Sept. 11, 2001 was a turning point in U.S., world history, and local history, marking a clear before and after.
The day and weeks before had been largely ordinary.
Among the local headlines and stories in the weeks leading up to that fateful day were teacher awards, new construction, fall sports and summaries of new library books, along with weddings and engagements. The Boyd Legion Auxiliary celebrated its 70th anniversary, while Boyd Elementary had just received a new gym floor. The city of Stanley was in talks for the purchase of Stanley Correctional Institution by the state, capping a years-long process to bring Wisconsin prisoners closer to home, rather than house them in other states.
In short, few if any indications suggested that a historic and traumatic event was about to take place.
On a national level meanwhile, the United States of September 10, 2001 and before had just been through a contentious presidential election and vote recount less than a year earlier. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bush v. Gore had stopped a paper ballot recount in Florida after what some called confusing paper ballots resulted in “undervotes” and partially punched paper ballots with statistically unlikely choices in specific Florida counties. The Court’s decision to stop the recount had meant that George W. Bush clinched Florida and the presidency by just 537 votes, losing the popular vote but winning the Electoral College.
Bush had campaigned on a domestic agenda that was education focused, with Sept. 10 finding him in Jacksonville and Sarasota as he promoted education reform.
At the Pentagon, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had just given a major speech on reforming the military bureaucracy, following news that the Department could not reliably track $2.3 trillion in transactions. At New York City on Sept. 10, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained .05 percent to close the day at 9,606, while the Nasdaq closed at 1,695.
Internationally, news out of Afghanistan reported the assassination on Sept. 9 in Afghanistan of Ahmad Shah Massoud, by two Al-Qaeda suicide bombers posing as television journalists. Massoud was the leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, a former Afghan defense minister and a Sunni Muslim, warning the European Parliament at Brussels in April 2001 that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda were planning a large-scale terrorist attack outside Afghanistan. The Taliban government that harbored Al-Qaeda and its terrorist training camps meanwhile had emerged from a student cleric movement in the aftermath of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989. Just that past spring, the Afghan government had dynamited giant statues in Bamiyan dating to the area’s Buddhist past, deemed idolatrous by Taliban leadership.
Massoud, a leading anti-Taliban figure in a poor country that was engaged in civil war, was largely ignored in his warnings before the attacks in the U.S.
Come Sept. 11, that all changed.
The Stanley Republican, published by Joe and Barb Fazendin, carried extensive coverage in its Sept. 20 issue, the attacks happening as the paper was already being prepared for printing of the Sept. 13 issue.
“There are no words that can even begin to explain the tragedy that struck America last Tuesday,” Fazendin wrote. “One can only express sympathy to those who lost loved ones in the tragedy. One thing that I am sure will be an outcome of Tuesday’s action will be considerably more security at air ports, on our country’s borders, and with the visas offered to college students. It’s a sad thing, but something we must do.”
Fazendin went on to make comments on the need for more airport security, and say he had received many emails related to the tragedy.
“Take a moment to thank God that you or a loved one did not lose a life in the tragedy Tuesday,” he said. “If you have someone involved, our sympathy is with you!”
As for the Stanley-Boyd area, anxiety on gas had trigged a panic on area gas stations, while the price was the same Wednesday morning as it had been Tuesday night.
At Boyd meanwhile, the Boyd-Stanley Catholic Schools responded to the attacks with a prayer service Wednesday, Sept. 12, with Scripture readings that focused on God’s abiding power and love. Students were reminded that good is stronger than evil. Students and faculty gathered around the flag pole and raised it to half staff, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance tougher. A “Red, White, and Blue Day” was sponsored by fourth to sixth grade students on Monday, Sept. 17, with all students and faculty wearing clothing in patriotic colors, praying the rosary for peace and collection money for victims of the attacks.
Over at Stanley, approximately 100 people gathered outside city hall on Third Avenue on Monday, Sept. 17, including city residents, firefighters, police, city official, VFW members, and others. The meeting was organized by Council member Dean Witt and others, with Pastor William Stewart of Our Saviour’s Lutheran leading the crowd
Stanley mayor David Jankoski shared more in his weekly column, then called “From the Mayor’s Perspective.”
“Last week was a gut wrenching week for all of us,” Jankoski wrote. “Television at a time like this is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand it brings us a minute by minute description of what is happening, but on the other the continual witnessing of death and destruction after a long period of time becomes very depressing to watch. One of the positives coming from all of this is that the nation seems to have drawn closer and has at least temporarily a resolve to deal with terrorism.”
Jankoski continued.
“The Chippewa Valley and the Stanley Area also witnessed a coming together to show a solidarity of support for the victims of the calamities in New York City, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. It was nice to see the display of flags throughout our community. The increased opportunities provided by our churches to come together for prayer, the candle light ceremony at the football game last Friday night, and the community memorial gathering on Monday evening at City Hall were all positive experiences…like the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the acts of terrorism committed on September 11, 2001 will forever be etched in our minds.
Jankoski closed with acknowledgement of those who had undertaken planning the local commemoration.
“I would like to acknowledge the work Councilman Dean Witt, and anyone who assisted him, did in arranging the memorial service that was held at City Hall on Monday evening,” Jankoski wrote. “Offered was an opportunity for us to join together as a community to recall the events of the past week, pray for the victims, and salute those who our country in the military, or serve our community as firefighters, first responders, and police officers. I would also like to acknowledge the part in this program by Pastor Bill Stewart, the local Legion, and VFW members, Jarek Peterson, Dean Witt, local police officers, firemen, and all those people acting behind the scene.”
Jankoski ended by thanking those who attended, a sentiment echoed in a thank you by Council member Witt.
“I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank each and every one of you who attended the memorial service held at City Hall on Monday, September 17, 2001 in support of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania,” Witt said. “Special thanks to Mayor Jankoski, Pastor Stewart, VFW, Jarek Peterson, Stanley Police Department and the Stanley Fire Department for their active participation in this memorial service.”
Thank you and God Bless America.”
As for the national response to 9/11, the U.S. military was said to be on heightened alert. The National Aerospace System, or NAS, was closed to civilian air traffic across the United States, while trading was cancelled on Wall Street, not reopening until Sept. 17, six days later.
Sympathy poured in from places like Canada and Russia, with newly minted Russian President Vladimir Putin, then on his first term, declaring a moment of silence at 12 noon to honor the victims and support the U.S. The European Union followed suit with its own display of support, adopting an action plan Sept. 21 for the fight against terrorism. NATO’s Article 5 was invoked, leading to a joint war effort in Afghanistan.
It would later be determined that a total of 2,977 victims had died in the 9/11 attacks by Al-Qaeda on U.S. soil, along with the 19 hijackers. The count included 343 New York firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers, and 55 military personnel at the Pentagon. This would later rise in years to come, with dust breathed in at Ground Zero causing health problems that grew the death toll.
Across the U.S. meanwhile patriotism surged, with people lining up to donate blood and support those in Washington D.C. and New York. Airports nationwide were closed, along with some post offices and shopping malls. Schools were open, while prayer services were being planned “as the nation comes together for comfort and solidarity.”
Nine days later President Bush spoke to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, paying tribute to heroes like Todd Beamer of Flight 93 while making demands on the Taliban government harboring Al-Qaeda.
Speaking at 9 p.m. from the U.S. House chamber to a united Congress and nation, Bush demanded that Taliban leaders hand over Al-Qaeda leaders to the United States or share in their fate, adding that “these demands are not open for discussion or debate.” Bush also nominated Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge for a newly proposed Department of Homeland Security, which would seek to close security gaps and increase intelligence sharing among agencies like the CIA and FBI.
Bush then declared the start of a global War on Terror, stating that “our war on terror begins with al-Qaeda, but it does not end there.” He said that every nation of the world had a decision to make, and that “either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”
“We are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom,” he said. “Our grief has turned to anger and our anger to resolution.”
The time before Sept. 11 was over. The time after, had begun.