Students: 9-11 hard to recall

By Ethan Ball-Yankey

A little over 14 years ago the nation suffered the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil — the attacking of the World Trade Center and Pentagon building.

Some HCC students reflect on the tragedy that happened.

Wyatt Regehr, Inman, was a five-year-old on 9-11.

“It’s crazy because I didn’t know what was happening,” Regehr said.

“I just saw my mom standing in front of the television sobbing in tears.” He didn’t quite understand what happened, but he knew something wasn’t right because his mom was in tears.

Jackie Long, the HCC career development and placement coordinator, said she was on campus standing in a hallway. An instructor down the hall had the news on his television, where a group of people was gathered around watching this crisis, Long said.

“The first thing that came to my mind was my parents and sister living in Detroit,” she said.

“The terrorists were expected to be attacking major cities and I feared for the welfare of my family.”

She tried to call them and make sure they were ok but there was no answer.

“I was afraid that we were going to have war on our turf, something we haven’t really had to deal with in our lifetime,” she said.

Jonathan Landeros, Denver, said he was in kindergarten in Denver when the attacks occurred.

“I don’t remember much of it, honestly. I was very young.”

“All of the adults were terrified. I wasn’t sure what was happening,” he said.

Kaitlynn Goalden, McPherson, was in Wamego with relatives that day.

“My great grandpa had just died and we were at a hotel getting ready for the funeral,” Goalden said.

“I was playing on the playground.

My mother came outside and told me it was time to come in. My mother was in tears.

I didn’t understand what was going on at the moment; it took me a few days to register what had really happened.”

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