Community Corner

Residents Recall 9/11 After Bin Laden's Death

Most people remember where they were and what they were doing on 9/11, and New Lenox residents shared their stories.

I was walking in between classes.

My friend was called to the principal's office. Not because he was in trouble, but because his mother was there to take him home. The news hadn't spread yet, that planes were crashing into buildings and that thousands of people were dying.

After all, we were only in eighth grade. We didn't have cell phones, and Twitter didn't exist yet. The teachers knew what was happening, but they didn't want to turn on the few TVs we had throughout my small Catholic school.

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But my friend went home to be with his family, to watch the news, to feel safer. I remember walking home after school that day and hearing the rest of the story, watching the horrible images, trying to make sense of what happened.

Almost ten years later, and Osama bin Laden, the boogie man, is dead. But the memories of that day will last forever, no matter how mundane. I spent another nine years since walking between classes. I can't remember all the classes, let alone the walks in between, but I'll always remember that time.

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Where Were You?

We asked our Facebook fans that question, and here are their responses:

Amy Ingalls was in her dorm.

Woken up in my dorm room by my radio saying there had been a plane crash into one of the twin towers. I hurried up and got up to turn on the tv only to watch the second plane crash. There was definitely a somber mood following everyone on campus that day.

Ashley Middleton was getting dressed in Junior ROTC gear.

Dressing in AFJROTC gear to go to LWC. It was a late-start day, so we weren't at school yet when the attack happened.

Debbie Kieffer Jankowski was dropping her children off at preschool. 

Just walked into the preschool dropping off my girls when the woman in the kitchen came out and said a plane just hit the WTC. got home and turned on the TV in time to see the second plane hit.... those memories will never go away!

Cheryl Kendzierski Cagle was getting ready for work.

Getting ready for work and watching the Today Show. Couldn't believe what I was seeing when the second plane hit the tower.

Megan Murphy Boss was driving into the city.

Driving into the city to go to work at NMH....I heard it on the radio and thought it was a prank on the mancow show...how wrong I was.

Patti Rasmussen-Miller was at work.

I was at work when someone came in our department and said something was happening in New York, we watched the whole thing unfold...the whole day, I don't think anyone got any work done that day.

Suzanne Matulis Doll was watching TV.

I was watching the Today show when they announced a plane had just hit the WTC. At first I though it must have been a small private plane and was shocked to hear it was a commercial airliner. When the second plane hit there was no doubt ...it was an act of terrorism. It was the most frightening time of my life and something that I will never forget. I pray this country will never have to experience anything like that again.

Julie Anne Witkowski was just getting back to work.

Returning to work for the first day after maternity leave - heard about the first plane on the radio pulling in to the parking lot and by the time I got inside the second one had hit. we pulled in TVs and sat in the front office watching all day and all left a little earlier than usual to be with our families. Became extra frightened when lines for gas in our small town were starting to back up for miles.


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