Oral+History

__**ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW ABOUT 9/11 WITH MY DAD**__



__**BACKGROUND**__

The September 11 attacks were a series of four suicide attacks that were committed in the U.S. on September 11, 2001, coordinated to strike the areas of NYC and DC On that Tuesday morning, 19 terrorists hijacked four planes. The hijackers intentionally piloted two of those planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centers complex in New York City; both towers collapsed within two hours. The hijackers also intentionally crashed one of the planes into The Pentagon, and intended to pilot the fourth hijacked jet, into a target in Washington, D.C.; however, the plane crashed into a field near Shanksville Pennsylvania after its passengers attempted to take control of the jet from the hijackers. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks including the 227 civilians and 19 hijackers aboard the four planes, none of whom survived.

**What do you think of when you hear 9/11?**

I think of the World Trade Center’s being attacked by the two planes that flew into them, the Pentagon being attacked and the bravery of the passengers on the plane that went down in Pennsylvania. I also think of the roughly 3,000 innocent people who lost their lives that day and how devastating that must have been for their families and loved ones.

**What is one word in your opinion that describes 9/11?**

Horrific

**How do you feel about 9/11?**

I lived in NYC for 15 years and consider myself to be a New Yorker at heart. I visited and ate at the restaurant on top of the Trade Center, Windows on the World, a number of times. I considered this my city back then and to see the skyline changed forever by this act of terrorism is very sad for me personally.

No, fortunately, I did not know anyone that was affected by 9/11.

**Where were you when the towers came crashing down?**

I had just dropped my kids off at USM when I heard on the radio that a plane (at the time it was reported to be a small plane) had hit one of the Trade Center Towers. I then ran into Wendy Selig-Prieb in the parking lot at USM who was the president of the Milwaukee Brewers at the time. She was on her way down to the Pfister for MLB meetings that day and had just gotten a call saying that the meetings were cancelled because of what was going on with the attacks in NYC. I then went to my office and followed the unfolding events on the internet. I was sitting in my office when I heard that the World Trade Center Towers had come down.

**What was your immediate reaction to what you were hearing unfolding the morning of September 11, 2001?**

Shock and disbelief that all of this was happening at the same time and wondering who was behind it. I was also very concerned about the effect this would have on the U.S. and global economies and concerned about the U.S. Market as Wall Street was shut down when this was all going on. It was a very scary and unsettling day for everyone.