9/11: Remembering a Day That Changed the World Forever

By The Maritime Executive 09-10-2013 02:23:00

Tom Hanks narrates the epic story of the 9/11 boatlift that evacuated half a million people from the stricken piers and seawalls of Lower Manhattan. Produced and directed by Eddie Rosenstein. Eyepop Productions, Inc.

The September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the U.S. Pentagon in Washington D.C. by Osama bin Laden and Al Qaida are considered an affront to all mankind. The 9/11 attacks, which have been documented as they unfolded are some of the most watched and documented tragedies in history. The heroism displayed by New York Fire Department (NYFD) and New York Police Department (NYPD) responders, many of whom lost their own lives, is considered the ultimate courage.

On this 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a new campaign to build awareness of the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which is dedicated to the events of that day at the World Trade Center, is underway. “The progress inside the Museum has been remarkable. As we move toward the Museum opening in spring 2014, it is rewarding and deeply moving to see this historic institution taking shape,” said 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels. “From iconic pieces of steel, which carry messages of the recovery effort, to rescue vehicles representing the bravery and courage of our first responders, these artifacts will preserve the powerful story of 9/11 for generations to come.”

The remains of 6 World Trade Center, 7 World Trade Center, and 1 World Trade Center on September 17, 2001

To date, 24 large artifacts have been permanently installed inside the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Of those, 19 are located within the historical exhibition, which will chronicle the history of 9/11 and explore its continued impacts. The large artifacts in the historical exhibition include:

The head of a grappler, which is among many artifacts that help tell the story of the 9/11 recovery effort, is exhibited grabbing a pile of twisted steel and rebar. Operating engineers used grappler claws to lift debris from the pile at Ground Zero.

The Cross at Ground Zero, made from intersecting steel beams, was discovered in in the rubble of 6 World Trade Center on Sept 13, 2001. Over the course of the nine-month recovery period, workers at the site of many faiths and belief systems saw the cross as a symbol of hope, faith and healing.

The FDNY Engine Company 21 truck was dispatched to the World Trade Center after hijacked Flight 175 struck the South Tower. Engine 21 was parked beneath an elevated walkway on 9/11. When the towers collapsed, the exposed cab of the fire engine was destroyed while the rest of it was virtually untouched.

From top to bottom, and left to right: the World Trade Center burning; a section of the Pentagon collapses; Flight 175 crashes into 2 WTC; a fireman requests help at Ground Zero; an engine from Flight 93 is recovered; Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon.

Additional monumental artifacts that have been previously installed in other locations within the Museum include steel tridents from the original façade of the Twin Towers, the Survivors’ Stairs and the Last Column.

National Day of Service

The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance was started in 2002 by family members of 9/11 victims as a way to honor victims and survivors and others who stepped up and did remarkable things on that day. In 2009, Congress made it an official national day.

Pentagon Memorial

The Pentagon Memorial was designed for all to remember and reflect on the events of September 11, 2001. The memorial is free and open to the public seven days a week. Every year a private ceremony is held at the Pentagon memorial for family members of those who were lost on the Pentagon grounds and survivors of the attack. This ceremony is by invitation only. The private commemoration will take place between 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. on Wednesday. The public is welcome to come after the ceremony to pay their respects.

Moment of Silence and Flags Across Arlington

On September 11, 2013 a moment of silence will be held at 9:37 a.m. to remember the victims of the tragedy. Arlington County will hang United States flags from overpasses and buildings. The cemetery is open to the public who are welcome to attend the ceremony.