September 11, 2001 had a devastating impact on us all. Thousands of people woke up, maybe had a little breakfast, said good-bye to their families, and died within hours in the worst terrorist attack on American soil. Jets were hijacked and flown first into the Twin Towers, then the Pentagon. The bravery of the souls on United Flight 93, who thwarted the terrorists’ plans, prevented another possible mass casualty event.
It’s hard to explain to someone what that day was like. While we may not have been at or near Ground Zero, or in Washington DC, or on that fateful United Flight, we all bear the searing memories of that terrible day. The morning sky that day was so blue, so perfect. Soon, however, there would be horrendous streams of black smoke crossing the entire Manhattan skyline, visible from miles away. No one who saw that smoke could ever forget the pain of knowing what that smoke meant – the horrendous deaths of our innocent fellow citizens, along with a number of international workers who worked at the World Trade Center.
An entire generation has grown up with no direct memory of that day. They know only what they are told by their families and their teachers, or what they read in books or see in movies. Those of us who lived through that day, however, have the responsibility to make sure that this younger generation, Gen Z, knows fully what happened that day and honors the lives lost.
We must always honor our first responder heroes, who ran into the burning Towers not thinking of their own safety, but their duty to protect us. Hundreds were lost, and so many more died or are suffering to this day with terrible and lingering illnesses. We must always make sure our Congress continues to fund their care through the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) and any other programs that help the survivors. We cannot let these heroes be wiped out of history or forgotten or merely glanced over. They are heroes in the true sense of the word.
Every September 11, which is now known as Patriot Day, moments of silence are observed. The first moment of silence is at 8:46 am, the time of the first attack into the North Tower. Then at 9:03 am, a moment of silence is observed for the attack on the South Tower. Moments of silence are also observed at 9:37 am, the crash of Flight 77 into the Pentagon; 9:59 am, the collapse of the South Tower; 10:03 am, the crash of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania; and finally at 10:28 am, the collapse of the North Tower. Also, flags are flown at half-staff on the Capitol and all government buildings. In addition, there will be a commemoration at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. There will be a “Tribute in Light” illuminating the sky, and buildings across New York City will shine Memorial Blue.
There will also be commemorations closer to home. A Candlelight Memorial of Music hosted by the United Community Civic Association, in partnership with the Port Authority of NY and NJ, will be held on Friday, September 12, at 7:30 pm at McManus Memorial Park (81st Street and Ditmars Blvd.).
As a country, we should take a vow to never forget the innocent souls lost that day, our first responders who gave us their all, as well as those who continue to suffer, whether through debilitating illnesses or the continuing pain of losing their loved ones that day. We should also make it a point to remember the unity we felt that day. We felt love for our country; flags were everywhere. We also felt a special bond with our fellow citizens. We were all in the horrific nightmare together.
We can’t let this day fade away; too many precious lives were lost. We need to keep it alive in our schools, in our history books, in our culture. We need to talk about it. That day changed all our lives and we need to make sure it’s never forgotten. We must pass it on to the younger generation. It’s our obligation.
