Where were you on 9/11?

On September 11, 2001, i was in the 7th grade at Minnehaha Academy. School had obviously just began and we were just beginning to get the hang of things. We were in our first class of the day that Tuesday, which was Science (basically a Biology class). We had just started when a teacher came in and said the World Trade Center got hit by a plane. At this time i had no idea what the world trade center was, but i had never heard of a plane hitting a building in my life so i was amazed. The teacher said it was on TV and invited students to come watch it. I think i was so shocked that i didn't want to leave my seat, maybe i was confused, most likely both of those.

By the 2nd hour, everyone had heard about the planes hitting the WTC, of course at this time nobody thought it was an actual attack. Kids had been spreading rumors that our school was next and also that the mall of america was going to be attacked next. Of course everyone was scared, but they said over the loudspeaker that we should not be afraid, the attacks were over. This helped a bit, but no learning went on that day.

Later when i got home, it was explained to me in full by my parents. They told me what the WTC was and all the information they had gotten from the 24 hour continous news reports that day. It took a while for me to actually get it because i was 12 at the time, i had no idea what this meant or why this happened. It took about a month(?) i think, but it could have been longer until i finally grasped the concept that America had been attacked by terrorists flying planes into the two WTC buildings.

The attacks on the WTC, the attempted attack on the white house, and the attack on the white house, are really our Watergate, our World War, our Vietnam War, we will be asked to tell about the attacks and where we were for our whole lives. And i think that kids that were 12 in 2001, will be the last of a generation that will actually be able to recall where they were and what happened on that day. Which i am pretty proud of.

-Sam