It’s the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack and I can remember the experience like it was yesterday. I want to save a thank you to all the brave men & women who worked tirelessly to save lives. A special prayer for the families of those that lost their lives and a moment silence for those souls that perished on that day…
I was a junior at University of Illinois when the attacks happened. As a journalism major my first class of the day was observing news as it unfolds but never did I imagine I would see this on live TV. I remember walking into the classroom and we were glued to the TV. There was nothing unusual about that but then I saw first tower on fire and I knew this was no ordinary day. Class was eventually dismissed early and I walked on the Quad where other students were trying to call home only to discover busy phone lines and no answers. Many of us huddled in the Illini Union and watched on the big screen the horrors of this terrible day unfold.
The 2nd tower was hit and as stories of the Pentagon being hit, and a downed airplane in a field — we all realized this was no accident. We were under attack. All traffic was halted across the country.
The scariest thing I remember was seeing the national guard on our campus with assault rifles. I think they were guarding the engineering campus which I heard had some super computer that could have been a target. The rest of the day I sat alone in my door room and just watched CNN and thought omg I can’t believe this is happening.
Twenty years later I am still shocked. My heart still goes out to the firefighters that risked their lives trying to save others in those towers. I saw a video on Facebook of a firefighter in full gear doing a stair-master climb and when asked he said I climbed the equivalent of what those firefighters had to climb on that day and it took me 30 minutes. This is a event firefighters do to celebrate and honor those that gave their life that day trying to rescue others.
I have a deep respect for the brave passengers that downed their own plane so that it wouldn’t be “used as a pawn in a suicide hijackers plot” — to quote Todd. I think of the victims at the Twin Towers, The Pentagon who perished, and keep their families in my prayers.
The first 10 years of my adult life I had a huge fear of flying and as I reflect back it was mainly due to this tragic day 20 years ago. I didn’t get over that fear of flying until almost a decade later. If 9/11 can have that big of an impact on me and I was no where near the attacks I can only the ongoing trauma for those that lived it and the families who lost loved ones because of it.
We will not let this day ruin us. Twenty years later we take back our power. We not only honor the fallen hero’s and victims but celebrate them and show the world that the American spirit is not broken and we stand triumphantly even now. USA! USA! USA!
