The sun shines down on the busy streets of New York. It is the middle of September, and a cool autumn breeze cools off the hustling city. Below a cloudless blue sky, thousands of working men and women run off to his or her office unaware of what the day will bring. About 220 miles away, a group of men are about to take the first steps in a plot that will change the course of American history forever. First, at 7:59 AM, an American Airlines flight 1l with 92 people aboard takes off from Boston’s L0gan International Airport en route to Los Angeles. Not far behind on the runway, United Airlines Flight 175 with 65 passengers takes off, also headed to Los Angeles.
By 8:24 AM, it becomes clear that flight 11 has been hijacked when an unknown suspect, Mohammed Atta, makes the first of two accidental transmissions to ground control in an attempt to communicate with the plane’s cabin. While The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took the necessary steps to alert the Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS), any attempt to stop the coming attacks would be fruitless (History of Attacks). Planes three and four, one the American Airlines Flight 77 from Dulles International Airport to Los Angles and twoUnited Airlines Flight 93 from Newark International Airport to San Francisco, are soon in the air. Approximately five minutes after the last plane takes off Mohammed Atta and the other hijackers on American Airlines Flight 11 crash the plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board and hundreds inside the building.
The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper. Instantly evacuation and fire-fighter teams are dispatched to try and take control of the seemingly freak accident. History.com picks up the story from there: As the evacuation of the tower and its twin got underway, television cameras broadcasted live images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767-United Airlines Flight 175 appeared out of the sky, tumed sharply toward the World Trade Center and sliced into the south tower ear the 60th floor. The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and the streets below. America was under attack. (History.com)
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The third plane crashed into the west side of the Pentagon in Washington D.C., the last, after a brave attempt by the people on board to retake the plane, crashed into an empty field in the middle of Pennsylvania. All passengers on all four flights were killed. In total, 2,977 people were killed in New York City, Washington, DC, and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. A picture of the day is shown to the left. Among those killed at ground zero, the name for the site where the two towers fell, were 343 were New York City firefighters, 23 New York City police officers, and 37 officers at the Port Authority. The victims ranged in age from two to 85 years (CNN). This attack, the first of its kind in the United States, was devastating for the country.
The high death toll, especially among those whose occupation called for them to help diffuse the attack, the city police officers and fire fighters, lead the United States to erect one of the most powerful monuments in the country: the 9/11 Tribute Center. Situated on 120 Liberty Street in New York City, New York, the Tribute World Trade Center, or the 9/11 Tribute Center, is dedicated to sharing the stories of family members who lost loved ones, survivors, and rescue workers from the September 11 attacks. The institution provides walking tours through the site itself as well as through galleries with 9/11 artifacts. With a mission to unite and support all victims of terrorism through communication, representation and peer support, September 11th Families’ Association opened the Tribute Center on September 6, 2006.
The Association itself was formed by widows and other family members of those killed in the attacks. The Tribute Center immediately became a huge hit to those with a desire to learn about the events from that day as well as to those who want to visit a memorial dedicated to loved ones who gave their life for their country (Tribute Center). As mentioned above, The 9/11 Tribute Center offers walking tours with trained guides who have personal 9/11 experiences. The 9/11 Tribute Center is open to the public and organizes 40 tours a week; these tours are one hour and fifteen minutes long. The group operates as a 501(c}non-profit with all their funds coming from tour fees, $25 for adults and S10 for children, or from membership dues. There are seven different membership options each outlined below.
- Individual (S55/Year) – this membership comes with free admission at any time to the Tribute Center along with a 10% discount from all items in the gift shop.
- Family Membership ($125/Year) which includes all the benefits from the first membership level but for two adults and two children.
- Teacher Fellowship (S125/Year) with the same benefits as the first membership, this level also provides scholastic material for students as well as a 10% discount for school tours.
- Military Service ($250/Year) includes all the benefits of the individual membership for two adults as well as the opportunity for private tours with a connected 9/11 first responder.
- Benefactor (S500/Year) includes unlimited free admission for four adults, four guest passes, anda 20% discount at the souvenir shop.
- Patron ($1,000/Year) – this membership includes all the benefits from the Benefactor plan as well as free group tours of up to 20 people. An extra benefit is the opportunity to participate in exclusive evening receptions, behind the scenes tours, and event screenings.
- Sustaining Membership ($10/Month) provides the same benefits as a family plan and represents the easiest and most effticient way to continuously support. (Tribute Center).
The funding from these membership levels, as well as all donations, go straight back into the museum in order to maintain their exhibits and try to grow to reach more people. Last year, over 4,000 visitors from across the nation, and probably across the globe, came to visit the gallery Inside, visitors watch a video to learn what it was like to work at, visit, and live around the original World Trade Center prior to the attack. In addition, there are countless hallways to walk through with portraits of victims in order to remember those who suffered.
The Tribute World Trade Center is dedicated to sharing the memory of those who lost their lives just doing what they do. Too many Americans were lost in the ridiculous and unfair attacks against our country. This does not only consider those who died, but also those who had to suffer through the loss of loved ones. Everybody was affected. The course of history was affected and we see it every day in airports, buildings, sporting events, and sometimes even schools. So many lives were affected in just the 56 minutes that elapsed between the impact of the first plane and the falling of the first tower. September 11, 2001 is another day that will live in infamy.
Work Cited
- Chomsky, N. (2001). 9-11. New York: Seven Stories Press.
- History.com Staff. (2011). 9/11: Timeline of Events. Retrieved July 21, 2016, from http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-timeline
- History.com Staff. (2010). 9/11 Attacks. Retrieved July 21, 2016, from http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks
- Membership – 9/11 Tribute Center. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2016, from http://tributewtc. org/support/membership
- September 11th Fast Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/27/us/september-11-anniversary-fast-facts/
