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Rep. Ford Commemorates Patriot Day
25 Years of Remembrance, Courage, and Service
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Dear Reader,
Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, 2001, I was living and working here in Chicago when our nation was attacked. Like so many Americans, I remember the shock, fear, sadness, and uncertainty of that day. We watched events unfold that were almost impossible to comprehend, knowing that thousands of families were facing unimaginable loss.
At the time, I was not yet a state representative. I was a Chicagoan, an educator, a businessman, and a father concerned about my family, my community, and my country. I remember how suddenly the things that divide us seemed so small compared with what united us as Americans. People prayed together, gave blood, checked on neighbors, thanked first responders, displayed the American flag, and looked for ways to help people they had never met.
Twenty-five years later, I still believe unity holds an important lesson.
Today, September 11, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001—a day that forever changed our nation and the lives of countless families.
On this Patriot Day, we pause to remember the 2,977 innocent lives lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93. We honor their families, whose lives were forever changed, and recognize the firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel, members of our Armed Forces, and ordinary citizens who showed extraordinary courage and selflessness that day and in the years since.
As an Illinois State Representative, I also want to remember, by name, the Illinoisans whose lives were taken from us that day.
Based on the records and historical accounts we have researched, we remember:
Kathy Bantis of Chicago
Andrea Lynn Haberman, who was living in Chicago
Suzanne Kondratenko of Chicago
Darya Lin of Chicago
Vanessa Kolpak of Lincolnwood
Mari-Rae Sopper of Naperville
Christine Olender of Chicago
Lt. Darin Pontell of Arlington Heights
Susan “Sue” Sauer of Chicago
Robert Arthur Rasmussen of Hinsdale
Jeffrey “Jeff” Peter Mladenik of Hinsdale
Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Jude Murphy, U.S. Navy, who grew up in Flossmoor
Cmdr. Dan F. Shanower, U.S. Navy, of Naperville
Chip Chan of Peoria
Mary Lenz Wieman of Arlington Heights
We speak their names because they were more than victims of a national tragedy. They were Illinoisans. They were our neighbors. They were part of families, workplaces, congregations, and communities. They had dreams, plans, loved ones, and people who loved them.
We have worked to research and identify the names of Illinoisans who lost their lives on September 11, and we sincerely hope we have not unintentionally omitted anyone from this remembrance. If there is another Illinois victim whose name should be included, we honor that person as well. Every life matters, every family matters, and every name deserves to be remembered.
Twenty-five years later, an entire generation of Americans has grown up without a personal memory of September 11. That makes our responsibility to remember, educate, and preserve the history and stories of that day even more urgent. We must teach future generations not only about the tragedy and the lives lost, but also about the courage, sacrifice, service, and unity that emerged in its aftermath.
September 11 is also recognized as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. I encourage all Americans to honor those we lost by serving others. Volunteer in your community. Help a neighbor. Thank a firefighter, police officer, EMT, veteran, or member of our Armed Forces. Support a family in need. Find a way, big or small, to strengthen the community around you.
As we remember September 11, we should also remember that patriotism is more than love of country—it is service to our country and to one another. It is a commitment to the principles that strengthen our democracy: freedom, justice, equality, opportunity, service, and respect for every person.
At a time when our nation can feel deeply divided, September 11 reminds us that there is far more that unites us than divides us. Our diversity is one of America's greatest strengths. We should never allow differences in race, religion, political party, neighborhood, or background to keep us from recognizing our common humanity and our shared responsibility to one another.
On this solemn 25th anniversary, I ask everyone to take a moment to remember those who never made it home, pray for and support the families who continue to carry their loss, and honor those who ran toward danger to save the lives of others.
May we honor their memories not only with our words but also with our actions—by serving our communities, protecting our democracy, caring for our neighbors, and working together to build a stronger, safer, and more compassionate United States of America.
Twenty-five years later, we remember their lives. We speak their names. We honor their sacrifice. We serve in their memory. We will never forget.
Sincerely,
La Shawn K. Ford
IL State Representative, 8th District
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Commemorating 9/11
Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future
| Commemorating 9/11 is a time to honor the lives lost, recognize the bravery of first responders, and reflect on the resilience that emerged from tragedy. This day serves as both a solemn remembrance of the past and a call to inspire future generations to uphold unity, compassion, and strength in the face of adversity. | | |
On This Day in History
September 11, 2001
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History Reports
September 11, 2026
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At approximately 8:46 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in higher floors.
As the evacuation of the tower and its twin got underway, television cameras broadcasted live images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, 17 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767—United Airlines Flight 175—appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center, and sliced into the south tower at about the 60th floor. The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and the streets below. America was under attack.
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History Reports
September 9, 2026
| On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists from the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda—founded by Osama bin Laden—hijacked four commercial passenger airplanes and carried out coordinated suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Within two hours, both towers had collapsed into rubble, demolishing a large section of lower Manhattan. A third plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The passengers and crew of the fourth plane fought back, and the hijackers crashed the plane in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. | |
The White House Reports
September 9, 2026
| Patriot Day 2026. the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks | | |
A quarter of a century has passed since the terrible day of September 11, 2001, and an entire generation of Americans has now come of age with no living memory of that fateful day. The passage of time must never dim what will forever burn bright in the conscience of our Nation. Amid the ashes of Ground Zero, we made a solemn vow to Never Forget — a vow that must be renewed in every American heart, taught in every classroom, and honored in every community across our land.
| | Click the image below to read the full 9/11 Commission Report and learn more about the findings of the investigation into the September 11, 2001 attacks. | | |
NBC News Reports
September 8, 2026
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Troves of new 9/11 docs suggest NYC officials knew of air quality health risks | | |
New York City released about 170,000 pages of documents related to post-9/11 air quality and health risks on Tuesday -- a trove of paperwork within which some notes suggest city officials knew of the potential environmental dangers and legal exposure in the early aftermath of the terror attacks.
One undated internal document -- a letter to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's deputy mayor, Robert Harding -- listed various potential grounds for lawsuits against the city, including health advisories that caused people to return to the area too soon, causing toxic exposure, rescue workers being provided with faulty equipment, and police failing to secure businesses from looters.
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ABC News Reports
September 10, 2026
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9/11 then and now: Photos show how the World Trade Center area has changed
in 25 years
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New York City has changed in many ways in the 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. The area surrounding the former site of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan may be among the most transformed parts of the city since that tragic day in 2001.
New photographs taken by ABC News ahead of Sept. 11 show just how much the neighborhood has changed – or in some cases, remained largely the same – over the last quarter century.
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CBS News Reports
September 9, 2026
| CBS News poll: 25 years after 9/11, most see a changed country and some success fighting terrorism | |
Twenty-five years later, Americans view the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as a defining event — one that fundamentally changed the country and that needs to be remembered.
As people look back, they see a different country today in some ways. Most feel there is less unity now than at the time of the attacks, though many think that the U.S. would unify as it did 25 years ago if another terror attack from overseas were to happen today.
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NBC News Reports
September 10, 2026
| Hillary Clinton warns the U.S. has let its guard down on terrorism 25 years after 9/11 | |
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Thursday that the Trump administration isn’t doing enough to monitor and thwart terrorists who still pose a threat to the U.S., 25 years after the 9/11 attacks.
“I worry a lot that we’ve let down our guard on counterterrorism, and I don’t say this to scare anybody or to exaggerate, but I think we are not paying enough attention to resurgent terrorist actions,” Clinton said in an interview with NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell at the VOICES 25th Anniversary Symposium, an event reflecting on the attacks.
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Today News Reports
September 10, 2026
| George W. Bush Recalls Becoming a ‘Wartime President’ on 9/11 In His Only Public Comments About 25th Anniversary | |
Former President George W. Bush recalled how he formulated his first messages to the nation after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, saying he didn’t want the country to “lose our soul.”
The 43rd president spoke with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sept. 9 at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It marks the only public comments Bush will be making about the anniversary, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported, citing his presidential center.
| Sole 9/11 'triple survivor' reflects on attack 25 years later | Sons of 9/11 firefighter grew up to carry on their father's legacy | |
Remembering Lives Lost
A Nation Forever Changed
| | Remembering the lives lost on 9/11 reminds us of the profound impact that day had on families, communities, and the nation as a whole. The tragedy forever changed the country, shaping its history, policies, and collective resolve, while inspiring a commitment to honor those lost through unity and remembrance. | | National Geographic Reports | 9/11 National Geographic Video Archive | | |
Please note that each video included in this archive features a first-person account of a historical event. These reflections are based solely on the interviewee’s personal memory and perspective. They do not represent the official stance of National Geographic, and viewers are encouraged to explore broader historical records for context and corroboration.
The authentic expression of emotion surrounding this traumatic event has not been altered. Strong language has been left intact. We’d also like to acknowledge that some interviewees have passed away since they shared their testimony with us. We thank all participants for sharing their stories.
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ABC News New York Reports
August 10, 2026
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National Geographic releases emotional trailer for new 9/11 special, '9/11 Reunited' | | |
"It's been 25 years and without both of them I would have never made it out."
"That day, someone risked their life to save my life."
These are the emotional words of 9/11 survivors, people who would not have made it through without the help of others.
National Geographic's "9/11 Reunited" tells their stories.
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9/11 Memorial Museum Reports
September 10, 2026
| 25th Anniversary Commemoration | |
At the center of the mission of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is the annual commemoration ceremony. Family members of the victims will gather on the Memorial plaza to read aloud the names of those killed in the 9/11 attacks and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum leads the nation, and the world, in marking the anniversary of the day that changed our lives forever.
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PBS News Reports
September 10, 2026
| How to watch 9/11 memorial events as U.S. marks 25th anniversary | |
Americans are marking a milestone anniversary this week for the catastrophic, era-defining Sept. 11 attacks.
Twenty-five years ago, the first hijacked plane struck the World Trade Center's North Tower in New York at 8:46 a.m. Seventeen minutes later, a second plane hit the South Tower. Both towers collapsed. Hijackers steered a third plane into the Pentagon. And passengers aboard a fourth fought back against their assailants, causing the plane to crash into a field in rural Pennsylvania.
| Remembering 9/11: Where tragedy left its marks | |
Associated Press Reports
September 7, 2026
| One attack, many Americas: Why 9/11 and its many griefs land differently 25 years later | |
NEW YORK (AP) — When the planes crashed and the buildings fell on that sunny September morning 25 years ago, the shock waves of dismay and grief went far past downtown New York City, rural western Pennsylvania and just outside Washington, D.C.
They radiated through every part of the United States in communities large and small, tearing at Americans’ sense of safety and their place in the world. Hearts were broken across the nation, not just of those who lost their loved ones but among strangers who mourned for them, the Sept. 11 attacks leaving no one unaffected in an unwanted moment of horrifying togetherness.
| 12 News Special: Remembering 9/11 | |
Independent Reports
September 9, 2026
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26 haunting images that show what 9/11 was really like as the attacks unfolded
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The trauma of 9/11 still lingers 25 years on from the attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, that left nearly 3,000 people dead.
Images of the day’s terrible events, taken as they unfolded – as first one, and then a second, hijacked passenger airliner were crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, before a third struck the Pentagon and a fourth crash-landed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought the hijackers for control of the cockpit – provide a devastating record of what transpired on a quiet early autumn day a quarter-century ago.
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ABC News Reports
September 10, 2026
| Federal bulletin issued ahead of 9/11 anniversary warns foreign terrorist groups continue to encourage attacks | Federal authorities are warning that foreign terrorist organizations "continue to encourage attacks in the United States and have released 9/11-related propaganda in advance of previous anniversaries of the 9/11 attacks," according to a bulletin reviewed by ABC News. | |
Illinois Remembers the Lives Lost
Honoring the Illinoisans who lost their lives during the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
| On September 11, 2001, thousands of lives were lost in the tragic terrorist attacks across the United States. Among those who died were Illinoisans, whose lives and memories continue to be honored by their families, friends, and communities. Their stories remain an important part of remembering the lasting impact of 9/11. | |
Chicago Sun Times Reports
September 11, 2010
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Among those who perished: Chicago area victims of 9/11 terrorist attacks
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This is a list of those from the Chicago area who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It originally appeared in print on Sept. 11, 2010.
Kathy Bantis, 44, of Chicago, was one of 295 Marsh & McLennan employees killed at the World Trade Center.
Jeffrey Collman, a flight attendant from Yorkville, died on American Flight 11, which hit the WTC.
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WBEZ Chicago Reports
September 9, 2026
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Illinois service members killed in combat after 9/11 memorialized ahead of terror attack anniversary
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Anna Ware was filled with dread when she opened her door to two servicemen.
It was a week before Christmas in 2009. Her 27-year-old son Albert Ware, an Army sergeant and father of three, was serving his second tour in Afghanistan. The uniformed men on the doorstep of her Pullman home told her Albert was killed after a roadside bomb blew up his Humvee.
| "Portrait of a Soldier" memorial honors fallen Illinois servicemembers | |
“Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”
-Barack Obama, 44th United States
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The Road to Tragedy
The Rise of in Laden and the Path to 9/11
| The road to the 9/11 tragedy was paved by the rise of Osama bin Laden, whose extremist ideology and leadership of al-Qaeda transformed the group into a global terrorist network. Influenced by decades of political unrest, U.S. involvement in the Middle East, and radicalization following the Soviet-Afghan War, bin Laden orchestrated a campaign of terror that culminated in the coordinated attacks of September 11, 2001. These events not only claimed thousands of lives but also reshaped global security policies, foreign relations, and the fight against terrorism for generations to come. | 9/11 Terrorist Attacks - The Timeline | |
Biography Reports
September 11, 2023
| Osama bin Laden was born Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden on March 10, 1957, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to construction billionaire Mohammed Awad bin Laden and Mohammed’s 10th wife, Syrian-born Alia Ghanem. Bin Laden was the 17th of 52 children born to Mohammad but the only child from his father’s marriage to Alia Ghanem. | The life of Osama bin Laden | |
Osama Bin Laden's Ideology
The development of bin Laden’s extremist views
| The road to the 9/11 tragedy was paved by the rise of Osama bin Laden, whose extremist ideology and leadership of al-Qaeda transformed the group into a global terrorist network. Influenced by decades of political unrest, U.S. involvement in the Middle East, and radicalization following the Soviet-Afghan War, bin Laden orchestrated a campaign of terror that culminated in the coordinated attacks of September 11, 2001. These events not only claimed thousands of lives but also reshaped global security policies, foreign relations, and the fight against terrorism for generations to come. | |
Hudson Institute Reports
May 19, 2015
| In al-Qaeda's view, the U.S. and Israel were the leaders of a global conspiracy against Islam and the Muslim Nation. Al-Qaeda was especially incensed by America’s military, political, and economic presence in the Arabian Peninsula, especially in Saudi Arabia; U.S. support for the state of Israel; U.S. assistance to pro-Western dictatorships around the Middle East; and since the first Intifada in 1987, the neglected future of the Palestinians. Such perceptions generated support for al-Qaeda's new mission, propelling it forward and helping to transform it into its present state. | |
Congressional Research Service Reports
July 9, 2007
| Al Qaeda: Statements and Evolving Ideology | |
The ideological content and political tone of recent Al Qaeda statements have led some terrorism analysts to speculate that the messages may signal an on effort by Al Qaeda founders to reaffirm their leadership roles and the role of the Al Qaeda organization as the vanguard of an emerging, loosely organized international jihadist movement. Others have argued that the presently limited operational capabilities of Al Qaeda's founders have inspired them to focus on ideological outreach activities and efforts to influence public opinion in the United States and Europe. Many observers believe that the group's primary goal remains to inspire, plan, and carry out attacks against the United States and its allies around the world, with particular emphasis on targeting economic and energy infrastructure and fomenting unrest in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf states, and countries neighboring Israel.
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Key grievances
U.S. presence in Saudi Arabia and support for Israel.
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Vox Media Reports
January 6, 2016
| The origins of the US-Saudi alliance: oil and the Cold Wa | |
The US-Saudi relationship took a major shock after 9/11, and not just because 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. For decades, Saudi money had funded extremist groups and education centers around the world as means of keeping the Wahhabi authorities (whom the House of Saud still relied on for political legitimacy) happy. (This was also part of the US-approved strategy in the 1980s to promote the mujahideen in Afghanistan.)
This funding helped create fertile soil for al-Qaeda to generate and spread fundamentalist views that were even more extreme than those of Wahhabism. Osama bin Laden, himself Saudi, got direct support from the Saudi government during the 1980s Afghanistan War — though Saudi Arabia would revoke his citizenship in 1992 after he denounced the monarchy as insufficiently Islamic.
It seemed fair, at least in part, to blame the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy, and it seems that many Americans did. In a 2001 Zogby poll of Americans before the attack, 56 percent said they viewed Saudi Arabia favorably. In December 2001, that number fell to 24 percent.
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The Federal Bureau of
Investigation
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Bin Laden’s Extremist Roots
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Al Qaeda soon began raising money, setting up training camps, and providing military and intelligence instruction in such areas as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sudan. Under bin Laden’s direction, al Qaeda started launching attacks and bombings in various nations to further its violent aims.
During this time, bin Laden was becoming increasingly hostile to the United States. In particular, he opposed the U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia and Somalia and sought to drive our nation’s personnel out of these areas by force.
After centering his operations in Sudan in the early 1990s, bin Laden began formulating plans to attack the West with an evolving, deadly new brand of jihad.
Bin Laden and other members of al Qaeda also began issuing fatwas—rulings on Islamic law—indicating that attacks on the U.S. and its citizens were both proper and necessary. Bin Laden later openly declared war on the United States.
| Why Osama bin Laden Attacked the US | |
Pre-9/11 attacks
The 1993 World Trade Center bombing, U.S. Embassy bombings, and USS Cole.
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The Federal Bureau of
Investigation
| World Trade Center Bombing 1993 | |
The epicenter was the parking garage beneath the World Trade Center, where a massive eruption carved out a nearly 100-foot crater several stories deep and several more high.
Six people were killed almost instantly. Smoke and flames began filling the wound and streaming upward into the building. Those who weren’t trapped were soon pouring out of the building—many panic-stricken and covered in soot. More than a thousand people were hurt in some way, some badly, with crushed limbs.
Middle Eastern terrorism had arrived on American soil—with a bang.
As a small band of terrorists scurried away from the scene unnoticed, the FBI and its partners on the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force began staffing up a command center and preparing to send in a team to investigate. Their instincts told them that this was terrorism—they’d been tracking Islamic fundamentalists in the city for months and, they’d later learn, were tantalizingly close to encountering the planners of this attack. But hunches weren’t enough; what was needed was definitive proof.
| The World Trade Center bombing in 1993 | Before 9/11 | |
The Federal Bureau of
Investigation
| East African Embassy Bombings | |
Two hundred and twenty-four people died in the blasts, including 12 Americans, and more than 4,500 people were wounded.
In the aftermath of the attacks, over 900 FBI agents alone—and many more FBI employees—traveled overseas to assist in the recovery of evidence and the identification of victims at the bomb sites and to track down the perpetrators.
These attacks were soon directly linked to al Qaeda. Extraordinary efforts f
rom our federal and international partners led to the identification, arrest, and extradition to the United States of several members of the al Qaeda terrorist network for their role in the bombings.
Mohammed Sadeek Odeh and Mohammed Rashed Daoud al-Owhali were arrested in Kenya within 20 days of the bombings and rendered to the U.S. shortly thereafter. Both were convicted for their roles in the bombing and sentenced to life in prison in October 2001.
| Bombings At Two US Embassies Leave Hundreds In Critical Condition | |
The Federal Bureau of
Investigation
| On October 12, 2000, two suicide pilots of a small bomb-laden boat pulled alongside of the USS Cole at midship, offered friendly gestures to several crew members, and detonated their explosives. | The Bombing of the USS Cole, 2000 - Animated | |
September 11, 2001
A Timeline of the Attacks and Heroic Responses
| 9/11 Timeline: The Attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City | History | |
The Miller Center Reports
August 31, 2024
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Timeline: The September 11 terrorist attacks
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Timeline: September 11, 2001
5:45 AM – Mohamed Atta and Abdul Aziz al-Omari, two of the intended hijackers, pass through security at the Portland International Jetport in Maine. They board a commuter flight to Boston Logan International Airport, they then board American Airlines Flight 11.
7:59 AM – Flight 11 takes off from Boston, headed for Los Angeles, California. There are 76 passengers, 11 crew members, and 5 hijackers on board.
8:15 AM – United Airlines Flight 175 takes off from Boston, also headed for Los Angeles. There are 51 passengers, 9 crew members, and 5 hijackers on board.
8:19 AM – A flight attendant on Flight 11, Betty Ann Ong, alerts ground personnel that a hijacking is underway and that the cockpit is unreachable.
8:20 AM – American Airlines Flight 77 takes off from Dulles, outside of Washington, DC, headed for Los Angeles. There are 53 passengers, 6 crew members, and 5 hijackers on board.
8:24 AM – Mohamed Atta, a hijacker on Flight 11, unintentionally alerts air controllers in Boston to the attack. He meant to press the button that allowed him to talk to the passengers on his flight.
| Click the image below to explore the September 11 attack timeline, complete with real security footage. | |
The World Economic Forum Reports
September 1, 2024
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A timeline of everything that happened
on 9/11
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For Americans and people watching around the world, September 11, 2001, is a day that will never be forgotten.
Within three hours, New York’s tallest buildings were reduced to rubble, and the Pentagon—the nerve center of the American armed forces—was burning and partially collapsed. Thousands of civilians had lost their lives and were seriously injured, and the entire country was in collective shock, still trying to make sense of how a coordinated act of terrorism of that magnitude was allowed to take place on American soil.
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National History and Heritage Command Reports
September 1, 2024
| The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks | |
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks on 11 September, the Department of Defense and all of the branches of the Armed Forces began efforts to document the attacks. The Naval Historical Center (the predecessor of NHHC) activated its reserve unit, Navy Combat Documentation Detachment 206 (DET 206) to assist in the documentation efforts. Over the next ten months, DET 206 reservists and NHC Historians interviewed hundreds of individuals who were in the Pentagon on the day of the attack or were directly involved in the Navy’s response and the work that followed. The Navy Archives has received permission to release a portion of the oral histories to the public for the first time since they were recorded. The oral histories that have been authorized for release can be found at the link above.
| The Brave Actions of the Flight 93 Crew and Passengers | Friends of Fight 93 Reports | The Story of 9/11 and United Flight 93 | A total of 13 passengers made 37 phone calls. Through their phone conversations, they learned of the first two attacks, and subsequently took quick action. Pushed to the back of the plane by hijackers, the passengers and crew took a vote – and decided to fight back to try and regain control of their airplane. As a result of phone calls made from on board Flight 93 and from the cockpit voice recorder recovered at the crash site, we learn of the struggle the passengers and crew members had with their hijackers which began in the skies over Western Pennsylvania, and ended with the high-speed crash of the plane in a reclaimed strip mine near Shanksville, just 18 minutes flying time from Washington, DC. Countless lives were spared thanks to their heroic actions, but all on board Flight 93 were lost. | |
ABC 27 Reports
July 13, 2023
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List of the crew and passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001
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SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (WHTM) — United Airlines Flight 93 took off from Newark International Airport and was headed for San Francisco. It was believed that after the hijackers took over the plane, they were headed for an unknown location in Washington, D.C.
The 40 passengers aboard the plane decided to fight back after learning what was going on. They fought the hijackers and forced the plane to be crashed in an open field in Shanksville.
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History Reports
July 13, 2023
| How United Flight 93 Passengers Fought Back on 9/11 | |
On the morning of September 11, four terrorists boarded United Airlines Flight 93 at Newark International Airport: Ziad Jarrah, a trained pilot; and three others, who were trained in unarmed combat and would help storm the cockpit and control the crowd. All four sat in first class.
There was one fewer hijacker on Flight 93 than the five-man crews that commandeered the other three planes, leading the 9/11 Commission Report to speculate that the United Airlines hijacking operated with an incomplete team. That commission speculated that an intended fifth hijacker—Mohammed al-Qahtani—had been refused entry to the country in early August at Orlando International by a suspicious immigration official, who thought al-Qahtani wanted to overstay his visa and live in the United States.
| The Top Secret Tapes | 9/11: The Final Moments of Flight 93 | |
Extended interview: F-16 pilots recall mission to intercept Flight 93 on
Sept. 11, 2001
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Immediate Aftermath
America in Shock and the Global Response
| What Happened Immediately After 9/11 | |
The U.S. Department of State Reports
January 10, 2009
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The Global War on Terrorism: The First
100 Days
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Executive Summary
"The attack took place on American soil, but it was an attack on the heart and soul of the civilized world. And the world has come together to fight a new and different war, the first, and we hope the only one, of the 21st century. A war against all those who seek to export terror, and a war against those governments that support or shelter them."
-President George W. Bush, 10/11/01
On September 11, terrorists attacked freedom.
The world has responded with an unprecedented coalition against international terrorism. In the first 100 days of the war, President George W. Bush increased America’s homeland security and built a worldwide coalition that:
- Began to destroy al-Qaeda’s grip on Afghanistan by driving the Taliban from power.
- Disrupted al-Qaeda’s global operations and terrorist financing networks.
- Destroyed al-Qaeda terrorist training camps.
- Helped the innocent people of Afghanistan recover from the Taliban’s reign of terror.
- Helped Afghans put aside long-standing differences to form a new interim government that represents all Afghans – including women
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Backlash and Fear
The Rise of Hate Crimes Against Muslims
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The UN Refugee Agency Reports
November 14, 2002
| USA: 'We Are Not the Enemy': Hate Crimes Against Arabs, Muslims, and Those Perceived to be Arab or Muslim after September 11 | In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Arabs and Muslims in the United States, and those perceived to be Arab or Muslim, such as Sikhs and South Asians, became victims of a severe wave of backlash violence. The hate crimes included murder, beatings, arson, attacks on mosques, shootings, vehicular assaults and verbal threats. This violence was directed at people solely because they shared or were perceived as sharing the national background or religion of the hijackers and al-Qaeda members deemed responsible for attacking the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. | |
ABC 7 News Reports
September 11, 2021
| 20 years after 9/11, Islamophobia continues to haunt Muslims | |
Sept. 11, 2001, marked the start of a new era for Muslims in the United States.
Shortly after al-Qaida terrorists attacked the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, many Muslims, as well as other Arab Americans, became the targets of anger and racism.
Mosques were burned or destroyed and death threats and harassment followed many Muslims in the weeks following the attacks, according to congressional testimony from the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2011. Some victims were beaten, attacked or held at gunpoint for merely being perceived as Muslim, the organization said.
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In Their Own Words
Heartfelt Accounts from 9/11 Victims' Families and Survivors
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The 9/11 Memorial and Museum Reports
September 3, 2023
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The 9/11 Memorial Museum’s oral history collection documents the history of 9/11 through recorded interviews with responders, survivors, 9/11 family members, and others deeply affected by the attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
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Survivor Stories
Escaping the Towers
| 9/11 Survivor describes her escape from the 95th floor | 9/11 Survivor shares her story of getting out of World Trade One Tower | Women who survived 9/11 attacks share their stories | 9/11 Survivor Describes Falling 22 Stories | |
The Voices of Families
Loss, Grief, and Remembrance
| 'I didn't realize he was saying goodbye': Wife of 9/11 victim recalls their last conversation | The children of 9/11 victims | 9/11 Babies: Children Who Lost Fathers Think Back | Families of 9/11 victims still angry 20 years later | |
The Legacy of 9/11
Lasting Effects of National Security
and Society
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Pew Research Center Reports
September 2, 2021
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Two Decades Later, the Enduring
Legacy of 9/11
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Americans watched in horror as the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 20 years later, they watched in sorrow as the nation’s military mission in Afghanistan – which began less than a month after 9/11 – came to a bloody and chaotic conclusion.
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The Impact of 9/11 on U.S. National
Security Strategy
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CAP20 Reports
September 10, 2021
| The Lessons Learned for U.S. National Security Policy in the 20 Years Since 9/11 | Labor Day 2024 will occur on Monday, September 2. Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894. Labor Day weekend also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans and is celebrated with parties, street parades and athletic events. | How 9/11 Fundamentally Changed Security Across The U.S. | Chronic Health Issues Following 9/11 | |
The Mesothelioma Reports
August 16, 2024
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20 Years Later: The Lingering Health
Effects of 9/11
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Two decades after foreign terrorists attacked Americans on U.S. soil, the impact of Sept. 11, 2001, is still being felt today. Hundreds of thousands of people remain at risk due to the trauma and exposure to toxic air following each attack. Carcinogens from building materials, gases and jet fuel laced the air around each crash site, with the most severe toxicity among the ruins of the World Trade Center towers in New York City.
An estimated 410,000 first responders, cleanup crews and survivors spent days and weeks breathing in air heavy with toxins from 400 tons of crushed concrete, glass and asbestos at Ground Zero. Exposure to contaminated air and toxic chemicals created a growing list of health concerns for many of the men and women who were there, with some illnesses such as mesothelioma taking approximately 20 years to develop.
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The World Trade Health Program Reports
July 30, 2024
| Toxins and Health Impacts | |
In Lower Manhattan, the plane crashes—which resulted in the collapse of the Twin Towers—created massive dust clouds that filled the air and left hundreds of highly populated city blocks covered with ash, debris, and harmful particles, including asbestos, silica, metals, concrete, and glass. Fires within the debris pile and the collapse of 7 WTC burned through the end of December 2001 with continued flare-ups in 2002, releasing carcinogenic combustion by-products. These contaminants remained in Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn for an undetermined amount of time after 9/11. Responders, local workers, residents, students, and others had potential for acute exposures in the early days and continuing exposure from residual materials—indoors and outside—as well as exposure to toxic gases, smoke, vapors, and combustion by-products from continuing fires.
| First responders struggle with long-term health effects 20 years after 9/11 | Shifts in Political Perspectives Post-9/11 | |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Reports
December 9, 2013
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Long-term effect of September 11 on the political behavior of victims’ families
and neighbors
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This study sheds light on how 9/11 catalyzed long-term changes in the political behaviors of victims’ families and neighbors. Political changes among associates of victims are important because system shocks like 9/11 can lead to rapid policy shifts, and relatives of victims often become leaders advocating for such shifts. I build upon prior research on the behavioral effects of tragic events by using a unique method of analysis. Rather than utilizing surveys, I link together individual-level government databases from before and after 9/11, and I measure the changes in the affected populations relative to similar populations that did not lose a relative or neighbor. The method I outline may prove useful in future studies of human behavior.
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Brookings Reports
September 9, 2021
| | Twenty years later, how Americans assess the effects of the 9/11 attacks | |
Many Americans’ views of Islam have also undergone long-term change. In March of 2002, 25% of Americans, including 23% of Democrats and 32% of Republicans, believed that Islam is more likely to encourage violence among its followers than are other religions. Today, the share of Americans endorsing this view has doubled to 50%, but unlike two decades ago, it has divided the parties. Seventy-two percent of Republicans (up 40 points since 2002) now see an intense link between Islam and violence, compared with 32% of Democrats. These sentiments go a long way toward explaining why Donald Trump’s mistrust of Muslims played so well among his supporters—and why so many Democrats reacted with fury to Mr. Trump’s restrictions on travel from Muslim countries early in his administration.
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NBC News Reports
September , 2021
| 'A heavy price': Two decades of war, wariness and the post-9/11 security state | |
WASHINGTON — When President Joe Biden declared an end to the war in Afghanistan from the White House last month, he said he was also closing the curtain on the "mindset" that had turned the mission into a quagmire.
"The decision about Afghanistan is not just about Afghanistan," he said Aug. 31, hours after the last U.S. troops boarded a flight out of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. "It's about ending an era of major military operations to remake other countries."
| America After 9/11 (full documentary) | |
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The Hunt for Justice
The Assassination of Osama bin Laden
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National Archives Reports
May 2, 2011
| President Obama addresses the Nation to announce that the United States has killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda. | |
THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.
It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.
And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.
On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.
| President Obama on Death of Osama bin Laden | President Obama Pays a Surprise Visit to Troops in Afghanistan | |
History Reports
August 3, 2023
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How SEAL Team Six Took Out
Osama bin Laden
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On May 2, 2011, U.S. Special Forces raided an al-Qaeda compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed the world’s most wanted terrorist: Osama bin Laden. The entire operation, which lasted only 40 minutes from start to finish, was the culmination of years of calculated planning and training.
Ultimately, bin Laden was found and killed within nine minutes, and SEAL Team Six was credited with carrying out a nearly flawless mission.
Here's what led to the death of Osama bin Laden.
| Click Images Below to Access Resources for 9/11 Families and Survivors | Click the Images Below to Discover Ways You Can Support 9/11 Families and Survivors | | Rep. Ford's Daily Job Highlights | | Click Below to View Today's Job Highlights | |
Behavior Analyst
Job Requisition ID: 52560
Opening Date: 09/02/2026
Closing Date: 09/16/2026
Agency: Department of Human Services
Class Title: BEHAVIOR ANALYST I - 04371
Skill Option: None
Bilingual Option: None
Salary: Anticipated Salary: $5,834-$8,307 per month
($70,008-$99,684 per year)
Job Type: Salaried
Category: Full Time
County: Kankakee
Number of Vacancies: 1
Click Here to Apply
End User Computer Coordinator
Job Requisition ID: 57637
Opening Date: 08/28/2026
Closing Date: 09/14/2026
Agency: Department of Innovation and Technology
Class Title: INFORMATION SYSTEMS ANALYST I - 21165
Skill Option: Client Services - Information Technology
Bilingual Option: None
Salary: Anticipated Starting Salary: $7,195/month;
Full Range: $7,195-$10,485 monthly
Job Type: Salaried
Category: Full Time
County: Cook
Number of Vacancies: 1
Click Here to Apply
IES Program Director
Job Requisition ID: 58461
Opening Date: 08/28/2026
Closing Date: 09/14/2026
Agency: Department of Innovation and Technology
Class Title: SENIOR PUBLIC SERVICE ADMIN (40070)
Skill Option: Management Information System/Data
Processing/Telecommunications
Bilingual Option: None
Salary: Anticipated Starting Salary: $13,724-$15,249/month
($164,689-$182,988/Annual)
Job Type: Salaried
Category: Full Time
Number of Vacancies: 1
Bargaining Unit Code: None
Click Here to Apply
Information Systems Analyst II]]
Job Requisition ID: 58539
Opening Date: 09/02/2026
Closing Date: 09/17/2026
Agency: Property Tax Appeal Board
Class Title: INFORMATION SYSTEMS ANALYST II - 21166
Skill Option: Multi / Other - Information Technology
Bilingual Option: None
Salary: Anticipated Starting Salary $8,060 monthly; ‘
Full Range $8.060 - $11,851 monthly
Job Type: Salaried
Category: Full Time
Number of Vacancies: 1
Click Here to Apply
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