Today the nation remembers Sept. 11 as it marks the 23rd year since 9/11, the most tragic event to occur in U.S. history.
On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., the World Trade Center was crashed into by a hijacked airplane, which was the result of a terrorist attack.
The terrorist attacks were from the extremist group Al-Qaeda, who hijacked a total of four commercial airplanes, two of which were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
The planes that were flown into the World Trade Center were American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175.
The brave heroics of first responders at the World Trade Center will never go unnoticed. Many firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and countless rescue workers risked their lives to save those who were trapped in the World Trade Center.
They provided help for evacuation, injuries and safety. Their actions saved many, even though it came with a great cost to many of the responders.
Many first responders lost their lives while saving others, and some experienced long-term health issues because of exposure to toxic dust and debris at Ground Zero.
As for the other two airplanes, one was flown into the Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, in Arlington, Virginia. This plane was American Airlines Flight 77. The crash caused significant damage to the building.
The other plane, United Airlines Flight 93, after being hijacked, was heading towards Washington, D.C. However, the passengers became aware of what occurred through the attacks in New York and bravely took action by fighting the hijackers to stop another tragedy from happening.
The plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania as a result of the passengers’ attempt to overcome the hijackers, foiling the plans to go to Washington, D.C.
Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives because of the attacks on 9/11. This includes passengers on the planes, people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the first responders who quickly came to the scene to help. Roughly 6,000 people were injured because of the attacks and some are still experiencing long-term health issues.
The families of those affected by the 9/11 attacks had to experience a tremendous loss. The events of 9/11 left a lasting impact on the lives of countless families.
In remembering 9/11, the nation honors the bravery of those who responded and the resilience of those who survived. As the U.S. pays tribute, it honors those who were lost by fostering a world built on empathy, peace, compassion, respect, and unity.
