When most people hear the date 9/11. they think of the horrific terrorist attacks committed via aircraft against the World Trade Center (Twin Towers) of New York City. However, this date unfortunately bore other attacks coordinated by terrorist groups in other parts of the United States such as the attacks on the Pentagon building in Washington D.C. and the plane crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
While two hijacked planes (one from American Airlines and another from United Airlines) crashed into the World Trade center and gathered most media attention on 9/11, a third plane (also from American Airlines) was hijacked by terrorists in the Northeastern region of the United States and flown directly into the side of the Pentagon building. This caused massive damage to the critical U.S. intelligence center and killed around 125 people, leaving an unalterable mark on the pride of the American government. The crash also caused the collapse of the building's west side, leading to the requirement of billions of dollars for reparations.
Another massive attack happened near the town of Shanksville, Pennsylvania when American Airlines flight 93 was hijacked by terrorists looking to accompany those attacking the Pentagon building. The plane was originally meant to be steered toward the city of Washington D.C. itself, but the passengers aboard the plane were able to fight back against the terrorists operating the plane and steer the aircraft away from the metropolitan area. This resulted in a much smaller number of casualties after the plane crashed, but still killed the hundreds of brave souls on board. When combined with the main attacks on the Twin Towers, the attacks on the Pentagon and Shanksville led to the deaths of nearly 3,000 and injured 6,000 more, crushing the families of countless. Beyond this, reparations for the combined attacks amount to numbers in the trillions, putting the federal government in debt and putting Wall Street into severe market crash. Overall, it is clear that 9/11 is a day that nobody wants to remember, but that all Americans will inevitably be unable to forget nonetheless. However, if we are going to remember it as a nation, we must also remember the suffering and bravery that the people involved in attacks at Shanksville and the Pentagon experienced and honor them for enduring such unimaginable pain.
Sources:
http://nypost.com/2017/03/30/fbi-releases-trove-of-911-pentagon-photos/
http://www.fox25boston.com/news/september-11/photos-9112001-shanksville-pa/423553646
https://www.911memorial.org/world-trade-center-history
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-09-09/the-lingering-effects-of-9-11-on-wall-street
This was a very informative post on the attacks on 9/11. It is true that when most people think of that day, they remember the attacks on the Twin Towers because they are the most publicized. But there still many casualties in the Pentagon attack, and the plane that crashed off target. Overall, great job, this post summarizes the whole incident very well.
ReplyDeleteVery informative post! I was not aware of just how many casualties the attacks caused. While this was one most likely the worst terrorist attack on American soil, it's a common misconception that this was the beginning of terrorist attacks in America. This was not even the first attack on the world trade center. The world trade center was attacked because it served as a symbol of American capitalism and economic dominance.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very well-researched post! I think that everyone should know about the history of the September 11 attacks. After it happened, there was a lot of criticism regarding Rudy Giuliani, the mayor of New York City. People blamed him for the lack of security in Ground Zero. Additionally, the people who were helping with the reconstruction of the city actually sued the city for poor health and work regulations. Who is to blame for the attacks?
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