We Will Never Forget

There are always certain moments in life that we are never going to forget - our high school graduation, our first job, a marriage proposal, and the birth of a child. These are events that make us who we are, they change our hearts. They change our lives and become etched into our souls. Then there are those that tarnish our hearts, they rock our souls in disbelief.

Eighteen years ago, today, a series of four attacks by the Islamic terrorist group, al-Qaeda, rocked the souls of people across the world. These attacks resulted in the death of 2,977 innocent victims, and more than 6,000 non-fatal injuries. The actions of this group and the 19 terrorists who executed this unfathomable action wreaked tremendous havoc in a short period.

What we witnessed that day will forever be etched in our history and has tarnished our hearts as one of our nation’s darkest days. In many ways, it is similar to the words spoken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on December 8th, 1941 when describing Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor – September 11th, 2001 is “a date which will live in infamy.”

In our office, we will not allow our team and visitors to forget. On that day, our flag came down and now hangs over the door that we walk through daily. 

The one good thing that I can remember from that day – as a nation, we were all humbled and united in faith, regardless of race, beliefs, or politics. On that day, we were all equal; we were all Americans who loved and needed each other.

“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” - Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in 2002