Ten Years Later, Sept. 11 Still Hits Home

Late last month, Portsmouth Patch was on scene for the arrival of the in town.

In attendance was Windham resident Alison Lewandowski, a mother of four. Making the trip was important for Lewandowski, who lost her first husband Brian Kinney 10 years ago. Kinney was aboard United Airlines Flight 175, which was the second plane to hit the World Trade Center. He was a 28-year-old accountant on his way to California on business.

Lewandowski has since remarried, but her story marks one of the most personal impacts that 9/11 had on a Windham resident.

Following that infamous day, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have taken the lives of thousands of Americans. In neighboring Salem, our own Jake O' Donnell , all of whom were killed in Iraq.

Last May, a story involving two soldiers and a coorespondence to their mother hit home in town.

Greg and Stephen Getchell, both former residents of Windham and graduates of Salem High School, were on board the ship that saw the sea burial of Osama Bin Laden.

The brothers contacted their mother, who had no idea they were so close to such a historical event.

The full story was reported by almost every New Hampshire media outlet. Click here to see WMUR's original story with video.

as the 10th anniversary approaches on Sunday. We want to hear from you on your thoughts and memories of that day and how it has changed the last 10 years. Send your thoughts to michael.ryan@patch.com.