A Look Back at September 11, 2001

By Lauren Boehnlein
Co-Editor-in-ChiefTuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, started off like any other day. People got up, got ready for work or school, and started their days. What happened on September 11 was also the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Yes, Pearl Harbor was terrible, but this was the worst thing our generation has ever seen.

Businessmen and women, mothers and father, daughters and sons, boarded planes at various airports on the East Coast and settled in for the long flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco. That day, none of four flights reached their destinations. Two were flown into the two World Trade Center Towers, one into the Pentagon, and the fourth and final flight was brought down in a field in Shanksville, Pa.

Most of us remember where we were when news of what happened when America Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center. And we can remember where we were when we found out that American Airlines Flight 77 smashed into the Pentagon.

"I was in seventh grade U.S. History when I heard there was a bombing in New York," said sophomore Emily Ladd. "It wasn't until I got home and my dad had on the television that I realized what had happened."

I was in ninth grade English with Mr. Anderson when I found out. I had heard kids talking about it when I was walking down the hall, but my understanding was that a plane had tried to fly between the buildings and crashed.Never did I imagine what had truly happened.

It wasn't until we turned on the television that we realized the impact of what happened. The number those who had died in the World Trade Center seemed to significantly rise, and the number those who were missing seemed to go down. The images of the desperate family members filled the screen as we watched fire fighters and other officials fight through the rubble to find the next survivor. All the while, the videos of the second plane hitting the towers and the videos of the collapse were played over and over. We watched as firefighters worked to pull people out of the burning Pentagon, carrying victims and survivors across the lawn to waiting ambulances.

We've all heard the stories from the fateful flight United 93. We've heard of the courageous passengers who bravely tried to fight off the terrorists in order to regain control of the plane. There have been several movies and books released telling the stories of brave passengers such as Todd Beamer who shouted "Let's roll" to his fellow comrades, Tom Burnett and Mark Bingham.

Ever since 9/11, life has changed dramatically. We must remove all extra clothing and shoes when we walk through airport security; we can't take more than three ounces of liquid on a plane, and we are no longer allowed to say goodbye and watch are loved ones board their planes at the gate. For days and months after the attack there was a fear in people. Nothing like this had ever happened before, so nobody was really sure how we were supposed to react.

Now, seven years later, we have somewhat reclaimed our normal lives. In the back of our minds, there is always going to be a fear that this could happen again. For every suicide bombing overseas at a U.S. Embassy, it strikes a cord of fear in a lot of our hearts.


While we may have fear, we should not forget what happened on that Tuesday morning. Some people who have lost a family member go to New York and return to the Trade Center where their loved ones lost their lives. Others visit the memorials set up around the country, like the one that will open tomorrow in Boston. A glass box will have all the names of those who were on American Airlines Flight 11 and those who were killed in the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

So take time tomorrow to remember not only those who died in the horrific attacks of September 11,, but those who are fighting both here and overseas to protect us from another incident like this.