History cannot be forgotten on 9/11

Sixteen years ago on a clear Tuesday morning on the East Coast, two jets hijacked by terrorists rammed into New York City’s World Trade Center, another plowed into the Pentagon and a fourth crashed in a western Pennsylvania field after passengers overwhelmed hijackers in an unsuccessful attempt to wrestle control of Flight 93.

More than 3,000 passengers, first-responders and people in the Pentagon and twin towers perished on that day in the worse act of terrorism committed on American soil.

Thousands of military personnel subsequently died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of the sailors, soldiers, Marines or airmen and women hailed from hundreds of communities in the United States including Fallon and Fernley. Since 2001, stories of heroism ring with the American spirit of fighting to the end.

Fallon Mayor Ken Tedford and other community and state leaders remind their audiences not to forget history and the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. Fallon, one of the very first Nevada communities to erect a memorial for 9/11 and conduct annual remembrances, presents a solemn ceremony to honor the men and women who gave their lives.

Tedford said 9/11 not only remembers the deaths of innocent people and the shock and fear that gripped both New York City and the rest of the United States but also the courage and resolve that unified Americans.

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City serves as a reminder of that courage and resolve. Constructed at the site of the World Trade Center, the memorial honors the first-responders and the men and women who worked at the WTC. Sixteen years ago, they did not return to their homes that night to the hugs and kisses from their loved one.

On Tuesday, Patriot Day, communities across the United States lower their flags to half-staff to remember 9/11.  The flag is flown at half-staff as a mark of respect to those who died, and many people observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., EDT, the time when the first jet flew into the World Trade Center.

Over time, people tend to forget or take a nonchalant attitude toward observances. Pearl Harbor, for example, became etched in the hearts and souls of the Greatest Generation but lost its significance with subsequent generations until last year’s 75th anniversary. Likewise, Americans must not forget 9/11, the mission of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum and the observances conducted by communities small and large to keep history alive.

We encourage residents of every community in Nevada to remember the sacrifices that occurred 9/11 and if possible, attend a 9/11 ceremony. If you can’t attend, remember those who gave their lives 16 years ago when terror stuck this country and changed thousands of lives.

LVN editorials are the opinion of the LVN Editorial Board.