Today, we remember the thousands of Americans whose lives were lost on September 11, 2001. Today marks the tenth anniversary of the tragic events carried out by terrorists from the extremist group of Al-Qaida where 19 men hijacked four separate airplanes and crashed them into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania thanks to the heroism of the passengers who took action and averted a possible attack on either the White House or the Capitol.

     We also honor the bravery of the first responders who sacrificed their lives so that others may survive and those fighting in the military who defend and fight for our freedoms even to this day.

     Although 9/11 was a tragedy in which no American can ever forget, it also brought us together. We proved we truly are the “United” States of America, and when someone tries to knock us down, we get right back on our feet and keep going. 9/11 showed the world what it is truly like to be an American.

     Most of today’s teenagers do not remember what happened that day, as some had not even started kindergarten. As for me, I will never forget where I was and how I felt on that horrible day.

     On September 11, 2001, I was in the second grade, and it was a Tuesday like any other. I remember my teacher got very serious and said, “I want to show you guys something, and I don’t want you to be scared. There’s no reason to be scared, and you are perfectly safe.”

     As she said those words, she turned the TV to a news station, and I remember seeing two enormous gray towers with smoke pouring out of one of them. I just remember how scared I felt at that moment. I got the worst pain in my stomach, and I had absolutely no idea what was happening. I just wanted some answers. For the rest of the day, people’s parents came to get them from school. That’s all I personally remember from that horrific day.

     I couldn’t make sense of what I was seeing, but then again, I don’t think any American, whether they were 7 or 97, could make sense of what they were seeing. I will never forget that day and how it made me feel.

     For those of us teens who remember 9/11, it is important to write it down or tell someone else so we may always remember what truly happened that day. Anyone born in the past decade will only know what happened through things they read or hear, and it is important they know the truth.

     Please, take a moment to comment on this post saying where you were, what you remember and how you felt on this day ten years ago. Also, let’s remember the unity this tragedy brought to our nation. It’s sad that it took a terrorist attack to bring our country together. Let us never lose that patriotism we all felt on September 12 and each day that followed. May God bless the families of the victims of September 11, and may God bless America!

~Taylor~