Pause to remember 9/11

#Middlebury #9/11

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

20 years have passed since the terrible tragedy that happened September 11, 2001. It seems like just yesterday we watched our TVs in horror as planes controlled by terrorists sought to destroy us.

On the 20th anniversary of that horrible day, we remember and honor all the innocent victims of the terrorists – the office workers and others who kissed their families and headed off to another day of work, not knowing they would not live to see another day, and the first responders who raced into danger to save as many lives as they could. Some died that day; others died years later from the effects of the toxic air they inhaled while trying to save people. Let’s also remember the search and rescue dogs and handlers who risked their lives to do their part.

Before 2001, September 11 was just another day on the calendar. It’s now “Patriot Day,” a national day of mourning. It’s the day when we remember and honor those who died during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Virginia, those who perished when the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania, those who died trying to rescue victims, and those who died later. We also remember all the families torn apart by the unexpected loss of a beloved family member.

On September 11, 2021, we pause for a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, the time the first airplane – American Airlines Flight 11 – struck the World Trade Center, to honor and remember the thousands of victims of 9/11.