The horrific images were broadcasted on televisions around the world; the catastrophe in New York was 300 miles away from Arlington, Virginia. At 9:45 am, I felt the impact of the American Airlines, flight 77, as it crashed into the Pentagon killing 184 people. The crash site was only three miles away from my office building, the Arlington County Department of Human Services. The impact shook the houses and buildings surrounding the Pentagon area. People rushed out to see what was happening. From the fourth floor of my office building, I could see the white smoke slowly rising against the beautiful autumn and cloudless blue sky. Soon enough, my colleagues and I were informed that terrorists had attacked the Pentagon.

My artwork was inspired by the intersection of my personal experience and the public’s experience with September 11th. The iconic poster published by the National Press Club titled “Darkest Page in American History”, which identified 25 news headlines around the world expressing how people reacted to the tragic events of September 11th, served as a fitting backdrop to trace my personal connection to people and things that related to September 11th. There was the strangely coincidental photo of me and members of the Northern Alliance who, with the support of the United States government, were permitted to receive medical treatment at Walter Reed Medical in 1985 (the Northern Alliance would later help us defeat the Taliban after September 11th); and the only photo of me and the World Trade Center standing majestically in the background. 

“The Darkest Day in American History” has affected each of us in different ways. The psychological scars of September 11th will forever be etched in our collective memory. As an American, it is my strong desire to share my personal September 11th experience through art.