I am interested in the topic of 9-11 because of the war that sprang up because of it. I also would like to prevent anything tragic like this from happening again. I also wanted to know how America would handle times of crisis. I think the events of 9-11 made America stronger. George W. Bush said, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.”
I felt a boom and crisp wave of terror pass through the air, and I saw friends run, but I didn’t know why until I saw the flames leap from desk to desk until they crept up on me like a lion stalking field mice. September 11, 2001, no one knew this would be a day of terror, or a day of death and destruction; but that’s what it turned out to be. Here’s my story, and here’s what happened.
I am Jessica, and I am totally deaf. What started as a cool, autumn day turned into a life changing day. I shuddered at the brisk wind. I walked across the crosswalk with my service dog clinging to my side, it was my birthday, but, of course, no one probably knew; even if they did know it didn’t seem as though anyone would care. I pulled my jacket closer and looked ahead thinking that it was going to be a great day otherwise, because when I got home I knew my mom would be waiting for me with dad and a birthday cake. I smiled as I pulled open the great doors to the World Trade Center open and made the monotonous trek to floor 50 where I would then get on an elevator to my office on the 86th floor, twenty-four floors from the the top of the skyscraper . Instead of my office being empty, I found my office full of my friends as well as my parents; although I could not hear anything I could see their joyous expressions. It was 8:41 a.m., my mom showed me that in five minutes I would be 27! We were all about to leave to go celebrate, since my boss was my friend, when suddenly out of nowhere the whole building shuddered.
Twenty thousand gallons of fuel had just slammed into the North World Trade Center tower. The tower had just been hit by American Airline Flight 11, a Boeing 767. A wave of panic shook through the building as people ran and hollered. I was so horror stricken that I could not even move. My service dog tugged and tugged, but could not get me to move. I remembered where I was and ran with everyone else down the steps. I was trying to think what it could have caused the building to shake and cause such panic as I was accidently pushed over. As I was getting up, I hit my head and saw a man rush towards me and I blacked out.
I would later learn that the tower had been hit as the result of of a terror attack planned by an Islamic group who was mad at the United States. In 1993, a group called Al-Qaeda was upset with the United States for favoring Israel over Arabs. They planted and detonated a bomb in the parking garage under the World Trade Center, but their plan failed. Unfortunately, this failure gave birth to the 9/11 attack. . The attackers had been trained in the US, and they hijacked planes filled with jet fuel since the planes were supposed to be flying a long time. They claimed to have bombs on them, so no one would try to overtake them. Much to everyone’s dismay the jetliners and all their fuel were now on fire and right in the middle of the North World Trade Tower.
I regained consciencessness to find myself just outside of the World Trade Tower. When I looked up I was aghast at the sight I saw. A jetliners outline was visible, and another plane was flying at a low altitude, then SMASH! I had no idea what to do so I ran into the building that had just been hit; which was the South tower. I ran up the stairs along with the firefighters and dodged workers who were coming down. When I reached the burning floors, I coughed and pulled my jacket around my mouth and nose. I passed many injured men and women and pulled them to the steps where other, kind workers took them to safety. I was motioned to follow the crowd back down since the smoke engulfed me and made it impossible to breath. I helped one young women, who could not walk, by carrying her over my shoulder down the stairs . Our trek was slow and sluggish, and the smoke was slowly following behind us. When we got to the fourth floor, I met up with a group of firefighters who also went slowly since they were helping a women down who could barely walk.
The ground moved from underneath us like an ocean wave we exchanged worried glances. Then blackness once again. I would later learn that the both World Trade Center towers had collapsed. Sometime later, were were miraculously pulled out from what seemed to be a perfect pocket of debris that kept us safe. Afterwards, the firemen told me that if we would have been any faster or slower; than we would have died. I ran over to the injured women I carried and repeated what I had just been told and we thanked each other. Only sixteen people survived after the towers fell.
The War on Terror had just begun. Osama Bin Laden was now a world wide criminal. Many Muslims and Arabs were treated poorly even though they had nothing to do with the attack. America fought back and some years later killed Osama Bin Laden. Many people died, but none are forgotten.Many families mourned the loss of loved ones, yet few were lucky. 9-11, we will never forget you. You shall stay with America forever. No one knew lives would be changed like this, or this would even happen. We will pay respect to those who died.
This book inspired me to keep persevering like the rescue workers on the day of 9-11. It has also helped our nation grow stronger as well as remember the people lost on September 11, 2001. Doing this project I learned that after 9-11 President Bush established the Department of Homeland Security as a response to 9-11. Congress also funded a program to provide healthcare to rescue workers.
