Edmondson: The day the world changed 25 years ago

Do you remember where you were at 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, when American Airlines 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center?

A short time later, at 9:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:37 a.m., American Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.

I remember exactly where I was that day. I was watching TV at home getting ready for work while putting on my makeup when my son-in-law called me. Soon, I was on the phone with State Rep. Richard Hayes, who was then chair of the Denton County Republican Party, as well as several others to alert them about these world-changing events. 

Not since Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, had the U.S. mainland been under attack. The gravity of the situation became clear as I watched the South Tower collapse at 9:59 p.m. and then the North Tower collapse at 10:28 a.m. I learned about the brave souls aboard United Airlines Flight 93 who fought the hijackers as the plane missed its intended target, crashing in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Then the shock of seeing our military heart, the Pentagon, being struck by another hijacked plane. Since then, I have become acquainted with State Senator Brian Birdwell, who was in the Pentagon and survived, but with horrible burns over 60% of his body.

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the day many of us will never forget. I say many only because an estimated 100 million Americans are too young to remember the day that changed our nation forever, known now as Patriot Day.

Our unity was one of several outcomes from that fateful day. Others include:

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was born, created by Frank Siller for his brother Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter from Brooklyn’s Squad 1 who perished when the towers fell as he worked to save lives that day. The nonprofit organization has raised $1 billion in donations and has honored more than 1,700 veterans and first responders with mortgage-free homes, housing assistance, and supportive services for more than 20,000 homeless veterans. 

The Wounded Warrior Project was founded in 2003 by a group of veterans and friends who took action to help the injured servicemen and women of this generation who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness or wound as part of their military service on or after Sept. 11, 2001. Since 2003, more than 270,000 warriors, family members and caregivers have registered with the Wounded Warrior Project. In Fiscal Year 2024, the project invested over $260 million in life-changing programs and services to help these same individuals. 

This year, consider attending or joining a commemorative event to pay tribute to our country on this annual Patriot Day and remember those who lost their lives on that day and the days that followed. 

As we honor the 2,977 lives lost on that day, including the 2,750 people who perished when the Twin Towers collapsed, we must educate a new generation about the unimaginable loss we experienced and share the stories of the bravery, compassion, and service we witnessed that day and afterward. We will tell them about the skies with no airplanes, about the shared unity felt across the country, and how flags flew in our yards, on buildings, and in our hands in honor of the United States of America. We must NEVER forget.

Contact Commissioner Dianne Edmondson by email at [email protected] or phone her at 972-434-3960. You can also stop by her office in the Southwest Courthouse, 6200 Canyon Falls Drive, Suite 900, in Flower Mound.