Remembering September 11th
That day. That horrific day.
September 11, 2001 was a day like many others where we all got up and went about our business on a beautiful sunny fall day. We were completely unaware of the sickening plot that 19 homicidal maniacs were about to unleash upon our nation.
On that beautiful morning, our friends, colleagues and family members boarded planes to go to work, see family, go on vacation:
0759: AA 11 took off from Logan Airport en route to LAX with 92 passengers and crew
0801: UAL 93 took off from Newark en route to San Francisco with 44 passengers and crew.
0814: UAL 175 took off from Logan Airport – also en route to LAX with 65 passengers and crew.
0820: AA 77 took off from Washington Dulles en route to LAX with 64 passengers and crew.
That beautiful morning, tens of thousands of people went about their business in NYC at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon in Virginia and in a small town in Pennsylvania that was unknown to most. Then, the unthinkable started. That beautiful morning turned into one of the most horrific and sad days in our country’s history:
0846: AA 11 is flown into WTC 1 (North Tower). All passengers and many people in WTC 1 are instantly murdered
0903: UAL 175 is flown into WTC 2 (South Tower). All passengers and many people in WTC 2 are also instantly murdered.
0937: AA 77 is flown into the side of the Pentagon. All passengers and 125 people in the Pentagon are instantly murdered.
0959: WTC 2 collapses. Instantly killing hundreds of people.
1003: UAL 93 is crashed into a field in Shanksville, PA after a heroic effort by passengers to take back control of the plane. Forty people are instantly murdered.
1028: WTC 1 collapses. Instantly killing hundreds more people.
That day. That horrific day 343 firefighters, 23 NYPD officers and 37 Port Authority Police rushed in to do their job and go where others were fleeing. They all died.
That day. That horrific day 2819 innocent souls were lost and barely 10% of their bodies were found intact.
That day. That profoundly sad day over 3000 children lost a parent and over 1600 men and women lost a spouse or partner.
That day. We, America the beautiful, wiped away our tears, grabbed each other’s hands and came together to heal the emotional and physical wounds.
That day, America showed that you can break our hearts, but you can’t break our spirit. We will come back, and we’ll come back stronger than ever.
That day, America vowed to NEVER let this happen again!
That day. Our flag flew proudly all around the country. We were the UNITED States of America. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were not going to be destroyed.
Since that day, we will also NEVER forget the over 6000 brave men and women who gave their lives fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan or the over 45000 wounded in action.
Let us give thanks to all who we lost and all who sacrificed to defend our freedom and liberty!
That day. That horrific day. We will NEVER EVER forget!
Links:
This was a blog I wrote last year. I thought it might be appropriate to repost as a 10th year remembrance.
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