We Must NEVER Forget

Twenty years ago our world changed and not for the good. A cowardly group of 19 Islamic terrorists took over four airplanes. Two were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, a third hit the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and the finally plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Before 11 a.m. (ET) almost 3,000 innocent people were dead.

If you are old enough to remember that day you remember where you were, what you were doing and the shock, anger and fear you felt. America was under attack.

I was taking a shower when my wife came in and said, “An airplane just flew into the World Trade Center.”

“What?”

Honestly, I didn’t believe it was possible and, if it was, I thought for sure it was possibly a small commuter plane.

I got out of the shower, dried off and went out to the television. I couldn’t believe what I saw.

Smoke bellowed out of the North Tower. It had been attacked at 8:46 a.m. (ET) by a large plane.

Eighteen minutes later, as my wife and I watched on live TV, a second plane slammed into the South Tower.

I can’t imagine what it must have been like inside either of the towers.

On the ground, first responders arrived and began heading in to help those impacted and fight the fires.

Across the country and around the world disbelieving eyes were glued to television screens.

News broke that at 9:37 a.m. (ET) a third plane crashed into the west side of the Pentagon, in Washington D.C.

“This can’t be happening,” I thought. “Not in America!”

But it was, it was not a movie but real life, real terror.

Unknown at the time, passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 were trying to take control back of the plane they were in. Like the other three planes, terrorists had hijacked Flight 93. The plane, headed for California, was turned around and now was heading for Washington D.C. The target is believed to have been either the White House or the U.S. Capitol.

Passenger Thomas Burnett Jr. called his wife and told her, “I know we’re all going to die. There’s three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you, honey.”

In the back ground fellow passenger Todd Beamer was heard saying, “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll.”

At 10:03 a.m. (ET), the passengers attempt failed, Flight 93 ended up in a Pennsylvania field instead of Washington D.C. So though they failed to save their own lives, they were successful in making sure the terrorists’ failed.

Back at the World Trade Center, firefighters and police were rushing in to help.

Then, 42 minutes after the first attack the South Tower collapsed in a massive cloud of dust and smoke. At 10:30 a.m. the North Tower collapsed.

Watching it on TV was unreal, shocking and terrifying. In less than an hour, almost 3,000 lives were stolen. In less than an hour, our world had been turned upside down, our feeling of safety collapsed with the towers.

The shock and pain that day produced should never be forgotten. The lives stolen by 19 cowards should never be forgotten. There is no excuse for such a horrible act of hate.

Twenty years has passed, but may we NEVER EVER FORGET.