10th Anniversary of 9/11

I can’t believe that it’s the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, U.S. Capitol, and Pentagon.  I remember waking up on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, and hearing about terrorists hijacking planes and crashing them into the twin towers.  I was shocked and confused, but still didn’t know much about it until I heard it on the radio in my car on the way to a meeting.

Classes were cancelled, and airports, major attractions, government buildings, U.S. border crossings, and many other places were closed.  They also cut off contact with the east coast of the U.S.

Hearing about the tragedy on the radio and reading about it on the internet was bad enough, so I did not want to watch the news, because a picture is worth a thousand words.  Seeing the buildings collapse, emergency people and vehicles everywhere, victims, their loved ones, and other destruction would be too much for me.  However, I decided to listen to President Bush’s speech that afternoon for a little encouragement.

Two days later, on Thursday, September 13, 2001, I woke up with a sore throat and slight fever.  Those symptoms were replaced by nasal problems and coughs for about a week, and I partly blame the terrorists for my cold.  Their evil deeds angered and depressed me, possibly affecting my condition.  Getting sick after September 11, 2001 made this date easier to remember.  For the next three years, September 13 became the death day of two of my hamsters, making it even easier to remember.  With the date more ingrained in my mind, September 11 went along with it.

In September, 2006, I went to see the movie, World Trade Center, and the scenes of the attacks and their aftermath were very heart-breaking.  I almost burst into tears despite the happy ending.  Later, I also watched United 93, another tearjerker about that day.

Now, a decade later, I’m glad Saddam Hussein has been executed, and Osama Bin Laden has been killed.  Unfortunately, they have many followers.

When my family and I visited Ground Zero in 2004, I was near to tears.  It was just too sad.  It’s a good thing the place has been replaced by the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. which I need to check out one day.

This entry is a tribute to all the 9/11 heroes, victims, and their loved ones.  For its 10th anniversary, on my personal website, I temporarily used backgrounds involving 9/11 or our country.  I also added a photo album about the tragedy, which can also be found on my Facebook account.

I would like to thank all the foreigners who helped us as well.  I really wish it doesn’t take disasters to bring people together.

Here are some images to commemorate the tragedy:


I decided to add a Hetalia style tribute of 9/11. Hetalia  is an anime and manga in which each country is characterized as a person, and this is America after an attack. I was trying to portray the depressing mood and condition of our country after the terrorist attacks.  The motivational poster is created at Big Huge Labs.