Remembering 9-11 -- 20 Years Later

The now iconic image of firefighters George Johnson, Dan McWilliams and Billy Eisengrein raising the
U.S. Flag at Ground Zero in New York City after the deadly terror attacks on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
The scene was immortalized by photographer Thomas E. Franklin of The Record newspaper of
Bergen County, New Jersey.

Twenty years ago today on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, radical Islamic militants carried out the deadliest foreign terrorist attack on American soil to date. 19 Al-Queda militants hijacked 4 American airliners. It was the date of the deadliest foreign attacks on the United States since the Imperial Japanese bombing of the U.S Naval Stations at Pearl Harbor during World War II.

Two of the airliners were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center trapping people in the 110 story buildings unable to escape. Within a couple of hours the towers both collapsed and covered New York City in smoke and debris, killing not only those trapped inside the towers but also many of the police and emergency service personal that arrived to help rescue wounded civilians.

The third hijacked plane hit the Pentagon building in Washington D.C. while the 4th crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, another potential attack on D.C. that was thwarted by the passengers themselves who sacrificed their lives.

Nearly 3,000 people, including citizens from 78 countries, died that day. Thousands more were wounded and the families of those who perished would never be the same again.

Our world would be changed forever.

World Trade Center: 2,763 Killed (including 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 police officers, 37 port authority personal, and the 87 people aboard American Airlines Flights 11 & the 60 people aboard United Airlines Flight 175).

The Pentagon: 189 Killed (including the 64 people aboard American Airlines Flight 77).

United Airlines Flight 93: 40 Killed among the passengers and crew.

Every year on September 11th, America honors Patriots Day in memory those who lost their lives during this day of national tragedy. Their memories will never be forgotten.

Every year on September 11th New York City lights up two towers of light to mark the spot where
the World Trade Towers both stood in the city's skyline.

(*It should be noted that none of these figures include the dishonorable 19 al-Queda terrorist hijackers that this blogger feels do not deserve to be remembered among the honored dead.)