When Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese, President Truman stated that Dec. 7th would be “a date which will live in infamy.” A day that shocked the entire nation, and ended with deep sorrow, pain, and loss. Since that day in 1941, the U.S. hadn’t experienced a loss so deep, until Sept. 11, 2001. The World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and Washington D.C. were targeted by the terrorist group al-Qaeda, using four hijacked U.S. airline planes. Two were flown into both the South and North Towers located in Manhattan. Another plane was flown into the Pentagon, and the fourth plane was meant to crash in Washington D.C., however the passengers hijacked the terrorists and crashed the plane in a Pennsylvania field.
With four planes and 19 terrorists, massive amounts of damage were done to the physical and mental stability of the U.S. nation. Both Twin Towers were destroyed, the west wing of the Pentagon collapsed, the passengers on the four hijacked airlines died in the crashes, and many more lives were lost during the attacks and the search and rescue operations carried out by the police and firefighters. 15 years have passed since this horrific incident and it still feels as if the smoke billowed over the five boroughs only yesterday.
To those that were old enough to live through that day and the weeks following after, they will never forget what it feels like to walk in fear of anyone and anything around you. To hide behind your parent’s legs, because the man carrying a box could be dangerous, or because the people who wear wraps around their heads might be plotting harm. When you’re young you don’t know any better. However, time has passed, people age and new terrors are reigning our fears. It’s difficult to walk around as a young adult and try to remember what it was like to live without paranoia. Since Sept. 11, 2001, our lives have always consisted of looking over our shoulders and keeping our distance from others. But we’ve also learned to accept our daily situations and do what we can to make it better.
9/11 is more than another day that will live in infamy. It’s also a reminder of where the U.S. was, and where it is now. Where the people were, and where they are now. This date will always be used to remember those that gave their lives to help others, and to remind the U.S.—and the world—that no matter what the tragedy, we all stand strong and together.
