The attacks of September 11, 2001 may have taken place nearly a quarter of a century ago, but for many, the wounds still remain fresh.
On Sept. 23-24, Eastchester 8th and 12th graders were given a chance to learn more about one of the most tragic days in our nation’s history, as they visited the 9/11 ‘Never Forget' Mobile Exhibit—stationed in the Lake Isle parking lot—to hear from first responders who were at Ground Zero that day and reflect on the lives lost on 9/11.
The 1,110-square-foot traveling exhibit is operated by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and features artifacts and videos from the September 11, 2001 attacks and their aftermath, as well as first-hand accounts from those who were at Ground Zero or otherwise affected by the day’s events. Since 2013, the museum has visited locations in nearly every U.S. state, educating more than 650,000 visitors to date about the realities and impact of 9/11.
George Campbell—a former FDNY Battalion Chief who was stationed in the Bronx during the 9/11 attacks and joined the ‘Never Forget’ exhibit following his retirement in 2023—said that in the year that he has been a part of the traveling exhibit, he has had the chance to speak with countless groups, primarily students, who were not yet born at the time of the attacks.
“I always begin by asking who knows about what happened on 9/11, these kids—you have to give credit to them and this area—they know about it because it’s part of their education system,” said Campbell. “In a lot of parts of the country, kids don’t know, so our approach is different; we need to tell them what happened step-by-step.
“We want to focus on the facts and figures, but also how it impacted us as a city, as a country and how it still impacts their lives now,” he added.
Campbell acknowledged that, for many youngsters in the country, the events of 9/11 can feel like ancient history and that the exhibit is a chance to help bring this day to life.
“When I was a kid, if you met a Pearl Harbor survivor, you would want to know more about that time,” said Campbell. “This is all about education, especially for the younger kids who come in; that’s why we always tell them to ask people in their lives about their experiences, their stories from 9/11.”
In addition to hearing from first responders like Campbell and Steve Casquarelli, the students also had an opportunity to learn more about the very real impact felt by the Eastchester community on that day, as students were able to peruse the names and read the stories of local residents who either lost their lives during the attacks or due to 9/11-related illnesses thanks to an exhibit curated by the Eastchester Rotary Club.
Kreshnik Rraci, a 12th grader in Mike Boyle’s AP US Government and Politics class, said that while the memory of 9/11 still looms large for local communities, visiting the exhibit helped him and his fellow students gain a better idea of what the day meant from both a geopolitical and personal standpoint.
“A lot of it is well known; we’ve studied this in school. However, I think this gave me more perspective on it, hearing how tall the building was, where the planes hit, the situation with the stairs and how many people died,” said Rraci. “Some of the things you see in there just make it feel different.”
