Once or twice in a lifetime, an event occurs that is so momentous that it seems to shake a country’s entire foundation. The terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, were one of those events.
That Tuesday morning started like any other ordinary fall day. Adults went to work, kids hopped on school buses and college students roamed over campuses. Businesses opened for the day, and people boarded buses, trains, and aircraft. Roads and highways filled up with drivers and passengers intent on getting home after the night shift or going to work.
But by 10:30 a.m., the attacks had claimed the lives of almost 3,000 people at the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Through radio and TV reports, the victims’ family members, friends, and coworkers felt the gut punches of shock and dread upon learning about the September 11 attacks. Their lives were forever changed.
Remembering September 11 Attacks and the World’s Reaction
Reaction to the brutal attacks quickly spread across the world. People caught in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon helped each other get out of the buildings, saving whoever they could. Many of those people never made it. Those people who did are still dealing with PTSD, survivor’s guilt and unimaginable grief.
Firefighters bravely charged into burning buildings, and many of them paid for that with their lives. Emergency medical technicians and paramedics treated thousands of injured. Emergency rooms were overrun with victims seeking help.
Even bystanders did whatever they could to provide aid or comfort. All planes that were in the air had to turn back to their original destination or divert to other airports because American airspace was completely closed.
About 38 commercial flights inbound to the U.S. were diverted to Gander International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada. There were about 6,700 people who urgently needed a place to stay, and there weren’t enough hotel rooms for everyone.
The residents of Gander generously opened their homes, schools, churches, and legion halls to provide space for those stranded passengers and crew. The passengers and crew struck up friendships with the locals and still travel back to Gander on occasion to remember that day.
UK Reaction to the US Terrorist Attacks
When the 9/11 attacks occurred, I was on vacation in the United Kingdom, staying with friends. It was mind-blowing to see the collapse of the North Tower and South Tower, which had withstood previous terrorist attacks.
The Pentagon attack hit closer to home. I have passed it many times on my way into DC, so that one was equally shocking.
In the UK, people were both appalled and sympathetic. News channels reported that people laid floral tributes at the U.S. embassy and in multiple countries. An American firefighter stranded in London couldn’t get home (all airports were closed for about two days), so a group of British firefighters offered him a place to stay.
British churches set up condolence books where you could sign your name. My friends and I went on with our various activities, but when people – complete strangers! – heard my American accent, they expressed their condolences regarding the 9/11 attacks.
I was very touched and impressed by their sympathy. I still remember the Brits’ kindness, and I still tell people about it today.
Later, there was a spike in U.S. military enrollment, and 9/11 memorials were constructed. They appeared not only in New York, Pennsylvania, and DC, but in other areas, too. September 11 became a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
A Message about September 11 from Our University President, Nuno Fernandes
Our University President, Nuno Fernandes, also remembers that day very well. He said, “I came to the United States in 2008 and proudly became an American citizen a few years ago. I was still living in Europe when 9/11 happened, and I remember that day as vividly as if it were yesterday.
“Back then, news traveled a little more slowly. I was working at the office when someone walked in and said, ‘Turn on the television.’
“We saw horrific images unfolding before our eyes. We were stunned by the horror. There was a deafening silence in the room. No one knew what to say.
“But I remember feeling that, in that moment and on that day, we all became American. America’s pain became our pain, even for those of us watching from the other side of the world. The distance between us suddenly seemed to disappear.”
Honoring 9/11 Victims: Don’t Let What Happened Be Lost to History
Although that day was terrifying and saddening, it also prompted people of all kinds to take action in many ways. As President Fernandes notes, “September 11 revealed humanity at its worst, but its aftermath also revealed America at its best: people coming together, helping strangers, honoring sacrifice, and finding the strength to rebuild.
“While visiting the 9/11 Memorial in New York, most recently with my son beside me, I am reminded that resilience does not mean forgetting what happened. It means remembering, honoring those we lost, and continuing to build something stronger from the tragedy we endured.
“I always experience complex emotions while visiting the 9/11 Memorial. There is profound sadness because I cannot help but visualize what happened on that very ground that day – the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the extraordinary acts of courage and humanity amid unimaginable tragedy.
“But there is also an enormous sense of pride in being American. I am reminded of how America has faced adversity throughout its history, with courage, resilience, and a spirit that seems embedded into its DNA.”
The best way that we can honor the victims of September 11 is to remember not only how they died, but how they lived. We can’t bring back those mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, or coworkers who didn’t come home that day, but we can remember them and offer comfort to their families and survivors.
We also need to teach younger generations about 9/11 and the gravity of its impact. America changed after September 11, and the lessons we learned about sacrifice, kindness, the need to come together, and love for our country on that day should never be forgotten.
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