Sunday next weekend marks 10 years to the day since two commercial passenger jets, commandeered by Al-Qaeda terrorists, crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, bringing the world famous landmarks down. A third hijacked plane struck the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., while a fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers rushed the cockpit. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks.
The tragedy affected American life in many readily identifiable ways, most notably a greater focus on national security that led to wars in Afghanistan and later Iraq. Some of the repercussions, however, remain difficult to quantify. The Malibu Times asked local residents and visitors to share what that day meant for them, nearly 10 years later.
Eric Power, Malibu Canyon resident
“We [wife Christine] were working at the time. We had a booth at the county fair. It was weird, I don’t normally turn the TV on. We never turn the TV on in the morning. But for some reason we turned the TV on, and I thought it was a film. I realized it was real, and I cried to be honest with you. You don’t know what to do, you just sort of think this is not reality.
Scott Stepanek, Pepperdine University graduate student
“In the wake of the destruction and loss of life, you’ve got to look at the positives. And one thing I’ll never forget was the unity, the spirit of togetherness in the country. Neighbors, friends, strangers. Whether it was out in the streets, in the churches, wherever, people were there for each other.”
Jack Foley
“I was teaching at Cal State Northridge, and my class was getting ready to start. My students were pretty upset. I was thinking, “Well, we’ve gotta get that class in, right?” Wrong. It took me about 10 minutes to realize this was a big deal.”
Deena Burnett Bailey, Former wife of Pepperdine University graduate Thomas Burnett, who died while trying to thwart the hijackers on United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania.
“I have reflected much more on how life has changed over the last 10 years. I’m a different person. I’m more calm and reasonable and less emotional. To some degree, it has changed all of us. They are all positive changes and growing changes for me.”
On her daughters, 15-year-old twins Halley and Madison and 13-year-old Anna Clare: “They were 5 and 3 when the attacks happened. They don’t take relationships for granted. They value family relationships much more than the average teenager. They lost someone they loved and they have a very strong relationship as sisters.”
Bruce Thompson, Malibu resident
“I’m from Connecticut. I was working on a boat that ferried people from New London, Conn. to Long Island to bring them to the casinos. We went to pick up people from New York. There were probably 400 people on the boat, but we were all crowded around the TV. I remember when the towers fell, people began to cry and I assumed many people on the boat knew people in New York City. It was a gripping, dramatic moment.”
Nazanin Shamsian, Malibu resident
“I was at home with my daughter. My husband was in New York City on a business trip. He called me and said, ‘You know what just happened?’ I turned on the TV and saw the second tower fall. It’s one of those things you never forget.”
Caitlin Schoensiegel, senior at Pepperdine University
“I was in seventh grade. I woke up to my parents screaming. I had broken my arm the night before, so I was watching TV the rest of the day.
“I’m not sure that we’ve really learned our lesson. We were so united afterwards. But as with everything, it becomes a memory.”
Lynda Marsolek, Malibu resident
“I was getting ready to take the kids to school and go to work. I was brushing my teeth and watching the TV. I was a travel agent, so I spent the day trying to get clients back from New York and finding hotels for people who were stuck when the airports shut down.
“My husband’s company had an office in one of the towers, and they lost 200 people. He had a bad while, not just a bad day but a bad while. It was a hard time.”