Des Moines, Iowa, 11 Sept. 2021 – Iowa National Guard Soldiers and Airmen reflect on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, sharing personal memories and lessons from that day.
Staff Sgt. Bayquon McDonald
"You just saw and heard everyone shook up. You could see some people with anger. And you saw more people holding up the American flag.
I was in the 7th grade in the Bronx, New York. It was weird because a lot of parents were coming to school getting their children. They were, like, ‘Oh I’m taking my son home.’ And I’m, like, ‘Why are these parents looking a little frightened, a little shook up?’
My parents never got me. They were probably like, ‘You’re going to get your education!’ And we’re just kids, we don’t know much. But we’re like, ‘Dang, a plane hit a building?’ So I got home, turned on the TV, and channels that don’t even show the news had the news on it. And you see the 1st plane hit the first tower, you see the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower. I’m holding the remote, jaw dropped, in shock. I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, is this really happening?’ And then you start hearing the words that an act of terrorism happened.
My mom calls the house, ‘You home?’ and I was like, ‘Yes mom I’m fine,’ and everything. You could hear it in her voice that she was a little scared. Mom worked in Manhattan, but a distance from where it happened. My dad, he calls, said he’d be home. But he ran one of the largest train companies and they needed him to stay.
Word got around. The city was shook. But as bad as everything was, you saw more people start caring about somebody. I saw people like, ‘Hey, how’s your dad doing,’ and, ‘How’s this one doing?’
9/11 brought a lot of the city together."
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Everett)
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2025 16:32 |
| Photo ID: | 9308023 |
| VIRIN: | 210911-A-AY917-8976 |
| Resolution: | 854x1280 |
| Size: | 188.13 KB |
| Location: | DES MOINES, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 20 Years Later: Iowa National Guard Reflects on September 11, 2001 [Image 7 of 7], by 1SG Jason Everett, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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