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September 11 tragedy: stories of heroism to remember

August 29, 2018

It's been 17 years since the attacks of September 11, 2001. But the day is still in the memory for millions of Americans, many lives were changed forever.
On 9/11, terrorists crash two planes into the World Trade Center's twin towers in New York and one into the Pentagon. The day started out with clear blue sky but ended with a mass of smoldering metal where the Twin Towers once stood, leaving 3000 people dead.

Today we'd like to remember all the heroes of the day, those who saved other people the lives. In New York City there were hundreds of police officers and firefighters, who had lost their lives after rushing to the scene and into the towers. Let's remember all those brave people and pray for those who are not with us any more, but still in our memories.

Firefighters.
Firefighters from the New York City Fire Department rushed to the World Trade Center minutes after the first plane struck the north tower. They had to assist people that were trapped in elevators and elsewhere, they were also required to ensure all floors were completely evacuated. Problems with radio communication led to losing contact between the comanders and a lot of of the firefighters who went into the buildings. Because of this, 343 firefighters died in the collapse of the towers. Besides those volunteer firefighters were assisting with recovery operations at Ground Zero.

Doctors and other medical staff as FDNY Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) operated by voluntary hospitals and volunteer ambulance corps all the day long.

Police.
The New York City Police Department quickly responded with the Emergency Service Units. Their helicopters were soon at the scene, reporting on the status of the burning buildings. The police department worked 12-hour shifts to help in the rescue and recovery efforts.

Coast Guard, maritime industry.
After the first attack, the captains and crews of local boats came to assist in evacuation. 2,000 people injured in the attacks were evacuated by the maritime evacuation.

Amateur radio.
Amateur radio played a big role in the rescue aprocess. The operators established communications, maintained emergency networks. 500 amateur radio operators volunteered during the disaster and recovery.

Military support.
Civil Air Patrol were called up to help. CAP flew over Ground Zero, to aid in recovery efforts, such as transportation of blood donations. Thousands of New York Army and Air National Guardsmen helped in the rescue/recovery efforts.
U.S. Navy members provided food and shelter for more than 10,000 relief workers. Its medical resources were used to provide first-aid and psychological help.

Here are some incredible stories of heroism on that day... The stories of the people prevented the tragedy from becoming even worse.

A 24-year-old equities trader helped people get out by himself, and then went back in with firefighters to save more. Welles Crowther was an equities trader on the 104th floor. The man was a volunteer firefighter in his teens, he made his way down to the 78th floor sky lobby and became a hero to strangers whose lives he saved. He helped injured and disoriented office workers to safety, risking his own life. Crowther directed survivors to the stairway and encouraged them to help others while he carried an injured woman on his back. After bringing her 15 floors down to safety, he made his way back up to help others. He never came back...

Two former U.S. Marines put their uniforms back on and searched through rubble that could have collapsed at any moment.
As 27-year-old Sgt. Jason Thomas heard what had happened, he changed into the Marine Corps uniform (he was a former sergeant who had been out of the Corps for a year) and drove toward Manhattan.

Another former Marine Dave Karnes was working in his office when he saw the attack on TV. He changed into his Marine uniform, and drove toward New York City. As both Marines reached the towers, they found each other and began searching for survivors. They were climbing over the dangerous field of metal when the South Tower began to fall. Alive but seriously injured, they were rescued and returned to Ground Zero to help.

Rick Rescorla was responsible for saving more than 2,700 lives, and he sang songs to keep people calm while they evacuated. Rick Rescorla, a hero of the battlefields of Vietnam, would often sing to his men to calm them down while under fire. A lot of people would hear his songs on Sep. 11. He was working as head of corporate security for Morgan Stanley. When the tragedy happened, Port Authority ordered Rescorla to keep his employees at their desks, according to San Diego Source. But he had already issued the order to evacuate. He had made Morgan Stanley employees practice emergency drills for years, this helped that day much: 16 minutes after the first plane hit the opposite tower, more than 2,700 employees and visitors were out when the second plane hit their building. During the evacuation, Rescorla was singing "God Bless America" to calm down the people. Rescorla was last seen on the 10th floor of the South Tower, his body was never found.

September 11 happened almost two decades ago. One-quarter of Americans are now too young to remember it. But we can't forget that day. We must keep in memory not only all those people who tragically died but also all the heroes who gave everything they could to help and save the lives of others.

Give your hero a symbol of everlasting memory - a personalized jewelry piece, engraved with a special message. This could also be a remembrance bracelet or necklace to keep in memory the dearest friend or member of the family who gave his life to save other lives that day... Honor the nearest and dearest person who lives in the heart. Or give the remembrance gift to someone special to show your support and understanding.