9/11 Terror Attacks

Terror Attacks Of September 11th

“What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.” - David Levithan. Just under fourteen years ago we were attacked on our own soil for the first time since December 7, 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Although I wasn’t old enough to remember this day I feel like I was one of the millions of Americans to witness the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. September 11th was a horrific event in United States history and has left a permanent mark on our country to this day. On September 11, 2001, at 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into
the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact left a giant flaming hole near the 80th floor of the 110 story skyscraper. The impact instantly killed hundreds of people and trapped hundreds of others on the upper floors. Then, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767 appeared out of the sky and turned sharply toward the World Trade Center and sliced into the south tower near the 60th floor. The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and the streets below. America was under attack. The attackers were Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations. They were thought to be financed by the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Some of the terrorist had lived in America for over a year and took flying lessons at commercial flight schools. The others slipped in during the months leading up to September. The 19 terrorists easily smuggled box-cutters and knives through security at three East Coast airports and boarded four flights bound for California, chosen because the planes were loaded with fuel for the long transcontinental journey. Soon after takeoff, the terrorists commandeered the four planes and took the controls, transforming ordinary commuter jets into guided missiles.
American Airlines Flight 11 is the plane that hit the World Trade Center 's North Tower.
It was a Boeing 767 on a scheduled flight from Boston to Los Angeles, with 81 passengers, nine flight attendants, and two pilots. At 7:59 AM, Flight 11 took off from Boston 's Logan Airport. At 8:13 the pilots last communication was made to ground control. At 8:15 Boston Air Traffic Control began unsuccessful attempts to contact the pilots after the plane failed to respond to an order to climb. At 8:20, Flight 11 stopped transmitting its transponder signal, and veered northward and departed dramatically from the westward heading of its planned route. The controllers concluded that the plane had probably been hijacked. At 8:28 controllers reportedly watched the plane make a 100-degree turn toward the south. The plane continued along the Hudson River straight into New York City. This plane flew directly over my house when I was three years old. At 8:46 Flight 11 collided with the North Tower. United Airlines Flight 175 is believed to be the plane that hit the World Trade Center 's South Tower. It was a Boeing 767 on a scheduled flight from Boston to Los Angeles, with 56 passengers, 7 flight attendants, and 2 pilots. At 8:14 AM, Flight 175 took off from Boston 's Logan Airport, 16 minutes after its scheduled departure time. Then at 8:41 the pilot reported hearing a transmission from the then hijacked Flight 11. At 8:42, Flight 175 veered off its planned course, and began flying south. Then
at 8:57 the plane turned Northeast and descended from 28,000 feet as it approached the World Trade Center. At 9:03, Flight 175 collided with the South Tower. The impact was 43 minutes after Flight 11 first went off course, 21 minutes after Flight 175 went off course, and 17 minutes after the North Tower impact, yet the jet was not intercepted. American Airlines Flight 77 was a Boeing 757 on a scheduled flight from Dulles to Los Angeles, with 58 passengers, four flight attendants, and two pilots. At 8:20 AM, Flight 77 took off from Dulles International Airport, 10 minutes after its scheduled departure time. At 8:46, Flight 77 veered severely off course. At 8:50, the last radio communication was made from the pilots and air traffic control. At 8:56, the jet 's transponder was shut off. At 9:38 a.m. Flight 77 flew into the Pentagon and exploded. The impact was 83 minutes after Flight 11 first went off course, and 58 minutes after the North Tower impact, and 40 minutes after the South Tower impact, yet the jet was not intercepted as it flew over the most heavily protected airspace in the United States, and in the world. The fourth jet that was commandeered on September 11th was United Airlines Flight 93. This was the plane that crashed into a Pennsylvania field just short of it’s alleged target, the Capital. Flight 93 was a Boeing 757 on a scheduled flight from Newark to San Francisco, with 38 passengers, five flight attendants, and two pilots. At 9:30, the transponder signal ceased and at about this time the plane turned completely around and began flying toward the Capital. Then at 9:45 Ted Beamer called from an Airfone which was routed to Verizon supervisor Lisa Jefferson. Jefferson interviewed Beamer until his famous last words before leading the passenger revolt: “Lets Roll”. At 10:06 AM, Flight 93 was apparently shot down near Somerset, PA. The official story was that it was flown into the ground as a result of a struggle to control the cockpit is contradicted by the reports of eyewitnesses on the ground. The crash site, in a reclaimed strip mine, comprised a central debris field and several smaller debris fields some distance away. One of the engines was found over half a mile away from the main field. Other debris fields were found 2, 3, and 8 miles away.
Less than 15 minutes after the terrorists struck the nerve center of the U.S. military, the horror in New York took a catastrophic turn for the worse when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed in a massive cloud of dust and smoke. The structural steel of the skyscraper, built to withstand winds in excess of 200 miles per hour and a large conventional fire, could not withstand the tremendous heat generated by the burning jet fuel. Then at 10:30 a.m., the other Trade Center tower collapsed. Close to 3,000 people died in the World Trade Center and its vicinity, including a staggering 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers and 37 Port Authority police officers who were struggling to complete an evacuation of the buildings and save the office workers trapped on higher floors. Only six people in the World Trade Center towers at the time of their collapse survived. Almost 10,000 others were treated for injuries, many severe. The attacks of September 11th affected my family and friends as well. A family friend Mr. Lafuente was killed during the attack. Another person who died was a man by the name of Paul Tegmaier, he was a firefighter called to duty on that day and sadly lost his life in the line of duty. I personally attended his memorial every year with my dad for as long as I can remember. He and the other men and women who risked their lives that day will forever have a place in my heart and I am glad to call them my heros. The attacks left many families devastated and a lot of work to be done. However, it sparked nationalism in the United States and brought everyone together. This also brought the United States military to defeat the Taliban in less than two months. Rudolph Giuliani said, “The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit.
Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic, and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.” September 11th is a day that will and should never be forgotten. It has left the United States marked with an everlasting symbol of pain but also has brought out a sign of strength that we still show today. In memory of those lost on September 11, 2001; you now know the entire
story.

Work Cited

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"9/11 Attacks." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

"10 Most Powerful Quotes About 9/11." Veterans United Network 10 Most Powerful
Quotes About 911 Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.