When the date Sept. 11, 2001 is mentioned, people instantly know where they were.

The events of the terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon 10 years ago left many in the nation living in fear and others asking “why?”

Selma resident Wanda Ratcliff said she was initially frightened as the events unfolded, but said she received comfort through prayer.

“At first, I was a little fearful, but then I realized that God gave us the spirit of fear and power. I knew that if anything had happened and I had left here I would be with the Lord. That’s the most important thing.”

Lawrence Towns, who was a student at the University of Alabama, said he was preparing for class when a friend told him about the attack on the first tower. He said watching the second tower fall was surreal.

“They told me to turn on the television and I saw the first tower smoking,” he said. “Then I saw the second tower hit. I was genuinely saddened because I knew it was a terrorist attack. Just seeing the intent of the second plane take that low dive and make the turn into the tower, it was just sad.”

Some, like Alan Johnson, were spending time with friends and worrying about other acquaintances who were at ground zero and other targeted sites.

“I was at my best friend’s house in his living room watching it on television,” he said. “I was devastated and worried because I had a lot of friends that were near the Pentagon.”

Jessica Walker, who was a student at Wallace Community College, said she was at a loss for words.

“I was speechless,” she said. “I overheard it on some televisions at the school. I felt a sense of uneasiness knowing this could happen on our own soil.”

Latanndra Darder, who was a student at Selma High School, was in Health Science class and did not realize what was happening when she walked in the door.

“The teacher told us to sit down and watch and don’t say anything,” she said. “It was like a move or something. We didn’t think it was real at first.”

President Barack Obama, a state senator in Illinois at the time of the attacks, made a pilgrimage Saturday to Arlington National Cemetery with his wife, Michelle, to remember the dead of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. They visited Section 60 of the cemetery, burial ground for service members killed in the two wars. Those conflicts have claimed 6,213 military personnel.

At one gravesite, the Obamas stopped to talk with members of a family who appeared to be visiting a grave. The Obamas chatted a few minutes, posed for pictures and gave out handshakes and hugs.

Then, hand in hand, they strolled along one of the rows between identical white tombstones, pausing at some markers.

They met another family of visitors and stopped to chat with them, shake hands and take pictures.

Intelligence officials have been working around the clock to determine the validity of a new threat of a possible al-Qaida attack on New York or Washington timed to coincide with the anniversary.

Obama met his senior national security team in the morning to review the latest developments and ensure the nation remains on a heightened state of vigilance during the anniversary commemorations.

The Obamas planned to participate in a service project Saturday afternoon in the Washington area. On Sunday, the president is scheduled to visit New York City, Shanksville, Pa., and the Pentagon, the sites where hijacked planes struck 10 years ago. In the evening, he planned to speak at a memorial event at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

In the weekly address, Obama sought a balance between remembering and moving forward.

He also tried to summon the feeling of unity that existed after terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people.