The word "anniversary" can have very different shades of meaning. This can be a celebration, or..a memory day. This September there was the 8th anniversary from the day that struck the whole world.
On September 11, 2001, the group of attackers entered domestic aircraft at three airports on the US East Coast, and after take-off disabled crews. The hijackers took control of the planes, one of those was piloted at the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. The second plane was directed 17 minutes later into the South Tower. The office workers of the towers got into the hell in the towers. The third plane struck the southwest side of the Pentagon, while the fourth plane crashed in Newark, New Jersey, near Shanksville, PA.
The heavily damaged South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, and the North Tower fell after 29 minutes. Clouds of smoke and fire filled the streets of Manhattan. Rescue operations started almost immediately when the whole country was trying to grasp the catastrophe of the attack to cope with the huge losses. As the result of the disaster almost 3,000 people died: 2,750 in New York, 184 in the Pentagon and 40 in Pennsylvania; All the19 terrorists also died. In New York more than 400 police and firefighters died, rushing to the place of the catastrophe.
Each year Americans take the time to remember the heroes who came to help other on that dark day: those who sacrificed their lives in rescue operations, served in the armed forces, or people who just couldn't stay aside.
Millions of people from all over the world come to Ground Zero in New York to commemorate those who died in the result of the terrorist attack. In first two years since the opening of the National Memorial Museum on September 11, 2014, more than 5.7 million people visited it. There are 10,000 exhibits, 23,000 photographs, 1,900 stories and 500 hours of video narration.. telling the story of what happened during the attacks.
Some exhibits tell the story of people who sacrificed their lives to help others during the tragedy.
Throughout the country, members of the Legion family honor those who died in the September 11 terrorist attacks. For example, in Columbia Church members hold annual ceremonies to honor the heroes.
Here are the
• “Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”
—President Obama in a 2011 radio address
• “One of the worst days in America’s history saw some of the bravest acts in Americans’ history. We’ll always honor the heroes of 9/11. And here at this hallowed place, we pledge that we will never forget their sacrifice.”
—President George W. Bush at the Pentagon in 2008
• “My father, Norberto, was a pastry chef at Windows on the World in Tower One. For 10 years, he made many fancy and famous desserts, but the sweetest dessert he made was the marble cake he made for us at home. … Whenever we parted, Poppi would say, ‘Te amo. Vaya con Dios.’ And this morning, I want to say the same thing to you, Poppi. I love you. Go with God.”
—Catherine Hernandez at the World Trade Center site in 2008
Let us tell you some stories about people you've probably never heard of. And it's so sad, we heard about them because of the tragic reason.
Major Heather Penny was a lieutenant in the National Guard of Washington. She was one of two pilots ordered to take off after the struck the twin towers. Penny and Colonel Marc Susseville took to the sky with the plan to crash any plane who could fly toward Washington with the aim of attacking. In fact, they were ready to sacrifice their lives to protect the innocent people on earth. Flight 93 crashed into a field in Pennsylvania and they were never forced to make a sacrifice, but they made the decision.
One more incredible story. No one survived in the north tower of the World Trade Center over the strike zone. Only four people in the South Tower stayed alive. This was Canadian Brian Clark, who is now 67 years old. The other was Stanley Primeath. These men did not know each other. Praimnath left his office in the South Tower after the North Tower was hit. But he returned to his office on the 81st floor after he was informed that the building was safe, when he saw the second plane coming. Praimnath was alive and not injured, but trapped behind a wall. Clark heard his cries for help came to help. After they went down the stairs together, they felt brothers for life. They left the building just before it fell.
Josephine Harris was in the North Tower and almost gave up trying to leave the tower, when members of Ladder Company 6 in Chinatown came to help her doing all the way down the stairs. Then the building collapsed. It's a wonder, that they all survived. If firefighters had not helped Mrs. Harris, she wouldn't have survived.
Deputy Chief Jay Jonas of Ladder 6 reflected on her passing, telling the New York Times:
“You cannot say that something that happened to you is a miracle. But we had the courage to do what we did, and you can say that if she was not there for us to save her, we probably would not have made it.”
There were heroes on 9/11 in uniform and some of them were people without any uniform, some were doing really heroic deeds, some showed that even a tiny bit of humanity helps.
This tragedy brought despair, sadness, emptiness.. but together with that it brought the hope.. cause together with cruelty and fear it showed the humanity. The day showed, how terrible a human being can be, as well as it showed how much humanity can live in the hearts of those who are not indifferent, who are ready to help or even sacrifice themselves.
Remembering those people, who gave their lives for others, or those who helped and managed to stay alive - remembering the heroes gives the hope, that all they have done isn't in vain, that if they live in our hearts, this means, their deeds, their message of humanity lives as well.
The 11th of September is a dark day in the whole world, unfortunatelly not the only one. There were and are more days, challenging and bringing dark shades to the surface of life. But there are also heroes who bring the light of hope and the belief in humanious nature of people.
If you want not just to honor your friend or special one hero but to present him or her something memorable, to show the appreciation and how much you are proud of him or her.. or maybe if you want to have a piece to symbolize, that someone loved lives in your memory and heart, this can be a memory jewelry: a bracelet or necklace, POW, KIA jewelry.
Let us be humanious and bring our hope and good deeds to the wish of the peace and blue sky without war. Let us remember heroes that keep living with us and remember about the things that musn't be forgotten.
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