The Twin Towers on 9/11: Among the world’s tallest skyscrapers at the time, they were a symbol of the economic power of the U.S.

Robert Giroux/Getty Images

STANDARDS

Common Core: RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.7, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.3

C3 (D2/6-8): His.1, His.6, His.10, His.14, His.15

NCSS: Time, continuity, and change; Global connections; People, places, and environments

CONTEST WINNER!

Recalling 9/11

Our 2018 Eyewitness to History contest winner interviewed her mother, who lived through the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center

April 23, 2018

Courtesy of Family

Taylor Nelson

By Taylor Nelson, Age 14, South Park, Pennsylvania

On September 11, 2001, the U.S. was struck by the deadliest terror attack in its history. That morning, terrorists hijacked four airplanes. They flew the first two into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The towers soon collapsed. The third jet hit the Pentagon (headquarters of the U.S. military) near Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 2,977 people.

The terrorist group Al Qaeda was responsible for the attacks. Many of its members were in Afghanistan, so a month after the attacks, the U.S. went to war there. U.S. troops remain there today, still waging the longest-fought war in U.S. history.

The 9/11 attacks profoundly shaped the world we live in now. Americans’ sense of safety was shaken. The government swiftly created the Department of Homeland Security, tightened airport security, and enacted stricter immigration policies to protect against future acts of terrorism.

But as the events first unfolded in New York, few understood what was happening—or could have predicted their lasting impact. Janell Nelson was at work across the street from the Twin Towers when the first plane hit. Her daughter, Taylor, an eighth-grader, interviewed her about that fateful day.

Courtesy of Family

Janell Nelson was at work in an office building across the street from the Twin Towers on the morning of 9/11.

Taylor Nelson: How did September 11, 2001, begin for you?

Janell Nelson: It started like any other day. I lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, directly overlooking the New York City skyline and the World Trade Center (see "The 9/11 Attacks" map, below). I took the PATH train, which ran underneath the river, to the World Trade Center, then walked to my office at American Express headquarters across the street from the towers. My day began with phone calls and meetings on the 35th floor.

TN: How did you find out about the first plane crash?

JN: I was on a conference call with individuals from across the U.S. There weren’t a lot of people in the office yet when the first plane hit one of the towers [at 8:46 a.m.]. But there was a lot of noise and commotion, which caught my attention.

I recall apologizing to people on the call, saying that something had happened and I needed to end the meeting early.

TN: How were you feeling, knowing a plane had crashed into the building?

JN: At the time, it seemed like a horrible accident. The World Trade Center towers were directly outside my office window. With three major airports in the area, planes were often quite close and flying over the city all the time. So to me it seemed reasonable that a plane had malfunctioned and accidentally hit the building. So much paper and all sorts of things were drifting in the air. It was very awful and sad.

TN: Where were you when the second plane crashed?

JN: Those of us in the office started to pull everyone together to talk about what had just happened. As I began to speak, a large scream went out: We saw the second plane hit the other tower [at 9:03 a.m.]. At that moment, we realized this was no accident but was happening on purpose. It was a horrific moment and one I will never forget.

TN: Did you have to evacuate the building?

JN: We didn’t know what to do. At first, all we could do was talk about what had happened. Back then, there wasn’t immediate access to the internet like there is today. But after the second plane crashed, we started planning to leave the building. People were becoming more and more afraid. The whole time, our security team advised us over loudspeakers to stay calm and stay inside.

TN: Were you scared at all or did you keep calm?

JN: I was getting really scared for all the people in the buildings that had been hit. Looking back, I must have been in shock or a daze—it was like a really bad dream. Awful things were falling out of the buildings. Fire, plane parts, even people. It was just the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen or felt.

People started making the personal choice to leave our building. I got on an elevator—all alone—and rode down to the lobby. Out on the plaza, many of my co-workers and other employees were looking up at the fires and huge holes in the buildings.

I remember being yelled at by some security or police to “Go, go, go!” and we were directed to go across the street. Everyone was trying to contact family members on their phones. Many of the phone lines were out or completely jammed with so many people trying to make calls.

TN: How did you get home?

JN: Myself and a co-worker walked a few blocks to the ferryboat that went to New Jersey. We got on the boat and it started across the river. We watched in amazement, seeing the other side of the World Trade Center buildings, all the fire and damage, and we cried.

Four or five minutes later, all of a sudden, one of the towers collapsed [at 9:59 a.m.], completely covering the river and our ferry in dark gray clouds. It was the most horrified I’ve ever been in my life. All that was left was a huge, smoke-filled area where the tower had been.

TN: What happened next?

JN: After we got off the ferry on the New Jersey side, a lot of people who hadn’t made it to work that day were lined up, and we all watched the awful sight. Just a few moments later, the other tower fell. We all cried and hugged each other.

I still tear up every time I tell this story. I made my way home, still not able to reach anyone on the phone. I just sat dazed in front of the TV, where I learned more about what had happened.

All I kept thinking was that thousands of people were gone, just like that, and in the most horrific way possible.

TN: Is there anything you would like to add?

JN: Having been there has been a personally defining moment that I will always remember. Several people close to me lost loved ones there. I will always remain grateful for all of the heroes who arose that day to save so many people.