William N.

was in Zürich, Switzerland on 9/11/01.

I was a Captain with American Airlines and had landed in Zurich in the morning. It was afternoon there when we heard the news. The crew stayed there until Friday for the return flight to Chicago.

The mood in Zurich was very somber, with fellow crew members, passengers and locals all acknowledging our disbelief and sadness. Especially being away from home.

On the flight home we had to coordinate with our operations what sort of extra security we could apply as this was a new event that hadn't happened before.

Once back in Chicago we all felt the enormity of what took place while walking through an empty terminal.

It was then I heard the sad news that a friend of mine was the copilot on AA flight 11 out of Boston.

In the last 25 years my wife and I have visited the memorial in NYC and also the memorial in Shanksville.

We will NEVER FORGET!!

Thanks for all you do.

Bill Nielsen

A generation of Americans has no memory of 9/11. Stories like William's help them remember.

At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we're preserving the stories of those who experienced it so they can be shared with generations to come. We must never forget the pain we endured, the heroism we witnessed, or the togetherness we felt.

Your story is part of our history. Will you share it?

Where were you on 9/11?

A generation of Americans has no memory of 9/11. Stories like William's help them remember.