As the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, locals share their thoughts on the day that changed the country
It was five years ago that the face and heart of America were changed forever. We lost loved ones in the attacks on 9/11 and subsequently said goodbye to children, siblings, parents and friends who were deployed overseas.
Many Americans’ sense of security was shaken, a sense of innocence was lost and no one will forget where they were that day. To commemorate this solemn anniversary, we asked South Valley residents to share their thoughts and memories of 9/11. Here’s what they had to say.
LETTERS
(edited for grammar and length)
On Sept. 11, 2001, I had awakened to the devastating West Coast news reports of the three hijacked airplanes, which became armed missiles to attack U.S. targets. At first I heard the radio descriptions, then I saw the televised images of death and destruction, which overwhelmed my consciousness. My wife and I witnessed the horror in disbelief, then I experienced a frenzy of emotions, ranging from confusion to sadness.
My thoughts leapt from wondering what kinds of fanatics would resort to such bizarre and brutal acts, to feeling a great sense of regret for the multitudes of innocent people who died. Then, I worried about what kind of backlash this would have on innocent Arab and Muslim Americans.
I was preparing to greet my first-grade students at Sunnyslope School in Hollister, and thinking about how they would comprehend this violence and how would I help them make sense of it. We talked about it, because my students had already heard about the exploding planes and buildings, and the deaths. Some students thought it was war; some could not comprehend the magnitude of the attack and disaster.
As they asked me what happened, why it happened and who did it, I had a brief moment to come up with a reasonable explanation. At that moment I could only say with certainty, in first-grade terminology, that these were very bad men, who used violence to kill many innocent people.
However, knowing that some people in this country would lump all Arab and Muslim people into a stereotype of crazy religious zealots, I felt compelled to clarify that there are good and bad people in every country, but that most people everywhere are good.
The images of that day remain etched in my mind as if it were yesterday.
– Joe Navarro, Hollister
Like millions of other people on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was getting ready for work and watching the morning news. I had no idea that in a matter of moments our lives would be changed forever.
There are some events in a person’s life that don’t require any sensory aide to bring back the memory. I’ll never need a song or smell or picture to remind me of where I was and what I was doing when President Kennedy was shot, or when our country was attacked on Sept. 11 by terrorists.
We lost friends, family members and neighbors in those horrific moments in the air and on the ground, heroes all. Within the following two weeks I was also notified that my son was going to war. On Sept. 19, 2001, Eric began his first deployment aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA-251 “Thunderbolts.” They left Norfolk, Va., to begin eight months of combat against terrorists in Afghanistan. He survived this deployment with medals and honors.
On Sept. 11, New York City Firefighters Dan McWilliams, George Johnson and Billy Eisengrein anchored a single flagpole and raised the U.S. flag over the rubble that was the World Trade Center. This flag flown at Ground Zero was presented to the Marines and sailors on the Roosevelt to serve as a remembrance and inspiration.
My son said that everyone felt the spirit and courage of all Americans when the flag was flown on their ship. In a very special ceremony, the flag was returned to the New York Fire Department when the Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group returned from deployment.
In February 2003, Eric began his second deployment with the “Thunderbolts” to Kuwait. The invasion of Iraq began on Thursday, March 20, 2003 and he was there. No parent wants to feel that their child is a target for missiles, bombs and roadside explosions. He survived this second deployment with medals and honors. The important words are “he survived.”
My son, my child, has scars on his body and, I think, on his soul. Whenever I think of Eric, I am reminded of what honor and bravery mean.
Semper Fi.
– Linda Nolan, Eric’s mom, Hollister
MEMORIES & THOUGHTS
“My family and I were in Philadelphia on vacation on 9/11. We were on a tour to Delaware, and this little man who was driving the bus kept cracking corny jokes during the trip. When we got to the DuPont mansion to do the tour, the driver said something about, ‘Did you hear what happened in New York? Planes crashed into the World Trade Center.’
Several people told him that wasn’t a funny joke, and he said he was serious. They had the TV on in the DuPont mansion, so we saw some news footage. Everyone took the tour in a kind of daze.
On the way back to Philadelphia, the driver had the radio on. People were talking about what happened. They were announcing school closures and asking parents to come pick up their kids – it was scary. A lot of the main roads to Philadelphia were closed. When we finally got back to the hotel, we sat in front of the television and just watched all the footage. We were numb.
The next day, we were walking around the city, and all of the major sites and monuments were cordoned off with police tape because everyone was worried they would be a target. I think it really hit us then.
The attacks happened on a Tuesday, and we were supposed to be flying out on Thursday, but our flights were all canceled. The hotel was swamped with people who were stranded. They tried to accommodate as many people as possible. They asked people who were staying alone in rooms to double up with other people who were traveling alone, so strangers were staying with strangers.
We ended up leaving on Saturday. We got to the airport really early. My husband and I were trying to keep our two children from getting scared. The lines at the airport were very long – they snaked around the airport and outside – but everyone was quiet in the lines. They were talking in hushed voices and no one was upset. It was just kind of like, ‘If this is what we have to do, that’s OK.’
I think I speak for my whole family when I say that you don’t realize how much you count on the familiarity of your own community. We really missed just having that day-to-day interaction with a smiling face, whether it’s at the gas station or Nob Hill. That familiarity is like a touchstone. Once we did make it home, we were so joyful. We just felt like now that we were home and in a familiar spot, we would be able to make it through this tragedy together.”
–Cindy Morsilli, Gilroy
“My brother, Sgt. Art Acosta, was in the Army National Guard at the time. He was stationed at Camp Roberts and had been here visiting us. I was working at Saint Louise (Regional Hospital), and I’d heard something about what happened, but I hadn’t had a chance to sit and watch the news. My brother was home with my daughter, and his unit called him.
So, I left work and went home to pick up Art and one of my cousins who was going to make the trip with us. We drove all the way to Camp Roberts, and when we got there, it was really eerie. In some ways, it seemed almost deserted, but you could see them loading up artillery and stuff onto crates. I’d never seen anything like that. My cousin and I just kind of looked at each other, and that may be when I realized just how serious everything was. I thought, ‘Oh, my God, we’re going to war.’
That was the last time we saw or really heard from my brother until Easter of 2002. I think my sister-in-law had a better idea of what he was doing, and she kept telling us not to worry. It turns out he was sent to guard the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. He didn’t write to us because when he’s on the job, that’s his focus. I think if he lets his thoughts go elsewhere, he thinks it makes him lose focus and makes him weaker.
At first, they had his guys sleeping on cots in an school auditorium and they were getting bag lunches. One day, they got sandwiches from Quin’s Cafe in Morgan Hill, and all the guys said they were so good, especially compared to bag lunches. He actually kept the wrapper in his pocket and when we did see him, he gave the wrapper to us and told him to thank the guy and to ‘keep those sandwiches coming.’
Art’s son, Travis, is an Army air trooper, and he spent time in Iraq. We’re really blessed that both my brother and my nephew came home safe.”
– Annie Padron, Gilroy
“After 9/11, I wanted to do something, but I didn’t know how to help. I was skeptical of all the different charities that popped up afterwards. About a year and a half ago, my sons, who are in the Boy Scouts, were looking for a community service project to do. I did some research on different organizations, but I actually found Operation Interdependence when I went to the Army recruiter’s office. They gave me the card of a woman who was organizing care packages.
We got involved by agreeing to do eight hours of volunteer work. A Marine came and talked to our Boy Scout troop, and the boys were all so moved, they decided to send a package every month. The more involved they got, the more research I did and I found out that the whole South Bay area only sent about 20 boxes a month, which isn’t much compared to the need. I started working with the original founder of the organization, one thing led to another and I’m now a co-area manager of OI.
We now send about 50 boxes every month, which is about 2,500 care packages in quart-sized Ziploc bags. The packages include a personal note and some other treats and goodies donated to the organization. Letters come to us from all over the western United States. One radio station got its listeners to send us hundreds of Valentines; one school district’s superintendent had all the students write letters. So we had several thousand to send.
The bottom line is that our soldiers are deployed around the world, and it’s just so easy to forget when we’re in our houses that our kids are out there. After 9/11, I realized that. It doesn’t take much to write a quick note and let these people know they’re not forgotten and we appreciate their service. Regardless of why they’re there, whether the war is right or wrong – that’s not the point. These kids are making a big sacrifice for us.”
– Susan Hamilton, Gilroy
