Twenty-three years ago tragedy struck the nation, leaving every U.S citizen in shock and disbelief, marking one of the darkest days in U.S. history.
On September 11, 2001, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people and forever altered the course of history. The ripple effects from that moment is still felt today, from heightened national security measures to the collective memory of a grieving nation.
Former military member Marla Tooman, the canteen manager at Stockton’s VFW Post 52, was stationed in South Korea at 18-years-old when she heard of the terrorist attack. As a young recruit, she was terrified for her own safety, unsure of what would happen next.
“All we saw was the news and the information,” Tooman said. “We got locked down, we couldn’t do anything, we couldn’t leave base, so it was just a sad tragedy, but I just didn’t know if something would trigger between North and South Korea.”
Reflecting on how the country has evolved since then, Tooman expressed concern about how 9/11 shaped views on race and terrorism.
“In my opinion, the impact it had on the nation made us more segregated when it comes to race,” Tooman said. In the aftermath of the attacks, “people just assume that if you’re Middle Eastern, they immediately assume that you’re a terrorist.”
Tooman’s words remind us that while 9/11 united the country in grief, it also opened up difficult conversations about identity, fear, and prejudice conversations that, over two decades later, are still being navigated.