The mother of a 3-year-old, the father of a local elementary school boy and a number of Hopewell Valley Central High School students responded this week to the HVN’s request in the Sept. 13 edition for comments about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon
Citizens of Hopewell Valley
The mother of a 3-year-old, the father of a local elementary school boy and a number of Hopewell Valley Central High School students responded this week to the HVN’s request in the Sept. 13 edition for comments about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
Jill Murray While I was explaining to my 3-year old daughter (Caitlin Murray) the recent terrorist attack on the United States, she asked, "Did the people that drive the plane say they were sorry?"
Robert Fantina "Like many of my generation, I know exactly where I was and what I was doing on Nov. 22, 1963, when I first heard the news of President Kennedy’s assassination. The events of that tragic day are seared in my mind, as are those of the following several days. I recall being glued to the television screen, watching the unspeakable horror of the amateur movie showing President Kennedy and Gov. Connolly being shot, the limousine rushing to the hospital with a panic-stricken Mrs. Kennedy attempting to climb out of the speeding vehicle.
"During the next several days, the world watched in their living rooms as Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin, was arrested; we then watched in shocked horror as he, himself, was slain on national television. Have any of us forgotten the scenes from the state funeral, the image of Mrs. Kennedy standing in silent grief, her legs stained with her husband’s blood, or her young son’s final salute to his father? These images were replayed for us time and again, along with President Johnson’s inauguration and other related events.
"The assassination of President Kennedy seemed to have caused a severe and lingering injury to our collective soul as Americans. The following decades were filled with chaos, as our streets erupted in riots and violence became a way of life at our institutions of higher learning, as idealistic youths resisted government attempts to convince them of the need to go to war with a Third World country halfway around the globe. Other beloved leaders also died at the hands of gun-wielding assassins. Some aspect of our innocence had been violently snatched from us.
"It wasn’t until I visited Arlington National Cemetery, in 1997, that I felt a sense of personal healing that I had not previously been aware that I needed. I thought at that time that the entire country should have visited President Kennedy’s grave, and stood for a few minutes in that sacred spot, and perhaps the decades that followed would have been different.
"The decades of the 1980s and 1990s saw a period of relative peace and prosperity. Colleges and universities once again became institutions of learning, rather than sites of protest. With few exceptions, U.S. government military interventions were part of United Nations initiatives, and involved volunteer, rather than conscripted, personnel. Like most of the others who shared my sixth-grade class in 1963, I went to college and established a career and family with a certain degree of optimism.
"Then came the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001. As I can tell my son where I was on Nov. 22, 1963, I will be able to tell my grandchildren exactly where I was on Sept. 11, 2001, when I first heard that terrorists had crashed hijacked passenger jets into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. My son, who is a year younger now than I was in 1963, will not, however, experience the unspeakable scenes over and over. Growing up in a television-free home, and attending a school where many of his classmates are also TV-free, he will be spared for a time the graphic horrors of Tuesday’s tragedies.
"But what do these events foretell? Certainly, our nation’s collective soul has once again sustained a serious injury, where earlier wounds had healed but left tender scars behind. A national landmark is gone, a center of government has been violated, and countless innocent lives have been lost. Our sense of security, individual and national, has been shattered, falling like a house of cards as the majestic Twin Towers collapsed to rubble. All this has occurred as the result of the incredible hatred towards the United States by those yet unidentified.
"How, exactly, do we proceed from here? I cannot answer that question, even as I struggle with my son’s questions about why this happened, and why anyone would do such a thing. And while life proceeds, it is with a sense of foreboding that has not been felt in 30 years. All I can do is try to help my son, and any other children within my sphere of influence, retain some of the innocence that we all lost, again, on Sept. 11. This is a daunting task and as I ponder the events of that day, I’m not at all sure that I am up to it."
Cristin Lyons "I always remember my parents referring to ‘where they were when Kennedy was killed’ a moment that has been carried with them for years, and probably will never be forgotten.
" On Tuesday morning, Sept. 11, 2001, I too lived a moment that I will never forget. Second seat, second row, in my third period math class; only a minute or so left of class, the loud ‘ding’ of the school loudspeaker rang throughout the entire building. The news that our country, New York City a place that I have visited so many times with family and friends, had been victimized by possible terrorists, immediately enveloped me with horror.
"The announcement ceased, and the high school hallways filled with faces of confusion, disbelief. Hearing about those symbols of New York City and those innocent, defenseless human beings made me realize that I will forever remember Sept. 11, 2001, and ‘where I was when America’s heart was broken.’ "
Patricia Cahn "I was in physics class when Mr. (John) Bach announced two planes had collided with World Trade Center. I wondered why he bothered to interrupt class to tell us; how much damage could a couple of small planes do to a building that size? Even while I saw the buildings burning on television, I had a hard time believing it. But later that day, a friend told me he saw a cloud of smoke in place of the city lights that are visible from Fox Run. That scared me."
Adam Friedland " When I first heard about the one plane crash in the Pentagon, my mind raced and so many emotions and thoughts plunged in my head. First, do we have any friends or family in the city? Second, what happened and who did it and what were the numbers of deaths? Third, I asked myself why and how someone could commit such an act of hatred? There must only be one answer and that is some people are evil. I also wondered what we would do if we caught the people who did this. As I watched CNN and saw President Bush express his confidence in the investigation, I felt we would catch the people. Finally, I stopped for a minute and really thought about all these poor and innocent lives taken so abruptly and unexpectedly. I couldn’t think about anything else except their lives are in the hands of God where their lives will continue in eternal happiness."
Katie Deutsch "When I first heard of the World Trade Center incidents, I was getting changed in the girls’ locker room after gym. My first thought was, ‘Where is NYU in relation to all of this? Is Matt OK?’
"I tried to think of my brother’s location, if he was in his apartment, walking to class, or on his way home, but I couldn’t think clearly at all. It wasn’t until two hours later that I was able to call my mom, the phone was busy, and that only extended my fear. What if she couldn’t find Matt? Why would she not be waiting for incoming calls? When I finally was able to get through to my house, my mother told me he was fine, and that he was safe in his apartment during the first hit, and has witnessed the second hit and collapse.
"I was relieved by hearing about my brother’s safety, but horrified by the events of the rest of the day."
Vanessa Giacoppo "When I went home third period for my senior option at the high school, I ran into my mother who was sitting still and white. She said nothing, and thinking that she didn’t want to talk, I went to check my e-mail as always. Israel takes over West Bank, something about a U.S. spy plane in Iraq, World Trade Centers under terrorist attacks …
"The photographs were mortifying and unreal as I raced back to school to see if anyone else knew. At the same time our principal, Mr. Bach, was making an announcement to the school. It was true, NYC and D.C. had been attacked. The shock was the most numbing feeling as I walked down the hall, aimlessly, to my next class. What did it mean to me to get to my next class when someone was stuck in the Towers or the Pentagon?
"All I can do now is donate what I can, urge people to do the same and pray hoping that one more survivor gets out."
Ben Samara "On Sept. 11, we were in school going about our daily routines when the intercom sounded after third period. Principal Bach told us the vague news of what had happened in New York City, sending students and teachers alike scrambling to find the facts. It seemed as though it was straight out of a movie, but soon after the official notice, the realization set in that this was no film.
"As we sat dumbfounded in our English class, a few students went to the window and asked some construction workers to turn up their car radio so we could listen in on the mayhem. With every second, fear and horror set in on each and every one of us. I went home for lunch and watched the horrible scene unfold on television. The station we were watching cruelly looped the video of the second plane piercing the tower, a sight I could not bring myself to watch one more time.
"In the days that have followed I’ve been watching the news intently, forming my own strong opinions and wondering what is next for our great country.
"Osama bin Laden has been a man I’ve had a deep fascination with since learning about him in school during my junior year. I do not believe any terrorist organization other than Bin Laden’s group, the Al Quida had the money and the resources to execute such a well-planned, tactical operation. I am in favor of punishing not only the terrorists themselves, but also the countries that harbor and support them.
"Coming from an average high school student, these comments would seem to be pointless, because most high school students would not have to fight in any type of war. However, as a registered citizen at age 18, I would not hesitate to fight for this great country and the values we believe in should I be called upon.
"In this time of crisis, I believe we should come together as a nation, rally behind our president and conquer evil, no matter what we have to go through to do it."
Andrew Kimball "It was 10 a.m. when loudspeakers disrupted the tranquillity of our school to give us a message of terror, one of fear. Yet, at that time, I was hard-pressed to believe that such an act had occurred. I knew little, only what was being said on the intercom and what other students were saying. However, it was hard to know what was really going on. Confusion dominated.
"Even though the school tried to keep me informed, I found myself daydreaming about the planes and about the towers, trying to make sense of everything only to be disrupted by another disastrous message on the intercom. The whole school day proceeded this way.
"Later, I saw the damage that had been inflicted upon our nation. From the television pictures of people plummeting to their death to the towers crashing downwards, I was mesmerized, waiting for news, news of something good.
"Sept. 11th has forever changed my understanding of heroism and terrorism. Now, I have seen the carnage of terrorism and the tragic consequence of heroism. This day shall be a symbol of the fortitude and love that exists among Americans."
Laura Yaede "The end of fourth period, my physical education class, had finally arrived. Since it was only the second week of school, I still had not memorized my gym locker combination. As I had the day before, I walked into the gym office to ask for my combination. The radio was on and I overheard the breaking news of the bombing of the World Trade Center. I asked my teacher what was going on but she knew little about the situation.
" My next class was interrupted by the principal on the intercom giving sparse details on the attack. At this point I was unaware of the intensity of what had happened. The day continued as shock led to hurt and anger about the murder of so many innocent lives. What disturbed me the most about this horrific tragedy was the hundreds of children who are left without mothers, fathers or both. They are the ones who will suffer the most.
"I feel that the attack we have endured is a heinous crime that will forever live in the hearts of America. We will never forget what that Tuesday morning has brought us in terms of pain, loss, and a general feeling of insecurity. However, being a strong, united nation, we will climb out from the rubble and prevail."
Megan Caiazzo "In the morning of Sept. 11, it seemed as if it were just another ‘normal’ day for the students of Hopewell Valley High School. At the conclusion of third period, Mr. Bach, our school principal, made the announcement of the tragic incident in New York City. At this point, there was not much information, but he explained the series of events in both New York and in Washington. He also kept us updated as details became available.
" My first reaction was disbelief. It was hard to comprehend the extent of destruction. Even more so, to believe how geographically close we are in relation to the terrorism. I was in a state of shock. The entire school community shared similar feelings.
"Many students had relatives who worked in or around the city. They showed great concern for their loved ones; many shed tears. It was a devastating day, surely one we will never forget! My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost their lives, and to those they left behind."
Pete Reinecke "I had not attended school the day of the terrorist attacks, but I unfortunately woke to it on TV at 9 o’clock. All I saw were glimpses of the horror that was happening so I really could not conclude anything of what was going on. I was terrified as I watched the news for hours while all these horrific events were happening not far from me.
" What goes through someone’s mind when they see two major airliners crash into the World Trade Center? All those people killed, for what reason? How can someone lose complete respect for human rights?
"I just received all this information from the news and radio, not all of it actually correct, but it did not matter anymore. I questioned myself, wondering what is going to happen now? Are we going to go to war with the Middle East? What is going to be the outcome of this? It is terrifying when what is made to entertain you and what you learn about the past actually happens."

