9/11 Attacks Linger in Hearts, Minds, Lives

A decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and left the United States shaken to its core, memories of the day remain painfully vivid and lives forever altered.

In the immediate aftermath – as the nation collectively asked why al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden masterminded the hijacking of four jetliners that were crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania – , where bin Laden was believed to be hiding.

The deployments continued into 2011.

Cara Czajka, 4, was on hand April 11 during a deployment ceremony at in Berkley. She was there to support of her uncle, Sgt. Michael Czajka of Garden City, who was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. Cara's mom, Emma Czajka – Michael's sister – was training in Georgia and expected to be deployed shortly after her brother.

When asked what she'd like to say to her mom, Cara said simply: "I love you and I miss you."

Military service members also were sent to Iraq in 2003, when President George W. Bush and administration officials said Saddam Hussein was harboring weapons of mass destruction that could fall into the al-Qaida terror network's hands.

The weapons were not found, but Hussein was captured in 2003 and executed in 2006.

, when the al-Qaida leader was killed by Navy SEALS during a raid on the compound where he was hiding.

But his death brought little closure.

"It's obviously a success story," Col. Keith Sousa, rear detachment commander for the Army Reserve's 645th Regional Support Group based in Southfield, said May 2. "But, I think people have to keep it in perspective. This is just the beginning.

"Maybe in the long term, it will have some effect, but I know there are leaders in bin Laden's chain of command who will step up and take his place," he said.

While the tragedy of 9/11 and heroism of military members, rescue workers and ordinary people united many Americans, the attacks also isolated Muslim-Americans, who became subjects of suspicion.

. "Extremists exist in all faiths. However, those extremists are a minority. Out of the 1.6 to 1.8 million Muslims in the world, extremists don't make even a fraction of one percent of the population."

As Americans continue to mourn lost loved ones and grapple with questions about security and religious freedom, we asked community members in Berkley and Huntington Woods to share their memories and reflections to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Sunday.

• Barry Lepler, Huntington Woods resident and retired teacher: "I remember that day well. I was teaching my students and the Principal at came on the PA. 'You can turn on your TV if you want and see this accident as a plane has hit the World Trade Tower.' I turned on the TV and then when the second plane hit, you knew. ... After about 20 minutes more and seeing the second plane you knew the (right) thing was to turn off the TV so the images would not be there for the class, though you could discuss it.
• "Another example of the effect of 9/11. I was teaching a class for Oak Park District Court for those who get traffic tickets and the power went out. It (was) the day of the multi-state power outage (in 2003). It turns out the court has (auxiliary) lights that kicked in and are very well equipped with big flashlights just for an emergency like this. A staff member came and waved to talk outside and said how power has been lost everywhere and I should send the students home. I then asked the obvious question. 'Was it terrorists?' She said she did not know. I went back and told the students I was going to let them go but the traffic lights were out so drive carefully. It was an example how the (terrorists) have impacted our thoughts."
• Dan Terbrack, Berkley City Council member and principal of : "I was going through my normal college routine – roll out of bed and head to class. My girlfriend at the time (now wife!) came to pick me up and told me about the first plane hitting the tower. At that point neither of us really knew what that meant or what would follow, but by the time we got to the class, TVs were rolled into the hallways and no one was in a classroom. Everyone was glued to the TV as (the) second tower was hit. After that, classes were canceled and we headed home. The first thing I did was pop a VHS (cassette) into the VCR and started recording everything that happened (of course I don't even own a VCR anymore). The rest of the day was kind of a blur as I tried to wrap my head around what was (happening) and what it (meant) for the future of our country."
• Huntington Woods resident Kim Lifton: "Horror. Had just dropped off my daughter, then 3, at Temple Emanu-El for preschool. The car radio was off; I always turned it off when driving the little kids. My mom called and told me a plane flew into the Twin Towers. I thought she was making it up ... did not believe her ... got home, turned on the TV and saw the second plane fly right into the second tower. I couldn't speak; I was scared. I felt helpless. So I called the preschool to inquire about my daughter. I wanted to pick her up, to give her a huge hug and kiss. The director said the kids were fine, to leave her there. So I did. It rattled my world, and it rattled everyone's worlds. I will never forget that moment."
• Berkley resident Eric Murrell: "I was at a building code seminar at our head office in Toledo when (someone) broke in and told us about it. We (adjourned) the seminar and watched the TV coverage of the aftermath. The terrible part was that everyone in the room – a bunch of architects and engineers – knew that it was only a matter of time before the towers collapsed and we knew that the tower that was hit second was going to fall first (because) of the lower hit. Frankly it was a (testament) to their design that they lasted as long as they did."
• Berkley resident and Berkley Patch contributor Alissa Malerman: "I remember Sept. 11 very vividly. The wire editor at the paper I was working for called and woke me up. She said simply: "Turn on your TV." I was shocked to see the North Tower of the World Trade Center on fire. As we were discussing it, the second plane was reported to have hit the South Tower and I knew I would immediately have to go into work. It was so crazy, I didn't have time to let it all sink in. My assignment was to sift through the live photos coming in from the Associated Press. I remember seeing photos of people jumping and that's when it soaked in. I was telling myself up to that point, 'at least it was quick and no one had to suffer.' But at that moment I knew it was much worse than I thought. And it was, of course, much worse than anyone could have imagined and a day we would never forget. I was married less than a month later, on Oct. 5, 2001. I remember people saying to me that it was nice to celebrate after so many weeks of sadness. I'm thankful to be celebrating a happier 10th anniversary this year and will never forget either of those dates."
• The Rev. Peter Moore of Greenfield Presbyterian Church in Berkley: "I think (the anniversary is) an opportunity for people to study other faiths, to admit their ignorance about people of other faiths and to do something about that. So, it's not just a time to grieve – it is that – it is a time to celebrate the heroes of that day and the days after. But it's also a time to commit yourself to doing something different."

Click here to read more 9/11 stories.

Libby Turpin contributed to this report.