Patriot Day – Remembering September 11, 2001

Now and then an event is so powerful that every detailbecomes permanently etched into the minds of the people who experienced it, andevery generation to come will be told the story. One such moment began on thequiet morning of September 11, 2001.

People across the United States woke up that morning andheard the terrifying news about commercial airliners being hijacked. Fourplanes were taken over by Al-Qaeda terrorists: American Airlines Flight 11,United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77 and United AirlinesFlight 93. Although no one knew the hijackers’ demands, it wouldn’t be longuntil the devastating truth behind their mission was revealed.

At 8:48am, American Airlines Flight 11 was flown directlyinto the north tower of the World Trade Center. Less than twenty minutes later,United Airlines Flight 175 struck the south tower. The ferocity of the impactsproduced tremendous explosions and weakened the buildings so thoroughly thatthey both collapsed less than two hours after being hit.

By 9:43am the terrorists had struck again, and this timetheir target was the Pentagon. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into thebuilding and demolished one of its five sides. The world watched on, terrifiedat what had happened and what may yet be to come. The White House wasevacuated, all flights were cancelled and people across the world stoppedwhatever they were doing to witness these events unfold.

A final plane remained under the terrorist’s control -United Airlines Flight 93. No one was sure what their target was, but there wasmuch speculation that the plane was either being taken towards the White Houseor Camp David. The passengers of this flight heard about the fate of the otherplanes, and all of the innocent people who were killed in that morning’stragedies. They decided to take a stand.

Some of the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 calledloved ones and told them that their plane had been hijacked. They said tearfulgoodbyes and told family members that they loved them. When the time came, thebrave victims fought back. They attacked the terrorists who held them captive,and struggled for control of the plane.

Flight 93 crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. There wereno survivors, but the bold actions of the passengers helped prevent furtherdestruction and loss of life. They will forever be mourned and honored asheroes.

Immediately, people who were near the attack sites spranginto action. Firefighters rushed into buildings to put out the flames and bringpeople safely outside. Rescue workers sorted through debris for days in thehopes of finding survivors. People all over the nation stood in line for hoursto donate blood for the victims who were injured that morning. In the wake ofthe worst attack on American soil, the country banded together to help eachother and grieve over our losses.

On December 18th, 2001, an amendment was made to the UnitedStates Code to memorialize September 11 as Patriot Day. The proclamation calledfor all local governments to recognize the day, flags to be flown at half-staffand the people of America to observe a moment of silence for the nearly 3,000people who lost their lives that morning.

September 11th is a day that will never be forgotten. Wewill remember it for the tragedies we witnessed, the devastating loss ofinnocent lives and the way it united an entire country. People everywhere felta renewed sense of pride and patriotism for their homeland, and they werereminded about the importance of friends and family who so deeply enrich our lives.

Every Patriot Day we share in the moment of silence forthose who died or lost loved ones on September 11, 2001, and we honor thespirit of the people who came together after the attack to become evenstronger. We will protect our land more diligently, we will guard over eachother more cautiously and we will always remember.