Editor’s note: The News-Gazette, on its Facebook page, asked our community how they remembered the harrowing events of September 11, 2001. These are a few of the responses. Some have been edited for clarity and length. Check out our Facebook page to read the rest.
“I was a senior in high school, sitting in geometry class. My teacher was late coming into the classroom. She finally came in and said a plane had crashed into the world trade center. I was numb for the rest of the day.” – Jennifer Clarkson
“We were living in Northern New Jersey, 12 miles due west on the first ridge looking at Manhattan, from which we could see the towers burning. Many of our local neighbors lost their lives or lost their loved ones on that day, so for us it was very personal.” – Lee Martin
“I was teaching kindergarten and pregnant with my oldest son. I remember so many parents coming to pick up their children from school. I remember I spent the weekend in the hospital with pregnancy complications and the doctors wouldn’t allow the TV on. I remember just wondering what the world would be like for my child. I remember in centers that year, I watched as the students processed the events, often building towers to then crash ‘like the New York towers.’” – Carrie Crawford
“I was working from home for Wells Fargo when a coworker messaged me to see if I had the TV on. I thought, ‘Is this a trick question to see if I was watching TV while working?’ He then urgently told me to turn the TV on and I saw the 2nd plane hit live. It was so surreal. How could this be happening? My father was driving to work at the Pentagon when that plane hit. I know how blessed I was not to have had that personal tragedy, but it felt personal. Every life lost that day felt personal.” -- Dawn Thompson Shepherd Mays
“Lexington native here. Was working in Arlington on 9/11 when I saw the plane that ultimately hit the Pentagon fly directly above. Moment I’ll never forget.” – Jeff Sebastian
“I had just dropped m y daughter off for her 1st day of Preschool and heard it on the radio. Went to a playgroup with my 4 month old son and we all just stared at the TV in disbelief. I picked my daughter up and went home and my biggest regret is keeping the TV on because she saw the people jumping from the buildings and had to process that at age 3.” -- Ellie Black Boylan
“I lived near the entrance to the GW Bridge at the time. Our church community lost several members and I couldn’t reach friends who worked in lower Manhattan or my dad who worked one week of the month in the Pentagon until late that night. FBI activity in and around our neighborhood, sooty and eerily silent skies, watching the second tower fall from the river’s edge, it was a rough time.” – Ann Fuller
“Teaching at MRMS when a colleague entered my room stating Air Force One was in the air and airplanes had been hijacked. I studied my students’ innocent faces and realized that at least one student had a parent traveling by plane that morning. Later, a teacher handed out signs printed with the American flag - God Bless America -by James Allen Printing. Our hearts were heavy, fear running through our minds, and prayers for our Nation. What a horrific day.” – Tammy Huffman Shomo
“We were working. A patient came in to tell us that he had just heard it on the radio. We couldn’t believe it. Dr. Hammond and a coworker went to Grands to watch the TV. I remember how uncanny it was with no planes in the sky and the quietness on Main Street. Our sons were in high school, middle school and elementary school; they heard about it at school and we all watched the footage that night together in disbelieve!” – Kim Groah Moore
“My daughter was in her bedroom getting ready for work and hollered, ‘Oh my Lord, one if the Twin Towers got hit!’ I quickly turned my TV on and then just like that, the second one hit. We both stood there in shock and disbelief. We were frozen like, we began to cry and hugged one another. And then I began to pray.” – Bonny Watts Reynolds
“I was working as a manager at Staples in Staunton at the time. We heard the news, so we went to the computer center and the tech pulled up the news feed online.” - Michael W. Paxton
“My cousin perished in the north tower, she worked on the 101st floor and nothing of her remains have ever been found. Horror, terror and sadness still stays with me.” – Dina Dudley
