Where were you on November 22nd of 1963 at
12:30pm? The day President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
Where were you on April 14th of 1968 at
6:01pm? The moment Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated in Memphis.
Where were you on March 30th of 1981 at
2:30pm? The moment President Reagan was shot in Washington, D.C.
And, where were you on January 28th of 1986 at
11:39am? The moment Space Shuttle Challenger crew perished off of the Florida
coast.
These
moments are surreal and at times haunting as we reflect on our lives as
Americans. We remember where we were
when we heard the tragic news and the reaction we and our country
exhibited. And, none will be as telling
and stark as that day of September 11th of 2001 at 8:46am.
Today,
we reflect upon that moment in time when we as Americans were fixed upon that
infamous day of tragedy and threat to our way of life. And, to the heroes that gave so much to
contribute to the relief of fellow Americans.
Sometimes
as time moves forward, we through our busy lives and forward thinking, can lose
context of what had marked our country’s history. Let’s venture back to September 11th
of 2001, as the events unfolded. Here is
the timeline of critical events marking September 11th…
7:35: Muhammad Atta and al-Omari board American Airlines Flight 11.
7:59: American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767,
departs 14 minutes late from Logan International Airport, bound for Los Angeles. Five hijackers are aboard.
8:14: United Airlines Flight 175, another
fully-fueled Boeing 767, carrying 56 passengers and nine crew members, departs
from Boston Logan airport, also bound for Los Angeles. Five hijackers are
aboard.
8:20: American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757
with 58 passengers and six crew members, departs from Washington Dulles International
Airport Loudoun County, Virginia,
for Los Angeles. Five hijackers are aboard.
8:46:40: Flight 11 crashes at roughly 490 mph into the north face of the North
Tower (1 WTC) of the World Trade Center, between floors 93 and 99.
9:03:04: Flight 175 crashes at about 590 mph
into the south face of the South Tower (2 WTC) of the World Trade Center,
banked between floors 78 and 85.
9:28: Hijackers storm the cockpit on Flight 93
and take over the flight. The entry of the hijackers is overheard by flight
controllers at Cleveland.
9:37:46: Flight 77 crashes into the western side
of the Pentagon
and starts a violent fire. The section of the Pentagon hit consists mainly of
newly renovated, unoccupied offices. All 64
people on board are killed, as are 125 Pentagon personnel.
9:45: United States
airspace
is shut down.
No civilian aircraft are allowed to take off, and all aircraft in flight are
ordered to land at the nearest airport as soon as possible. All international
flights headed for the U.S. are redirected to Canada.
9:59:04: The South Tower of the World Trade
Center begins to collapse, 55 minutes 53 seconds after the impact of Flight
175. Its destruction is viewed and heard by a vast television and radio
audience.
10:03:11: United Airlines Flight 93 is crashed by
its hijackers and passengers, due to fighting in the cockpit 80 miles southeast
of Pittsburgh in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
10:50:25: The five stories of the Pentagon
collapse.
As we remember this day. let us pause in reverence for those who perished. Total lives lost include: 2,752 from ground zero, 40 on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania and 184 at the Pentagon.
Let this day serve as a reminder of the strength of the American spirit to rally in times of despair and the enduring ability to rise again with zeal for restoring our safety and way of life.
September 11th is Patriot's Day in America. Let us always remember how this day impacted our lives. Let this day serve as a stark reminder of the threats that exist to our Republic. May we always remain vigilant in defense of our liberty. And, always remember where you were on 9/11.
