On September 11, 2001, 19 men associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes – two were crashed into the World Trade Center, one crashed in the Pentagon and the other crashed just outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A total of 2,996 people were killed by this terrorist attack on the U.S. mainland. As of 2024, 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.
At 8:46 a.m. EST, American Airlines Flight 11, traveling from Boston to Los Angeles, struck the north tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York. Then at 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 17 struck the south tower of the World Trade Center.
Of the 2,763 people perished at the World Trade Center terrorist attack, 343 were New York City firefighters, 23 were New York City police officers and 37 were officers at the Port Authority.
In Washington DC, 189 people were killed when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.
Near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, all 44 passengers and crew on United Airlines Flight 93 perished when their plane crashed into a field. It is believed that the hijackers crashed the plane after the passengers and crew attempted to retake control of the plane.
The hijackers were Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations. They were reportedly financed by the al Qaeda terrorist organization of Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden.
Osama bin Laden was killed by United States Navy SEALs in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2, 2011. The operation was code-named Operation Neptune Spear.
As a result of the September 11 attacks, the Department of Homeland Security was created by the passing of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 25, 2002. The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for preventing terrorist attacks, border security, immigrations and customs and disaster relief and prevention.
The names of the eighteen Snohomish County residents who perished during military operations from September 11, 2001, to the present, were unveiled on Memorial Day, May 27, 2024. The names were engraved on a plaque adjacent to a sculpture by a local artist at Haller Bridge that was rededicated as the “Global War on Terror Veterans Bridge” in 2022.
Located between the Unity Arch and Peace Plaza in Arlington, the memorial begins at the approach of the Haller Bridge, along the Centennial Trail, and crosses the Stillaguamish River. It is the first in Snohomish County to specifically honor military veterans killed in post-9/11 conflicts. A total of 155 Washington state service members have given their lives during the war on terrorism.
This location along the Centennial Trail is a popular destination for recreation and provides a peaceful setting for reflection and prayer to honor the brave people lost to recent military conflicts.
The following names are of the eighteen Snohomish County GWOT casualties:
- 9/10/2016: 1LT Jeffrey D. Cooper, U.S. Army, Mill Creek, served in Kuwait
- 5/23/2012: 2LT Travis A Morgado, U.S. Army, Lynnwood, KIA Afghanistan
- 11/27/2011: MAJ Philip D. Ambard, U.S. Air Force, Edmonds, KIA Afghanistan
- 11/19/2009: SSG John J. Clevenger, U.S. Army, Marysville, KIA Afghanistan
- 9/9/2008: 1LT Nicholas A. Madrazo, U.S. Marine Corps, Bothell, KIA Afghanistan
- 9/9/2008: HM3 Eichmann A. Strickland, U.S. Navy, Arlington, KIA Afghanistan
- 3/23/2008: LCPL Dustin L. Canham, U.S. Marine Corps, Lake Stevens, Djibouti
- 3/10/2008: SGT Phillip R. Anderson, U.S. Army, Everett, KIA Iraq
- 10/4/2007: SPC Vincent G. Kamka, U.S. Army, Everett, KIA Iraq
- 7/26/2007: PVT Michael Baloga, U.S. Army, Everett, KIA Iraq
- 7/16/2007: LCPL Shawn V. Starkovich, U.S. Marine Corps, Arlington, KIA Iraq
- 12/5/2006: SPC Jordan W. Hess, U.S. Army, Marysville, KIA Iraq
- 2/18/2006: SGT Charles E. Matheny IV, U.S. Army, Stanwood, KIA Iraq
- 5/30/2005: CPL Jeffrey B. Starr, U.S. Marine Corps, Snohomish, KIA Iraq
- 9/16/2004: CPL Steven A. Rintamaki, U.S. Marine Corps, Lynnwood, KIA Iraq
- 5/29/2004: PFC Cody S. Calavan, U.S. Marine Corps, Lake Stevens, KIA Iraq
- 8/1/2003: SPC Justin W Hebert, U.S. Army, Arlington, KIA Iraq
- 9/11/2001: SGM Larry Strickland, U.S. Army, Edmonds, KIA Pentagon
Author: Mario Lotmore
