Grace Smokowski

Where I Last Saw You Grace Smokowski

We were a group of thirty-six scheduled to tour Poland and Italy from September 10 through September 23, 2001. The composition of the group varied from older people and newly retired couples to people in their twenties and thirties. Naturalized Americans and first, second, third generation Americans participated in this trip intended to kindle interest in ancestral homeland. Then the September 11th attacks occurred. As stranded Americans abroad with little detailed information of the tragedies, we looked at each experience with new vision, with appreciation. We were on a plane between Warsaw and Rome when two planes hit the Twin Towers. We were in St. Peter's Square as Pope John Paul II addressed the General Audience denouncing the attacks. We were at the Coliseum on Friday, September 14th for the worldwide moment of silence, as tourists from around the globe paused to honor the victims. Throughout Italy and Poland we viewed seas of flowers and candles, makeshift shrines of peace; we participated in memorial services in town squares. Solidarity carried us from village to town until we could come home. Through these experiences I examine what it means to be American. The book illustrates various reactions to the tragedies and deep changes in some characters.