run across the minds of people living more than 1,000 miles away. The Mall of America being so close only made Mrs. Schwartz more worried. “What was next”, and “who was left on the list” were all thoughts that filled the minds of Americans on November 11, 2001. The North tower was hit at 8:46 am. At this time, ordinary people all over the United States, were getting ready for work and school. They were just starting the day. On the morning of 9/11 the sky was so blue, “the kind of bright blue sky that people who love New York love best in New York.” read an article on New York News and Politics. It makes the events that were occurring even more striking. “I went out into the hallway and saw Mrs. Sviggum, who used to teach history, and I said what’s going on? And I just saw her face and she said ‘this is really bad’”, Mrs Davisson shares. None of us can remotely imagine what occurred that morning, especially those who were there, in Manhattan, in the tower. Mrs. Davisson continued saying, “I just remember she said, [Mrs. Sviggum] it must be so horrible in the building for people to say that jumping is a better option.” Mr Langfeldt adds that his whole class was watching what was going on at the World Trade Center. “Just then the second plane came in and strikes the second tower. The entire class saw it and we all knew at that point okay, this is not random.”

Mr Olson gives us another perspective of the unforgettable morning. “I was at my last semester of class before student teaching in college. We had just finished up our 8 am class, and the teacher next door came into our room and she was screaming, the world’s gonna end! We’re being attacked, what’s going on, what are we gonna do, the world is ending!” Not being there when it happened makes the events unfathomable. “All of us in the classroom looked at each other, we didn’t know what to do, and didn’t believe whatever she was saying. We walked out of our classroom and walked into the next classroom and there’s a TV on, and we see the TV with one smoking tower at that point. We kinda looked at each other. Nobody really said anything, it was just a moment of what’s happening. Everyone stood there for a half an hour of silence. At that point the second tower was struck and they started to fall. There was this odd moment of uncertainty of what’s happening next and where we’re going.”

During the tragedy of 9/11 2,996 people were killed, and another 6,000 were injured. Without a doubt we know that nothing could of been done without the selfless firefighters and policemen who gave their lives against the evil terrorist attack. 343 firefighters gave their lives that clear blue day. Today firefighters salute those who showed what a hero looks like. We cannot forget the US Coast Guard who evacuated nearly 500,000 residents from Manhattan to safety. Mrs. Winget told our AP lit class that it’s ordinary people who make the biggest difference.