On September 11, 2001, 19 hijackers associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda took over four planes leading to the most prolific terrorist attack in the United States.
Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, and a third into the Pentagon. The fourth plane, United flight 93, crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The courageous actions of 40 passenger and crew members on board, overpowered the hijackers, thwarting an attack on the Nation’s Capital.
A total of 2,996 total deaths, including the 19 hijackers, were recorded on that day. This figure includes 2,763 at the World Trade Center, 189 at the Pentagon, and 44 at Shanksville, Pennsylvania. As of 2023, the remains of 1,104 individuals killed that day in NYC have still yet to be identified, according to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
An estimated cost of the World Trade Center damage is $60 billion and the cost to clean the debris at Ground Zero was $750 million.
On December 18, 2001, Congress approved naming September 11 “Patriot Day” to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In 2009, Congress named September 11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Below are September 11 ceremonies or events in recognition of the cost of freedom and the lives lost:
Arlington
North County Regional Fire Authority and the City of Arlington invite the community to Station 46 in Downtown Arlington at 137 N Macleod Avenue, for the annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony.
This special event will take place on September 11 at 7:00 p.m., marking the anniversary of the tragic events that unfolded in 2001. The short ceremony will include a moment of silence, and remarks from local officials.
Attendees are encouraged to mingle afterward and view the steel artifact from the remnants of the World Trade Center that is displayed at the station.
Edmonds
Firefighters from South County Fire will host a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony on September 11, 9:11 a.m., at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Park at Downtown Edmonds Fire Station 17, 275 6th Ave. N. Everyone is welcome to attend.
The backdrop for the ceremony will be the 9/11 Memorial built around a 1-ton beam recovered from the collapsed World Trade Center. The beam is supported by two stainless steel towers above a pentagonal foundation. Flanking the beam are two walls of glass tiles honoring each of the nearly 3,000 people killed, including 343 firefighters, 60 police and 10 emergency medical services workers.
The ceremony, presented by South County Union Firefighters IAFF Local 1828, will feature the South County Fire Honor Guard and bugler Debbie Dawson, a retired Edmonds Police Department officer.
Everett
Come and join us at the Everett Civic Auditorium on Wednesday, September 11, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for Monumental Talks : What is the cost of Freedom, a panel discussion, hosted by Sanford Wright, MD.
Monumental Talks are the essential dialogues that we must share with each other in order to consistently confirm the priceless value of our American Dream, American Freedom, for which, we are willing to pay the Cost of Freedom.
Speakers include Antonio Williams, U.S. Navy, Ricado Velasco, Mazatlán Restaurant, Denya Ziraksari, Equal Rights Org. The Masters of Ceremonies include Joe Marine, Mukilteo Mayor, Captain Stacy Wuthier, Commander of Naval Station Everett, and Captain Dan Squires, Retired Naval Officer.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. Civic Auditorium is located at 2415 Colby Avenue, Everett, WA. 98201.
For more information visit www.monumentaltalks.org.
Marysville
Marysville Fire District, Marysville Professional Firefighters/IAFF Local 3219, the Marysville Police Department and the City of Marysville will hold a public ceremony marking 23 years since the devastating September 11 attacks.
The remembrance ceremony will take place at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 11, in the Delta Plaza outside the Marysville Civic Center, 501 Delta Ave. This service will honor the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, including 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers. In addition, the Marysville Fire District lost Lt. Jeff Thornton, who died that same day after a valiantly fought battle with cancer. The ceremony will include remarks from Mayor Jon Nehring and a presentation by Marysville Fire District’s prestigious Honor Guard.
A recording of the ceremony will be made available afterward.
Stanwood
North County Fire/EMS will be hosting a processional of Emergency Response Vehicles traveling eastbound on SR 532 starting at 10 a.m. on September 11 followed by a brief gathering and moment of silence at Fire Station 99 located at 8117 267th St. NW, Stanwood.
Timeline of September 11 Terrorist Attacks
- 7:59 a.m. – Flight 11 takes off from Boston for Los Angeles. Eleven crew members, 76 passengers, and five hijackers are on board.
- 8:15 a.m. – Flight 175 takes off from Boston for Los Angeles. Nine crew members, 51 passengers, and five hijackers are on board.
- 8:19 a.m. – Flight 11 crew members alert ground personnel that a hijacking is underway.
- 8:20 a.m. – American Airlines Flight 77, en route to Los Angeles, takes off from Washington, D.C. Six crew members, 53 passengers, and five hijackers are on board.
- 8:24 a.m. – Attempting to communicate with passengers, a hijacker contacts air traffic control, unwittingly alerting controllers to the attacks.
- 8:37 a.m. – Boston air traffic control alerts the military. Air National Guard jets in Massachusetts are mobilized to follow Flight 11.
- 8:42 a.m. – San Francisco-bound United Airlines Flight 93 takes off at Newark following a delay. Seven crew members, 33 passengers, and four hijackers are on board.
- 8:46 a.m. – Flight 11 crashes into floors 93 through 99 of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
8:50 a.m. – President George W. Bush is alerted. - 8:55 a.m. – The South Tower off the World Trade Center is declared secure.
- 8:59 a.m. – Port Authority police order the evacuation of both towers. A minute later, the order is expanded to the entire World Trade Center complex.
- 9:00 a.m. – A flight attendant aboard Flight 175 alerts air traffic control that a hijacking is underway.
- 9:03 a.m. – Flight 175 crashes into floors 77 through 85 of the South Tower.
- 9:05 a.m. – President Bush learns that a second plane has crashed into the World Trade Center.
- 9:05 a.m. – Flight 77 passenger Barbara Olson calls her husband, U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson, who alerts other federal officials of the hijacking.
- 9:36 a.m. – Secret Service agents evacuate Vice President Dick Cheney to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center beneath the White House.
- 9:37 a.m. – American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon.
- 9:42 a.m. – The Federal Aviation Administration grounds all flights.
- 9:45 a.m. – The White House and U.S. Capitol Building are evacuated.
- 9:59 a.m. – The South Tower collapses.
- 10:03 a.m. – United Airlines Flight 93 crashes near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers and crew storm the cockpit.
- 10:15 a.m. – The Pentagon’s outer ring collapses.
- 10:28 a.m. – The North Tower collapses after burning for 102 minutes.
- 11:02 a.m. – New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani orders the evacuation of Lower Manhattan.
- 12:30 p.m. – A group of 14 survivors emerge from a North Tower stairwell.
- 3:00 p.m. – A survivor, Pasquale Buzzelli, is rescued from the rubble of the North Tower.
- 5:20 p.m. – After burning for hours, 7 World Trade Center building collapses.
- 8:30 p.m. – President Bush addresses the nation from the White House, assuring Americans that a search is underway for “those who are behind these evil acts.”
- 10:30 p.m. – Rescuers locate and extract two Port Authority police officers injured but alive in debris of the World Trade Center.
Author: Mario Lotmore
