9/11: A Day America Will Never Forget

Written by: Frank Iacono

I can’t believe that September 11, 2011, marks the 10th anniversary of the tragic attacks perpetuated against the United States on September 11, 2001 (a.k.a. 9/11, September 11 attacks, September 11, September 11th). This horrific tragedy, coordinated by the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, killed nearly 3,000 of our fellow Americans and left an indelible mark on our country and the world. This cowardly jihadist organization changed what was once a beautiful September morning surrounded by blue skies and sunshine into America’s darkest day.

Today, as we reflect on the despicable actions of al-Qaeda and bin Laden, we recall with deep sadness those people who lost their lives. The attacks took place from approximately 8:46 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET and featured 19 al-Qaeda terrorists, who hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. Like millions of fellow Americans, I too remember exactly where I was and what I was doing during this appalling period of destruction. The aforementioned hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, a complex of seven buildings that opened on April 4, 1973, in Lower Manhattan, killing everyone on board as well as others who were working in the towers. American Airlines Flight 11 was crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower while United Airlines Flight 175 was crashed into the South Tower. Within two hours, both buildings collapsed destroying nearby buildings and damaging others.

Another group of hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania. This plane was redirected toward Washington, D.C. but crashed as a result of the heroic passengers and flight crew who attempted to retake control of the plane. There were no survivors from any of these flights. Out of the disasters in New York, Washington, DC, and western Pennsylvania, on that day we emerged a mournful, but united nation.

As former President Ronald Reagan once said, ‎”Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have.”

After being placed on the American Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) lists of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and Most Wanted Terrorists, specifically for his involvement in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings, Osama bin Laden remained in hiding during three U.S. presidential administrations. From 2001 to 2011, bin Laden was the major target of the War on Terror, with a US $25 million bounty by the FBI. Then, on May 2, 2011, after years at large, bin Laden was shot and killed inside a private residential compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, by U.S. Navy SEALs and CIA operatives in a covert operation ordered by United States President Barack Obama. Shortly after his death, bin Laden’s body was buried at sea.

Now, let’s pause with the rest of the world to remember those who lost their lives on that horrendous day as well as pray for the victim’s families and friends. We should also take a moment to acknowledge and thank the men and women who protect and serve our communities and defend the freedoms of the United States every day.

Let us never forget.

God Bless You! And, God Bless America!

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