SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Teacher shaves for the first time since 9/11

A US school teacher vowed after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, that he would not shave his beard until Osama Bin Laden was caught.

teacher_beard_b_110503_aap_294341487

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AFP


Skip to article content

A US school teacher vowed after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, that he would not shave his beard until Osama Bin Laden was caught.

Gary Weddle kept his word on Sunday evening.

"I spent my first five minutes crying and then I couldn't get it off fast enough," Weddle, 50, told the Capital Press.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Weddle, a Washington teacher, had wanted to cut his beard for years. The gray stringy growth actually made him look a bit like bin Laden, the mastermind of the 2001 attacks who was killed by US forces.

Weddle was a substitute teacher in Wenatchee when the terrorist attacks occurred on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon, killing some 3,000 people.

Weddle said he was so absorbed in the news that he neglected to shave. A week or so later, he decided not to shave until Bin Laden was captured or proven dead.

He figured it would just be a month or two.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world