Remembering the tragedies of Sept. 11
(Ana Castellanos)
To the individuals serving the public in honor of our county, we at the Lariat applaud you.
In order to highlight the value of the thousands of men and women who volunteer across our nation to help our country recover, it is imperitive to discuss the most devastating date in recent American history.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 Islamic radicals took the lives of innocent airline passengers and bystanders into their own hands. They hijacked four ordinary aircrafts and turned them into weapons of terrorism. United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center (1WTC and 2WTC) in New York City.
Not long after, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and United Airlines Flight 93 was taken down into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Of the 2,603 people who were killed in New York City, 343 were New York Fire Department officers and another 23 were New Port Authority Police Department officers, an additional 23 were New York City Police Department officers. All were kiled in the line of duty. At the Pentagon, 125 Americans were killed as well. 24 people are still missing to this day. In total there were 2,974 fatalities on 9/11.
The men and women who stand watch of this country are often required to leave their families at any given moment. Whether it is during a family dinner, on a holiday or in the middle of the night, this sometimes hectic, yet always heroic job, is what they have chosen as a career.
They are the core responders to this nation’s emergencies and without the dedication, responsibility and ambition that bleeds from them, and anyone else supporting this country, America would have stayed in ‘Ground Zero’ from 9/11 on.
On this day we are reminded that we should be appreciative of those who helped or are helping our country survive this terrible tragedy, and be aware that even the smallest act of kindness can help. Whether it is sending a thank-you note to a soldier or volunteering at your local church, you too can help encourage this country’s brotherhood, uplift its spirits and mend the wounds caused by the terrorist attacks of 9/11.