I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on September 11, 2001.  I had just arrived at my office at Cornell University and turned my radio on.  The news announcer broke in to say that a plane had struck one of the Twin Towers in New York.  Then a second plane.  Not long after that they were saying it was a terrorist attack, and soon we would all learn about the Pentagon and the plane that crashed in Shanksville, PA.  Our department set up television screens down in the lobby of our building and we all watched in shock and horror as we saw the towers collapse.  I immediately called family members–some I knew traveled a lot by plane, others lived in Pittsburgh, and one of my cousins was working right in Washington, DC.  I was relieved to hear that those I was thinking of were all okay, but still could not comprehend what had happened.  It was a sad time for me already because the next day, September 12th, would mark one year since my mother passed away, and as the news unfolded about all of those who lost their lives and those who were frantically searching for their loved ones, I remember just sitting on my couch at home and sobbing for hours. So much changed forever that day, and we will never forget.

Thanks to Thomas MacEntee over at GeneaBloggers who asked the genealogy blogging community to post their remembrances.

Copyright 2012, Lisa A. Alzo
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