The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 41

www.pantagraph.com Pantagraph Monday, September 11, 2006 5 REMEMBERING bfcFl. 11, 200 1 A Associated PressROBERT CLARK Opposite page: Hijacked United Airlines Flight 175, which departed from Boston en route for Los Angeles, is shown in a flight path for the South Tower of the World Trade Center Sept, 11, 2001. It eventually crashes into the South Tower resulting in a devastating explosion. The North Tower burns after American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into it at 8:45 a.m. Am 1 la I 'II .1 iLii i I 7 1 tu Wl 1 i'' Mi' 'ill, I Associated PressGULNARA SAMOILOVA Above: The south tower of the World Trade Center, left, begins to collapse after the terrorist attack on the landmark buildings in New York, in this Sept.

11, 2001, file photo. This year will mark the fifth anniversary of the attacks. Right: Smoke billows from the World Trade Center with the Empire State Building in the foreground i r'i ii i 'kii rirniiiMininiMim i iwfi nnn "The events of 911 have given me a much greater respect of all the "first responders" in the United States. The majorjty of the men and women don't volunteer with the hope of one day becoming a hero, but rather because they know in their hearts they do it to help people who cannot help themselves at the time. It is a feeling you will never know until you have experienced it yourself.

No amount of money would ever replace making a difference in someone's life or the lives of their family and friends at the time even if the end result is giving your own life to save another. May God bless and protect the men and women who continue to give unselfishly of their time without expecting anything in return." Diane Albertin "911 means more to me personally due to the fact that I was deployed to the WTC that day as part of a Federal Disaster Mortuary Team. My first week was spent doing identification interviews with families of those lost on the airlines a truly heart-wrenching experience, needless to say. My second week was spent at Ground Zero at one of two temporary morgues. What I experienced in two weeks often made me wonder what was someone like me from Central Illinois doing in the middle of New York City in the middle of 110 tons of rubble? We were returning people to their families, friends and coworkers.

I had never been so humbled until I was met on the street by New York City firemen and policemen who asked if they could salute us and return their salutes for taking care of their families. Experiences etched into my memory for a lifetime. But there has not been a day gone by that I have also thought about all of them and included their families in my prayers. On that 'other day of we all witnessed the worst of mankind and the best of mankind and we were all changed for life in someway. Please remember those that were lost and those that served us that day and serve us on a daily basis -our firemen, policemen and servicemen.

God, please bless America and God bless the people of New York City." -JimWeldy will never forget waking up in a hotel room after an early flight back from Jamaica. We were listening to the radio in our hotel room, when the news began to unfold about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center. We honestly thought that this had to be some sort of joke, but the punch line never came and a wave of shock and sadness came over us. As we walked through the lobby of the hotel, everything was very quiet. People just seemed stunned and helpless.

The drive from Chicago back home to Bloomington to see our three children seemed to take forever. I kept thinking about all of the families that had lost loved ones in this tragedy. How the security that I had taken for granted had been forever changed and I feared for the future of our country. The days immediately following 911 were filled with obvious sadness. It was as if you were at a funeral that didn't have an ending.

It seemed disrespectful to continue on with everyday life when such a tragedy had occurred. Everyone seemed a little softer, kinder more tolerant, and less worried about the little details that used to mean so much. I think we probably all hugged our kids and spouses a little longer and reminded them how much we loved them. I pray that the families who lost their loved ones in this tragedy are finding a way to move forward in their lives with a little less pain and a lot more peace every day." Danell Herrera "What a horrific day that was. I was in the hospital, lying on my stomach having a myelogram when everyone came running to say what had happened.

And I thought I was going through something terrible. God always shows us someone worse off than we are. I know I will never complain again. I will never, ever forget that day, my heart and prayers still and always will go out to those people and their families." -Donna Juhler Sv'iH I Left: People run from the collapse of the World Trade Center Tower in this Sept. 11, 2001, file photo, in New York.

Below: Firefighters make their way through the rubble after terrorists crashed two airliners into the World Trade Center in the attacks Tuesday that brought down the twin 110-story towers in New York on Sept. 11, 2001. Associated PressSUZANNE PLUNKETT iiiinrniiinr TMb mmW I hi inn 'In "nn i ri" Associated PressSHAWN BALDWIN w4.