Two decades later, 9/11 still resounds in America’s mind
By Ginna Young
“Twenty years have passed since a perfect blue sky – similar to what we have today – turned into the blackest of nights. Since then, we have lived in sunshine and shadow.”
Those words came from Capt. Jim Anderson, retired United Airlines pilot of almost 50 years, at a ceremony Sept. 11, at the Cadott’s Veterans Tribute and Citizen Soldier Highway monument. Anderson speaks, of course, about the events of 9/11, in which terrorists hijacked commercial airplanes and flew two of the aircrafts into the World Trade Center, killing thousands.
The terrorists also hijacked a flight, which struck the Pentagon, as well as what would become known as the Hero Flight. Passengers of flight 93, which is believed bound for a target in Washington, D.C., overthrew the terrorists, but lost their lives in the process, crashing into a field in Shanksville, Pa.
The second plane in New York, which hit the South Tower, was United flight 175, and is especially memorable for Anderson.
“The captain of that flight was my classmate and friend, Capt. Victor Saracini,” he said, adding that now, memorials help people heal from that fateful day. “The words have helped express what is in our hearts, the silences have given us a chance to reflect and remember.”
Anderson addressed those present at the ceremony, calling their attention to one side of the Citizen Soldier monument, where an etching depicts the image of a New York Fire Department chaplain carried out by rescue workers, after he ran into the North Tower when it was hit and provided assistance.
When the South Tower hit, it blew everything in the North Tower, killing everybody on the ground floor.
“The chaplain is considered victim 0001 of the World Trade Center crash,” said Anderson. “He wasn’t the first person that died, but he was the first person that was identified.”
During the Cadott ceremony, a bell was sounded to honor the age old tradition that dates back 150 years, by fire services, to ring a bell, symbolizing respect and honor to those who gave their lives in service. The sound of the bell marks the end of an emergency and a return to quarters.
From the time between when the first plane hit and when the towers came down, 102 minutes passed. Of the thousands of people killed that day, 343 were New York City firefighters, 23 were police officers and 37 were officers of the Port Authority. The victims ranged from ages two to 85.
“We can never unsee what happened,” said Anderson. “America will never forget.”
