As the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 approaches, the Cattaraugus County Museum and Research Library announces it has released a new educational film using local officials and veterans to tell the story of that seminal day in American history.

"It is important that we teach our children about 9/11"

Part of the ongoing “Our Veterans, Their Stories” project, the film is entitled “9/11: What a Vet Wants You to Know,” and is currently available for viewing on the museum’s YouTube channel.

Watch “9/11: What a Vet Wants You to Know” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rHWPFAPlFs

Watch "9/11: What a Vet Wants You to Know"

This film is the second in the “What a Vet Wants You to Know” series, an education-specific offshoot of a project designed to record the oral histories of Cattaraugus County veterans. The first dealt with the Vietnam War. These films are designed to utilize the experiences and knowledge of area veterans in a format intended to fit with high school social studies curriculum and be shown to local students.

The project was developed with the assistance of local educator Katie Wolfgang from the Olean City School District.

“9/11 was a major turning point in American history and to be able to collect and use oral histories from people who were in New York City that day is a powerful tool for enhancing the curriculum and engaging students in content at the beginning of the school year,” explained Wolfgang.

Steve McCord, director of the Cattaraugus County Veterans Service Agency, who participated in the film, agrees with Wolfgang’s sentiment. “It is important that we teach our children about 9/11. This is an event that fundamentally changed America; it simply cannot be relegated to the archives,” he said.

One of the driving factors in the creation of this film was the fact that no students currently in high school were alive when these events transpired, and therefore often have a remote understanding of their significance.

John Tomerlin, videographer on the project, said, “I think the project is important because there is a whole generation that know we were attacked on 9/11 but really have very little understanding as to what lead up to it. It can also help gain an understanding of our current relationships with Islamic countries.”

While primarily intended to be used by local teachers to assist in presenting this topic, the film is available to the public and museum staff hope that anyone with an interest will take advantage of this resource.

“9/11: What a Vet Wants You to Know” can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rHWPFAPlFs