I was just a little child when President Kennedy was killed and too young to really grasp the enormity of the situation. The people old enough to remember it, though, never forgot it. I read that 95 percent of Americans who were at least 8 years old in 1963 still recall exactly where they were or what they were doing when JFK was assassinated.
Growing up, the adults would talk about it sometimes. Where were you when JFK was shot? And everyone could tell you exactly. They would remember little details. It’s amazing how the human brain imprints memories of these events. Tragedy lingers with us.
On Feb. 26, 1993, the World Trade Center was attacked. A truck bomb blew up beneath the North Tower, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000. The terrorists intended to destroy the foundation of the North Tower and send it crashing into the South Tower. The plot was financed by Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed, and Mohammed’s nephew was among the conspirators that carried the attack out. This terrorist cell was part of a larger organization known as Al-Qaeda, terrorists operating out of Africa and Afghanistan.
People don’t seem to remember that attack as well. Sometimes when I talk to someone about it, they forgot it happened at all. It was a tragedy, but ultimately a failure by the terrorists.
This failure didn’t stop Al-Qaeda’s ambition to destroy the United States. In 1996, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed presented a plan to Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda, which would eventually become the Sept. 11 attacks. Mohammed has since been called the “architect” of the attacks.
On 8:46 a.m., Sept. 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north face of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. Initially, the nation wasn’t sure what was going on. For those few brief minutes, the press reported that it might have been an accident. The news showed footage of the incident in 1945 when a B-25 bomber accidentally hit the Empire State Building. Then at 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the southern face of the World Trade Center South Tower. In that moment, we knew we were under attack.
Al-Qaeda had hijacked four airliners in total, and at 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. United Airlines Flight 93, intended to hit either the Capitol or the White House, was intentionally downed by the hijackers, after the passengers attempted to seize control of the plane.
If you ask anyone who was over the age of 8 in 2001 where they were on that day, I would bet they could tell you. Probably down-to-the-minute details. People gathered around television sets and computer screens to watch the tragedy unfold. Trapped people jumping to their deaths. The towers falling. Chaos. The worst terrorist attack on American soil made an undeniable impact on our society. Tragedy lingered with us.
But if the terrorists had hoped to break our spirit, they failed. America came together in a way I had never experienced before, and haven’t experienced since. Blood banks were flooded with donors. We began to hear the stories of the first responders who raced into the burning buildings and gave their lives trying to save others. Aid for New York and D.C. poured in. The tragedy imprinted itself in our minds, true, but it also made us remember who we are. We’re Americans.
When I think back on 9/11, I try and focus on the good that came out of it. The patriotism and solidarity we showed. We set aside petty differences and worked together to weather the storm. Over the years, we’ve forgotten that sense of unity. We slip back into political squabbles and ideological bickering. But when someone talks about honoring the heroes of Sept. 11, think back to when the United States came together. Remember what’s really important in life. Remember who we are. We’re Americans.
State Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, represents the 6th District, and shares his perspective on statehouse issues twice a month.