Remembering 9/11 -- 25 Years Later

It began as an ordinary Tuesday morning 25 years ago. Millions of us made our way to the office or the factory, started our morning routine.

None of us suspected the horror that would soon change our nation forever.

A Dark Day

At 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, the first of four hijacked aircraft crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. What looked at first like a terrible accident was revealed to be a deliberate act less than 20 minutes later when a second plane crashed into the WTC’s South Tower. By the time a third plane crashed into the Pentagon, there was no question that we were under attack.

Only the actions of a brave group of passengers that forced the fourth plane down in a Pennsylvania field prevented another strike, believed to have been targeting either the U.S. Capitol or the White House.

In all, the terrorist attacks killed 2,977 Americans, all of whom had no reason to suspect the day would be anything out of the ordinary.

Honoring the Fallen

While all of the victims deserve to be remembered, we want to recognize the valor of a very special group of heroes – the first responders who lost their lives that day.

As survivors were running out of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, fire, police and EMS personnel were running in. They didn’t ask if it was safe. They didn’t ask if they were in danger of the building collapsing. They just went in to save lives.

Many never stood a chance. More than 400 of them, including 343 New York City firefighters, died instantly when the Towers collapsed. It was the single greatest loss of life in FDNY history.

Here’s what we often forget: first responders throughout the country face the possibility of death every day. Sure, 99 percent of the time, the calls end with everyone going home. But all it takes is one traffic stop gone bad, one roof collapse in a burning building, one skid on an icy road for disaster to strike.

Yet police officers, firefighter and EMS professionals voluntarily take that risk every shift. Every call. They respond just as those at the World Trade Center did, concerned only for the lives of others, not themselves.

A Duty To Remember

A quarter-century later, those of us over about 35 or so remember clearly where we were when we got the news.

I was a newspaper reporter at the time, covering a minor hearing in the local courthouse, my phone turned off. At a break, I turned it on to find a series of increasingly urgent voicemails from my editors. For the rest of that day, we scrambled like our colleagues across the nation to try to piece together what we know about the ongoing disaster and report it to our audience.

What you might not realize is nearly a third of the U.S. population wasn’t yet born when the attacks took place, and millions more were too young to remember the events. That’s why we must pause to commemorate this solemn day. We must never forget those whose lives were cut short, and those who served in the aftermath of the worst act of terrorism ever carried out on American soil.

A Firsthand Effect

Vito Giammanco, a member of our staff, was one person whose life was directly affected. On that day, he was an infantry soldier with the 101st Airborne, stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky,

“At the time, I was in the process of out-processing from active duty and preparing to begin my service with the Florida National Guard. I remember watching the events unfold on the news, just like everyone else. It was a terrifying and uncertain time, especially not knowing whether the attacks would continue. I began to wonder if I would even be allowed to leave active duty or if I would be retained and deployed with my unit.”

Vito was honorably discharged from active duty, and began his service with the Florida National Guard.

“About a year later, my National Guard unit was activated, and we deployed to Iraq. I spent 14 months overseas, received a Purple Heart for being wounded in combat and was very grateful to return home.”

We’re grateful to Vito and the other men and women who served their country during those troubled times. We must never forget to tell the stories of everyone whose lives were changed, just as our grandparents and parents told us about the December 7, 1941 attack on  Pearl Harbor.

An Ongoing Toll

The deaths of first responders caused by the 9/11 attacks didn’t end that day. Hundreds more have since lost their lives as a result of the toxic materials they were exposed to during the rescue, recovery and months of site cleanup at Ground Zero that followed the Trade Center collapse. Every one of them left behind family members and friends who loved them, who needed them, who will mourn them forever.

Patriot Day

Following the attacks, the nation unified in a display of bipartisan patriotism seldom seen before, A bill to make September 11 a national day of mourning was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in October 2001. The following year, President George W. Bush declared September 11, 2002 as the first Patriot Day. Every subsequent president has continued the tradition, making the declaration each year.

The sense of patriotism that unified Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, young and old in those days has faded in the past few years. As we remember September 11, 2001, we look forward to the day that spirit of unity and American pride is restored.

At Challenge Coins 4 Less, we realize nothing we do or say can adequately express our nation’s sense of loss for the more than 3,000 fellow Americans who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and the years after. We can only do our best to pass along the memories, and the importance, of that terrible day to others, and to respectfully honor everyone affected.

For More Information:

https://www.911memorial.org/

https://www.nycfiremuseum.org/9-11-memorial

https://www.cdc.gov/wtc/index.html