I will obviously not be sending no joke on this, the Fifth Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks. I've decided to share the "reader stories" I originally sent out on September 13th and 14th, 2001.

First, though, I'll make a recommendation. Visit the Healing Field if you get the chance. One flag per 9/11 victim is put on display, resulting in an overwhelming field of red, white and blue. Find out more about the one currently on display in West Des Moines by visiting healingfieldcentraliowa.org, or about the national program at healingfield.org.

As promised, here are those reader stories.
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Submitted by Anonymous at 9:50 AM:

Yesterday I was woken by a phone call from my Aunt Lonna. She was asking if we had my Aunt Mary's cell phone number. I didn't have it, but I proceeded to ask her why she needed it, and she told me about the planes crashing into the WTC towers. When I heard that and turned on the news I couldn't tell you what went through my mind. I was shocked at this tragedy and also scared b/c my Aunt Mary only lives 5 short blocks from the towers.

Then as I was watching the TV I saw the first tower collapse. I began to cry b/c I had no idea where my aunt and uncle were at that moment. A little later the other tower collapsed. My dad told me that if the towers had fallen at all to the side and not straight down my Aunt Mary's apartment would've been crushed.

We finally received a phone call around 1 pm from my Aunt Sandi telling us she had received a call from Mary tell her that she was OK. But that they couldn't go back to their apartment for a couple days due to the current events. A wave of relief came over our family when we heard the news.

But that feeling only lasted a few minutes, because I couldn't imagine what others were feeling when they received phone calls with much more sad news or those who haven't received phone calls at all. I know that this day will remain in my memory forever as it will for many other people. In the words of the President, "Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward and freedom will be defended. We will hunt down those responsible and they will be punished.
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Submitted by Anonymous from La Pine, Oregon at 10:15 AM:

I was just getting ready for another day when the news started. I was so shocked I could not leave my television for the entire day and most of the night. We as a country need to hunt down and eliminate those who feel they can take away our freedom by any means needed
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Submitted by Lynn Prim at 4:26 PM:

As a middle aged American, I was in Junior High when JFK was assassinated. I'll never forget the funeral procession with the horse, "Black Jack," with his stirrups turned backwards, John-John's goodbye salute, Jackie's stoicism and all the rest of the TV coverage that helped us Americans know what had happened.

I am married to a Vietnam Vet who hasn't wanted to talk of things that happened in that era; the only time he has was to help our girls understand some of the coverage that was seen during the Desert Storm Conflict. Again, memories that we all have.

The devastation that was brought upon New York City and the Pentagon by the suicide terrorists will live in our lives and our hearts for all eternity. We all hope and pray that the families of the victims and the injured will find some sort of peace. I agree with the multitude - this should not go unpunished!

Thank you for the space to share my feelings
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Submitted by Anonymous at 5:41 PM:

My story is that my father was in a building very near the Pentagon during the attacks on Washington DC. He said when he left his building he could smell the smoke, feel the heat, and see the flames leaping from the top of the government building. All day I was forced to listen to the immature comments of people while not knowing whether my father was all right or not.

I don't want to try to be profound, but I can't reemphasize enough how important it is to be mature in situations like this, you could be hurting people without even knowing it.

On another note, my joke on Tuesday did actually brighten my day and I thank you for sending me these jokes every day
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Submitted by Brett Copeland at 9:16 PM:

My Aunt has a friend who's brother worked in the World Trade Center Building on the 67th floor. He's a diabetic and needed a Coke, so early that morning he went down to the eighteenth floor to get a Coke, just as the attack began. He got out alive. So many others were not as lucky. Fly your flags today everybody. September 11, 2001 is a day we must remember
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Submitted by "BrokenFairyTale" from Illinois at 11:19 PM:

The tragedy that happened to us on Tuesday started out as a "joke" to my boyfriend and I. We are high school students and we are used to violence. We laughed about the people falling out of the buildings and we laughed about what we would do in that situation and how we all knew this would happen someday and laughed about the whole situation...

That all ended at 10:00 at night when we received a phone call we never thought we would get. His best-friend's mother and brother were on the other line. Jessica was visiting her father the day of the attack, and on top of that, she went to visit the place where he worked. September 11, 2001 will forever hang over our heads.

We didn't even know she had left, and now we found out she may never come back. She helped my boyfriend out a lot when he really needed it. She was there to talk to, and he was there to talk to her. They were brother and sister.

How could something like this happen to us? We are miles and miles away from New York, and yet it hurt us closer then we ever thought it would. She left for a week, a week that won't end.

Please take the crisis seriously; you never know what can happen. It can be a "joke" one minute and hurt 10 times more the next. Please pray for the safe return of Jessica ... maybe, just maybe, she got out of the second building before it fell and is just having problems getting a hold of us. Please come back to us.

May God bless you all, and good luck
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I myself am a New Yorker. I live roughly 10 minutes from JFK International airport and from a local park where I once could see what was a beautiful city skyline. My high school is well equipped with TV's in the hallways and throughout the classrooms.

As I walked into school at about 9:00 I was in time to see the second plane crash right through the second twin tower. Talk about close to home. The school was immediately in a panic yet classes still remained in session.

Two periods later I had a free and with two of my friends went to the park and literally watched the first tower collapse. I couldn't believe what I saw before my eyes.

As the school day wore on, the Jr. Firefighters from my school where called to Belmont Racetrack to be on standby if they needed anymore help. Every classroom had CNN on and the halls were completely silent. The last time the halls were silent was when a boy from our school died in a car accident last year.

I honestly still can't get over this tragedy. My math teacher's boyfriend and other friends are missing; there is a girl whose father was one of the first 200 firefighters on scene. He is still missing and he had probably gone into the building before it collapsed. It's sad to see everyone upset.

I have to admit yesterday was the first day in 12 years of schooling I, along with my peers actually stood up and in unison said the pledge of allegiance. It was pretty emotional.

Every year in the high school yearbook the seniors take a picture outside in front of the school. This year we are making it the shape of a heart and we are all wearing red white and blue. This is something that I never thought would happen.

These people should be punished or killed or make them suffer the way others did. It's disgusting.

Well, on that note I pray for all those missing and who have died.