Where They Stood

Twenty-one years ago today, terrorists flew commercial airliners into the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. Of course, I vividly remember the unfolding events, like so many Americans. That said, meaning fades with time.

Surely everyone alive when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941 shares similar experience. Think of what occurred during the following 21 years to make the event’s emotional impact diminish. Little things, like the Cuban Missile crisis in October 1962 that brought the world to the precipice of nuclear war.

Since start of 2020, we’ve had SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 panic; pandemic lockdowns; looting and riots; disputed and non-disputed Presidential election; breach of the U.S. Capitol; twenty-one thousand troops deployed in Washington, DC; vaccine mandates; explosive housing prices and rentals; staggering inflation; sticker shock at the gas pump; cost of diesel disrupting farms, factories, and shipping; Russia-Ukraine war; Supreme Court ruling on abortion; death of Queen Elizabeth II; global famine; and, oh Hell, that’s enough. What hasn’t happened to make anyone forget Sept. 11, 2001?

But I remember, and so should you. The Featured Image is from August 1997, and the shooter used Canon F-1 and Canon FD 35-105mm f/3.5 lens. Vitals are unknown. But this from the metadata: “Film type: 35; film manufacturer: Kodak; film name: ELITE Chrome 100; alias: EB2; grain: RMS 8”.

The title of this post refers to where were the Twin Towers and wherein first responders stood their ground desperately trying to save lives. Too many of them, particularly firemen, perished. May they rest in peace—and never be forgotten.

Photo Credit: Roger Gerbig