Our memories of 9/11

By Duane Munson: My wife, Betty, and I were traveling with a tour group in Europe and were in Innsbruck, Austria, on 9/11. We were shopping that afternoon in downtown Innsbruck when a sales clerk tried to tell us about "the terrible accident in New York City." She told us about "an airplane that flew into a skyscraper." Her English wasn't the best, so it was somewhat difficult for us to understand everything she was saying.

I remember us wondering, as we were leaving the store, how such a thing could happen accidentally. We just couldn't believe that someone could accidentally fly an airplane into a skyscraper in New York City. It wasn't long before we began to learn the terrible truth.

By the time we got back to our tour bus, our guide was informing those who had already gotten back what she was hearing from her people in the main tour office in Grand Rapids, Mich. We were all dumbfounded, bewildered and somewhat fearful, to say the least. Of course, she didn't have all of the details at this time.

Once more information came in, she and our driver decided to take the magnetic signs naming the tour company and its location in the states off the sides of our bus, just in case there would be any problems for American travelers. The only English-speaking televison station we could get in our hotel was CNN, and it seemed to be about a day late with whatever news was reaching us. Of course, one has to remember that there was about a seven hour time difference.

Finally, we saw pictures of the Twin Towers and were all horrified and frightened by the sight, along with the news we were receiving about all of the lives that were lost. Since it became apparent that we would not be able to fly home right away due to airport closings, etc., our tour continued through parts of Italy, Switzerland and France. Seeing the sights in those countries did help us with some deversion; however, we were always anxious to see a television set each evening.

Of course, the locals could tell that we were all Americans and pleasantly surprised us along the way with their sympathy for what had taken place in our country. We didn't have any anti-American aggression against us, as had been intially feared.

We were scheduled to fly back from Paris on Sept. 19 and, much to our surprise, were able to do it; however, security was like none other we had ever seen up to that time. Most impressive to us were the soldiers patrolling the concourses with automatic weapons.

In conclusion, I would say that our main emotions during this time were disbelief, bewilderment, sympathy and fear -- disbelief that such a horrific event could happen in the largest city in our country, bewilderment as to why it happened, sympathy for all of the people affected by this terrible event and fear for the safety and well being of all Americans at home and abroad.

We willl never forget the events of 9/11, all of the people who lost their lives, families and friends left behind, and the brave men and women who came forward to help in whatever way they could.