"Visiting the 9/11 Memorial and Museum is not just about remembering a tragic day; it’s about understanding the resilience of the human spirit and unbreakable resolve of a city and nation that faced unimaginable horror.”
—Mark Vogel
Today marks the 23rd Anniversary of 9/11. Last October, Cecile and I and our friends Nelson and Susie Bye toured the 9/11 Memorial to pay homage to the victims. Here are the photos I took during our visit.
I still remember my late mother Maria calling me that fateful day with sadness and fear in her voice to tell me we were at war. “What do you mean,” I asked. She added: "Terrorists bombed the Twin Towers.” Later, my late brother Michael shocking told me he saw the planes go into the Twin Towers while working on top of a roof at a construction site near Hoboken, NJ., across the Hudson from NYC where we grew up.
September 11th, 2001 was the largest terrorist attack on the United States since Pearl Harbor, changing the skyline of NYC and leaving the World Trade Center building in ashes and ruins and scores of families in mourning.
The World Trade Center complex in NYC, included the iconic Twin Towers. The events are etched in the collective consciousness of people around the world. On that fateful morning, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. The attack resulted in the collapse of both towers within hours, causing massive destruction and loss of life. Nearly 3,000 people perished and over 6,000 other were injured. More than 400 first responders including firefighters, police and others that bravely rushed to the scene died solemnly performing their sworn duty to serve and protect.
One of the most poignant parts of the ceremony is the reading of the names of the victims aloud by family members and loved ones. The act of personal remembrance adds a deeply human element to the ceremony.
