On Monday, September 11, for the 22nd consecutive year the names of the 2,977 innocent souls, murdered by 19 Muslim extremist terrorists who skyjacked four American airplanes with the express purpose of inflicting as much damage as possible against people, property, and the body politic, will be read.
The reading of those names will only be interrupted by the peal of bells serving as a reminder of the exact time the dastardly deeds of evil were perpetrated. But most of us need no reminder – we bore witness to these homicidal tragedies, lost friends and/or loved ones. Undoubtedly there isn’t a person who was alive on that fateful September 11, 2001 who hasn’t a connection to that day and who doesn’t carry the scars of history with them.
For the 22nd year we will pay homage and respect to the fallen who were murdered by Muslim extremist terrorists on that clear, crisp, Tuesday morning when the screaming airplanes permeated the sunshine, penetrated their steel and glass targets, plunging the world into darkness and chaos.
But are we forgetting?
On August 23, 2023 – less than three weeks ago, DailyMail.com reported that the “architect of 9/11 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and fellow co-conspirators may be spared the death penalty under a new plea deal being considered by the federal government.” They would plead guilty – actually admit their guilt in exchange for having their lives spared.
How, after 22 years, does this piece of human debris still breathe air? For that matter, how are any of these stains on humanity still living? Walid Bin Atash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, Ramzi Bin al Shibh, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, and of course Mohammed should have been executed two decades ago. Instead, we the people, the American taxpayers, are paying the freight to keep these terrorists alive, fed, and healthy.
Yes, the American system of justice is a compassionate one, but not everybody deserves compassion. Just ask Frank Siller, founder and Chairman/CEO of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. “They deserve no leniency. No plea deal should be entertained,” said Siller. “I, personally, want to see them rot in jail for the rest of their lives, but not in the luxury that they’re in – in a small prison cell with absolutely no amenities whatsoever. They’re going to burn in hell for what they have done,” continued Siller.
“I don’t represent everybody’s feelings on this, but I talked to many 9/11 family members, and they are outraged – to say the least. It’s not just the 2,977 souls that were taken from us on 9/11. There was a firefighter that died the other day – Kevin Kelly – he was the 338th firefighter [who] died since 9/11 – and there’s been thousands of other men and women who were down there, trying to recover my brother and their brothers – that have died of 9/11 illnesses,” said Siller.
Frank’s youngest brother, Stephen, was a firefighter who, having just come off the previous night’s shift, heard about the towers being struck and he did what any loyal firefighter would do – headed right back to work. Upon reaching the closed to traffic Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Stephen Siller strapped on his gear and ran the remaining three kilometers through that tunnel. He successfully made one trip in and out of the South Tower. Unfortunately, his second trip into the South Tower was less successful. Stephen Siller, 34, was one of more than 330 firefighters to lose their lives on and since September 11, 2001.
To this day, there are thousands of first responders who have contracted life-threatening illnesses related to the many weeks spent working at Ground Zero. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is perhaps best known for providing “mortgage-free homes to catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children, and families with young children that lost a parent in the line of duty or to 9/11 illness.”
A brief timeline of the harrowing and disturbing events of September 11, 2001:
Between 7:59 AM and 8:42 AM four flights depart Boston’s Logan, Washington’s Dulles, and Newark airports, headed for Los Angeles except the Newark flight, headed to San Francisco.
8:46 AM: American Airlines flight #11 is flown into #1 World Trade Center – the North Tower – by five Muslim extremist hijackers murdering the 11 crew, 76 passengers and hundreds inside the tower instantly.
9:03 AM: United Airlines flight #175 is flown into #2 World Trade Center – the South Tower – by five Muslim extremist hijackers murdering the nine crew, 51 passengers, and hundreds inside the tower instantly.
9:05 AM: President George W. Bush is alerted to what is now believed to be terrorist attacks. “Terrorism against our nation will not stand,” said Bush.
9:37 AM: American Airlines flight #77 is flown into the Pentagon in Arlington, VA by five Muslim extremist hijackers murdering the six crew, 53 passengers, as well as 125 military and civilian personnel on the ground.
9:59 AM: The South Tower collapses in 10 seconds after burning for 56 minutes. More than 800 civilians and first responders are murdered.
10:03 AM: United Airlines flight #93 crashes into a field in Shanksville, PA when passengers and crew storm the cockpit. There are no survivors of the seven crew and 33 passengers due to the murderous plot by the four Muslim extremist hijackers. Flight #93 was 20 minutes from Washington, DC where the White House or the Capitol Building were the presumed targets.
10:15 AM: The damaged section of the Pentagon E-Ring collapses.
10:28 AM: The North Tower collapses after burning for 102 minutes. More than 1,600 civilians and first responders are murdered.
8:30 PM: President George W. Bush addresses the nation.
Tunnel to Towers (www.t2t.org) is a most worthy charity which to contribute. I do not work for the charity. I do not benefit in any way from this charity other than to know that as a contributor, my donation and yours, should you make one, is used at a rate of 95.1 percent for the programs, such as paying the aforementioned mortgages. Don’t take my word for it – visit www.charitynavigator.org.
May the memories of the 2,977 murdered on September 11, 2001 always be for a blessing. This must never be forgotten.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN. He grew up in northern New Jersey in the shadow of the Twin Towers. On September 11, 2001, he was writing for a newspaper in northern Virginia, 10 minutes from the Pentagon.