Most who witnessed the events of Sept. 11 will forever remember the image of the Twin Towers engulfed in smoke, but some were affected in a far more personal way. This is the account of that day, and its significance today, through their eyes.

The soldier

“The first thought was, ‘OK, here we go.’ And second, ‘My poor wife has no clue where I’m going.’”

Those were U.S. Army veteran Justin McClean’s reactions after hearing the news of Sept. 11.

McClean, who joined the Army in September 2000, had just gotten married and brought his wife to live with him in Fort Benning, Ga.

Within a month, McClean was on his way to a three-month term in Afghanistan. He would see four more tours, another in Afghanistan and three in Iraq, before an injury — which he wouldn’t elaborate on – left him unable to serve.

When McClean, now 31, was honorably discharged in October 2005, his life changed forever. He came home to a 7-month-old daughter who didn’t recognize him and a society in which he no longer knew how to function. Bouts with post-traumatic stress disorder, mood swings and trouble sleeping became the norm and his marriage fell apart.

“You can only imagine that kind of adjustment that has to go on,” he said. “It’s hard.”

Now, after almost three years, McClean has overcome many of the challenges he returned to. He has enrolled in classes at MSU and is making progress on his PTSD symptoms.

The social work senior said his views on the war are constantly changing. He has issues with the nation’s mission overseas, but he said he is proud of his service.

“Those innocent people and the firefighters and the police officers and the sacrifice — that needed to be avenged in my mind,” he said. “I get really frustrated sometimes, and other times I love the fact that I’m a vet and that I served.”

The Muslim

Maweza Razzaq, a lifelong East Lansing resident and MSU student, was in her 9th grade history class when the attacks occurred.

“I was much younger then, and definitely not as aware of the political tensions,” the interdisciplinary studies in social science and political science senior said. “The thing that struck me the most was that we were watching TV during class.”

Later, Razzaq said, she would realize that the events of Sept. 11 would be “world changing.”

“One of the first signs of hatred I remember ever seeing was one of my parents’ friends, their house was shot into,” she said. “I really couldn’t understand it. To somehow make themselves feel better, there are people who want to do the same thing? Kill to get vengeance?”

As the events of Sept. 11 have faded from peoples’ minds, so have the stereotypes directed toward Muslims, Razzaq said. But there is still progress to be made.

“There will be people that continue to have that stereotyping mind frame,” she said.

Razzaq, who has relatives in Pakistan, said her background allows her to view the Middle Eastern conflict from two different perspectives.

“It is a dual tragedy,” she said. “The group that instigated 9/11, they affected innocent people. Now the U.S. government’s reaction to that has affected innocent people.”

The firefighter

No matter how busy East Lansing firefighter Jamie Garner’s schedule is today, she will take a moment to personally reflect on the “brothers” she lost seven years ago.

“Any time you hear about a firefighter loss, you think of it as one of your brothers, but the size of that incident, the number of firefighters all at once, it hit a little harder,” she said.

Garner, who was on duty when the planes hit, said she and her comrades canceled the day’s meetings and spent the day wondering what they would do in that situation.

“How would you deal with that?” she said. “It was overwhelming to think how you would go about (fighting the blaze), because we’re going in as people are coming out.”

There will be no formal event commemorating the attacks within the fire department this year, but Garner said though the loss of her comrades is no longer as fresh in her mind, she will never forget.

“It’s kind of like losing a loved one; year after year, the intensity decreases,” she said. “To me, ever since then, when I hear ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ or the national anthem, it tends to mean a little more.”