To teach about 9/11, this school relied on its teachers' personal memories

RIVER HILLS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- 25 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, more than 25% of the U.S. population was born after 9/11. To ensure the youngest Americans understand the significance of that day, one school relied on its own teachers' recollections.

At University School of Milwaukee, students in fifth through eighth grades were summoned outside for a 30-minute ceremony at the flagpole. Chuck Taft, who teaches 8th grade history, put together the remembrance event.

Taft was in Detroit for his grandmother's funeral on September 11, 2001. He said Friday he believed the best way to teach children about that day was through the personal memories of people they know and look up to.

"We can have the textbook stuff, but it's those social memories because I think what will resonate with kids more," Taft said. "It's, what did the people they know, how did they feel?"

Several educators spoke at the event. The most powerful recollection came from 7th grade science teacher Emily Vruwink.

She was a sophomore in high school that year, but nearly three weeks before 9/11, she visited the World Trade Center on a trip to New York since her father's friend worked at a firm in one of the towers.

"On August 24th, 2001, we up to the 95th floor of Tower One," Vruwink said before pausing to compose herself. "Everyone we met that day died, except my dad's friend, who just happened not to go to work that day."

Gretchen Mathews was another student at University School on 9/11 who now teaches at the River Hills private school. Mathews shared her memories from that day, as well as how a trip to New York a short time later put everything in perspective.

"They have the big TV on wheels where they showed some of the footage, and it started to hit me a little more," Mathews said. "It wasn't really until I traveled 10 days later for my uncle's wedding to New York, and we were in the airport when I realized how much was going to change."

Another somber gathering happened on Milwaukee's north side. At the Engine No. 30 firehouse at N. Teutonia Ave. and W. Locust St., a lunch for first responders was delayed twice because firefighters were sent out on calls.

Once lunch could be served, Cpt. Matthew Thundercloud shared his memories of 9/11.

"I was sitting in the morning in Spanish class my junior year at Cudahy High School," Thundercloud said. "And they got on the PA and announced to a bunch of naive high school students that a plane hit the World Trade Center. I didn't even know what the World Trade Center was."

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson was also in attendance. Johnson reflected on his memories of the day, when he was 14 years old and came home from Bay View High School after feeling ill and leaving early.

"I remember my mom with her hand over her mouth, just in disbelief watching the TV, what was going on," Johnson said. "Saw the images of the World Trade Center struck by the airplanes, and at that moment, I thought to myself, 'I need to go know what's going on.'"

Johnson said watching the coverage of how Americans unified after 9/11, along with community service projects through the YMCA, paved the way for his life in public service.

"If it weren't for this day, the response from the president [George W. Bush] at that time, the community service I was doing at the YMCA, it's unlikely I'd be standing here at mayor today," Johnson said.

Thundercloud said September 11 is a somber date each year in the firehouse. He said it was impossible not think of those who died responding to the attacks 25 years ago.

"Us being firefighters, it hits really close to home," he said. "The bravery they exhibited, that they didn't think about themselves. I think most of them knew something bad was gonna happen, and they did it anyway."