Gerry Powell, employee of Pittsburgh
Q: What is your personal memory of 9/11?
A: It was early morning and I was getting ready for work when the phone rang. It was the next door neighbor, and she informed me of the story. I hung up the phone and switched the T.V on and watched the replay of the first plane that hit the tower. I assumed it was an accident and continued to get ready. Then I went to work where the office was chaotic, and I heard about the second plane hitting the World Trade Centers. I knew by now it was no accident, and America was under attack. I was panicked and frightened. I picked up my daughter from school and that night the whole family went to church.
Q: How do you think 9/11 changed America?
A: 9/11 impacted us greatly. People realized how vulnerable America was. They became more aware. For example if any strange package was left somewhere; authorities were called. Also plane security was dramatically transformed. We used to be able to walk up right to the plane to see our loved ones off. Now, you don’t get anywhere near the aircraft without a ticket.
Mr. Ferraro, History 10
Q: What is your personal memory of 9/11?
A: As for the emotional and psychological aspect, it was like I took note of everything detailed at school, later on the day blurred together. I remember a bunch of emotions : uncertainty, fear ,confusion, innocence of the kids. Many rumors were swirling around;many to be proven false. Alot of the emotions died down by second day, and were replaced with pride and unity. I remember answering questions like why did they do, what happened etc. Some questions I didn’t have answers for like, “didn’t someone see the planes?” and “Did anyone talk to passengers on flight 93?”
Q: How do you think 9/11 changed America?
A: As for the emotional aspect, it opened the eyes of people who felt safe. Our nation just got out of the Cold War and my generation didn’t live with fear of international war! No one thought about the effect of nuclear weapons. The mortality made people realize they were not safe. As for the physical aspect, the country made many improvements. We created homeland security, agencies started communicating better. Everyone was protecting our country.
McKenzie Powell
9/11 interview
