11th September, 2001

I wonder how many of us remember where we were on the 11th September, 2001? I was at work and a colleague came back from break and said that something terrible was happening in the United States. We turned on the radio and listened in silence! After work, I went straight to my mother’s house and we spent the evening together, eyes glued to the news on t.v. and eating dinner.

The world watched in horror on the attacks on the World Trade Center in America. Two planes flew into the buildings, exploding and killing thousands of people. A third plane hit the Pentagon and a fourth crashed in a field in Shanksville. New York, Washington and Pennsylvania were attacked. Having lived in London most of my life, I remember growing up with bomb attacks, every Christmas, throughout England. No one had dared to attack America before. Twenty years later, we know a great deal of the details associated with these horrific attacks.

Militants from the al Qaeda group hijacked four airplanes and carried out the suicide attacks, killing not just themselves but also thousands of innocent people. Although the reasons “Why” this happened are, of course, extremely important to find out so that we can make sure it never happens again, nothing justifies the mindless slaughter of these innocent lives.

The sheer courage and bravery of people, who did not know each other, shone through that day! Our dear Queen, Elizabeth II, commemorates this day by saying: “As we mark the 20th anniversary of the terrible attacks on September 11th, 2001, my thoughts and prayers --- and those of my family and the entire nation --- remain with the victims, survivors and families affected, as well as the first responders and rescue workers called to duty.” “The fact that we are coming together today --- in sorrow but also in faith and resolve --- demonstrates the failure of terrorism and the strength of the bonds between us,” a quote from Boris Johnson, who was actually born in New York City.

Thousands of people worked at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and, thankfully, most were able to escape and survive the terrible attacks. I wanted to highlight the Positive that really did come out of these attacks, and the stories of “heroism” restore our faith in humankind. A lot of the information in this article comes from the “Insider” and their article “7 incredible stories of heroism on 9/11”.

24 year old Welles Crowther worked in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. After the plane struck this tower, Crowther phoned his mother: “I want you to know that I’m ok”, and went from the 104th floor (where he worked) down to the 78th floor sky lobby to see how he could help others. Being a volunteer firefighter when he was a teenager, Crowther had a good idea of what to do to help. Amid the sheer chaos, smoke and debris, others saw a tall man wearing a red bandana (to shield his own lungs and mouth), and in an authoritative voice, Crowther directed survivors to the stairway, carrying an injured woman on his back down 15 floors to safety, and then he went back up to help the others. Crowther is credited with saving at least a dozen people that very day. His body was discovered along with firefighters in a stairwell heading back up the tower. “He’s definitely my guardian angel”, recalls one of the survivors he rescued.

Two flight attendants showed ‘extreme’ courage when the plane they were on was hijacked. Five terrorists hijacked American Airlines Flight 11, stabbing some of the flight attendants and passengers, and taking control of the plane. Betty Ong and Amy Sweeney, controlling their fears, calmly and cleverly contacted the ground, the American Airlines, and gave as much information as they could about the terrorists. As a result, the FBI were able to find the names, addresses and ‘other information’ about three of the terrorists, and 20 minutes before the plane crashed, the FBI could start their investigation.

Army Spc. Beau Doboszenski was a tour guide on the opposite side of the Pentagon when it was hit by the hijacked plane. As soon as he heard a Navy Captain ask for anyone with medical training to help, Doboszenski responded without any second thoughts. Coming from a family of firefighters and being a trained EMT, he gave first aid to numerous victims. Joining a six-man team, Doboszenski went into the burning building to look for more survivors. “When people started streaming out of the building and screaming, he sprinted toward the crash site. For hours, he alternated between treating his co-workers and dashing into the inferno with a team of six men.”

The “K-9 Courage” Exhibition honours the hundreds of dogs that ‘joined in’ to help rescue survivors. They had dedication and ‘specialized expertise’ making a difference (with their handlers) during the rescue and recovery.

Although “9/11” has gone down in history as a day full of terrible attacks, let’s always remember how it brought mankind together in unity and strength, and we saw the very real courage of heroes and heroines!