Hollywood, MD – Everyone who had a cognizance of gravity on this day in 2001 likely remembers what was happening in their lives when it happened. The sunny and warm late summer workday will long be remembered for the surreal aspects—explosions, thick smoke, ashes, screams, frantic phone calls and many personal stories–such as last phone messages and then the lengthy roll of names which subsequently were etched on memorials. Nearly 3,000 died and more than 6,000 were physically injured on that one day. The spiritual and psychological damage is impossible to sum up statistically.
Four passenger airlines—hijacked after taking off from three different airports (Boston’s Logan International, Dulles International in Northern Virginia and Newark Liberty International)—all became makeshift terrorist weapons as two of the planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York City while a third circled Washington, DC before diving and crashing into the Pentagon in Arlington, VA. A fourth airline took a different path to destruction, an occurrence credited to passengers determined to thwart their captors’ plan to destroy another prominent target. Instead the craft crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
According to a summary of September 11, 2001, History.com stated the attackers “were Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations. Reportedly financed by the al-Qaeda terrorist organization of Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden, they were allegedly acting in retaliation for America’s support for Israel, its involvement in the Persian Gulf War and its continued military presence in the Middle East. Some of the terrorists had lived in the United States for more than a year and had taken flying lessons at American commercial flight schools. Others had slipped into the country in the months before Sept. 11 and acted as the ‘muscle’ in the operation. The 19 terrorists easily smuggled box-cutters and knives through security at three East Coast airports and boarded four early-morning 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 passenger jets into guided missiles.”
What transpired 16 years ago today has changed society perhaps forever. In a report aired last year by NBC News, individuals spoke about the impact on their lives post-9/11. One firefighter spoke of “survivor-guilt,” a residual feeling New York City firemen not on duty that day sustained and still carry with them. One woman stated that she subsequently joined the Salvation Army and changed her perspective, looking at each day as a gift.
It goes without saying that America’s great sense of security vanished, too, in the ruble and carnage of 9/11. Nowhere is that more evident than with airport security. Conde Nast Traveler writer Barbara Peterson noted that the U.S. has spent nearly $100 billion in the past 15 years in an effort to secure airports and airplanes. “While there has been no successful terrorist attack on any U.S. airliner since 9/11, experts believe terrorists have shifted threats to other areas of airports,” Peterson wrote in a story published last year. The other areas of the terrorists’ focus include check-in lobbies, checkpoint entrances and arrival areas. Many new changes—such as stronger doors leading to the aircraft’s cockpit and using technology to better screen airline passengers—are also likely to occur.
News coverage has also undergone a change. Media pundit and writer Glenn Halbrooks of The Balance stated in an essay earlier this year that many news organizations are re-examining their coverage of violent stories. Many outlets have opted not to show images—photos and video—that viewers might find disturbing. Halbrooks pointed out that possible new threats—such as bomb and anthrax scares—now create coverage.
While last year’s 15th anniversary marked a milestone, today’s 16th anniversary might not get the same essential attention. In a report aired last year, NBC’s Harry Smith said to those not directly impacted by the terrorist attacks, the events of 9/11/01 could soon become “something that happened to someone else.”
To those who lost someone in the chaos such detachment seems impossible. Last year at a ceremony in Chesapeake Beach marking the 15th anniversary, Calvert County resident Margaret Young, whose son, Edmond, died that morning at the Pentagon, summed it up. “We remember him in our hearts every day,” she said.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com