9/11 Stories

Nine years ago, our country was changed forever. On a sunny September day, we were hit by a series of
coordinated Al Qaeda attacks, killing almost 3,000 innocent Americans in cold blood. Much of that day will
always be remembered with feelings of horror, shock, fear, and sadness. 19 terrorists hijacked four planes.
The World Trade Center in New York City was first hit. The twin towers were followed by the Pentagon in
Washington, DC. The fourth plane was allegedly intended to hit the White House, but passengers fought the
hijackers and crashed the plane into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The World Trade Center got the worst
of the attacks, with the twin towers ultimately collapsing and destroying many other buildings in the area.
Across the country, we watched in horror as the towers collapsed. We cried as we saw people leap from the
towers to their deaths in a desperate attempt to escape the flames. We listened in shock to the phone calls of
the passengers on board the hijacked planes, and wept as we heard them tell their families they loved them
one last time. So much of that day will always be a mix of grief, sorrow, fear, and anger.
However, there were also feelings of pride and unity that arose from the flames. We read the heroic stories
and watched with pride as ordinary citizens went above and beyond the call of duty to help their fellow
Americans. As horrible as 9-11 was, it reminded many of us of what makes this country so great.
Moira Smith, NYPD
Officer Moira Smith was a 13 year veteran of the New York Police Department. She was married to another
NYPD officer, Jimmy Smith, and had a two-year-old daughter named Patricia. Officer Smith had shown
heroism in the line of duty before, earning the Police Departments Distinguished Duty Medal for her actions
during the Aug. 27, 1991 subway crash in Union Square in which five were killed and more than 130 hurt. She
saved dozens of lives that day, and on September 11, she would selflessly risk her life again to help other
victims get out safely.
She was oh, God Charles Barbuti, a lieutenant in the 13th Precinct and Smiths friend, paused before
continuing. I would have to describe Moira as active, dedicated, courageous. We had indications that on a
number of occasions she had come out of the World Trade Center, carrying people out, then gone back in. She
had the opportunity to leave and she chose not to.
She was a lot of fun, Barbuti said. She was vivacious, she was fun-loving, she was a joy to be around. That
may sound like a cliche, speaking well of people who have passed, but in her case, it was true. She made
everyone around her feel comfortable. Everyone liked her. No one had a harsh word to say about her.
Smith put her life in danger to rescue people trapped in the World Trade Center, and ultimately, made the
ultimate sacrifice that day. She was posthumously awarded the New York City Police Departments Medal of
Honor for her heroism that day. Her remains were recovered in March of 2002, and an East River high-speed
ferry was named for her. Of the 23 NYPD officers killed on September 11, she was the only female. She was
finally laid to rest on what would have been her 39th birthday.
9/11 Stories
Nine years ago, our country was changed forever. On a sunny September day, we were hit by a series of
coordinated Al Qaeda attacks, killing almost 3,000 innocent Americans in cold blood. Much of that day will
always be remembered with feelings of horror, shock, fear, and sadness. 19 terrorists hijacked four planes.
The World Trade Center in New York City was first hit. The twin towers were followed by the Pentagon in
Washington, DC. The fourth plane was allegedly intended to hit the White House, but passengers fought the
hijackers and crashed the plane into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The World Trade Center got the worst
of the attacks, with the twin towers ultimately collapsing and destroying many other buildings in the area.
Across the country, we watched in horror as the towers collapsed. We cried as we saw people leap from the
towers to their deaths in a desperate attempt to escape the flames. We listened in shock to the phone calls of
the passengers on board the hijacked planes, and wept as we heard them tell their families they loved them
one last time. So much of that day will always be a mix of grief, sorrow, fear, and anger. However, there were
also feelings of pride and unity that arose from the flames. We read the heroic stories and watched with pride
as ordinary citizens went above and beyond the call of duty to help their fellow Americans. As horrible as 9-11
was, it reminded many of us of what makes this country so great.
Welles Crowther
It was not Welles Crowthers job to save anyones life on September 11. He worked for Sandler ONeill and
Partners on the 104th floor of the South Tower as an equities trader. At about 9:00 in the morning, he was on
the phone in his office. His body would be recovered from the lobby along with NYFD firefighters. Having
worked as a volunteer firefighter as a teenager, when disaster struck, Welles Crowther sprung into action.
They sat bloody and petrified the lights out, smoke engulfing the room and pain searing through their
bodies. There was no escape from where they were in the South Tower, in pieces after being hit by United
Airlines Flight 175 as far as they could tell.
Then out of nowhere, a young man burst in and took control. In a strong, authoritative voice, he directed them
to the stairway which was veiled by darkness, wreckage and haze telling the injured to get out and the
healthy to help them down.
I see this incredible hero, running back and forth and saving the day, recalled Judy Wein. In his mind, he
had a duty to do to save people.
Hes definitely my guardian angel no ifs, ands or buts because without him, we would be sitting there,
waiting [until] the building came down, echoes Ling Young.
Wein and Young were separated by a few minutes and a few floors that day, but they share a similar story and
a single hero: Welles Crowther.
Both women credit the equities trader and volunteer firefighter with saving their lives and dozens of others on
September 11.
Crowther has been credited with saving at least 18 lives that day, if not more. One of the people he helped
escape, Ling Young, keeps a framed photo of him in her home. He exited and entered the building at least
three times, helping evacuate trapped victims. He ultimately perished when he entered the building one last
time before it collapsed with other firefighters, making their way up the South Tower with the Jaws of Life to
free more people. His body was recovered March 19, 2002.
Welles Crowther was an investment banker, not a firefighter or a police officer. He could have easily just
exited the building and got himself to safety with no shame whatsoever. Instead, he found the courage to go
above and beyond what was required of him, helping many people out of the tower and saving countless lives.
9/11 Stories
Nine years ago, our country was changed forever. On a sunny September day, we were hit by a series of
coordinated Al Qaeda attacks, killing almost 3,000 innocent Americans in cold blood. Much of that day will
always be remembered with feelings of horror, shock, fear, and sadness. 19 terrorists hijacked four planes.
The World Trade Center in New York City was first hit. The twin towers were followed by the Pentagon in
Washington, DC. The fourth plane was allegedly intended to hit the White House, but passengers fought the
hijackers and crashed the plane into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The World Trade Center got the worst
of the attacks, with the twin towers ultimately collapsing and destroying many other buildings in the area.
Across the country, we watched in horror as the towers collapsed. We cried as we saw people leap from the
towers to their deaths in a desperate attempt to escape the flames. We listened in shock to the phone calls of
the passengers on board the hijacked planes, and wept as we heard them tell their families they loved them
one last time. So much of that day will always be a mix of grief, sorrow, fear, and anger.
However, there were also feelings of pride and unity that arose from the flames. We read the heroic stories
and watched with pride as ordinary citizens went above and beyond the call of duty to help their fellow
Americans. As horrible as 9-11 was, it reminded many of us of what makes this country so great.
Tom Burnett
Tom Burnett was the CEO and vice president of Thoratec Corporation, a medical devices company. He had a
wife, Deena, and three daughters. On September 11, he was on United Airlines Flight 93. After the plane was
hijacked, he called his wife and found out about the attacks on the World Trade Center.
Mr. Burnett phoned his wife Deena four times. In the first call he told her about the situation on the plane and
asked her to call authorities. The second time he phoned, he told her that he believed their captors were going
to fly the plane into the ground. The next time he called, Mrs. Burnett said, I could tell they were
formulating a plan. In the last call, he reportedly said, I know were going to die. Theres three of us who are
going to do something about it.
Rather than just accept his fate, Burnett decided to act. He, and a small group of other passengers, decided to
fight back against the hijackers. While the plan had been to regain control of the plane, they all ultimately
perished when the plane crashed in that rural Pennsylvania field. Burnett knew that this was likely to be his
fate, and chose to fight back anyways.
While we will never know the exact intended target of Flight 93, its generally accepted that the hijackers
target was either the White House or the US Capitol building. What would have happened if they hadnt
fought the hijackers? What would have happened if they had decided to just accept their fate? If they had
gone along with the hijackers, without fighting back? Its a thought too horrifying to even consider. It took
incredible bravery that day to fight the hijackers, knowing that even if they did, it could cost them their lives.