SARASOTA – Saturday will mark 20 years since President George W. Bush visited a reading class at Booker Elementary School in Sarasota on 9/11.
On the Morning of September 11th, 2001 a dozen or so students sat nervously waiting for then President George Bush. Student, Chantal Guerrero knew this was something big, but had no idea how defining this moment would become in American history…
“I remember him coming in, and just hearing gasps, and then looking and being like wow it’s really him,” said Student, Chantal Guerrero.
Student, La’ Damian Smith knew something was up, but for him the real shock came when he walked into homeroom.
“I can remember walking in and saying what are you doing here, you’re supposed to be in Ms.Daniels classroom and I was like, for what? And she said you are going to read to the president, and I’m like the president? What? Of all people,” said Student, La’Damian Smith.
“Once he came he kind of loosened up the mood a bit, by talking about himself, his family, his pets and stuff,” said student, Mariah Williams.
At such a young age, these students don’t recall everything that day but they remember seeing the president’s face change as white house chief of staff, Andrew Card informed him that America was under attack.
Student, Mariah Williams and the other children were too young to understand the tense moments that followed.
“His face kind of turned red a little bit and he looked really serious and worried,” said Williams.
“One of the kids in the class actually thought he had to go to the bathroom so I guess for a seven year old, that’s what it looked like,” said Guerrero.
President Bush allowed the children to finish reading, before excusing himself to address the nation…
“I do want to thank the folks here at Booker Elementary School for their hospitality. Today we have had a national tragedy,” said President Bush.
“I’m a part of history, and that’s something that has never happened in this country before so it has dawned on me lately,” said Smith.
Most first graders will rely on their parents to tell them where they were the day America came under attack, but her story is her own.
“Me and my fellow classmates that were in that room with me, I think all of us can say, that we do remember and it something that we are going to be able to hold with us forever and were never going to be able to forget it,” said Guerrero.
