22 Years Of 9/11 Attack: The Terror, The Ripples And The Tributes Across US
For Americans, September 11, 2001, began like just another day. Rushing to work, grabbing coffee on the way, and running errands. The early hours were filled with normalcy and silence, until it turned to an ominous silence before the storm. What lay ahead of them was a day that would forever change the United States and be solemnly remembered for the decades to come.
It was the day when terrorists from the al-Qaeda group took over passenger-filled jets that tore through the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers and the Pentagon, the bedrock of American defense. Another plane roared in the sky, eyeing Washington, but crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, when passengers attempted to break into the cockpit.
The attacks claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people, according to the Associated Press. More than that, they completely altered national security policy and prompted the United States to declare a “war on terror”, all around the world. Afghanistan was invaded, terrorists were killed, and al-Qaeda’s emir Osama bin Laden, eliminated.
For some, 9/11 was a ghastly reminder of lost lives. For others, it instilled a sense of national pride and unity. The ripples reached far and beyond, also subjecting Muslim Americans to discrimination and raised eyebrows in public. Today, on September 11, 2023, the US looks back at the tragedy.
How will the United States observe 9/11 attacks this year?
On Monday, scores of Americans will gather at memorials and city halls to mark 22 years since the deadliest attack that the country ever endured. Ceremonies will take place nationwide, from New York’s World Trade Center to Alaska, and from the Pentagon to Shanksville.
US President Joe Biden will be commemorating the attacks at a ceremony on a military base in Anchorage, as Vice President Kamala Harris heads to ground zero. The event will be hours long, and offer the podium to bereaved families for a reading of those who died at the bloodied hands of terrorism.
At the Pentagon’s 9/11 memorial, First Lady Jill Biden will lay a wreath. At Pennsylvania’s Flight 93 National Memorial, Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff will likely be attending a remembrance and wreath-laying ceremony. The ceremony will also reach students through a new educational video, virtual tour, and other materials that educators can use in classrooms to remind the young ones of when the US came crashing down, one tower at a time.
