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SALT LAKE CITY -- In the 10 years since the September 11th terrorist attacks, a new generation of children is growing up in a different world.
But they are not afraid for their country or their future.
They were only 6 or 7 years old the day it happened, but when a group of Brighton High School seniors gathered to talk about the September 11th attacks, they remembered a lot of details.
"I remember walking down to the kitchen. My dad was in awe, like, ‘What is going on?,'" said 17-year-old Matthew Conley. His family was living in Boston at the time, where 15 people were killed on one of the hijacked flights.
If we live in fear, then what they did worked.
–Jeremy Ashby
His classmate Kenzie Filer was here in Salt Lake City but still felt the impact.
"I remember going to school, and everything was different," she said.
"They showed us this clip of the twin towers. I thought it was a movie because they kept showing it over and over and over," said Jeremy Ashby.
"Everyone was quiet that whole day," said Jaclyn Condie.
In the days and years since, everything changed. Jeremy's family had moved to Mexico before the attacks. "Everyone in my family came to say goodbye at the airport, at the terminal," he remembers.
I'm so grateful for the soldiers. There's no reason to be afraid.
–Kenzie Filer
But when they came back, it was different.
"It was just weird because I was like, ‘Why isn't everyone coming to the airport with us?'" he said.
Kenzie and Matt flew in the fall of 2001.
"I was bawling because I was so scared," Kenzie remembers. Matt was pulled aside by security to be checked, even though he was so young, because he had a sharp Christmas ornament in his luggage.
"It's all kind of normal now, it's not different. We are just used to it. We are used to how you can do terrorist attacks with an airplane," said Matt.
"It was just what it was. That's just how it is," said Jeremy.
Another thing that's now normal for kids is having a military deployed.
"Most of America takes it for granted that our soldiers are fighting for us," said Jaclyn, and that's why she has hope for America. "I really don't live in fear. I know that the military is fighting for me."
Jeremy added, "If we live in fear, then what they did worked."
"I'm so grateful for the soldiers," said Kenzie. "There's no reason to be afraid."
Matt says his dad told him soon after the attacks that America has the best military in the world. "No one will hurt us again. We are aware now, we know what's coming," he said.
"America is free and will always stay like that," said Jaclyn.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
