On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 both took off from Boston heading to Los Angeles. At exactly 8:46 AM Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Everyone was shocked and confused, most people believed that there must have been an accident. Not even 20 minutes later, at 9:03 AM Flight 175 had struck the South Tower. Even more shock, fear, and confusion spread all across the United States as every single news channel was covering what was happening, right then and there. 9:59 AM, when brave men and women were running into both burning buildings in an attempt to save people, the South Tower unexpectedly collapsed, killing everyone inside, as well as many people around it. Twenty-nine minutes later, the North Tower collapsed, killing a total of 400 Police officers and firefighters, and a combined estimate of 2,750 Americans were killed.

Another American airline, Flight 77, had crashed into the side of the Pentagon, and shortly after, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. This flight, while those on board were killed, was kept from crashing into another US building due to brave citizens who took back the plane, and crashed it into a field rather than where they were headed next, the White House in Washington DC. In total, four Commercial Airlines were hijacked by the terrorist group Al Qaeda, this tragic day was to be known as, “A Day to Never Forget.” More than three thousand innocent American lives were taken by this catastrophe.

This fateful day is known as the most tragic event that has ever happened on American Soil. After this day, the entire airspace was closed, and everyone, no matter the political views, came together, worked together, and mourned for every American who lost their life, braving the pain and loss our country was experiencing, and showing what it means to be American.