9/11 From A Distant Perspective

The horrific events of ten years ago affects us all a decade later – even those who were too young to really know what was going on when the towers fell. But those children, now in junior high, remember the intensity, shock, horror and sorrow they saw in their parents and in the world around them.

The Martinez Unified School District asked students in all grades to write a story, a letter to a soldier serving overseas, or design a memorial for the heroes and the fallen of 9/11. Martinez Patch asked students in Melissa Boyd’s 8^th Grade English class to share some of their thoughts and work with us.

Melissa Guevara and Jhonathan Zamora agreed to speak with us on video. Zamora also shared his short story with us, as did Cameron Machado, 14, and 13-year-old Michelle Aung.

The World's Most Shocking Day In History
by Jhonathan Zamora

As I was cleaning my dishes I heard a loud boom, coming from the middle of the city. At first I ignored it thinking that it was the military testing sonic booms, until I looked out of my window. Then I saw and smelled all of the smoke coming out of the Twin Towers. That's when I decided to turn on the television. I saw that the Twin Towers got hit by an airplane. I left everything and started running toward the Twin Towers because there was so much traffic.

I called my wife saying "Are you all right?" With a voice filled with fear, she replied "No, I'm not ok, the whole room is filled with smoke, I can hardly breathe."

So I asked "what floor are you on?"

"I'm on the 97th floor."

"Can you get out," I asked with worriedness.

"No," she replied. "All of the exits are blocked. There's no way out."

When I got there she called me saying "I love you."

I said the same thing before the towers collapsed with great sadness. I saw both towers get hit and fall down. Tears pouring from my eyes, ears ringing, my body just collapsed. In a way, I was glad that the towers fell because the torture was over for those inside, but at the same time I was filled with great sadness because lots of lives were lost.

The rescuers never found the body of my wife, but I don't let that stop me. Every day I go and help clear out and search the Twin Towers. I do this because I consider it a tribute to my wife and everyone who died that day.

9/11: The Day the Earth Stood Still

by Cameron Machado

8:31 A.M.: The day seems like any normal New York City day; bumper to bumper traffic, loud honking horns of cars, and the smell of Angelo’s Pizzeria on 57^th street. I’m on my way to work as an executive at an engineering corporation.

8:46 A.M.: As I’m rushing through the traffic and trying not to get angry at the fat guy smoking in the taxi in front of me, I see it happen. The hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 plane is crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. I don’t think many of the New Yorkers know about this yet but we are under attack! I’m thinking in my head what should I do, should I drive back to my apartment building or should I just go to work?

9:06 A.M.: While I’m swerving through traffic trying to get back home, I get a call from my boss.

“Esposito? Where are you at?”

“I’m driving back home, didn’t you hear about the World Trade Center?” I replied.

“Something else happened. The South Tower was just hit by another hijacked plane. The whole city is in crisis.”

“I have to call my family boss! I will call you tomorrow,” phone shuts.

10:30 A.M.: All the terror is still happening. Not only have both the towers of the World Trade Center been hit, but also the Pentagon was hit and another plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Both of the towers have collapsed to the ground and there is rubble and a gigantic cloud of dust as far as my eye can see has arisen as if the whole downtown area is ablaze. This catastrophe is one of the most heart-wrenching, stomach-turning, tear-jerking things to have happened in the modern era.

During the next few days following the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, firefighters and policemen dug through the rubble to find people that are either alive or their corpses. These good Samaritans are not only heroes in the eyes of the families, but to the entire world. These people are complete strangers from all over the country coming to help the city of New York in its time of need. This whole experience has hurt Americans throughout all of the United States. This was not only a wake up call to the American people, but a start to a new era in the US.  The people that were affected by this will not have died in vain but will be remembered by all of the American people.

The Tragic Love Story

By Michelle Aung

As she watched the sun set go down, she felt a light warm breeze in her hair and she watched the waves coming and going. While she watched the beautiful waves, she thought of her hurting past.

It all started on June 13, 2001. It was a hot day in L.A. Gabrielle was walking her dog named Mickey at Malibu Beach. As she walked the dog she tripped and fell and accidentally let go of the dog leash. Mickey stared running, Gabrielle got up and started running as fast as she could and yelled “Mickey came back here!” Then she bumped into a man who looked very tall and handsome.

“Sorry” they both said; luckily for Gabrielle the man got Mickey.

“ I think this is your dog,” the man said with his deep voice.

“Oh, thank you,” she said, looking in to his big blue eyes.

“My name is Max.” the man said.

“Gabrielle,” she said and they shook hands.

Since that moment their love sparked. Gabrielle was an artist and she worked in a gallery in L.A.  Max was a successful business man in NY. He worked in one of the towers of the World Trade Center. Their relationship was getting serious. Max would visit Gabrielle in L.A every month and stay for a few days. They video chatted every night. Max wanted to get more serious so he called from NY and said “Let’s go to dinner next Monday.” Gabrielle said “Ok, I can’t wait to see you!”

September 5, 2001 was next Monday night; Max arrived in NY. He didn’t go to Gabrielle’s apartment like he always did, he went to a hotel to look as handsome as he possibly could and get the big surprise ready for dinner. Gabrielle was getting ready too, wearing a black long strapless dress that made her look fabulous.

They arrived at the fancy restaurant, all night they talked about how they were doing and what happened at work. After dessert Max got down on one knee and said “Gabrielle, will you spend the rest of your life with me and marry me?” Gabrielle was speechless for a minute the she said “yes,” after which Max said “will you move to NY with me?”  Gabrielle froze for a minute and she said “maybe after the holiday”. “Ok” Max said softly.

It was a beautiful clear day on September 11, 2001. Max went to work at the World Trade Center.  He took the stairs up to the sky lobby to take the elevator to his office in 89 floor of the north tower. The sky lobby is beautiful and the view is just breathtaking. Around 8:45 Max was in his office working when his thought he felt a huge earthquake but people were yelling “a plane a plane crash in to us!”

Max sees fire everywhere. First he was shocked; he didn’t know what to do, but then he told all the workers on the floor “come in to my office! Everyone come on!” he said it in a tone of fear. When everyone was in the office, the first thing he was tell everyone to calm down and call their loved ones if they need to.

Max called Gabrielle, she didn’t pick up so he left a message saying “hi sweetheart, it’s me, Max. I think a plane hit the building, that’s what everyone said. There’s fire everywhere. I don’t know what to do right now. Go turn on the TV and watch it now. I love you! See you soon.”

When Gabrielle turned on the TV all she could say was “Oh my God,” and just froze and started crying and hoped that Max would get out.

Max saw smoke everywhere, it was getting really hard to breath by the minute. Everyone was coughing, everyone crying, so Max said “Follow me.” He took everyone to fire exit C.  Everywhere you looked there was fire and toxic smoke filling the air. When they got to the exit door Max couldn’t open it. Other men helped him push it down hard as they could and it finally opened.

He told everyone to go down the stairs, the flames were getting bigger and bigger.

9:03 -- when everyone was on the 50th floor they felt a big bang. Everybody started running fast as they could. Max heard “help! help! Please help!!” so he hurried to help the person who was trapped. After he helped the person, he felt a huge earthquake so he was trying to go down the stairs as fast as he could. All his workers had escaped the Twin Towers. When Max was at the 11^th floor still trying to get out the North Tower collapsed. Max lost his life to save one of the workers.

That was the day Gabrielle lost her future husband and her man she loved very much. Gabrielle will never forget that day. Every day she goes to the beach to remember Max.