Madison County residents with first-hand accounts of or about September 11, 2001, and days, weeks, and months that followed have been invited to share their stories with the county's historian as part of an ongoing project to preserve Madison County's role, memories, impact of that infamous day.
With the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States just over a month away, on August 3, Madison County Public Information Officer Samantha Field put out a public call for country residents with first-hand accounts of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath to share their stories.
The current collection of accounts would become as part of a long-standing county project, led by Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz, to document those stories to be shared with Madison County's now two generations that have come after, and "generations to come"
"Whether you watched the events unfold from a classroom or workplace, traveled to New York City to assist in the recovery efforts, lost a loved one, or were impacted in another way," specified Field in a statement, "your story is an important part of the historical record."
The Madison County officers collaborating on the project remind that, today, there are two generations of young residents who were not yet born on Sept. 11, 2001. Their efforts intend to preserve first-hand accounts from county residents so that those, and future generations, would be able to "learn not only what happened, but how it affected the lives of people in their own communities."
"We often remember the images we saw on television that day, but every community has its own stories," said Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz in a statement. "The experiences of our neighbors, family members, first responders, military personnel, elected officials, volunteers, and everyday citizens are part of Madison County's history. We want to preserve those stories before they are lost."
The project leaders suggest that stories may include where you were when you heard the news, maybe you waited that day to hear from a loved one, or you were a teacher who had to explain the events to your students, or were you involved in the response and recovery efforts. County residents should also feel free to share their own photos or even journal entries with those stories.
Residents are encouraged to consider that "every memory helps paint a more complete picture of how September 11 impacted our community and changed us."
The Madison County September 11 preservation project, "Our Community. Our Stories. September 11 through Madison County Voices.", is an ongoing county effort to preserve the lived experience of county residents who lived through that time in American history.
"Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz has been collecting and documenting stories for years now," shared Field. "It is an ongoing project and he will continue to document those stories for years to come."
The statement affirms how Madison County hopes to create a lasting historical record by in preserving residents' firsthand accounts of that poignant time in our nation's history; a record that "honors those who were lost, recognizes those who served and responded, and ensures the lessons and memories of September 11 continue to be shared for generations to come."
Madison County residents are invited to submit their own stories (not those of someone else unless you have the right to do so) in writing or by recording a video of themselves sharing their memories, together with photos, journal entries, etc.
Stories, photos, videos can be submitted through the county's online form on the County's website, or by emailing [email protected].
Questions or comments regarding the 9/11 project can be submitted to Field via email at [email protected].
The Madison County Historian's Office and Madison County Public Information Office thank county residents for their help in preserving "an important part of our community's history."
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Madison County seeks to preserve Sept. 11, 2001 history