this captures so many complex emotions and topics that it's hard to put into words how great this was. beautifully done.

This is so touching I wasn't even born yet when this happened but I'm really proud to be american right now. I love how you did this and I friggin nearly cried. And I honestly hadn't known that there had been hate-crimes against anyone who wore a hajabe (did I spell that right?)

Beautiful. That's all I can say.

You have written the best 9/11 fic I've read.

This story is beautiful and touching. Thank you for writing it!

This was so beautifully written. Thank you so much. This was recommended to me by a friend, and even though I am not a Hetalia fan yet, This was absolutely amazing.

I'm in the car on the way home from an FCCLA competition in DC, and I decided I'd look up Hetalia fanfics after we passed the sign for the Flight 93 memorial. Now I'm trying not to let the chaperone know I'm crying.

This may sound weird, but I'm proud of you for writing this. There are many fics about the attack on the Twin Towers, but many forget about the Pentagon, and the heroes of the Pennsylvania crash. You don't know how much I appreciate you right now.

Thank you so much for writing this. God bless you.

This is extremely touching.

I'm actually not a Hetalia fan, but I was persuaded to read this and I'm very glad I did, especially today. I love how you included the other countries that helped us after the tragedy, and the statistics at the end. Not only does this make me proud to be an American, but just proud to be human. We're strong when we need to be, and sometimes we forget how great we can and should be. Thank you for reminding me.

Damn, this deserves so much more. Recognition, I mean. I've read this ficlet, what, three times now? And it has consistently made me cry each time.

Yeah, I'd just turned five, I don't remember any of it. I remember the year after, though, the first anniversary. Couldn't understand why everyone looked so upset. Now I do, of course. But I think reading this gave me a much deeper understanding. Boy, you were thorough. Very impressive.

Favorite part is always the support America got from other countries. I think that's mostly just me noticing that Americans can be especially self-deprecating, if you know what I mean. Easy to think that everyone hates us, 'cause most of us hate us haha. But Sweden shocked me, and Germany. I burst into tears with Germany.

Liked the hate crimes stuff. Liked how Alfred handled that, too. Loved Canada - but then, I am a total sucker for NA bromance. You handled the shock factor of it very well, also, and of course the ending was perfect in every way. I was lucky enough to stumble on this the very first time I decided to venture into the Hetalia fic fandom. Or maybe unlucky, haha - this fic really set the bar high. Literally nothing compares. It was so well handled, you don't even know. Hard to find fics like that in any fandom.

In any case, I decided to review because damn it, you deserve it. Thanks for writing such a wonderful oneshot. I've found other 9/11 fics, but none nearly so thought out.

Are you sure it was North Korea? I believe it was probably South Korea because North Korean government seems to hate everyone.

Just a thought

Love the story though, it was beautiful writen, even though it is a terrible topic for Americans.

This is definitely the most beautiful Hetalia 9/11 tribute piece I've read. :)

Yes, it is an idea done a lot - but never have I seen it done so heartfelt as you have written here. Often in the Hetalia fandom, authors who write 9/11 pieces tend to fixate on how hurt and bloody Alfred becomes during the event - how he needs help, how the other Nations end up pitying him, so on and so forth. To be honest, I finish reading those stories feeling irritated, even angry - simply because of the injustice of the portrayal and always feeling there was something lacking to it. There was simply a...disconnect, I want to say; there was preferred use of portraying Alfred/America as a woobie of a victim that needed pity. There really wasn't much of an emotional tie to the events of 9/11, the repercussions of it - both good and bad.

I can safely say you did not do that here, and for that I am glad. Alfred was shocked and hurt, just as the American people were - but he still dug through that rubble to help, he still paid his respects, he tried to pull himself together, to properly grieve. Never have I seen such a wonderful characterization in a 9/11 tribute story, and I can only thank you for doing so.

I was 11 during 9/11, but I lived on a military base and went to school there - and believe me, you do NOT get to remain ignorant on such matters when you and everyone you know has a family member in the military. As soon as us kids got to school, we were herded into the school cafeteria to wait the entire school day out, then wait for our parents or older family members to come by and escort us home. And no one does overreaction and extreme paranoia quite as good as a bunch of elementary school kids crowded into a room thinking we're all going to die from an explosion. ("Bomb" was the leading theory before later details came out for us.)

One thing that really sets this apart from other 9/11-tribute fics is your follow-up with the rise of hate crimes. The sheer ANGER that swept through the country post-9/11 is something I can still remember with a cringe, and the repercussions are something that SHOULD be examined and discussed. That you have done so and shown so clearly that Alfred knew better than to blame everyone who fit the stereotypical description of a Muslim, or even EVERY Muslim - even when some of his citizens didn't - really touched my heart. :)

I love the way you characterized the international support. Short, sweet, and every bit as meaningful as the actual events themselves. It wasn't a giant Alfred Pity Party - which is done so often that it's infuriating. I really enjoyed that you had Alfred appreciate each gesture humbly and with true heartfelt recognition, and I especially loved how you paid tribute to the people on Flight 93. The ones who fought back - even if they knew they had little to no chance of surviving - can be so often ignored by those who lack back on our history, but they proved that even ordinary people can be heroes should the need arise. (And I totally cried while reading that part, by the way.)

Loved the Jon Stewart quote. That episode - THAT EPISODE. It really is impossible to watch it without crying! But he was right, and even if events didn't exactly pan out as he'd hoped, I still like to think that he had made many good points.

I think I will end this review here, because I can already see it is becoming all incoherent and disorganized. Sorry - I get emotional like that. XP

Just thank you so much for writing a beautiful 9/11-tribute story that has actual heart and content. :)

This is amazing.
I...I didn't know how much support the US had after 9/11. Heck, I was in first grade then. I don't think my school even showed the video to us little first graders.
But yeah...this fic is the best 9/11 one-shot I have ever read. I can barely scrounge up adequate words to thank you for this.
So yeah, thanks for posting this.
Good luck in all your other fanfiction (and regular fiction) ventures!

Will

And in the end, America never breaked. Nice story!

This was very heartfelt, thank you. I also learnt a little bit about 9/11 thanks to this, I didn't know it was called Operation Yellow Ribbon. I don't remember 9/11 I was too young, a neighbor of ours went to New York all the way from Alaska to try and help, he died from smoke inhalation. Thank you for writing this. Never forget.