This week will mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the United States, known as 9/11.
I remember it as if it happened very recently. I remember exactly where I was when television news showed the smoking North Tower of the World Trade Center as a second plane flew into the South Tower. I was delivering what we called “store copies” to what was then Mark’s Gas & Bait in Rockville. A small television on top of a shelf was showing the news. It was then that reporters speculated that America was under attack. It took me several minutes to leave that little television set and head back to my home in Cold Spring. I didn’t go back to the office because I needed to go home so I could continue to follow the story.
Shortly after the second plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center, all commercial and private airplanes were ordered to be grounded. I remember how strange it felt not seeing airplanes flying overhead.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed during the attacks on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon building, where one plane had. been flown into it. The loss of life included 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers. As time went on, there were many more deaths caused by exposure to the smoke and chemicals rescuers inhaled during the months of recovery efforts.
It wasn’t long before the CIA and FBI identified those they felt were responsible for planning the attacks.
Anyone who followed this story knows that Osama bin Laden was the main planner, working with Al-Qaeda members. The planning started about three years before the attacks. Attackers came to the United States to be trained in how to fly the large aircraft. Other members of the assault teams were called the “muscle” and were in charge of controlling the passengers and taking over the cockpits. Bin Laden was finally killed by special forces about ten years after the attacks.
Many lives were saved because some very brave people on Flight 93 took back control of a hijacked airplane that was heading toward Washington. Those brave souls crashed the plane in a field in Pennsylvania.
I remember how these attacks that happened on American soil brought back a sense of patriotism – there were American flags everywhere.
It was sad to learn that there was a possibility these attacks might have been prevented had the CIA and FBI communicated intelligence better – I would bet a lot that communication and intelligence-gathering practices have changed immensely since those attacks on America 25 years ago.
I can’t believe it’s been 25 years already, and I hope that time is never forgotten.
Have A Good Week!
