The 20th anniversary of 9/11 — when al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes to carry out suicide attacks on targets in our nation — approaches.
Lest we forget, two planes were crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and one into the Pentagon. Passengers of the fourth, Flight 93, fought back and the plane was crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, about 20 minutes from Washington, D.C.
That’s true for many us, but consider that so many of our youth were small children then or not even born.
That’s why we are asking our readers to share their memories and thoughts about that momentous day, Sept. 11, 2001.
Many of us heard from our parents and grandparents about other significant historical events such as Pearl Harbor, the moon landing and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. — or experienced them ourselves.
Now we can do the same for 9/11.
Already we have received several thoughtful pieces that we hope to run on Sept. 11, and if enough, the days before and after it.
Perhaps you watched the events unfold on TV — the social media we have now was nonexistent 20 years ago. Were you at home or at work, watching with your co-workers?
Perhaps you knew someone among the thousands who were killed that day. Maybe you lived close to where these terrorist attacks occurred or you went to the scene to assist.
How did that day 20 years ago change your life?
So, we are seeking submissions as letters to the editor or My Turn columns. The same rules apply for word counts: 300 for letters and 750 for My Turns. Hi-res photos are welcome.
No anonymous submissions or pseudonyms. We give preference to those living in our coverage area or who have a direct connection. Please submit your piece as a Word document or cut and paste into the body of an email. No PDFs, please.
Wednesday, Sept. 8, is the last day we will accept submissions.
Send your submissions to letters@recorder.com. Put 9/11 in the email’s subject line.
Thank you for your contributions.