Many have consistently said, “We must never forget,” these attacks made upon all Americans on that fateful day. We must never forget those who were killed. The emergency services personnel who fought so valiantly to go in to “do their jobs” did so knowing it could always be their last alarm. For many, this time turned out to be just that. Yet, they went in anyway. Critics have continued to find fault. The command center should not have been where it was; the building could have been fireproofed so it wouldn’t burn: President Bush didn’t react quickly and so on. But, as they sat in the comfort of their easy chair, the naysayers have proved one thing: actions do speak louder than words and on this day their words are not welcome.
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, killed 2,996 people immediately. This number includes the 2,977 victims and the 19 hijackers who perpetrated the attacks. 246 people died on the airliners that flew into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania. The attack on the Pentagon claimed 125 lives, and the attacks on the World Trade Center claimed 2,606. Victims at the World Trade Center included workers in the building, emergency first responders and people fleeing in the streets. The attacks have also claimed the lives of a number of people who helped clear the wreckage afterward, as cancer and other conditions caused by toxic smoke have begun to emerge. Those heroes continue to struggle every day with the 9-11 attacks.
At 8:46 AM the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11 struck the north tower. One hundred and two minutes later, the tower collapsed. Of course, we all know that the south tower was also struck and it too collapsed, only in forty-six minutes. The naysayers who complained that the buildings should have been better constructed allowing people in there to escape, need to give pause and realize what they are saying. The buildings were just that, buildings. They were not conceived, designed or built to be a landing area for jumbo jets traveling at hundreds of miles per hour. More remarkable however, was the fact that these buildings remained standing for as long as they did with jumbo jets inside both of them.
In 2004, three years after the attacks, The Victims Compensation Fund finished its work processing death and injury claims from families and relatives of September 11 victims. Families of those killed had until December 22, 2003, to apply for compensation. Families who agreed to get compensation from the federal fund agreed not to sue the airlines. In 2007, New York City’s Chief Medical Examiner ruled numerous deaths were due to toxic dust exposure and for the next few years continues to make more of the same diagnosis.
The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund operated from 2001 to 2003 and received 7,408 applications for both death claims and personal injury claims. The fund made awards in 5,560 of those cases. After much public outcry, President Obama signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, reopening and expanding the scope of the Victim Compensation Fund because so many other responders continue to be sick and suffer ailments caused by the attacks.
Beyond helping our first responders, the estimated costs of 9-11 is huge:
• $500,000 - Estimated amount of money it cost to plan and execute the 9/11 attacks.
• $123 billion - Estimated economic loss during the first 2-4 weeks after the World Trade Center towers collapsed in New York City, as well as decline in airline travel over next few years
• $60 billion - Estimated cost of the WTC site damage, including damage to surrounding buildings, infrastructure and subway facilities.
• $40 billion - Value of the emergency anti-terrorism package approved by the US Congress on September 14, 2001.
• $15 billion - Aid package passed by Congress to bail out the airlines.
• $9.3 billion - Insurance claims arising from the 9/11 attacks.
It isn’t or shouldn’t be about the money. It should be about our heroes, our loved ones, friends and relatives who responded. It should be about those who perished in those buildings. Many were reminded of the 1993 bombing and escaped when they felt their respective buildings shudder after the first plane crashed into the tower. No one knew why the attacks took place, but they knew they must respond. They proved why our first responders are referred to as The Bravest and The Finest.
There will be many September 11th ceremonies in upcoming days. We urge you to find and participate in any one of them. We also urge you to reflect on those we have lost and give thanks to those in uniform, any uniform and let them know their efforts are appreciated, respected and a valued part of our communities.
