9/11 revisited a dozen years later

By DAVID A. WILSON

Democrat Staff

It seems a lifetime ago that everyone who could do so gathered around a television on a Tuesday morning to watch the aftermath of a incident in which a plane crashed into a tall building in New York City.

The terrible accident changed intensity when, before a nation watching in stunned silence, a second plane hit the second of the Twin Towers.

Any thought that the first building was hit accidentally by a plane out of control evaporated from American minds in an instant.

That was Sept. 11, 2001, bringing a new meaning to the numbers 9-11.

By the time a third plane hit the Pentagon, cell phone calls from the passengers verified the fact that suicidal radical Islamic highjackers were at work and flights were grounded.

Passengers on a fourth plane, apparently meant to target the U.S. Capitol or the White House,

discovered what was in their future via the dependable cell phone.

With a rallying cry of "Let's Roll," the bravery of the passengers became legend when they brought Flight 93 down in a Pennsylvania field.

It appears likely that a second wave of attacks planned for the west coast never got off the ground, due to the immediate Federal Aviation Administration "no fly" order given in the United States.

It was a time of both terrible tragedy and tremendous bravery as thousands died in the buildings and hundreds in the high-jacked planes. For a time, the nation appeared to come together for a single cause.

The following Saturday, the third Saturday in September, was the long set date for California's Ozark Ham and Turkey Festival. Although some thought of canceling it, wiser heads prevailed and the event went on as scheduled.

Well, almost as scheduled.

As shown by California Democrat articles of the following week, the original festival theme and the "Anything Goes" parade morphed immediately into patriotic displays. "Patriotism shines through" was the headline on a front page article with photos. Flags were abundant as were patriotic banners on large trucks entered in the parade.

A special entry in the parade was a riderless horse representing those lost in the attack on the nation.

Moniteau County was not alone as Patriotism was being observed nationwide.

A dozen years later, 9/11 still has the meaning of a vicious attack without warning on innocent victims.

There are remembrances today and some have replayed the original attack videos. But eventually slogans like "Remember Pearl Harbor" soon go in the lexicon with only a shadow of their original intensity.

That should not be, because we should remember the enemies of the nation are still seeking its destruction.

"Remember 9/11."