That is an appropriate statement to make about September 11, 2001. It seems so vivid and fresh in my memory that it's difficult to believe it happened 17 years ago. To children, it's ancient history.
Timeline
On this date, 17 years ago, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked 4 passenger airliners.
Plane 1, American Airlines Flight 11, was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at approximately 8:46 a.m.
Plane 2, United Flight 175, was flown into the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.
Plane 3, American Airlines Flight 77, circled over downtown Washington, D.C., before crashing into the west side of the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m.
Plane 4, United Flight 93, was a different story. The passengers learned what was going on from cell phone and Airfone calls.They didn't believe the hijackers' claim that the aircraft was returning to an airport. 44 on the plane died, but they didn't go down easy.
No Easy Way Out
A group of passengers and flight attendants made the conscious decision that their plane would not be used as a weapon.
Through acts of unbelievable bravery, they fought even though they knew they would die.
Thomas Burnett, Jr., a passenger, told his wife in a phone call, "I know we’re all going to die. There’s three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you, honey."Todd Beamer, another passenger was heard saying that famous line, "Are you guys ready? Let’s roll."
Sandy Bradshaw, a flight attendant, called her husband and said she'd sneaked into the galley and was filling pitchers with boiling water. Her last words, "Everyone’s running to first class. I’ve got to go."
No one hesitated and engaged in endless discussion. No one said, "It wasn't their job." No one backed down. They took action for the greater good.
It's known that the passengers fought the 4 hijackers on board. It's suspected that the passengers stormed the cockpit with a fire extinguisher.
It's known that the plane then flipped over and dived toward the ground at about 500 miles per hour. The plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:10 a.m. Everyone on board died, but no one on the ground did thanks to the bravery of the passengers.It's not known what the hijackers' intended target for United Flight 93 was. The White House, the U.S. Capitol building, Camp David, or any of the nuclear power plants along the Atlantic seaboard.
Death Toll
It was the deadliest day in New York City history for NYC: 343 firefighters and paramedics killed, 23 New York City police officers, and 37 Port Authority police officers.
Only 6 people in the World Trade Center towers at the time they collapsed survived. 2,763 died in the Towers.
The 19 terrorist hijackers aboard the four airplanes died too.
At the Pentagon, 189 people were killed, including 64 on the plane.On United Flight 93, 44 people died when the plane crashed in Pennsylvania.
More than 6,000 injured.
Where Were You
It's said you always remember where you were a cataclysmic event occurs.
I remember as if it were yesterday. I was vacuuming the game room when my husband called about 9:00.
He said to turn on the TV, a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I did, and as I was listening to him tell about the plane that flew into the the tower.
He and I used to own our own plane and fly. I said, "It had to be some kind of mechanical failure. Something went horribly wrong with their navigation system." I couldn't imagine someone did something like that deliberately.
Then, the second plane flew into one of the towers as I watched. I remember realizing tears were streaming down my face.
Horrified, I watched as people desperately sought safety. I watched as first responders rushed in to their deaths.I said a prayer of thanks that my husband hadn't been in New York on business. My heart ached for those killed and maimed and for their families left without fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters.
Like many, I remained glued to the television as I called my kids just to tell them I loved them. Everyone in the neighborhood put their flags out. Soon each house had an American flag flapping in the breeze. My daughter said she was coming home because her college classes had been canceled. When she arrived, I remember hugging extra tightly.
I remember getting an email from my editor at Kensington saying they were okay.
The only "good news" in the days that followed, if you could call it good news, was that each plane was not full to capacity which meant they carried less people and less fuel. The tragedy could have been even worse.
I never get upset at security checkpoints at airports, sporting events, concerts, etc. They may be inconvenient, but they're there to protect us.
I will always remember those who gave so selflessly and those who died simply because they were Americans going about their daily routine. It could have happened to any of us.
Takeaway Truth
Let not time dim our commitment to honor and remember those who suffered, fought against terrorism, and died on September 11, 2001, and in the days that followed. God bless America.
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