Local residents recall where they were on 9/11
Perspectives of those affected by the terrorist attacks, 25 years later
Sept. 9, 2026
By Jessi Hardy
Sept. 11 marks 25 years since terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The Rising Tide asked local residents where they were and how the events of 9/11 reshaped their lives and the nation.
Steve Hindy of Brooklin
I was at a beer convention in Las Vegas. Three other brewers and I bought a van and drove back to NYC, my home, in 45 hours. I heard our leaders saying 9/11 showed that some people in the world hated America and wanted to destroy our way of life. I don’t think that is true. Rather I think many around the world hate our imperial military presence in their countries. The mistaken idea that we are hated has led us into unnecessary wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and now, Iran.
Devon Granger of Brooklin
I was working at Merrill and Hinkley’s. We actually took a TV and put it out by the register so everyone could keep updated. I felt dizzy. Like I was walking around in a fog. It was scary. I realized at that moment we weren’t as safe as I had always thought. That bad things can happen really close to home.
Steve Rittmeyer, Stonington Fire Chief
I was on a conference call for work and someone mentioned that a plane hit the tower. At first we thought it was just like some accident, or something like that. I turned on the TV and watched, and then the second plane hit and then you knew something was wrong. Seeing the bravery of those firefighters, obviously, and all the first responders …you saw this incredible self-sacrifice and people that paid a huge price, including the ultimate price.
Officer Franklin Burke of Sedgwick, Ellsworth Police Department
“I was working at Napa Auto Parts when the towers came down. It was a pivotal point; I wanted to do something for my country, so I joined law enforcement a couple of months later. I’ve been there ever since. I felt helpless, as most did.”
Ellen Foote of Brooklin, former Principal of Middle School 289 New York
“As principal of a middle school three blocks north of the World Trade Towers, I was walking the hallways to ensure that teachers and students were settled in—it was less than 20 minutes into the morning of the third day of school. At about 8:50 a.m. one teacher called out to me as he ran into the hallway, then ashen-faced said that he had just looked south out of his window and saw smoke rising from one of the towers—his brother worked on one of the top floors of that building.”
Jackie Pelletier of Deer Isle, works for Memorial Ambulance Corps
It was a gorgeous beautiful day. I had gone outside and just enjoyed the sky and the tranquility, hanging the laundry out on the clothesline. At that moment I got a phone call from my mother telling me a plane had hit one of the towers at the World Trade Center. The rest of the day was spent watching and listening for news. I remember going outside and looking at the beautiful sky and wondering how such extreme suffering could be happening in New York and Pennsylvania when my world was so calm. It felt surreal, dreamlike as though I was disconnected from normal reality. How could this be happening? I felt that I wanted to go pick up my children and just hug them, but refrained…liife feels more fragile and precious. I wonder if becoming more involved with my Deer Isle community through ambulance work was my attempt to do something about our ever changing world.
Tiffany Eaton of Deer Isle, family nurse practitioner
I was in college studying to be a registered nurse at UMaine Orono. I had 2 small kids at the time ages 4 and 5 and getting to school required a 2-hour drive one way. I remember sitting in clinical and our teacher got pulled out of the classroom … When she came back in, she was a bit subdued and then she got pulled out again. The second time she came back in she announced that a plane had hit the World Trade Center in New York. She told us class was dismissed and to go to the Union (central hall) to watch on the TV. Molly and I watched for a few minutes before deciding that we needed to go home right then, we wanted to get our kids and be with our families since it was not clear what was happening other than some sort of attack…Nothing has felt safe since then.
Andrea Lopez, Nurse at George Stevens Academy
“I was at the gym with my sister and we were on side by side treadmills when the first tower was hit and broadcast on the television. Then the second tower was hit and my thought was, "Oh my God something is terribly wrong with air traffic control." It didn't cross my mind that the US was being attacked until it was announced that multiple terror attacks were happening in the Northeast Corridor. I was scared and frightened…I developed a severe fear of flying and did not fly again for 10 years. I felt my overall sense of security and safety deteriorated that day, but my sense of self increased. I was in a difficult marriage with a husband who was taking a few years longer than I expected to reassimilate from military to civilian life. A month later I felt life was not guaranteed for any of us and started the separation process.”.
Mike Heino of Blue Hill, former military medic
I was finishing medic school, doing my on-the-job training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina … It changed everything—our training shifted entirely from traditional jungle operations to urban warfare, clearing buildings, and dealing with IEDs and roadside bombs … At Fort Bragg, there was a wave of domestic tragedies because guys who had been dealing with constant conflict through violence had trouble adjusting when returning home to personal issues … Despite all the chaos, I loved what it taught me and I love my country. Right after 9/11, every overpass from Fort Bragg to Maine had an American flag on it. That tragedy brought the nation together in a way I'll never forget. People were united with a clear purpose and immense pride in supporting the troops.
