I grew up on Long Island in the village of Copiague. In 1970 I moved to Alaska to be a teacher and have remained here ever since.

On 9/11 I was in the village of Koyuk. Koyuk is located on the Seward Penninsula in Western Alaska, about 130 miles from Nome.

I woke up at 7:00 am (11:00 am in New York). I walked into the living room of the principals quarters and saw him sitting at his computer. He yold me that two planes had hit the twin towers in Manhatten and that they were both down. I
asked him if he were crazy and he informed me that another plane had hit the Pentagon and another had crashed in Penn.

I had to sit down after feeling a few palpitations. I called my daughter in Tokyo who had seen the second plane hit. I then called my mother in Italy. It took me 5 minutes to clam her down before we could speak.

My mother died early the next year. She always loved America. She had met my dad shortly after WWII. She was always proud of her American citizenship.

All those people from all those countrys. I will remember that day all my life.