Franklin County folks remember
Franklin County folks recall September 9, 2011.
Adam Carter – “I remember being at technical school for the Air Force and being told the country has just been attacked and thinking our way of life in the military was definitely about to change. Every television within our dorms (other branches call them barracks) was tuned into the news, and for hours on end, all we watched was the aftermath.”
Kristin Skidmore Lynch – “I was in seventh grade at Russellville middle school, Mrs. Cross’ history class. We were doing current events, she turned on the TV and we seen it live when the second plane had hit. It will forever be etched into my memory. We didn’t understand the magnitude of it at that time. I remember the heartache and the suspense in the air that I felt for our country.”
Ann Steele Copeland – “I was at home with my then six-month-old son. My sister-in-law called and told me to turn on the news. I was watching when the second plane hit. I remember just hearing the total fear in the news anchor’s voice. It was such a scary day. I didn’t put my boy down all day. My husband worked in radio. He stayed at the station reporting for two days. He came home late on the 12th which happens to be his birthday. He said he would always associate his birthday with that awful day from now on.”
Cassie Burcham – “I was in the third grade at East Franklin when another teacher came in to tell us what had happened. We all went over to the fourth grade classroom (because that’s where the roll-around TV was) and watched it. I didn’t understand at the time exactly what was going on.”
Amanda Mouser – “My sister flew into Huntsville from Germany (my brother-in-law was stationed there with the Army) a few hours before the planes hit the towers. I took my three-month-old son to see my sister that morning and saw it on the news.”
Emily Hurst Rush – “It was freshman year in college in biology lab. Being at a private Christian college, we had students from all over, including two girls from New Jersey that I was in chorus with. There was a lot of sitting and praying and people with so many unknowns. I just remember the gut wrenching feeling of the capacity of what happened. I was a young 18, but I had friends in Army Reserves being told to pack their bags.”
Shelby Nichols – “Fourth grade in Mrs. Pounders’ class, PCES. I just remember the amount of fear, real fear, that I didn’t realize could possibly be felt. It was on the news at my babysitter’s after school as well, and then on the radio at home as I was making pear preserves with my momma and mawmaw.”
Heather Thomas Conner – “I was in 11th grade at RHS. My first class that morning was history. We were informed of what happened. The TV was turned on and we saw the second plane hit. After that, my history teacher turned the TV off and taught her lesson. My next class was Spanish, and we watched the news unfolding.”
Bryna Emerson Lawler – “I was a student at NWSCC in Phil Campbell. I was sitting in Bob England’s class when he walked in and told us the news and that we all needed to get home. Campus was closing. I made it home just in time to watch the second tower being hit live on television. My sister and I watched in complete disbelief.”
Sue Brand – “I was cleaning my house and my daughter called me and said Mother turn on your TV!! I did, and her and I watched the replays, then saw the second tower being hit and then the Pentagon!! It was awful! We both cried through out the whole thing.”
Amy Dolan McCollum – “I was teaching a class full of kids in Mt. Hope with no tv or way to figure out what was going on. I just wanted to go home and hug my babies. I cried all evening. I was scared for my children and America.”
Michelle Duvall – “I remember sitting in high school and the teacher had the news on the TV and we did nothing the rest of the day, just kinda watched the TV, not really knowing what to think, but I do remember feeling sad and scared because it had to be important for the teachers to not be teaching.”
Lorraine Herron Kinard – “I was a stay-at-home mom at that time. My daughter was in second grade and my son was two years old. I heard about it in the news, and I could only sit and watch it on the news. I went to see my hubby at lunch, and we talked about it, how we couldn’t believe it had happened. I thought about checking my daughter out of school, but hubby said no. I was so worried something might happen to the schools that day. Thankful it didn’t.”
Cassandra Hope – “I was in the sixth grade at Russellville. Everything started out normal, sitting in homeroom. The teacher turned on the TV, and I thought it was going to be one of the morning announcement video,s but it was the news. I was confused at first, then I seen the teacher holding back her tears. That’s when I realized that it was happening. We seen what I believe was live footage of the plane crashing into the tower, and the teacher turned off the TV. Being young at the time, I didn’t realize the impact of things until I was a little older.”
Milford Mousey Brown – “I was living in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., at that time and was watching the news when they showed where the first plane had hit and saw a plane flying close by and wondered why it was so close, then all at once it turned into the second tower. I watched the news for about three hours worrying about what was going to happen next.”
Rosalyn Taylor Smith – “I was in the 4th grade at Belgreen! We were just about to go to PE when they announced it over the intercom. I remember looking out the window to see all the big kids (high schoolers) circled around the flag pole. I didn’t understand the magnitude of the situation at the time.”
Kelly Murray – “I was in seventh grade, leaving out from first period PE class, headed to my second period math class at Belgreen High School. I just remember the silence in the classroom when we walked in, and really the rest of the day. We were trying to figure out what was going on and could tell it was serious by the worry on the teachers’ faces. We were all glued to the tv after our teacher turned it to the news. I’m not sure if all of us kids actually understood the severity of what was happening, but we could sense that it was bad from all the adults. I remember that afternoon we were allowed to go outside and sit in the gazebo during our classes at the vocational center. I think it was because the teachers could tell we were all nervous and worried. I remember some of my classmates crying when we’d hear the adults talk about the possibility of going to war. Crying thinking of all the people in their families that might be drafted if the government were to reinstate the draft. Crying for the loss of the lives of our fellow Americans that day. Crying at the thought of what if it’s not over and they attack us closer to home. One of the teachers lead a prayer while we were outside, and we all held hands. I remember everyone coming together and comforting each other, not only at the shock of what happened that day, but at the thought of what lay ahead for our country.”
