I published this piece in The Daily Beast back in 2016. It’s now behind a paywall. Overall, I think it holds up fairly well, but the events of the past few years seems to have accelerated the pace at which 9-11 as history has faded from our collective memory.
Thank you for reposting this, it’s an interesting and thoughtful piece.
I’ve always thought there are 4 broad phases to collective memory and memorialisation of major events, particularly the more traumatic kind. 1: the immediate phase of 1-30 years where interest and connection are strong, 2: the middle phase of 30 to 90 years where, except for those directly impacted the event drifts into the collective background as ‘history’ other than for significant anniversaries, 3: 90-100 years where we lose the last of our ‘living connections’ causing a brief period of intensive retrospection and lastly phase 4 at 100 years + where it moves beyond first hand memory into pure history.
We’ve seen phases 3 and 4 with the passing of first the WWI generation and then more recently those that lived through WWII. The Vietnam generation will all too soon move from phase 2 to 3 as will 9/11 in its turn. (Continues in 1st reply)
Thoughtful piece. However, it's not accurate to say there was "no contrition" in Japan after WWII. As John Dower shows in his classic 1999 work on the Occupation period entitled Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II, there was a good deal. Among other things, Dower says that "Ordinary people unaccustomed to writing for the public, such as housewives and farmers, wrote letters apologizing to the Chinese people and asking how the Japanese could make amends for such terrible behavior."
I hope there is not a person teaching American history anywhere who has not struggled with the issues you raise here, in relation to all these events and others. How do you interpret the national radicalizing impact of Pearl Harbor to students who may have read about it a high school history book or seen the movie. I used to struggle with this when I taught US Since 1877, especially around Pearl Harbor.
I think it is the obligation of the historian to try to put the person of present in touch with the events of the past. But, doing that in away that lets that person of the present both see those events through the eyes of the past and understand their impact on the present makes my head hurt.
What the Civil War Generation Can Teach Us About the Memory of September 11
Thank you for reposting this, it’s an interesting and thoughtful piece.
I’ve always thought there are 4 broad phases to collective memory and memorialisation of major events, particularly the more traumatic kind. 1: the immediate phase of 1-30 years where interest and connection are strong, 2: the middle phase of 30 to 90 years where, except for those directly impacted the event drifts into the collective background as ‘history’ other than for significant anniversaries, 3: 90-100 years where we lose the last of our ‘living connections’ causing a brief period of intensive retrospection and lastly phase 4 at 100 years + where it moves beyond first hand memory into pure history.
We’ve seen phases 3 and 4 with the passing of first the WWI generation and then more recently those that lived through WWII. The Vietnam generation will all too soon move from phase 2 to 3 as will 9/11 in its turn. (Continues in 1st reply)
I recall seeing your cousin's memorial. I recall not being able to see ground zero for nearly 20 years, and crying when I did. Thanks for writing.
Sorry for your loss, sir.
Thoughtful piece. However, it's not accurate to say there was "no contrition" in Japan after WWII. As John Dower shows in his classic 1999 work on the Occupation period entitled Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II, there was a good deal. Among other things, Dower says that "Ordinary people unaccustomed to writing for the public, such as housewives and farmers, wrote letters apologizing to the Chinese people and asking how the Japanese could make amends for such terrible behavior."
Your assessment does indeed hold up; thanks for reposting it!
I hope there is not a person teaching American history anywhere who has not struggled with the issues you raise here, in relation to all these events and others. How do you interpret the national radicalizing impact of Pearl Harbor to students who may have read about it a high school history book or seen the movie. I used to struggle with this when I taught US Since 1877, especially around Pearl Harbor.
I think it is the obligation of the historian to try to put the person of present in touch with the events of the past. But, doing that in away that lets that person of the present both see those events through the eyes of the past and understand their impact on the present makes my head hurt.