Soo Line: 25 Years Have Passed Since Sept. 11

Soo Line By Soo Greiman

We Promised to Never Forget. Let’s Do That.

Earlier today, I was going to write about a local boy who has developed great skills through his hobby. But when I realized Sept. 11 is later this week, it just wasn’t in me to do so.

I hope you don’t mind.

It’s been 25 years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Many of us remember that day with remarkable clarity. If you were old enough at the time, chances are you have your own story about where you were and what you were doing when the news reached you.

The events of that morning unfolded quickly.

At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.

At 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower.

At 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

Then came United Airlines Flight 93. After learning what had happened elsewhere, passengers and crew members fought back against the hijackers. The plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m.

Nineteen al-Qaida terrorists carried out the coordinated attacks.

By the end of that terrible morning, 2,977 victims from 90 countries had been killed — 2,753 in New York, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 aboard Flight 93.

We watched firefighters, police officers, paramedics and other first responders run toward danger as others desperately tried to escape it. Those images are difficult to forget.

But amid the overwhelming grief, stories of extraordinary generosity and kindness also emerged.

One came from Gander, Newfoundland, Canada.

After U.S. airspace was closed following the attacks, 38 planes carrying more than 6,500 passengers and crew members were diverted to Gander International Airport. Suddenly, a community of roughly 10,000 people was faced with caring for thousands of stranded strangers.

Residents responded.

School buses transported passengers to schools, churches, community centers and other shelters. People provided food, clothing, bedding and places to sleep. Residents opened their homes and their community to people they had never met.

The stranded travelers became known locally as the “plane people.”

It was a remarkable example of humanity during one of the darkest moments many of us had ever witnessed.

Here at home, a powerful wave of patriotism swept across the country. Americans displayed flags, volunteered, donated blood and searched for ways to help one another.

Many also answered the call to military service.

In the year following Sept. 11, more than 254,000 Americans with no previous military experience enlisted in the U.S. military.

The attacks changed our country in lasting ways. Security changed. Air travel changed. Our understanding of terrorism and national security changed.

Twenty-five years later, an entire generation has grown up without a personal memory of Sept. 11.

That makes “Never Forget” mean something different now.

Remembering isn’t simply reading about what happened once a year. It also means teaching younger generations who weren’t there what happened, what was lost and what we learned from it.

I’ve decided that maybe this year, around Sept. 11, I’ll make time to sit with my grandchildren and tell them about that day.

I can show them the images and tell them about the firefighters who rushed up the stairs of the World Trade Center while others were rushing down.

I can tell them about the passengers and crew aboard Flight 93 who fought back against the hijackers, knowing what might happen to them.

And I’ll explain that Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida were responsible for the attacks.

I’ll also make sure they understand something equally important: The terrorists who carried out Sept. 11 represented an extremist ideology. They did not represent the millions of Muslims around the world who peacefully practice their faith.

Our grandchildren and future generations should also understand that loving America doesn’t require pretending our country has never made mistakes because, oh boy, we sure have.

Patriotism can mean believing this country is worth improving, protecting and preserving for generations to come.

Twenty-five years later, perhaps that is one of the most meaningful ways we can keep the promise we made.

Never forget.