Sept. 11, 2021 is the 20th anniversary of when four American domestic aircraft were hijacked by the terrorist group al-Qaeda. Nearly 3,000 American and foreign nationals died as a result of the attacks.
The flights that were selected were originally scheduled to fly west early that morning. The aircraft were large and carrying lots of fuel for their journeys, which made them ideal for the means of the hijackers.
At 8:46 a.m. American Airlines flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower in New York City. Though initially thought to be an accident from those on site, it was soon clear that there was a coordinated attack unfolding when United Airlines flight 175 collided with the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.
As firefighters, policemen and healthcare workers attempted to rescue the trapped victims of the burning buildings, some ended up jumping from the higher levels rather than face the inferno that would soon overtake them.
American Airlines flight 77 hit the southwest side of the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. in Arlington, Virginia. Soon afterward, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop on all civilian air travel.
At 9:59 a.m. the South Tower collapsed.
United Airlines flight 93 was the last of the hijacked flights. Passengers and crew onboard this flight had heard about the other attacks while trying to contact family and authorities with their phones. The brave individuals on this flight decided that they would not allow the plane to reach its target. They took action to overpower their assailants and crashed in an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m. There were no survivors. This flight’s original target was the White House in Washington D.C. nearly 20 minutes away by air.
The North Tower finally collapsed at 10:28 a.m.
Master Chief Air Traffic Controller Eddie McKinney was driving onto Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Santa Rosa County, Florida, for his shift in a control tower after the first attack. He was alerted by the sentry at the gate that they were on a terror alert and that the force protection conditions were rapidly changing. When he made it to the tower, it was unusually quiet. He joined his watch team inside and watched the remaining attacks unfold on TV.
“My initial reaction was disbelief,” said McKinney, who is currently stationed at Pacific Missile Range Facility. “We were all glued to the TV. The second crash occurred on live TV and two more planes were identified as hijacked. One crashed into the Pentagon and the last one culminated American spirit and resolve! The plane that crashed in Pennsylvania had the world’s attention because intelligence at the time stated that Capitol Hill was the target for this aircraft and we witnessed the altered flight path of that aircraft as it made awkward turns on radar before it disappeared on the radar scope.”
That evening, then President George W. Bush in response to the attacks said, “We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.”
Operation Enduring Freedom began soon after the attacks on Oct. 7, 2001, the beginning of America’s longest war.
The impact of these attacks has changed America forever, from heightened airport security, the formation of the Department of Homeland Security, to Congress declaring war on terrorism.
“Before 9/11, I could look at my radar display and see a radar target with a 1200 code on the screen,” said McKinney. “That only told me that there was an aircraft flying according to Visual Flight Rules. It did not indicate what control agency was in communication with that aircraft or what the aircraft intentions were. Now a discrete beacon code is required.”
There is now an entire generation that has not lived through the horror of that day. Some service members joining the military today were not even alive when the attacks happened. However, this does not mean that the events and impacts of that day will be forgotten.
“It is important to remember 9/11 because thousands of innocent people were killed on American soil for a terrorist agenda,”said McKinney. “We cannot become complacent in our duties and responsibilities as service members because the enemy is always watching, plotting and scheming for the right time to create havoc.”
President Joe Biden announced that American forces would be withdrawing from Afghanistan on April 14, 2021. He made the goal that all U.S. Armed Forces would be out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11.
“I want to recognize the incredible sacrifice and dedication that the U.S. military and civilian personnel, serving alongside our Allies and partners, have made over the last two decades in Afghanistan,” said Biden at the White House on July 8. “We’re ending America’s longest war, but we’ll always, always honor the bravery of the American patriots who served in it.”
Biden announced on August 31 that the war in Afghanistan had finally ended. Operation Allies Refuge was able to evacuate thousands of American citizens, Afghans who worked for or supported the U.S. and their families, as well as other foreign citizens and diplomats. Efforts to continue airlifting out those with the intentions to leave Afghanistan are still in effect.
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 07.13.2022 21:31 |
| Story ID: | 424948 |
| Location: | KEKAHA, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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