Essay: The September 11, 2001 attacks

September 11, 2001, is the unforgettable day to every American. There were four attacks by a group of terrorist called the Al-Qaeda. They carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. This tragic event will go down in history as the worst terror attack on NYC. This was why they found it necessary to reorganize and rebuild as Americans.

The Al-Qaeda was a terrorist group that attacked the World Trade Center towers in New York City. First the group was founded by Osama Bin laden in the late 1980s. It began as a logistical network to support Muslims in the Afghanistan War fighting against what was then, the Soviet Union. (Richard C.) Some of these terrorist used to live in the US for more than a year. They had been taking flying lessons at an American school(s). (Benson S) The Al-Qaeda was a very small violent group of people who practiced the Muslim religion. It was on August 23, 1992 when Osama bin Laden declared war on America.(Gale History) He showed his hate for America in many ways. The same date when he declared war on American, was when he bombed a hotel. On December 29, 1992, Al-Qaeda bombed Gold Mohur, a hotel, where U.S. troops were staying. Then there was another attack by the terrorist on February 26, 1993. The bomb was built in a nearby Jersey City and was driven into a garage at the Trade Center. It left killing 6 and wounding 1,500 people. (NBC news) One year before the 9/11 was when the USS cole bombing occurred. The U.S. Navy ship Cole was located off the coast of Yemen. The explosion occurred at 11:18 a.m, leaving 17 crew members dead and 39 wounded. (CNN) Then one of the most deadliest attack happened. On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda destroyed the World Trade Center. Both buildings got struck by an American Airline, leaving 3,000 dead. There was 19 militants that were part of the terrorist group. They smuggled box-cutters and knives through security and made it through. (Lerner K)The September attacks were a series of four attack on America. All these attacks were thought of by the Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda, they used violence to achieve their goal to bring America down.

It all began on Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001. It was at 8:45am, on a beautiful blue sky morning when the first north tower was hit. It was hit by an American Airline Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel.(NBC) People were trapped by all the damage and fire that came from the first plane. Everyone was desperate to escape. Evacuation started immediately and thousands of people running out of the building screaming and crying. At 9:03am, another plane sliced the south tower and caused more chaos. It was hit by a second American Airline flight 175 Boeing 767. Later on, the north tower collapsed at 10:28am, and the south tower at 10:05am. (CNN) 3,000 people in total had died that fatal day, including 343 firefighters, paramedics, police officers and the 19 terrorist hijackers. (Benson S) Then the American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into Pentagon, in Washington DC, destroying a part of the building at 9:43am. About 189 people were killed as well with 64 people on American flight 77. (CNN) At 10:07am was when the Pennsylvania field got attack, about 40 passengers and crew board died. This was the deadliest attack on New York City.

There were many people that day that went back into the towers to save more people. We remember this one man who led people to a lower floor helping them escape their floor that was being engulfed by fire. His name was Welles Crowther, he was 24 years old. He was known as the man in the red bandanna. He started carrying the bandanna when he was 6 years old like it was his good luck charm. He would have it on him at all time. He grew up in Nyack, New York and spent most of his time playing lacrosse which he later on played in Boston college.(NYPOST)Everyone loved him for his personality and how hardworking he was. As he grew older, he realized he wanted to be a firefighter but never really followed through with his dream and started to work at one of the towers. His office was in the south tower, on the 104th floor and took a job as an equities trader. (ESPN) The plane then crashed into the south tower. He put himself together and he immediately went into action and started to help his own co-workers on his own floor. He worked his way down to the people that were on the 78th floor and took them down stairway A, the only stairway that was clear enough and safe enough to go down. He led them to the 61st floor to safety. Welles then went back upstairs to help more people in need he used his red bandana to cover his mouth from the smoke. (NYPOST) When he found more survivors, he tried to save as much of them as he possibly could including Judy Wein. She remember Welles saying “everyone who can stand, stand now, if you can help others, do so”. (ESPN) Sadly he died that day doing what he loved to most, saving people. Welles body was found six months later on March 19, 2002, in the lobby of the south tower. The detail of his death stills remains a mystery. But his legacy still remains. His parents have built up a foundation based upon his red bandanna that help 9/11 families and do fundraisers. Then in 2006 he was named a firefighter by the commissioner. Everyone still remembers Welles as the man in the red bandanna.

After this attacked happen, America immediately went into action. Bush was president at the time and made a public speech that night saying “This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world….” He then told America how we were going to go to war with the Al-Qaida this was known as “The War on Terror” which lead to a temporary defeat of the Taliban in Afghanistan (Eidenmuller). While you were here in America people knew it was necessary to reorganize and rebuild together and get through their losses. There were a lot of ceremonies that were held and where the buildings crashed they built a memorial with all the names of the people who died in all three buildings. Not only that but the airport security had changed drastically. (FairCompare)When you get at the airport, they check you from head to toes. Your ID must be present and have the same name on your ticket as well. You have to remove your shoes, jacket and any metal items you have on you. Then they make sure to check your baggage through a machine that can see what you have in your luggage, then they also do an enhanced pat downs all throughout your body. If they do find any type of weapon on your body or in your luggage  then they’ll send you into a separate room pat you down some more and check you or the luggage to get rid of the weapons and question you intensely. (Eidenmuller) You are basically incarcerated until you are proven you are not a danger to the public. We can also see now police and or army men sometimes in the city with guns on duty looking around to see if anything suspicious is going on, trying to keep us safe as best as they could.

Though many things have changed since 9/11 we still stand strong as a country. Every year when the day falls upon us we take a moment in school to stay quiet and honor our fallen soldiers and families that have lost their loved ones. There are also ceremonies held and parades based on what had happened. We as a country will never forget that day and all the lives that was lost due to the planes crashing into all three buildings and the pentagon. Some of us were never the same after that day, many things had to be changed and new precautions had to be placed to keep us Americans safe. To this day we pray nothing like that will happen again.