Sept. 11, 2021, marks the 20th anniversary of four terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda, an Islamist extremist group, against the United States. The attacks began at 8:46 AM EST on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists crashed a hijacked commercial plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. A second hijacked plane crashed into the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. The third plane hit the Pentagon in Washington D.C. at 9:37 a.m., and the fourth hijacked plane crashed into a field outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m. In less than two hours, 2,977 people lost their lives, and our country changed forever.

Many remember where they were and what they were doing the moment they heard the news of 9/11. Sept. 11, 2001, was my second day of school of my sophomore year at Kimball Area High School in Kimball. That summer, there was construction going on at my high school. A new addition was built and renovations occurred throughout the building. The construction schedule got behind and the school board and administrators made the decision to have the school year start on Monday, Sept. 10.

The next day on Tuesday, Sept. 11, I was heading to my United States history class, when I heard the radio was on in the classroom. One of the other students asked my teacher, Mr. Reiss, what was going on. He told the class what was transpiring in New York City. At first, there was a sense of disbelief felt by me, which changed quickly after seeing the worry and sadness on my teacher’s face.

That night, I wrote about the attacks in my journal, but at this time not all the information was known. I simply wrote down what I had heard about the attacks that day and how I felt. In the hours and days following the attacks, newspapers and media outlets gathered facts and reported on the lives lost and the heroes who risked their lives to save others. I will never forget the patriotism that emerged immediately after the attacks.

The photograph featured this week was taken at Memorial Park in Marshall in 2013. The City of Marshall is planning a remembrance ceremony today at Memorial Park at 10 a.m. To read about 9/11 and the 20th anniversary commemoration, visit www.911memorial.org.

The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a non-profit, member-supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 W Lyon St in Marshall. The Lyon County Museum is open to visitors. To contact us, visit our website: www.lyoncomuseum.org, call: 507-537-6580, email: director@lyoncomuseum.org, or on our Facebook page.