Six months ago, terrorist attacks on the East Coast galvanized Americans, pulling them together like nothing had for decades.

“December 7 did it for us,” said Lawrence retiree Mary Gauthier, who vividly recalls the attack on Pearl Harbor that carried the United States into World War II. “I never thought I’d see it again. I didn’t think younger generations would see it. But September 11 was that unifying event.”

The toll of last year’s attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., is still being tallied. Thousands perished instantly. Casualties continue to mount among Americans fighting in Afghanistan.

Months have passed, but the patriotism that surfaced Sept. 11 remains in Lawrence.

Displays of American pride, previously reserved for national holidays, are commonplace. It’s evident by the flags hanging outside homes and the bumper stickers plastered to cars.

Ernie Cummings of Kizer-Cummings Jewelers in Lawrence said customers still wanted jewelry with images of the Manhattan skyline, peace doves and the Stars and Stripes. Shoppers want the items close to the heart on necklaces and lapel pins.

“The display of the flag is a statement of unity to show their feelings,” Cummings said.

Before Sept. 11, it would have been difficult to sell that kind of merchandise. That’s changed.

“It’s not going to go away,” Cummings said. “It’s going to be part of our jewelry culture.”

Paying more attention

Many people also spend more time following the war on terrorism through newspapers, television and radio.

“We pay more attention to what goes on overseas,” said John Ames, a Lawrence retiree. “We read newspapers more carefully. And people talk about the news. It comes up in conversations.”

Students continue to try to help terrorism’s survivors.

Russell Blackbird, principal of South Junior High School, said students were having an assembly this month to present money they raised to a family who lost a loved one in the attacks.

He said the fund drive showed young people were engaged and had a sense of global citizenship.

“It will be a special moment and really bring home for these kids what September 11 means,” he said.

That sentiment has touched men and women in uniform, including U.S. Marine Cpl. Chris Langlais, a 23-year-old Lawrence native called to active duty in October.

He’s received gratitude more than once. When he walks along Massachusetts Street, people go out of their way to say nice things, he said.

“They simply say, ‘Thank you,'” said Langlais, who is stationed at the Richards-Gebaur military post south of Kansas City, Mo.

His second stint with the Marines will last until at least Sept. 30, but it could be extended another 18 months.

“This time around has … made me more aware of what we do for our country,” Langlais said. “I wish the patriotism had happened before, and I hope it doesn’t fade.”

Changing attitudes

Donald A. Binns, a former Lawrence mayor who was a prisoner of the Japanese for nearly four years in World War II, said events as catastrophic as Pearl Harbor and the World Trade Center attacks had the power to “wipe the grin” off a nation’s face.

“This terrorism thing has really changed attitudes of people,” he said.

Lawrence public schools Supt. Randy Weseman said use of airliners as missiles to destroy American landmarks helped students grasp life’s fragility.

“I don’t have any way to quantify it, but I think everybody feels more vulnerable than they did September 10. I think people reflect more on their lives, even kids.”

Paul Stuewe, who teaches government at Lawrence High School, said his students were far more attentive when discussing current events. But he’s not convinced their sole motivation is patriotism; youngsters are worried about what’s in store for them, he said.

“This has raised their level of concern about their future and the country that they knew,” he said. “Things are different. They’re different for kids. They realize the stakes are higher.”

Gauthier, a former school teacher, said she hoped the solidarity would continue.

“This openness to work together,” she said, “is what I want to hold on to.”