
Patriot Day
Patriot Day is celebrated on September 11th. Also known as “Nine-Eleven”, it’s a worldwide commemoration of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the USA.
This was the day that four hijacked jet planes crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. 2,977 people were killed. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was targeted at Washington DC. However, its passengers tried to regain control of the plane and it crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.
Most of the people who were killed in the Twin Towers attacks were at or above the point of collision. Thousands of people, who had been going to work every day that morning, found themselves suddenly trapped at the tops of a burning building. Many chose to leap from the burning buildings instead of waiting for the flames to catch them or the building to fall. The shocking and heartbreaking images and stories captured by the news footage from that day are not forgotten.
Many brave emergency service personnel risked their lives in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks. 411 of them lost their lives trying to rescue victims.
The official day of remembrance is Patriot Day, which is recognized by US law and observed annually since. To honor and remember those who have died, American flags are flown at a half-staff every year on Patriot Day. The US President requests fellow Americans to observe silence at 8.46am Eastern Daylight Time, the time that the first plane collided into the North Tower of World Trade Center.
Although the events occurred in the USA, the shock, grief, and anger experienced by the victims was felt around the world. Patriot Day will therefore be observed in America as well as all over the globe.
There are many ways to observe Patriot Day. You can pay tribute to all those who died on September 11, 2001. This can be done in many different ways. The internet has made it possible to reach people in ways we wouldn’t have otherwise. You can also post messages on social media.
It is worth spending some time researching the events if you don’t have much knowledge about them. Four passenger airliners bound for California were hijacked by terrorists from al-Qaeda on this date (19).
Two planes collided with the twin towers North and South of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. These were United Airlines Flight 175 & American Airlines Flight 11. The 110-story towers fell in just 42 minutes. The resulting fires and debris caused all other buildings within the World Trade Center complex to collapse either partially or entirely.
The Pentagon was hit by the third plane. American Airlines Flight 77 was the third plane to crash into the Pentagon. The west side of Headquarters for the United States Department of Defense collapsed partially as a result. The fourth plane flew in the direction Washington D.C. This was United Airlines Flight 93. The hijackers were stopped by passengers, and the plane crashed into an area in Pennsylvania. This could have saved many lives.
United Airlines Flight 93 is the focus of a wonderful film. It is called United 93 and was released in 2006. The film tells the story of the flight and focuses on passengers who responded to the hijackers to steer the plane away Washington D.C. It received critical praise and won a variety of awards.
It is well worth the effort. The film shows how passengers rallied against hijackers, even though they knew their lives were at risk. Although they lost their lives, they prevented terrorists from reaching their target and saved many lives.
It’s also a great idea to take this day to remember those who lost their lives on September 11. These include those on the planes as well as those who were killed in the aftermath of the collapsed buildings. There were more than 6,000 injuries and 2,977 people died. The majority of those who died were civilians. There were also 71 police officers and 343 firefighters who perished. Spend some time looking into their stories to prove that they will not be forgotten!