Looking Back



Abercrombie associates MaShaun Jenkins and Roberto
Green share stories about 9/11.

Perhaps the most significant historical event of our generation is remembered on this day, September 11^th, as the day that changed the United States forever. No matter who you ask (as long as they were old enough to remember it) every person has a different memory and a different take on what happened that dark day just eleven years ago. Nick Carpenter was only nine when the towers were struck, but he could remember clearly how his day went, “I was having a regular day in my 4^th grade class. I could tell something wasn’t right due to my teacher’s body language. They never announced anything on the intercom or told us what happened. I went home that day and my mom was watching the coverage of the aftermath,” he went on to say, “I was too young to really understand the impact it had on the whole world.”

Now, eleven years later as Nick sat in his apartment he could remember the sadness he felt for those who had lost their loved ones, and although neither him nor anyone he knew directly had lost their loved ones that day, his heart still went out to the families of those who did. MaShaun Jenkins, who was thirteen the day of the attack, had quite a different experience. MaShaun grew up on military bases as both of her parents were in the army, her brother in the air-force, as well as other family members serving in other branches of the military. “We weren’t allowed to go home,” she said, “we couldn’t leave the school.” Jenkins lived on a military base at the time and the base had been temporarily locked down for safety precautions. “I remember directly after everyone was getting deployed,” thankfully neither of her parents were deployed, and MaShaun was able to return home later that night.

Roberto Green was in the third grade on September 11^th, and remembers the confusion he felt that day. “I remember when I went to school I didn’t know what had happened. I knew everyone was sad, and they weren’t telling us something, I just didn’t know what was going on.” Once Roberto got to his home he was surprised to see both his parents home, and glued to the television, this was when he realized what had happened and the significance of the day. “I’ve noticed a lot of changes since then,” says Green, “the increase in security would probably be the most significant, especially in government buildings.”

There is no doubt that the United States has changed significantly since the attacks on September 11^th, and through all the heart break and sadness still there is hope in this nation. Never before had we been challenged with such force and hatred on our own soil, and hopefully never again will we be. It seems everyone has a story about that day, whether it is a story of sadness, confusion, fear, or anger there is one thing September 11^th did do for all Americans- it brought us together as a nation and rekindled a sense of patriotism that was hidden, and born again out of the dust of the fallen towers.