Stories of a Day Never to Be Forgotten: 9/11/2001

September 11 marks another anniversary of our nation's worst terrorist attack - the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

For months following September 11, 2001, people came together to grieve family, friends, and strangers. More than 20 years later, we still do.

Sometimes called "Patriots Day" or "Day of Remembrance," September 11 has become an annual day for many Americans to remember, reflect, honor, and mourn. We should never forget this day, but many of us have never shared our own stories of how 9/11/2001 changed our lives.

As a sophomore in college living on my own, I used my television as an alarm clock. Each morning, its blast of loud news woke me and filled me in on the day ahead. That morning, the TV kicked on with an image of a smoking building after a plane had struck it. I clicked the TV off, thinking-wow, how could someone steer a plane into a building?-and hopped into the shower.

While heading to my Intercultural Communications class, I realized something was amiss. Very few students were out and about on campus, and as I walked past classrooms, it seemed each one had a portable TV brought in and everyone was hovering around it. Mind you, these were the days before smartphones and Apple watches - TV, radio, and the newspaper were our only "reliable" sources.

Once the reality of what had happened and was happening hit me, I realized our world had forever changed. This wasn't a pilot's faulty gauges sending them the wrong direction - this was an attack where so many lives were lost, destroyed, affected, and changed in an instant.

The Whitehall Ledger asked residents to share their 9/11 stories. The following are memories of shock, grief, panic, and terror.

JOHN KREIS-Whitehall Resident: There are some events that are forever etched in our memory and on our psyche as long as we can remember. For me, 9-11 is one of those horrific, forever events. In 2001, I was employed by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and had just gone through employee training in July 2001 at World Trade Center Tower 2. My son, Jeff, had just gone through training in that same World Trade Center in April of that year.

In 1993, the "blind sheik" masterminded a bombing attack on the World Trade Center that had no measurable effect on Tower 2; however, the director of security for Dean Witter moved a lot of business structures from the WTC for safety's sake. We lost no personnel in the attack, but as part of our training, we met personnel from Cantor Fitzgerald, which lost 658 of its workforce that horrible day. There are some things I have forgotten, but I will never forget that beautiful day with Cantor Fitzgerald members participating in our meeting. They were all gone in the blink of an eye!

On that beautiful, clear, sunlit day, I will never forget:

• Seeing the second plane hit Tower 2.

• Seeing the flames billow and being told some floors and people we had met were irretrievably lost!

• Seeing the two massive symbols of American strength crashing down.

• Being told to immediately leave our place of work because there were credible threats against many company locations!

I still have my security pass to World Trade Center 2, it is faded but my memories are not, nor are my memories of those beautiful lives lost. They are forever!!

DONNA LOOMIS - Whitehall Elementary Teacher & Military: My husband and I had just found out we were expecting our second child. As I got up that September morning, I was so thankful, happy, and filled with love and hope for this time of our lives. It was early morning, and I was getting ready for work when I turned on the TV to learn of the horrific events unfolding in New York. By the time I was dropping off my two-year-old at the babysitter, the third plane had crashed into the Pentagon. It was evident that this was a larger, coordinated attack on America. So hard to fathom... It was hard to leave our young daughter that morning, not knowing what else was to unfold, but I also had the responsibility to keep the students entrusted to my care safe. They would be arriving at school soon. Would they know? Would they be scared? I remember feeling so many raw emotions and the pull of responsibility and loyalty to respond to my various roles: mother, teacher, and military member. I quickly connected with my unit and was told to stand by. Would we be called up immediately? Would there be more attacks? As a military member, I was trained to respond, and my desire to support and defend my state and country surged through me. As a wife and mom of two precious souls, how would I keep them safe? What would happen next? Would I have to soon leave my family and my students to defend my state and country? As a teacher, every scenario and safety drill went through my head. Would we have to put our emergency plans in place to get our students back into the care of their parents? Put on a brave face and teach as if nothing has happened... Shield them from the gravity of these events so they don't feel fear. Don't let them see how unnerved and outraged you are by this attack on America. There were so many emotions, so many loyalties. This was the longest day.

One of the staff had retrieved the VCR/TV cart from the library, and it was set up in the teacher's lounge- a connection to the news and current information of a world that once felt securely turned upside down. A link to find out the newest information being disseminated. "Who was behind this? Had there been further attacks? What was the death toll? Were they finding survivors in the rubble of the World Trade Towers, in the Pentagon, in the field at Shanksville? How are the students doing? How are you doing? How can we support each other? How do we handle tomorrow when the students come to school knowing what happened?" There are so many questions and unknowns to plan for.

Yet, amid all the unknowns, there was also hope, faith, love, and community. As that week unfolded, the surge of renewed unity and pride for America was so soul-lifting amid the tragedy. So many flags were flying from every porch, every business. Everyone was reaching out to each other. Strangers were helping stranded travelers return home when our airspace was closed. I remember the stark stillness of recess duty with no hum of jets and helicopters overhead. We survived that day, the next, and the days after them. The sun came up again on Sept 12th. And just like those before us- who lived through depressions, dust bowls, world wars, conflicts, and tragic events, we did too- braver, more cautious, less innocent, more guarded, but resilient. Let us never forget.

MAXINE SAMUELSON - Whitehall Resident: I was the Library Media Specialist (school librarian) at Hunter Elementary School in Raleigh, NC. Several adults could view the TV coverage, but we were asked not to mention the horror to the students. It was decided that parents were best for sharing that knowledge. That evening, I had a night class at NCCU in Durham, NC. As you may think, our topic in class wasn't listed on the syllabus. Instead, we spoke about our feelings about the events that occurred that morning. When I arrived home, my (then) husband and I discussed his work, as he was being assigned to a position in Manila, in the Philippines. He did his best to assure me that the events of the day wouldn't be a problem and that he would be safe-he was.

KURTIS KOENIG - Whitehall Elementary Principal: I was in college. I was just starting my junior year. My wife and I had been married for three months and she was already at work, and I was up early to review the final copy of an essay I had written for class that day. The class was at 9:00, so I was having a cup of coffee. At 22 years old, I would only occasionally turn on the news; it was not on that morning. The apartment was so quiet I thought some background noise would be fitting. I turned on the news at around 7:00. I lost all focus on my essay.

The image of the North Tower billowing smoke didn't register logically. I remember thinking that there must have been a malfunction in the aircraft and someone was going to be sued. Moments later a jet crashed into the South Tower. I can recall with tremendous detail that sinking feeling in my stomach. The cataclysm, the loss of life, the feeling you get when you do something so outside of the expected, like a car upside down on the highway, but way more palpable. The logic pathways in my brain quickly connected the dots... This was no accident.

I sat glued to the TV while calling my closest friends. The questions were all the same, "Are you watching the news?" "Have you seen this?" "What is going on?!"

As news anchors poured through what was known and what was speculation, the pieces of the puzzle started to come together. When word that another plane was flying up the Potomac hit the news, and then a plane was evidently shot down and it hit the Pentagon, the sinking feeling turned to panic. This was an all-out act of war....but with whom?

What was I going to do? If a war started, would I be drafted just as I set out to start a life with my wife? Would I/should I sign up and defend the nation I love? Was this all a big misunderstanding? Is diplomacy an option? How could this have happened?

I called my new wife, and she and her workmates had been going through the same mental process as I. In the following weeks, I found that this was common with all of my coworkers, classmates, and family. The questions, "Why did this happen? Is this going to continue and What are we going to do next as a nation, as individuals?" seemed to permeate almost every conversation.

I went to my 9:00 class, Literary Criticism, and my professor completely abandoned his lesson plans. We circled up and shared our thoughts and fears. By that time, the rumors began to mix in with what was known and what was speculated. Some were saying it was domestic terrorists, others that it was international terrorists. Some even speculated that it was foreign governments who were trying to cripple our financial system as a precursor to an invasion. At my 10:00 class, our professor said, "I don't know if we are even going to have class anymore." His statement hit the hardest. This was a person I respected so much, and he was actually worried that this may lead to a school closure. I remember thinking, "Wow! How bad is this? He is a smart, well-informed man and he is entertaining the notion that this will have massive ripple effects. I'm just a kid who is scared and angry. What did I miss?"

Some of my classmates were ready at that moment (four hours after the attacks) to drop out of school and join the military. Others were too scared or shocked to say anything. For some, it was a time of reflection, others a time of mourning, and others a time of action.

Over the next few days more and more information became public. That information caused additional worries and areas of concern, and I remember thinking that we (by this I mean my small circle of acquaintances) were not ready to heal, and we really didn't collectively know what the next steps should be for each of us. It is that feeling of uncertainty that most stands out on that day at that time.

SANDY CAREY - Boulder Valley Rancher: My children had boarded the North Boulder Valley school bus and had not been at school long. I was listening to the morning news while cleaning up from packing their school lunches and cooking their breakfast.

The news of the first tower being struck by an airplane interrupted the scheduled programming. As I watched, the cameraman was filming the struck tower, and then I saw the second plane come into view and strike the second tower. I froze. Right then, I was overcome with fear that the US was being attacked! I feared not knowing how many cities and communities would be targeted. I wanted to race to the school, gather up my children, and bring my family together so that I could protect them. For me, it was a horrible feeling to be so vulnerable, powerless against an attack like that, and I wasn't even in New York City or near the Pentagon. Those poor communities.

MARTA BERTOGLIO - MT HD75 Representative: I worked for a company in Denver on September 11th but was still in the Air Force Reserves. My husband was an active duty officer stationed at Buckley Air Force Base. We had just moved back to the United States from Germany, where we were stationed at United States European Command. I was the Executive Officer to the Political Advisor, a State Department Ambassador who worked with the Commander of European Forces. My reserve position was still attached to that unit. I distinctly remember my drive through downtown on my way to my job, thinking about how much more important it was for me to serve my country versus working at a civilian job at the time. I immediately changed my reserve duty station to US Space Command, where I was able to commute to Colorado Springs and work in the Space Command Operational Center as the United States responded to the terrorist attacks. I met many dedicated professionals who worked diligently using space assets to assist soldiers worldwide.

GINGER KUNZ - Jefferson County Clerk & Recorder: On September 11, 2001, I was in 7th grade. I got to school early at Helena Middle School to have breakfast in the cafeteria, and a friend told me a plane had crashed into a building in New York. A few other people started talking about it, but I still didn't understand what was happening. All throughout the school day, almost every classroom had a TV cart in it, and we didn't/couldn't do anything other than watch fellow Americans' lives fall apart and try to understand what was going on. I remember feeling so small, helpless, scared, heartbroken, and confused about who would purposefully hurt so many people. I think it was the first time I realized how much hate and violence can be out in the world and even in our own country. However, I also remember how much love, unity, and patriotism were shown in the weeks that followed.

JUDY CHADWICK - Whitehall Resident: I was driving to work with Roger when the world stopped on September 11, 2001. It was a nice morning. Roger was all dressed in Denver Bronco Clothing to celebrate the Broncos' win over the Giants' the night before. Just as he vanished into the back door of the Post Office, the news about a plane from Boston to Los Angles crashing into the World Trade Center in New York City was on the radio.

I went into immediate shock because I knew my brother Brent was flying out of Boston to Los Angeles that morning. I immediately drove to my daughter Bobbi's, trying to wrap my head around the fact I would need to tell my mom that Brent was on that plane. I didn't even think about my brother at that moment, all I could think was "This will give Mom a heart attack". As I pulled into Bobbi's driveway, she came running out of the house with tears pouring down her face while screaming, "Brent is on the phone; he was not on the plane." Relief washed over me, but I was immediately immersed in grief for all the innocent lives I knew would be lost, and the horror and grief their families would endure.

I spoke with my brother, cried, hugged Bobbi, and left for work. I knew the people at the office would be in shock, and I wanted to be there to help them cope with this event. It was much later in the day when we told Mom Brent had been scheduled to be on one of the planes out of Boston.

Roger had walked into work, dressed in his celebratory clothing, not knowing the attack had occurred. His co-workers quickly informed him, and his celebration was immediately over. Everyone was in shock.

Absolute horror and fear were prevalent on every face we saw on that awful day. As facts of the two planes hitting the World Trade Center were on radios, television, and the internet, we learned about the plane headed in the direction of the White House. We all prayed earnestly for the people on that flight and wondered if the plane could be stopped. Ultimately, that flight also ended in tragedy. I will never forget THE DAY THE WORLD STOPPED TURNING.