Throughout this nation, America pauses to remember events that forever changed our world on this date, altering the trajectory of freedoms as we once knew them.
Everyone old enough to remember can tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when they learned that American Airlines flight 11, out of Boston and bound for Los Angeles, had inexplicable changed course, altitude and speed and eventually slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center at about 0846 local time.
What had begun as a picture-perfect day, with comfortable temperatures and crystal-blue skies across much of the nation, evolved into one of the darkest in America's history.
Initially, most news outlets reported the plane crash as a terrible aviation accident, caused when a small private plane inexplicably flew into the north tower, striking it between floors 93 and 99.
America was shocked by this unfortunate 'error' by the plane's pilot. However, as the minutes passed and local New York broadcast media began showing aerial shots of the massive damage, it became evident that it was not caused by a private aircraft. It had been something much larger...a commercial jetliner.
Pundits were putting forth conjectured scenarios as to how such an event could have occurred, none of them making any sense, when, on live television, United Airlines flight 175 streaked into the south tower of the World Trade Center at 0902 hours.
The innocence of my generation ended at that very moment. Our nation was under obvious terrorist attack from an as-yet unknown enemy.
The Pentagon in Washington was also struck by a hijacked commercial jetliner; only by the brave and heroic actions of those aboard was United flight 93 diverted from its intended target and crashed into a field in Somerset county, Pennsylvania.
In the years since, we've learned who that enemy was, how they accomplished three-quarters of their mission, who planned and who funded their operations. We've learned the names of the thousands who perished in those buildings and aircraft, the 343 New York City Fire Department personnel, the thirty-three NYPD officers, the paramedics and those that have died since that day due to injury or cancer contracted while attempting to rescue survivors who may have been trapped in the twin towers' rubble after their collapse.
America's patriot heroes have waged war on those who perpetrated and celebrated events of that day...and continue to do so even now. Let us not forget the warriors who have made the ultimate sacrifice combating radical Islamic jihadists who seek to do us more harm, right here in our homeland.
We as a people, the American people, must be ever vigilant.
And we must never forget.
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