White rose on the 9 11 Memorial, New York City, New York
Screen Shot of Live Coverage from ABC News with Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer
9.11.2001
19 Years we have remembered.
This week I went back to the original footage from ABC News with Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer to watch it again. I have embedded a link to it below.
Possibly, like me, some of you remember that moment. I remember sitting at Baptist Bible College in the administration building with a friend just outside Mrs Shirley Hackler’s office. I was a faculty member and was walking through that building just as the first building was hit. A staff member Mike Brinson asked if I had seen it so I walked over to watch with him on the television. We were watching Good Morning America live as the second plane hit the World Trade Center.
In the live footage below as I watched it again this week, I was reminded of the absolute fear deep in my soul as these events unfolded. When the coverage switched from New York to the White House, eventually to the Pentagon, and then finally back to New York as both buildings eventually fell. Just a few short minutes. The late Peter Jennings took over coverage from Gibson and Sawyer. All three of them struggled to put words to it. I still today lose my breath watching it.
On that day eventually we would find out that 2,977 people died. Over 300 firefighters in those early moments. Since then, over 250 other firefighters have died from complications due to that day. In fact, in the days since September 11, 2001, over 1,400 rescue workers who responded to the scene in the days and months after the attacks have since died.[1] On September 11, 2001, over 1,000 children in an instance lost their firefighter dads as they fought the blaze.
We remember.
Local Heroes
Today as I type, there are men and women and K-9s all over America who continue to wait for the call or alarm bell. These local heroes wait for us to need them. As we do, they spring into action. They risk their own health and well-being to serve us. Firefighters. EMS personnel. Police officers. All waiting to risk everything to serve us.
When most people run from danger, these brave, local heroes run into danger in order to selflessly and sacrificially serve their neighbors, most of whom they do not even know.
We are grateful.
May it never be said of one of us that we do not stand up in unity and loudly proclaim that we both appreciate and honor those who served on 9/11/2001. Further, may it never be said of one of us that we do not stand up in unity and loudly proclaim how grateful we are for those who have served us and continue to serve us every day since.
Our local heroes, thank you.
Image Credit Lars Mulder