Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of September 11th. The horror that struck the streets of New York City, the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and a field in Pennsylvania.

But the terror affected each and every American that witnessed and lived through the awful attack. Rubble and dust filled the street of New York City as the World Trade Center collapsed. First responders fought to save as many civilians as they could.

More than 3,000 people were killed in the assault, including more than 400 officers and firemen who gave their lives to save their fellow citizens. Most people were sitting at home watching the twin towers crumble to the ground and grieving with their families as a part of America scrambled to survive.

Many teachers at Ben Davis stared at their televisions frightfully as they witnessed the dreadful affair. Economics teacher Benjamin Neikirk was in college at Ball State when he learned of the World Trade center being hit by a plane. He was walking through the empty dorm hallways early in the morning when he passed dorm rooms with their doors wide open and their televisions on.

“It was a shock,” Neikirk said. “It was like the Pearl Harbor moment of my generation, you didn’t know what it meant. You didn’t know what it meant for the future of the country, you didn’t understand how to put it into context yet.”

The story for Economics teacher Kyle Ballard was quite different. He was in his sixth grade math class during the terrorist attack. At such a young age Ballard had witnessed something that would impact him and his country for years to come.

“Even at 11, I remember thinking how different things would be after those events. I had just visited Washington D.C. one month before the 9/11 attacks, so the attack on the Pentagon and attempt on the White House really struck a chord with me,” Ballard said. “It was also the first such event in my lifetime, and I recall that even our teachers did not grasp the weight of what had happened until the 2nd tower was hit.”

World language teacher Bill Gilmartin was teaching at Ben Davis at the time of the assault. Televisions were turned on the news channels showing the dreadful attack.

“I grew up in NYC.  As a teenager my first job was just blocks away from where the World Trade Center would one day stand,” Gilmartin said.

And as the attack happened Gilmartin was grieving for the thousands who had lost their lives. The attack on September 11 may have been 15 years ago, but it will be remembered for many generations to come.