20 years after a second day of infamy

Next Saturday will be the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Before focusing on that, let’s look at history.

Marines, Army personnel and civilians were killed. Another 1,000 were injured in the surprise raid on Hawaii in 1941. However, most of us are old enough to remember how we were “shell shocked” when we watched our televisions in horror as two airliners flew into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan in New York City. We know exactly where we were and how we felt. Confused, angry, shocked, surprised and full of disbelief.

Shortly after the two towers were hit, we heard the news about the attack on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the hijacked airliner going down in a Pennsylvania field. The first impact (the North Tower) occurred at 8:46 a.m. EST. The fourth airliner hit the semi-wooded field at 10:03 a.m. EST. In the span of one hour and 17 minutes, 2,996 people (2,977 victims and 19 terrorists) died and another estimated 25,000 people were injured in the four attacks.

One day after Japan’s Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a seven-minute speech, declaring the act a “day of infamy,” and Congress declared war on Japan one hour after his speech. It had been 60 years since America was attacked when the terrorism on 9/11 occurred. On the evening of the tragedy, President George W. Bush addressed the nation. He then visited “Ground Zero,” the site of the attacks in New York City, and told the nation we would “never forget,” which was a not-so-veiled threat, since actions were already taking place to bring justice to our enemies. On Sept. 20, 2001, nine days after the attack, Bush addressed Congress and the nation, stating that we would defend America “against terrorism,” no matter the cost. In short, he announced the “War on Terror” would begin immediately.

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