Photo By Cmdr. Kris Hooper | 210911-N-FR750-002 TULSA, Oklahoma (September 11, 2021) – Photo illustration for the...... read more read more
TULSA, Oklahoma (September 11, 2021) – Millions of Americans were shaken by the horrific footage on the television the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. We knew the world had changed and this was going to be an event with profound consequences.
That beautiful fall morning, 19 terrorists from the Islamist extremist group al Qaeda had hijacked four commercial aircraft, crashing two of them into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City and one into the Pentagon in Arlington, VA. After learning about the other attacks, passengers on the fourth hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 93, bravely fought back. Their heroic efforts diverted the plane from the terrorists’ target to crash in an empty field in western Pennsylvania.
Shaken, but not defeated, Americans from all walks of life also demonstrated their courage and resiliency by bravely helping people at the scenes of the destruction and volunteering in huge numbers to fight back and hold those responsible for the attacks accountable.
The North and South World Trade Center Towers ultimately collapsed due to the damage from the impact of the planes and subsequent fires. Nearly 3,000 people were killed from 93 different countries. At the Pentagon, 184 people were killed by the attack, including 42 Navy civilian contractors and service members. On Flight 93, 40 people were killed in the crash resulting from their brave actions to resist the hijackers, inspiring the nation and potentially saving the lives of countless others.
Hundreds of New York City and Arlington firefighters and police officers ran into buildings they knew were severely damaged to the point they could collapse at any minute, all in hopes of saving the lives of others. Over 400 of them died in these efforts when the towers fell.
“9/11 absolutely influenced my decision to join the armed forces,” said Yeoman 1st Class (AW/NAC) Dustin Clingman, Navy Region Southeast Reserve Component Command Fort Worth (RCC Fort Worth) Assistant Security Manager. “In less than a week after the attacks, I had signed my contract to join the Navy. My dad was also an air crewman back in the 1980s and 90s. Before that he had been an aviation ordnanceman on the USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) for several years. I knew this was going to be my generation’s war, and I wanted to be there.”
Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, hospital ship USNS COMFORT (T-AH 20) sailed to New York City to assist with recovery efforts. USNS COMFORT served the police officers, firefighters, other first responders, and volunteers who were working at the World Trade Center’s Ground Zero in the weeks following the attack. Onboard, individuals were provided hot meals, a place to rest, medical attention, and mental health counseling.
The ripple effects of the events that tragic day twenty years ago have shaped our experiences and outlooks, and will continue to do so for decades if not centuries into the future.
“The first week after the attacks was certainly letting everything sink in,” related Cmdr. Thomas Henggeler, RCC Fort Worth Logistics department head. “We wondered, what does this mean for the nation and what does it mean for a person serving in uniform. You’re going to have to go to war somewhere and you have to be ready to defend your nation.
Today, twenty years later, we commemorate the legacy of those lost in the September 11 attacks and their families. We also honor the heroic sacrifices of first responders and bystanders who ran into harms way that fateful day to save the lives of others. Finally, we salute everyone who has answered the nation’s call to service since.
"On September 11, 2001, I was in in 8th grade, just 14 years old," recalled Yeoman 1st Class Ian York, RCC Fort Worth Command Services Lead Petty Officer. "It’s cliché, but I’ll never forget that day. I remember thinking in the summer of 2005, when I was a junior in high school that I had to serve my country and do my part."
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.14.2021 08:36 |
| Story ID: | 405150 |
| Location: | TULSA, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, September 11 Reflections and Resiliency 20 Years Later, by CDR Kris Hooper, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
