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I'm an early riser on the West Coast. My alarm goes off at 4:15 am. As I laid in bed listening to the local radio, a news report gave some local reports and almost as an after thought mentioned "this just in, apparently a plane has just hit one of towers at the WTC"
When they came back from commercial, nothing was mentioned. At that point, I assumed it was a small plane that perhaps hit the top of the radio tower ...
I teach high school math at the high school I graduated from. I mention this because the high school is a stones thrown from JPL. As a student, I participated in many drills dealing with nuclear radiation and the like - I was in high school towards the end of the Cold War. I went to work that day, stopped off to grab the mail for friends on vacation. My phone rang in the car and I answered only to find a hysterical parent on the phone asking me if school was open and if everything was ok. I replied everything was fine, but why was she upset? All she could say was turn on a TV ...
The day, like most people, was spent in prayer and disbelief. Several member of the staff were called in for our opinions as to what to do about school. As a private, Catholic school, we have students from as far as 40 miles away - so the decision was not an easy one as most of our students cannot simply walk home. It was decided that we should remain in session and not turn the TV on in class as so much of that early information was overwhelming for us as adults and more so for students. (This was a decision I supported).
[As a side note, this was before reverse 911 systems and before every kid had a cell phone]
We never closed school. Many of the local schools simply dismissed there students and one my free period I left my campus only to find hundreds of kids roaming the local streets - not causing any mayhem, but not home as the schools thought they should be.
We lost an Alum in Tower #1. One of my former students was in the stairwell on the second floor as Tower #2 started to collapse. By the Grace of God he is still with us to recount that fateful day ...
As I prepare to enter my classroom tomorrow, I need to be aware that my students were only 3 years old and have little to know memory of this event. My goal tomorrow is remember those who were innocent victims just going to work in the Towers and those selfless Heroes who ran into them, knowing there was more than a chance they would never come out. I will also remember those Courageous men and women of Flight 93 who found a way to stop a portion of the madness.
My parents told me they would never forget Pearl Harbor. I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. Remember those we lost, those who gave all and those who summoned the courage to take a stand. :flag1:
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