By Anna Armstrong

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was a day that utterly altered American society. A day that the nation grieves twenty years later. A day that remains recognizable by the next generation. A day that called for unity.

8:46 a.m. – An American Airlines Boeing 767, Flight 11, crashes into the 80th floor of World Trade Center’s North Tower.

9:03 a.m. – A second Boeing 767 from United Airlines, Flight 175, crashes into the 60th floor of the South Tower.

9:37 a.m. – American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon.

9:42 a.m. – All flights in the United States are grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration.

9:59 a.m. – The South Tower collapses.

10:03 a.m. – After a struggle between the United Airlines Flight 93 passengers and a group of hijackers, a fourth plane crashes in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The intended target was likely the United States Capitol Building.

10:28 a.m. – The North Tower collapses.

2,753 lives were lost at Ground Zero that day in Lower Manhattan. 184 at the Pentagon were killed. Over 40 passengers and crew members died in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Two decades later, our nation continues to commemorate these lives and honor the families of the victims, as well as the numerous heroes within the fire and police departments, first response agencies, and groups of civilians.

These attacks not only, as NPR claims, “forever changed” American society, but also sparked the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq against terrorism. CNBC claims 9/11 to be the “deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil” which “propelled the nation into what would become its longest war.”

Following the 9/11 attacks, Bush ordered “boots on the ground” with the goal to root out al-Qaida and hunt down Osama bin Laden in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The conflict in the Middle East was passed down to President Barack Obama, whose administration succeeded in locating and executing bin Laden in 2011 but was unable to completely end the conflict. During the Trump administration, a negotiation was created to completely withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan. This negotiation was completed this past year under President Joe Biden. However, after the removal of American troops, the Afghan government quickly collapsed to the Taliban in August.

This past year, on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, hundreds of people gathered in Lower Manhattan where the towers once stood at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Included in the crowd were current President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, as well as former Presidents Obama and Bill Clinton, accompanied by their wives. Rudy Guiliani, New York City’s mayor during the 9/11 attacks, was also in attendance. The crowd wore blue ribbons and held their hands over their hearts as a procession marched with the American flag. The names of the deceased were read out loud, as they are every year on September 11. Moments of silence occurred at the times of both plane crashes and both towers’ collapses. Family members shared remembrances of their lost loved ones. Performances included Bruce Springsteen singing “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” as well as the NYPD pipes and drums band performing “Hard Times Come Again No More.”

New York City commemorates the 20th anniversary of 9/11 as beams of light represent the two fallen towers. Photo credit: Flickr user pingnews.com.

Similar memorials were held in Shanksville and Washington D.C. In Pennsylvania, both former President George W. Bush and current Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the crowd. Bush recalled that day “the world was loud with carnage and sirens. And then silent with voices.” Harris emphasized “the courage of those on board, who gave everything… the resolve of the first responders, who risked everything… the resilience of the American people.” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley hosted a ceremony at the Pentagon that included a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m., the time American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the west face of the building. Biden attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon, as well as in Shanksville, within the days following the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

Even 20th anniversary ceremonies were held overseas, as Philip Reeker, acting US ambassador to the United Kingdom, attended a special changing of the guard at Windsor Castle, where the United States’ national anthem was performed. Reeker expressed the Americans’ “forever grateful” attitude for the “enduring friendship” between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Another commemoration of the attacks on the 20th anniversary was held at the Yankees vs. Mets baseball game in New York. Two decades earlier, the two teams had met on the night of September 11, 2001, to honor the victims of terrorism from that day. The game this year was the first time since 2001 that the two teams had played each other on the day of the attacks. Chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A” began 30 minutes before the game started, as patriotic sentiment filled the stadium. Before the game, the two teams shook hands and exchanged hugs. During the national anthem, the teams stood intermixed, symbolizing unity within the nation. Both Bobby Valentine of the Mets and Joe Torre of the Yankees, who were team managers during the attacks in 2001, threw ceremonial first pitches to honor the anniversary. Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso announced to the media that he was “donating the proceeds of a new NFT – a nonfungible token, commemorating his 100th career home run – to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.” Alonso emphasized that “it’s not just today that people are suffering,” but “people go through those pains and scars every single day of the year.”

9/11 survivor Wendy Lanski confirmed Alonso’s statement when she admitted to the New York Times that “It doesn’t go away. The PTSD, the health effects, all of that.” These health effects include cancer, respiratory illnesses, and other ailments caused by the toxic pollutants remaining in the air even months after the towers collapsed, which affected the civilians of New York City as well as the emergency and construction workers in or around Ground Zero.

Barbara Burnette, a 58-year-old former police detective from Bayside, Queens, developed lung cancer after helping with recovery efforts to clean up the debris of the collapsed towers. Burnette told New York Times, “What makes it so sad is, we would do it all again.” As the effects of 9/11 prevail over time, honoring the victims remains critical in American society.

Locally, Virginia honored 9/11 with the Freedom Flag, which is the state’s official symbol of remembrance honoring the victims and heroes. This flag was designed by Richard Melito to commemorate the events while sitting in his restaurant, Melito’s, in Richmond, on September 20, 2001.

The flag includes ten elements to honor the day of September 11, 2001. The blue background signifies all Americans united together for freedom. The top red stripe represents the bloodshed of those who perished at the Pentagon and aboard American Airlines Flight 77. The two broad red stripes symbolize the lives lost at the World Trade Center and on both American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175. The three white stripes demonstrate the tireless efforts of the rescue workers, firefighters, police officers, Port Authority employees, and others. The bottom red stripe honors the lives of the crew and passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville. There are five white bars surrounding the star that stand for the Pentagon and ensure the protection of American freedom. Finally, the white star is for all those who lived and died for freedom.

The ten elements of the Freedom Flag and how they represent the events of 9/11. IMage credit: Freedom Flag Foundation

Sixteen months after the creation of Melito’s flag, then Governor Mark Warner of Virginia created an Executive Order making the Freedom Flag the state’s official symbol of remembrance for honoring the victims and heroes. The flag led to the creation of the non-profit Freedom Flag Foundation in 2002.

The Foundation’s vision was to have the flag adopted as an official symbol of 9/11 remembrance and maintain a goal to provide the Freedom Flag to police, fire, and rescue departments, as well as families of victims and memorial sites. The Foundation’s purpose is to “transform the aftermath of September 11, 2001 into a positive learning experience that will empower our children as they become tomorrow’s leaders.” The board oversees the distribution of the Freedom Flag, generates revenue through donations or sales of memorabilia, and uses funds for operating expenses. For the 20th anniversary of this event, the foundation set a two million dollars fundraising goal to construct the Virginia 9/11 Memorial, which plans to be located somewhere within Henrico County. The exact location remains unknown to the public currently.

I spoke with Melito and the President of the foundation, John Riley, to further discuss the origins, meaning, and purpose of this flag. Melito claimed he was inspired by his brother, who served during the Vietnam War, and his mother, who was a teacher, to create a flag in order to educate the public about the events, as well as honor the victims. Melito emphasized the important impact the education system has on the attacks in regards to the next generation. Since around 25 percent of the current American population has been born after 9/11, the greatest way to honor these events is to educate the youth of the United States.

However, the trauma that plagues this event raises the question of how the American school system should go about educating the youth in regards to 9/11. Melito believes the Freedom Flag can be “progressively used,” as the symbol conceals the gruesome horrors by focusing on honoring victims and heroes that day, as well as America’s commitment to freedom. Riley suggests that students can begin commemorating 9/11 as early as Kindergarten by using the flag to introduce concepts of patriotism that honor fire, police, and rescue departments, in addition to the military. Riley hopes American youth can do their part in honoring 9/11 by showing respect towards those who serve our country without diving into the mature details of the events.

When asked what a seventeen-year-old girl such as myself could do to commemorate the attacks, Melito responded with “take history seriously, and don’t take freedom for granted.” Melito also emphasized the concept that 9/11 was an “outright attack on America’s freedom” and hopes his flag can serve as “a reminder that freedom is not free.”

I have experienced the impact of 9/11 as a high school student today, being part of the generation who was not alive during the attacks, Collegiate Upper School history teacher Nate Jackson provided some perspective on what it was like being in high school during the event. Jackson expressed that “It was one of the most patriotic times I’ve ever witnessed in my life. Political affiliation didn’t matter much in the immediate post-9/11 world – we were all Americans, and we had just been viciously attacked.” Jackson noted that this patriotism created a “strong calling for young high school men to enter into the armed forces.” As a history teacher, Jackson feels his own calling through “a professional, and moral, obligation to educate the next generation about 9/11.” Jackson’s greatest piece of advice to his students is to listen, as “there isn’t an American today who was alive on 9/11 and doesn’t have a story to tell. Ask them. And listen.”

I have tried to take this advice and listen. I heard the unsolved mystery behind the Falling Man. I saw how grief tore people apart through the dispute over Bobby McIlvaine’s diary and what he left behind. I realized the sacrifice of the American families by reading the Wise brothers’ story. Through these stories and the accounts of more, I was able to deepen my understanding of these attacks and their everlasting impact on our nation. Although my generation may never completely comprehend the degree of this tragedy, through honoring this day we can show compassion for the victims of 9/11 and, even if for just a moment, create the strong sense of unity within our nation that resulted from these attacks.

Featured image photo credit: WSAW-TV.