September 11: Remembrance and Reflection at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Standing in line, my stomach wanted to give back my breakfast. Every step I took closer made me second-guess my strength. The happy chatter that occupied my neighbors when we were at the end of the line was replaced by quiet tears and a sense of fear as we neared the front. I was afraid of feeling the same feelings I felt ten years ago; helpless, scared, sad. The Smithsonian staff members let us in the special exhibit in groups of 10-15 people. Waiting with my group, I wasn’t sure if I was really prepared to see the 50 artifacts from the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or the crashed United 93 plane from September 11^th, 2001. Ten years ago, my country, as I knew it, changed. Other than visiting Ground Zero in 2002, this September 11: Remembrance and Reflection exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History was the closest I have ever been to the physical damage of that day.

As nervous as I had been, I was pleasantly relieved when I walked into the exhibit room to find that it was not as solemn as a funeral. People were respectful and quiet, but they were talking about what they were seeing and feeling. It was not a normal museum exhibit where things were locked behind glass. It was well-lit rather than gloomy. Security guards were there to talk with you, not to tell you what to do. The room was much smaller than I had expected, and there were several museum staff members there to talk about the items. Items, such as the cell phone that Mayor Rudolph Giuliani used the day his city was attacked, were laid out on four tables: one table for New York City, one table for Washington DC, one table for Shanksville, Pennsylvania (where the United 93 plane crashed), and one table for the Transportation Security Administration. It was quiet, but people were not silent like they were in line. Instead, we asked the museum staff questions, and they gave interesting answers.

“What exactly is that?” one guest asked as she pointed to a piece of twisted metal.

“That is part of the United 93 plane, ma’am. In fact, those are the biggest pieces of the plane that remain. It’s hard to understand how the plane was so destroyed, yet the flight attendant’s manual and her notes inside it survived.”

The flight attendant’s notes in the manual were displayed and can still be read. Look at the picture below to see the papers that made it through the plane crash.

The largest item, if I can remember correctly, was a crushed door from a red, New York City fire truck. It had been crushed when the towers collapsed. The item itself is shocking to see. In person it looks rather small because it is crumpled and bent, and you can’t imagine it ever being whole again. The stories behind the items are even more incredible, though. This door belonged to a fire truck from Squad One of Brooklyn. Extraordinary firefighters who were part of the Special Operations Command, they were one of the first squads there to help on 9/11.

One item that caught my attention was a rather large telephone. Unlike the other smoke-covered, melted, or crushed objects, this phone was in almost perfect condition. In fact, I learned that it had not been in any of the buildings that had been attacked. Instead, it sat on a desk in the Department of Justice in Washington DC. Its link to 9/11 is a sad one. Ted Olsen was able to speak to his wife, Barbara, twice on that phone as she called him from American Airlines Flight 77. She let him know that her plane had been hijacked; he let her know about the planes that had been flown into the World Trade Centers. They told each other how much they loved each other. Then the phone cut out as American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon, just a few miles from the Department of Justice.

As I looked at every-day items that had been ruined, like coins money that had been melted at the Pentagon, and heard stories of family members looking for their loved ones by hanging posters all over the city and searching hospitals, I felt a little nervous that the people that donated these items were horribly miserable people after they lost friends and family members. How could one ever have a normal life after experiencing something so terrible? I was very happy to see a short video after the exhibit that interviewed the people who had donated items. In this video, the people were not crying or angry. Instead, they showed their great love for those they lost. They were happy to donate items to the Smithsonian so that Americans would not forget that the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks were real people, with real families, who were truly loved.   

The fourth table contained artifacts from the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA. If you have ever flown, you have come into contact with TSA. They are in every airport in the United States ensuring that dangerous items do not make it onto an airplane again. They have made up several rules about flying, making it quite a hassle if you were used to flying before 9/11. I remember my parents used to be able to wait near the gate with my brothers and me. (See the picture below). My parents would wave to us as we sat on the airplane preparing to take off to Boston to visit our grandparents. Now you cannot get past TSA security without an airplane ticket, meaning my brothers and I have to find our own way to the gate!

Many people get very angry or annoyed by the extra security measures at airports these days. I feel quite the opposite! I am happy to go through any security check because it helps me to feel safe. I know that if they are checking everyone for weapons, weapons will not end up on my plane. In fact, on the TSA table were items that had been confiscated at airports around the country. There were scissors, knives, and even grenades! I wish I would have asked about the grenades; were they real? Did the person who brought them to the airport want to explode something, or were they just transporting them? Instead, I started a conversation with the TSA agents.

“So… do you like your job?” I asked a little nervously. I felt I could guess that the answer would be “No.”

They both replied with a hearty, “Yes! We feel like we are keeping people safe and doing a job that not many people want to do.”

“I can’t imagine doing your job,” I said. “People can be so rude to you! I want you to know that I appreciate what you are doing. I truly feel safe now when I fly.”

Sometimes when you are busy rushing through an airport, it is difficult to remember that the people working at the airport are just doing their job. Remember that the next time you are flying, or the next time you are anywhere! Remember the Golden Rule: treat others how you would like to be treated. If you show kindness, respect, and gratitude, you can really brighten someone’s day. The TSA agents stood a little taller and smiled a little wider after I thanked them, and you know what? So did I. Making someone else’s day brighter always makes yours brighter too :)

As I left the museum, a warm, humid breeze met my face and made me catch my breath. The sun was trying to poke through the rain clouds (finally!), and a street drummer was playing an upbeat march. Walking down the busy street, parallel to the White House, I remembered how lucky I am to have such a blessed life with my family and friends, and how proud I am to be a citizen of the most diverse nation in the world. Others can try to bring us down, but we still believe that freedom is the foundation for a better world.  

See below for some more pictures and a chance to win a prize!

This is the cell phone that the Mayor of New York City tried to use on September 11^th. However, because so many people were trying to make calls that morning, many cell phones were not able to place calls.

These were coins in a tin box that had been sitting on a desk in the Pentagon. The fire from the crash was so intense that the coins melted.

Okay, let’s see what you remember from social studies…. Are the artifacts at this exhibit primary sources or secondary sources? Leave a comment to let me know what your answer is and why you think that. If you don’t know off the top of your head, you can look up the answer as well; use your resources! Hmmm, maybe I will send a postcard to a randomly selected person who leaves the correct answer? Get your answer in and we will see!!