Anniversary of Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001

Today marks the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11^th terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. 2,752 Americans lost their lives on that day. This year, Leon Bernard Heyward’s name was added to the list of the casualties of 9/11 after he died in October as a result of exposure to dust after the collapse of the World Trade Towers. It’s hard to describe the full measure of the tragedy of that day or the myriad ways it still impacts American life today.

Thinking back, I can remember being a sophomore in high school and sitting in my American history class when the principle announced the attacks on the World Trade Tower over the loudspeaker. Our teacher told us that we were all unfortunate witnesses to a day that would live in infamy in American history. Not since the attacks on Pearl Harbor has there been a foreign attack on American soil of this size or scale. Where were you on 9/11? Are your memories of the day still vivid?

Today, let us remember those who passed and their families, along with those serving in the armed forces who were called to war as a result.

Here is a link to the New York Times’ coverage of the memorial at ground zero this morning.

For a slideshow of today’s memorial, click here.

Finally, here is a link to the September 11 Digital Archive. This archive attempts to collect, preserve, and present the history of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath. In 2003, the archive became a part of the Library of Congress. This site features witness’ accounts of the attacks and many other resources to help teach the history of this sad day in American history.

[Images via reformedpastor and smh]