On Monday, September 10, 2018, 22 years after the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil, a ceremony was conducted in lower Manhattan to memorialize the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris and other officials gathered at the site as family members of the victims read a list of their names. The Pentagon and the town of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, also hosted ceremonies.
Other locations, such as fire stations and municipal buildings, also conducted memorial services. On his way back from Vietnam to Washington, President Biden stopped at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, to address service members, first responders, and their families. He’s the first president in memory to skip a 9/11 memorial service at any of the three designated locations.
Honoring Patriot Day
Today, we pause to remember and honor the heroes and patriots who, in the face of unimaginable adversity, displayed unwavering courage, unity, and resilience on September 11, 2001. >>>> pic.twitter.com/azVfcoPwzR
— OCFA PIO (@OCFireAuthority) September 11, 2023
When Exactly Did the Attacks on 9/11 Take Place?
At 8:46 a.m. ET, American Airlines Flight 11 collided with the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing all 230 people on board and trapping many more in the building’s upper levels. United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m. Shortly before 10 a.m., the South Tower collapsed, followed by the North Tower half an hour later.
The Pentagon was struck by Flight 77 of American Airlines at 9:37 a.m.
United Flight 93 then crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m.
Who Planned the 911 Attacks?
Although Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the operational planner, Osama bin Laden is widely believed to be the mastermind behind the attacks. Mohammed devised the novel strategy of using hijacked planes to strike the United States, and al-Qaeda supplied the necessary manpower, funds, and infrastructure to make it happen.
The mission’s leadership role went to Mohammed Atta. He was one of 19 terrorists, mostly from Saudi Arabia, who settled in the US, with some going on to acquire commercial aviation training. Although bin Laden was killed by American forces in 2011 and Mohammed was arrested in 2003, all 19 hijackers perished in the assaults.
9/11-Related Illnesses Continue to Claim Lives
The Al Qaeda terrorist organization was responsible for the hijacking of four planes, which resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths.
The twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City were attacked by two planes. The Pentagon was hit by a single jet. Only one jet didn’t make it to its destination because of passenger resistance; it crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
Over twenty years after the attack on the World Trade Center, the arduous task of positively identifying the remains of those slain there continues. Two victims’ identities were confirmed just last week thanks to DNA testing.
Hundreds of people in lower Manhattan were exposed to toxic air and debris during the World Trade Center attack, and many of them have since perished from 9/11-related ailments. CBS New York reported that 341 FDNY firefighters have died from ailments related to 9/11, albeit this number may be an underestimate from union leaders.
