WAMS began the school day with Mr. Biesecker reading a synopsis of the events that occurred on September 11, 2001 which also included a moment of silence.
I asked the staff for memories of where they were and what they remembered from that day. School Police Officer Matthews was working at the Pentagon checking military personnel into the building. He helped evacuate the building and remove the wounded. His strongest memory is the JP5 jet fuel that he walked through while searching for victims.
Mr. Krinks, a 7th grade Science teacher was finishing Phase 1 of Army Ranger School when he was informed of the events happening. Given a 24 hour pass from the field to go to the barracks he and other soldiers watched the news on tv and called family. Twelve months later Mr. Krinks was serving his first tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Several current WAMS teachers were seniors in high school and were given the opportunity to watch the horrific tragedy unfold on tv. Some teachers are too young to remember the events but do recall how parents picked them up early from babysitters or daycare.
Ms. Fuss was in VA getting ready to go to cross county practice with her teammates. After hearing the news, they dedicated their run to all the lives lost that day, making it a run in silence.
Finally, Mrs. Reed shared how she often expressed to her own children that there was a profound political and social harmony following 9/11. A wave of patriotism and national unity unlike no other. Looking for the good and in those moments helped us heal.