WOODBURY — The tragedy of 9/11 lives in the hearts of many. The tragic day wasn’t just an attack on the Twin Towers; it was an attack on the entire United States. September 11th brought the United States together and showed that even though a horrendous event happened, humanity was brought out within the nation.  

“When the first tower got hit, everyone thought it was a freak accident,” claimed William Garms, a fire marshal and a U.S. Navy officer. “But when the second one was struck, that’s when it hit that this was a terrorist attack.” 

Many Americans that day sat glued to the TV, unsure when the next attack would happen and where.  

“As I watched the towers collapse,” said Jodi Rockill, a retired Woodbury police officer. “I couldn’t help but think that a whole bunch of first responders just died.”

“The helplessness I felt that day was unbearable,” Garms said. “There was no way I could help, and I am the type of person to run towards danger.”

Garms waited for the call of needing to come down to the Twin Towers to help, but his phone never rang, and if it did, he knew he would have gone.  

People came together that day, boat captains stopped their voyage and returned to harbor in New York to help with the rescue. Beyond individuals, American corporations lent a hand as many shoe companies donated sneakers to women in high heels who had to walk over the bridge, organizations donated food, and people fled to the scene to see how they could help. America was, for a brief moment, was united. 

No matter who you may have been and where you may have stood, everyone became affected by this day. 

“That’s what I like to call the ripple effect,” Garms said. “The stone was dropped in New York City and it rippled outward.” 

“Oh, I absolutely agree [with the ripple effect],” Rockhill stated. “I think it is a very real thing.” 

Most people in the community of Woodbury has a story to share about the tragedy of 9/11. 

Jill Olejniczak, a forensic scientist and a Woodbury resident, was in New York City when the towers were struck. The terror she felt as word got out that they were under attack was unbelievable. 

“I remember my boss telling us he wants everyone to go home today because tomorrow he will be needing us,” Olejniczak said.

When she came in the next day, nothing would prepare her for what she was about to see. The horror that came in, zipped up in a body bag, is something she will never forget. 

“The look on their face will live with me forever,” Olejniczak said. “It’s like their bodies were frozen in time.”  

People went through a huge trauma that day and almost every person can remember that day crystal clearly without a doubt. No matter where they were or what they were doing, it is buried in their heart forever.

“I absolutely loved the patriotism that was brought out during 9/11,” Rockill said. “I just wished it lasted a little bit longer.” 

As the memory lives vividly in many, as more and more time goes by, the more it becomes distanced. 

“It’s starting to seem like it’s only my generation that remembers,” Garms said. “Because after us, the memory of 9/11 will wash away.”

That’s why Garms asks the community to grab each other’s hand and to remember those who have been lost and remember the humanity that lies within each other. 

Here on campus, Nonnewaug students had a moment of silence during the memorial that took place on September 11th, 2023. During this time students and staff spent time remembering alumni who lost their lives on the fateful day. The community of Woodbury and Bethlehem will always have an enduring connection with the events that struck the nation that fateful day.