9/11: Never forget

TODAY MARKS THE 23RD anniversary of one of the most shocking days in U.S. history, the hijacking of four jetliners by 19 terrorists with the intent of crashing them into iconic American landmarks.

Two of the planes brought down the World Trade Center towers in New York City. A third plane hit the Pentagon in Northern Virginia. The fourth plane, which apparently had targeted the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. was thwarted by a heroic passenger revolt that caused it to crash in a field in Shanksville, Pa.

All told, almost 3,000 people were killed in the attacks.

We must never forget the loss of lives that day and the heroism of those who risked their lives responding to the terrorism.

At the same time, we must learn the lessons of 9/11 as we continue to struggle with how to combat the threat of terrorism and faceless enemies who would do us harm.

For those too young to remember 9/11, it’s challenging to convey the degree to which Americans were shaken to the core. It was a day that changed all of us. Much like when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, anyone who was alive and conscious remembers exactly where they were on Sept. 11, 2001.

Immediately after Sept. 11, everything seemed to stop. But like the proud country we are, we picked up the pieces.

No, we haven’t forgotten. Sept. 11, 2001, changed us all. But it has not dampened our resolve for freedom and the American way of life.

Those are things no terrorist attack can ever take away.