September 11

8:46:40

Flight 11 strikes the North Tower of the World Trade Center, forever changing the face of New York City and the psyche of America

9:03:11

Flight 175 strikes the South Tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:05 Chief of Staff Andrew Card tells the President:

"A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack."

9:37:46

Flight 77 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon.


10:03:11



Flight 93 crashes in a field in Somerset Count, Pennsylvania.

From the Flight 93 National Memorial site:

35 Minutes.

That's how long it takes some of us to drive to work, get to school in the morning, or watch a favorite television program.

That's also how long it took hijackers to takeover Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, and for the forty passangers and crewmembers to stop them.

And, a final number...

A personal number for me.

9:45

United States air space is closed. All inbound flights are re-routed or sent back to their place of origin.

That included my aunt and uncle, who an hour and half earlier, had left Heathrow Airport, London, heading back to Arkansas.

All they knew was what the pilot told them: United States air space had been closed.

They knew something was terribly wrong.

I cannot imagine their thoughts on the flight back to Heathrow. Nor can I imagine, even after talking to them about it, what they thought once they landed and saw the images on the televisions.

It was a day that changed us forever.

Never Forget.