Identity

Portfolio

Andrea N.

9/11 Pentagon Attacks

The Family Tree

GuiLan Yan

John Niu

(Zhen Niu)

YaoTing Zhao

JinBao Ma

LanFu Zhao

PengChengMa

Andrea Niu

Brenden Niu

Bo Ma

Tian AnMa

Danielle Niu

(Dan / ielle Ma)

XiuYingLiu

Me

He was interviewed for this portfolio!

Trail of Smoke

with Grandfather

The Interview

Research Notes

Author’s Note

Bibliography

By

Andrea Niu

Reflection

Trail of Smoke

“Hey, hey, get out of here! There’s gonna be a bomb on the White House! You gotta get outta here! Get away from the White House!” a disheveled policeman shrieks suddenly. He waves a thick police stick manically in the air.

What in the holy world is he doing? I think. Oh, well...I suppose it’s normal for Americans...nobody is paying any attention to him. In fact, they are all taking pictures!

Ignoring the policeman, I open up the wrinkled Guide to Washington D.C. brochure and fan myself with it. The paper feels warm and sticky in my hands, and the sun beats down mercilessly on my face, even with my baseball cap. A glance down at my watch; there’s still ten minutes until the White House opens to tourists.

“Get away from the White House!” he screeches. “You’ll all be killed if you don’t leave!” Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see a weird flash of red light. Then blue. Then red again.

What is that? I think. I have barely a moment to ponder it, when suddenly, bellowing police, roaring motorcycles, screaming sirens, and flashing lights blaze across the scene. A vast crowd of people stampede toward us like a pack of elephants.

What is happening? The people in the crowd are all running, dashing towards us. Anxiety and fright lines the creases of each person’s face. Some people’s eyes are glazed over, like they are dazed and in a dream. Others let the worry and panic show through. I see many business people, swinging their briefcases and purses back and forth as they run.

They look like an army. I think to myself. So stiff and awkward in their formal suits and spit-shined leather shoes. Police car sirens blare the too-familiar “WE-ooo WE-ooo WE-ooo.” The neon yellow tape squelches as the police unroll it. Soon enough, the neon tape is strung taut around bright orange cones, lined up hastily against the meticulously manicured White House lawn. The length of neon tape cuts straight across the proud face of the White House.

“Please evacuate the area. Please evacuate the White House,” a policeman monotonously commands from a speakerphone.

Why do we have to evacuate? Here I am, standing in line, waiting patiently to tour the White House...Why must I evacuate?

“Come on! Get OUT! Please EVACUATE!” another policeman hollers, shooing people away like flies.

“Get on the bus! Quick! On the bus! Stop taking pictures!” our tour guide, Jeffery, commands brusquely. “What’s your lives for those pretty pictures?” We hurriedly shuffle onto the bus.

“Turn the radio on!” Jeffery instructs.

“Bzzzzzzzz!” The radio’s static noise irritates my fried nerves.

“Look, Look!” Zhao Lan Fu points out the scratched window of the bus. Dark, hazy plumes of smoke curl up towards the baby-blue sky.

“What is it? Smoke?” Zhao Lan Fu asks Jeffery.

“There’s a fire, fire!” Jeffery screeches. “In the direction of the Pentagon!”

“It’s on fire!” He continues.

“What happened?” I question.

Everything is so confusing.

“Quiet! The bus’s radio!” The tour guide exclaims.

“...A plane crashed through three rings of the Pentagon,” the reporter of the radio announces somberly. “The building is gushing out smoke. The White House may be under attack as well.” Right outside the window, the very same cloaks of smoke simply hover, a looming testament to the horror-filled disaster. The bus inches closer and closer to the smoke.

Ooooh...that smoke is oozing out thickly now, so dense and dark. It’s so close to me..like I could reach out of the open window and touch it, grab a

chunk out of it. The plumes of smoke billow aggressively in massive brown clouds of angry fumes. Through the open window, I smell the smoke, like burned toast, and that smell is like the new-car smell, like rubber. I can taste the smoke now. I can taste the scorched concrete, the twisted metal, the rubber, and I can taste the dead people floating around in the smoke, I can taste all the destruction. And it’s nauseating...it’s so disgusting that I stop breathing, I don’t want to taste it anymore...it makes my stomach churn...I’m gagging and it tastes so bad...so horrible and sickening.

A car-honk sounds behind us. A chorus of other beeps, honks, and blares follow.

Seems like everybody’s in a bad mood today. I glance out of the window again and see the dark cloud, hanging like a downcast, moody flag reminding everybody of what happened. A businessman strides his business-walk down the sidewalk, but his head hangs down, his shoulders slump wearily. I don’t know how many Americans went home the same way that day.

The creaking bus lurches along slowly, crawling behind the traffic jam of fleeing people. And still, that hateful trail of dark smoke follows us the whole way, extending its tendrils towards the sky.

What was your first reaction? What did you feel about it?

I didn’t see the plane crash into the Pentagon. The first thing that happened that was related to the event was a police with a long beard waving a long stick at us and telling us to leave the White House. Our reaction to that was to stay there and resume waiting in line and ignore the policeman. He didn’t really look like authority, and he had a very long beard. And his clothes weren’t very neat. We quietly waited in line for a long time, then suddenly this police comes around waving a stick at us. So we didn’t move. When the bomb sirens came blaring and people came running toward us, the first thought was: What’s happening? So then we turned to the Taiwanese tour guide Jeffery, and he was trying to contact somebody with his cellphone, only the cell phone signal was gone, which meant that there was a severe disaster that happened. The tour guide herded us onto the bus. There was a radio on the bus, an we were trying to listen to the radio to figure out what happened. Then out of the window, we saw big plumes of smoke rising up in the air. The tour guide said that was in the direction of the Pentagon. When we finally understood what the radio was saying, that somebody purposefully crashed the planes into the towers, and into the Pentagon, I felt really alarmed. Because we were in America, and America is a big big power, very strong, so how could these terrorists hurt America? I really don’t like the terrorists. They don’t care about life or lives. They just killed so many living people, healthy breathing people and they didn’t care. I’m grateful for those brave Americans on the fourth plane. The one that was headed for the White House, but it crashed in Pennsylvania because the passengers overthrew the terrorists. Because if they didn’t do that, who knows where I would be now. And I think I had a near death experience. If we went to the towers two days late, then I would’ve been killed. If the passengers didn’t overthrow the terrorists of the fourth plane then I would’ve been killed.

What was the reaction of other people around you?

Pretty much the same as us. There were people from many countries waiting in line to tour the White House, and we all were waiting quietly. When the police came around we mostly stayed put. The tour guide was very good in

getting us away from the White House. When we saw the smoke and heard about the disaster, everybody was mostly glad they were alive, shocked and alarmed by the terrorists, and sorry for the lives not saved.

Is there anything that stuck out to you most obviously (sights, sounds, smells...)? Why, How?

Yeah. When we were on the bus, we saw big plumes of smoke rising up. And we heard the bombing alarms. And we saw a big crowd of people running in our direction, to the White House. We saw motorcycles and police cars racing in the opposite direction of the fleeing people.

What did the scene look like?

A loud policeman with a long beard waving a stick at us and shouting for us to go. A frightened crowd of people running to us when police cars and motorcycles raced in. Great plumes of smoke rising up.

How did the people around you affect you?

The tour guide helped us get out of the disaster zone quickly. A fellow tourist brought a radio. The policeman got us off the grounds. The other tourists shared the same experiences. The frightened people ran toward us. The tour guide screamed “Stop taking pictures! Life none!”

Did anything/body strike you deeply? If yes, then what/who, how and possibly why?

The smoke. It wasn’t right. Kind of out of place. It was confusing already and with the smoke, it was very bad. The policeman with the beard. He was loud, his clothes weren’t clean, he was kind of rudely waving the stick around. He had a very long beard.

Did you learn something from the event? If yes, then what?

I guess I learned that America isn’t invincible. I also learned a lot about terrorists. Also some English.

Did the event change you? If so, how?

Well after the event, time kind of goes on. I wasn’t really affected by the event, just slightly shaken up, and tired.

What time was it? What setting/place?

Around 8:00-9:00 in front of the White House and on the bus.

Is there anybody/thing that you were grateful for (during the event)? If so, why and how?

I’m grateful for those brave Americans on the fourth plane. They are heroes.

Did you see any shrapnel or dangerous fragments? did you see the building crash?

No I only saw the smoke and the people.

Did something during the attack strike you importantly?

The smoke. That was important.

Did you hear the plane or see the plane before it crashed?

No. We were too far away, thank goodness.

What was the atmosphere like?

Tense and confused.

Were there any crazy screaming people or police?

Yeah. The crowd of people running frantically toward us. And there was the long bearded police and the police on motorcycles going towards the disaster.

Was there anybody/one around you that affected the event?

Nobody around me really affected the terrorists.

Was anybody around you carrying weaponry/arms?

The police were. That’s all.

9/9 went to UN building and then to the 103 floor of the WTC

9/10 went to Philadelphia

9/11 went to the White House in the early morning to line up and tour the White House. About 8:30, wait quietly in lines outside the White House for 30 minutes, then a policeman with a long beard waving a stick comes out and yells for us to get off, that there was a problem. Thought police was weird. Then crowd of people run to us from Pentagon, motorcycles and police flashing sirens and lights. Then there is there no network in the cell phone s the tour guide takes us on bus. Radio on bus gives us news. We listen to the radio giving a constant stream of changing info. Horror watching the smoke from the bus, listening to the radio. Flee to Canada, get out of US soon as possible / To the Niagara falls.

What time did the bearded police to scream?

9:00+am

How did you address Grandma?

Zhao Lan Fu

What was the name of the restaurant?

A fast food restaurant

What did the waiter wear? What was the waiter like? What did you eat?

African American waiter, waiter clothing

How much was the meal? What meal was it? Did you like the food?

Hamburger, fast food. American food. Regular.

What was the weather like?

Sunny, beautiful day

What did the police look like?

Older police, 50+years , clothing kinda purple-grayish color, with hat

What color beard did the police have? Was it bushy, or smooth? how long?

Gray, with some white. Very long

How long was the wait?

8:00 in line for about hour, then the police screamed

What pictures did you take?

Some with White House, some of the smoke outside the bus window.

Was there lots of traffic?

Lots. Lots and lots. Everybody trying to get out.

What did the smoke look like?

Dark, and a lot of it.

What did the smoke smell like?

Very bad, very much. Like burning rubber. I didn’t like the smell, so I didn’t try to breathe it.

How did you get to the White House?

By bus. The same driver, every day. From the hotel.

What was the bus like?

Kind of creaky. Big travel bus, normal comfort.

What were the bus windows like?

Scratched, kind of old-ish windows.

What did the people running to the White House look like?

Lots of business people in suits, couldn’t run well. Lots of police and sirens and motorcycles and cars and lights. Like they were an army, like they had arthritis.

What were you wearing?

It looks like jeans, and a sleeved button shirt in the photos we too that day in Washington. Your grandma was wearing a long sleeve and pants. It was hot that day, and your grandma was wearing a sweater! She took it off later.

September 11th 2000

Four airplanes are hijacked by terrorists from Al’Qaida. These planes are flown and crashed into the Twin towers, the pentagon， and another that was likely to be flown into the capitol or White House was overtaken by passengers and crashed into a field in Pennsylvania

The four planes were all headed from the east to the west coast, and they were chosen because they contained lots of gas, so they were easily flammable and could cause great destruction easily.

The 9/11 attacks were planned for many years.

Al’Qaida’s leader was Osama Bin Laden, until U.S. Navy SEALs shot him

Nearly 3000 people died in the attacks, including the bombers, Firemen, police, rescue teams, people in and around the attack area, passengers on the planes.

WTC: A plane flew into the WTC N. A second plane flew into the S Twr. 20 min. later. The N tower and S tower then collapsed.

Pentagon: A plane crashed into the pentagon’s southwest side.

Field: Probably meant to crash into Washington D.C., but passengers overthrew the plane hijackers and the plane was crashed into a field.

The terrorist hijackings of the planes increased the U.S.’s awareness of security very much, and the people became more wary of taking safety measures. The hijackings also caused the U.S. to go to war with Afghanistan, as Afghanistan’s government was a Taliban government that supported Al’Qaida and multiple other terrorist groups. Eventually the Taliban government was overthrown and a new government of Afghan rebels was put together.

The Pentagon was at the core of the U.S.’s military intelligence. The two World Trade Center Towers were, at the time, the tallest buildings in the U.S., major tourist attractions, and an important office building complex for more than 500 companies. The White House is the center of the government, while also serving as the official residence of the President and his family. On September 11th, 2001, these four areas became a target of nineteen Islamic extremist terrorists.

This event killed more than 3000 people, and affected millions of Americans watching from their TV, tuning in from the radio, glued to their phones, and witnessing the event from the four locations. The nineteen terrorists hijacked four planes and proceeded to crash them into the North World Trade Center, the South World Trade Center, and the Pentagon. The Towers collapsed after the plane crash, an hour within each other.

The plane supposed to crash into the White House never met its target. The passengers aboard the plane attempted to gain control of the plane from the terrorists, and the terrorists crashed the plane into an empty field, which killed everybody onboard.

The events of 9/11 were horrible, and devastating. The aftermath were just as terrible. Dead family members’ corpses were discovered among the wreckage of metal and concrete and returned to their grieving families. Loved ones, friends, family, mums and dads, tourists, office workers, all killed.

The terrorists had everything so well planned, every detail viewed, prepared, and ready. Perhaps the most shocking part was that America was attacked. The power of the world, the strong nation, the big shot was suddenly attacked by a group of religious extremists. And hurt by it. So many Americans were hurt, and the whole world was affected.

New York’s economy collapsed with the Towers, and the world’s economy went down with it.

Many companies with offices inside of the World Trade Center were temporarily closed until new office buildings were found. The reconstruction of the World Trade Center Plaza cost millions of dollars. Millions were spent on healing the wounded, and treating the people that inhaled toxic dust and debris.

Hundreds of people went missing,

including firefighters, police, businesspeople, and tourists. Everybody was sorrowful, and grieving over losses. 9/11, no doubt, caused great suffering and pain, but somehow, it brought people together, like a family of victims.

"Remembering 9/11." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/remembering-9-11/>.

BBC News. BBC, 02 Aug. 2012. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14760962>.

"National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States." National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. <http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/index.htm>.

"Learn More about the Future 9/11 Visitor Education Center." National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. <http://www.pentagonmemorial.net/>.

"Journal of 9/11 Studies." Other Journals. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2012. <http://www.journalof911studies.com/mainstream.html>.

I haven’t learned a lot about my family’s history, but I did learn about the certain time period when my grandpa was in Washington D.C., touring America’s East Coast.

I don’t see how this has given me a better sense of identity, because this didn’t affect me, as I was too little then too understand. It didn’t shape the rest of my life, either, because my grandparents came home safely, and nobody had wounds, they only had stories to tell. I don’t think my life would be different had the event not happened. In this project, we learn about a certain time period of historical significance. Also, so we can better understand our relatives and what their lives were like. This way, we can relate to them better, and this can also help us understand why we are who we are.

I enjoyed learning about the different writing tools, such as symbolism, leads, and stretching a small moment. I enjoyed this because I could then apply all this to my writing and tinker around with it, which was fun. I particularly enjoyed listening to the stories that Ms. Bui read aloud to us, such as “Hairs” from The House on Mango Street because I could hear how the author used the writing tool (symbolism) very clearly, and obviously.

I faced the challenge of having writer’s block, probably because I wasn’t able to envision the scene from the information I had. After I interviewed my grandpa a second time, I asked more questions, and more specific questions. This helped me A LOT, and I could write much more than before.

Another challenge was choosing the right words, because I kept using the words “dark, flutter, holler, dense, blare” so I had to find substitutes for those words. Eventually, I exhausted the Mac’s DashBoard thesaurus, so I used the online Thesaurus.com instead. I ended up with “ebony, quiver, bellow, solid, blast.”

I think I have a better idea on how to stretch out a small moment. I also try to use the five senses more. I believe that I am much better at making the reader envision the scene, and that the words I choose convey the mood that I am trying to show, better than before.

I would tell new students who are about to do the project to ASK, ASK, ASK. ASK SPECIFIC. ASK THE MOST MINOR OF DETAILS, because that is the best way to PACK the details into your story. Example: “The weather was hot,” into “The weather was scorching hot, the sun was burning, sweat ran down my neck and onto my pretty new summer dress in sticky droplets.” Also, PUNCH the reader with descriptive adjectives and verbs. EXAGGERATE!!! Instead of “Suddenly, she grabbed the small piece of meat,” say, “She VICIOUSLY POUNCED onto the MEASLY scrap of ROTTING meat faster than a starving cheetah.”