"Heal, remember and never forget." - Liza Juliette DeCamp, a New Yorker
Ten years ago, on September 11, 2001, nineteen islamic terrorists associated with the terrorist organization al-qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Another one hit the Pentagon building in Arlington, VA. The fourth one, presumably on its way to Washington, DC, crashed in the field near Shanksville, PA, killing all the passengers and the crew as well as the hijackers.
At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower, followed by United Airlines Flight 175, which hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m.
Nearly three thousand people perished in this barbaric assault on the American way of life and the Western civilization itself.
For those who witnessed the attacks and the following collapse of the Twin Towers, the earth stood still. The devastation was simply beyond comprehension. The loss of life - inconsolable.
The attacks that were born out of deep seated hatred for America and its values, changed our lives forever. Nothing will ever be the same. Ten years later, this hatred is still prevalent while countless fanatics are still plotting new attacks.
Today, on the tenth anniversary of this despicable act of savagery, commemorative ceremonies will take place at the locations of the attacks: The National 9/11 Memorial in New York City, the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA, and the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, VA.
Once again, people in the United States and around the world will reflect on the events that took place on that fateful day in September. The victims whose lives were tragically interrupted, will be remembered forever.
We will never forget!
We will never forget!
By Dominique Allmon ©2011
On September 11, 2001, I was preparing my luggage for a short trip to New York City that was scheduled for the next day. My TV was on and I watched CNN while ironing my shirts.
I saw the shocking news item about the plane that crashed into one of the Towers only moments earlier. At this point everyone speculated what might have gone wrong up there. No one suspected a terrorist attack at this point.
Minutes later I witnessed "live" the other plane crashing into the WTC. I knew right away what that meant.
My flight was canceled, of course, and I spent the next hours completely glued to the TV set.
On September 11, 2001, I was preparing my luggage for a short trip to New York City that was scheduled for the next day. My TV was on and I watched CNN while ironing my shirts.
I saw the shocking news item about the plane that crashed into one of the Towers only moments earlier. At this point everyone speculated what might have gone wrong up there. No one suspected a terrorist attack at this point.
Minutes later I witnessed "live" the other plane crashing into the WTC. I knew right away what that meant.
My flight was canceled, of course, and I spent the next hours completely glued to the TV set.
I will never forget the avalanche of emotions: sadness, anger, helplessness, contempt for the perpetrators, consternation, incomprehension, rage...
The images of that day will remain etched in my consciousness forever.