The Remembrances below were left by Web visitors.

New Mexico:
As an employee of the National Park Service, this site brings home to me the mission of the NPS, to protect, interpret and celebrate what makes America America. From the vast beauty of the Grand Canyon to the Grand Tetons, from Aztec Ruins to Homestead to Isle Royale, from Federal Hall to the Statue of Liberty, God's mighty Hand can be seen and His awesome presence can be felt. Wherever we visit, we are struck by how small we are and how great He is. We need that perspective. I praise God for the heroes He provided on 9/11 and during every other challenge our nation has faced. I join fellow employees and visitors in prayers for comfort for those who suffer from the attacks. May His strength continue to see us through, no matter what we face.

Utah:
I was working at the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park the morning of 9-11. I was preparing to take a water sample to Green River Utah when one of the project crew employees told me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I rushed in to the apartment and watched the news until it was time for me to leave with the water sample. All the way there and back I was listening to the news and basically in a state of disbelief. This couldn't be happening but it was and every day people were dead or dying and others were performing herioc deeds. I thanked God that I was where I was and prayed for those who were there. I will always recall where I was on the day the world stopped turning.

Georgia:
In these difficult times, our National Parks remind us that in spite of any insane acts of man, that earth abides and our heritage and history endure. These quiet reminders bring us together so that we, too, will endure and add our greatest deeds and sweetest words to the evolving fabric of our country.

New York:
I want to take this opportunity to thank the Interpretation Staff for all the aid and comfort they provided to people who were displaced from Lower Manhattan on September 11th. In a see of chaos, they helped to provide some sense of stability.

New York:
On that fateful day in September, 2001, I was in Lassen Volcanic National Park on the west coast. Reflection Lake was so beautiful, yet in my mind's eye it was so sad. I fought to maintain composure and perspective on the events unfolding at home. I felt I should be there, and though I could not, the tranquility of my environment gave me much comfort and peace. It was a very strange paradox that I felt. The park was indeed a source of friendship, beauty and resolve that I will never, ever forget. I am grateful that the national park I was visiting was there for me and the very few other visitors on that fateful day.

Maryland:
On September 11, 2001 I was working in Washington DC as the Acting Chief of Visitor Services for National Capital Parks-Central. NCP-Central includes all the National Park Service sites in central Washington, with the notable exception of President's Park. I spent the morning relaying instructions and various information to site managers, so we could address the crisis that was unfolding. Several things happened that deepened my appreciation for the people of the National Park Service. Staff were extremely professional and proficient in handling the considerable, and the often changing, directives being generated. Rangers moved quickly and cooperated with park police to assure public safety, and they helped secure the various monuments, memorials and historic sites throughout the city. From the time the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center they went on alert, and when the last plane was accounted for in a field in Pennsylvania, most were still there. Those who were off-site at meetings rushed back to the park to see how they could be of service. All who had EMT training assembled emergency packs for transport, and all EMTs volunteered and remained on standby to assist with rescue efforts at the Pentagon. AND, as if all this wasn't enough, they all came back the next day, even knowing the threat and the likelihood the park would be closed. On the afternoon of September 11th, after the public was evacuated and sites were closed, I toured the park with the Superintendent, Arnold Goldstein and the National Mall Site Manager, Lance Hatten. With the Associate Superintendent for Maintenance, William Newman, we double-checked for building security. We also met with maintenance personnel who were putting up barricades around the perimeters. For a short time I had a moment to myself in the chamber of the Lincoln Memorial, between walls engraved with the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural. (Both are inspirational reading anytime, but on that day, and this, those words have special meaning). The weather on September 11th was incredibly beautiful; all the while, across the Potomac, the Pentagon was burning. There were no sounds of cars, no sounds of planes, just an eerie silence. I watched a flock of Canada geese fly low over the Lincoln Memorial plaza. They were in formation, honking to each other as they flew, oblivious to the human crisis around them. I knew then what I would say to staff the next day. On September 12th, at morning briefing on the Mall, I personally thanked everyone and told them this, 'You might wonder why you are here today, when all the sites are closed and there are security personnel everywhere. You know intuitively that you are needed, because no one is better prepared to facilitate connections to these places than you. You are the people who will help heal the wounds of September 11th.'

New Jersey:
On the day of the attack I stood on the beach and watched across the bay as the smoke billowed out of the the buildings. My co workers and I were not sure what was happening at that time. We returned to our office and listened,as did the rest of the world,to the terrible news that kept unfolding. Sep 11 will always be one of the saddest days of my life. God Bless America.

Florida:
The United States Park Police did a great job! Thank you for your dedication and service.

Virginia:
I just wanted to say that my family and I send condolences to the families of the victims of the September 11,2001. I wish we could turn back the hands of time and prevent this whole thing from happening but the dirty work is done and it's time to clean it up. This thing has changed my life I am a 17 year old female and this thing made me really grow up and face reality. From the town of Leesburg I send my thanks to all of the people who are helping all around us to protect us. We are the Strong and We are the brave and we will continue to fight until justice is served.

Texas:
A monument dedicated tto reminding the nation of this event is unquestionably called for. I have read of many plans for lovely monuments; in my opnion beauty is not what is needed here- the monument should be constructed from the debris of the WTC. The twisted, burned girders should be emplaced (safely) half buried, and engraved with the names of the victims- let their starkness represent the shock and sorrow of the nation. The broken glass should be used to construct a mosaic fountain to represent our tears; let the water drip slowly and strike mournful tones from more of the metal warped in the fires. Let the blackened concrete form the walkways and remind us of the bones of our fallen. Let the only flowers be the viola and the widow's tears and lilies used for funerals. And raise a flag in the center. Let us all be grateful that, unlike the people of Afghanistan, Bosnia, Israel & Palestine, & so much of Africa we do not live with the explosions, fires and noise daily.

Pennsylvania:
I experienced the splendor of Yellowstone National Park for the very first time on September 10, 2001 while on vacation in Montana. A guest at the lodge my husband and I were staying at invited me to go with him to the park on what was to be his last full day at the lodge. Neither of us had ever been there before and we were pretty much strangers. We both fell in love with Yellowstone. Then at breakfast on the morning of the 11th we learned of the terrorist attacks. Since he had been scheduled to fly home that day, he was feeling somewhat stranded. There were absolutely no rental cars available. Since he lived approximately 90 miles away from our home in Pennsylvania, we offered to have him travel home with us in our extended-cab truck. The wonderful hosts at the lodge we were staying at, left him stay for no extra charge until the 14th, when we were scheduled to depart. We had a safe trip home and my husband and I now have a new friend. I think that the most important impact that Yellowstone had on me in reference to the terrorist attacks was that it represented a place where I felt at peace and safe. On the 11th, I just kept thinking that I wanted to go back to Yellowstone. I just knew that I would be safe there. Well, today it has been exactly one year since those attacks and I am exactly 35 days away from going back to Yellowstone. I know that I will never forget where I was on September 10, 2001, nor will I forget the overwhelming urge I had to return there on September 11, 2001. During the past year, my experience at Yellowstone has given me a place in my memory to return to for quiet, peaceful reflection.

:
We cannot forget.

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