Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Mourning the Loss: Willow Glen resident Jean Quinn sang at a Sept. 11 prayer service at the Baha'i Center, 945 Willow St. About 80 people gathered for an hour of support and fellowship and to remember those who perished in the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.
Terrorist acts shock Willow Glen
Sept. 11 tragedies reverberate locally
By Kate Carter
Willow Glen spent Sept. 11 and the following days in a shocked daze, mourning the many casualties of four commercial airplane crashes on the East Coast, the largest coordinated terrorist attack in U.S. history.
Two hijacked American Airlines jets slammed into New York City's two World Trade Center 110-story towers at about 9 a.m., authorities said. American flight 11, a Boeing 767 bound for Los Angeles from Boston, struck the North Tower at 8:45 a.m., and that tower collapsed less than two hours later. United Airlines flight 175, a Boeing 767 bound for Los Angeles from Boston, struck the South Tower at 9:03 a.m., and that tower collapsed about an hour later.
American flight 77, a Boeing 757 bound for Los Angeles from Washington Dulles Airport, crashed into the U.S. military headquarters at the Pentagon, located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., at about 9:45 a.m., destroying a chunk of the building and causing a fire. Another United airplane, flight 93, traveling from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco, crashed into a rural area of Pennsylvania southeast of Pittsburgh at 10:06 a.m. Authorities believe the plane had been intended to strike a location in or near Washington, D.C.
The four planes had a total of 266 people on board.
At press time, no casualties report had been made, but authorities expected the death toll to number in the thousands.
Authorities believe the airplanes were hijacked in a terrorist conspiracy. President Bush named alleged Middle East terrorist Osama bin Laden as a primary suspect. The incidents are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which at press time had not announced any suspects.
The Federal Aviation Administration closed U.S. air traffic Sept. 11 and all U.S. airports, including San Jose International Airport. California Gov. Gray Davis closed all state buildings. San Jose State University and some local community colleges were closed, and San Jose's fire and police departments stood at a heightened state of alert. The San Jose City Council meeting was cancelled that afternoon, although the city's public buildings remained open.
San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales assured San Jose residents that the city had received no threats but that emergency operations centers at city hall and the airport had been activated. He also encouraged people to donate blood and money to emergency aid organizations. Other local political leaders, including U.S. Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Mike Honda, made statements expressing dismay about the tragedy, sympathy for the loved ones of those who died and demanding justice.
Schools and stores in Willow Glen remained open while people tried to retain a sense of normalcy in a day full of fear, rage and grief.
The San Jose Unified School District kept its schools, including public schools in Willow Glen, open and required parents to sign their children out of school if they wanted to bring them home. As stated in a directive from Superintendent Dr. Linda Murray, district officials believed it to be more dangerous to send children home to empty homes than to keep them in school.
Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Being Cautious: Several signs surrounded the San Jose International Airport stating that air travel at the airport was indefinitely suspended after a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York and at the Pentagon.
Students at Willow Glen High School spent portions of the day in previously scheduled grade-level assemblies. School staff spoke with them about the tragedy, and most students appeared to be handling it well, Assistant Principal Chuck Hernandez said. Some students didn't attend class, and at least one student was taken out of school by his mother, a flight attendant who usually works on the United flight 93 involved in the tragedy, Principal Pat Day said.
Hernandez said the larger concern was the middle school students who may be less capable of handling the emotions such an incident can create. But Willow Glen Middle School was also running smoothly. Teachers discussed the situation with their early classes, sixth grade math teacher Denise Darby said, and most children were at school. Receptionist Gloria Colon said that many parents called to see if the school was open and to find out how to remove their children from class. Some parents were upset that the school was open at all, she added.
Children filled the playground for recess at Willow Glen Elementary School, and Principal Anita Sunseri said teachers and administrators were trying to keep the day as normal as possible. Some students knew about the plane crashes from television reports before they came to school, she said, and the fourth- and fifth-graders had the chance to talk about them in class. She said she knew of no close relationships any of the students may have had to people involved in the crashes.
Most businesses on Lincoln Avenue tried to run as usual, while strollers and shoppers took in the continuing reports about the incidents. Many continued to sip coffee, visit restaurants and shop in Willow Glen's main business district, but the topic of conversation centered around the day's story as news updates broadcast in buildings along the street. Willow Glen Books owner Cathy Adkins said she was trying to fill some book orders but wasn't sure if the book publishers, many of which are located in New York City, would even be able to take her calls, much less fill her orders.
People also searched for news about loved ones as the tragedy struck closer to home for some. Chris Carris, owner of the Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Company, said a businessman on the street was related to an electrician who worked in the World Trade Center. The man watched television Sept. 11 and waited for any news that could make it through jammed telephone lines and trickle through media outlets, Carris said.
Similar stories floated around the avenue as people talked to strangers on the street, discussing ties to New York and Washington, D.C., and their reactions to the crisis. Many expressed astonishment, sorrow, fear and anger, some calling for retribution and others relying on prayers. The atmosphere on the avenue was calm and the pace was slow, people taking time to talk and share.
People also gathered together in unity and prayer. About 80 people gathered at 8 p.m. that night at the Baha'i Center, 945 Willow St., for an hour of prayer and fellowship, said Jim Jam, a member of San Jose's Baha'i Spiritual Assembly. He said the atmosphere of the multi-faith and multicultural gathering was somber and emotional, especially when an 85-year-old woman, recently arrived from Iran, stood up and chanted in Persian, visibly shaking.
The Stone Church of Willow Glen, 1108 Clark Way, also held a silent prayer vigil at 7:30 p.m., with candlelight and musical accompaniment.
Coping experts encouraged people to establish some space for themselves from constant television and radio updates, to find ways of constructively expressing their emotions and to remember to exercise, eat healthy and get rest.
Willow Glen Books employee Roxy Sax said the day's constant news updates made her upset but that she felt she had to know the latest of what was going on.
"I don't think we're ever going to feel safe again," she said.
Blood donations can be made to the American Red Cross, 800.448.3543.
Money donations can be made to the United Way's September 11th Fund, United Way of the Bay Area, 50 California St., Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94111-4696. For more information, call Carrie LaBriola, 415.772.4348. Donations can also be made to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, Santa Clara Valley Chapter, 2731 N. First St., San Jose, CA 95134. For more information, call 408.577.2113.
Tips can be provided to the FBI by calling 866.483.5137 or visiting www.ifccfbi.gov.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
