On this day fourteen years ago, millions of Americans stood helpless as they watched the World Trade Center in New York collapse to the ground.

On September 11, 2001, a group of 19 extremist Islamics were able to hijack four airliners and organize suicide missions in several locations across the U.S. Two of the planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York, and the other two were flown into the Pentagon outside of Washington D.C. and into a field in Pennsylvania. Over 3,000 citizens were killed in the physical attack in New York along with 300 officers and paramedics.

On September 11th, 2001, at 8:45 a.m., an American Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The impact left a massive gap in the north side, killing many of the workers instantly and leaving hundreds more trapped above the destruction. What people assumed to be a freak accident was soon eradicated when 18 minutes later, United Airlines flight 175 appeared and took out the south tower somewhere around the 60th floor. This collision caused the explosion that collapsed both towers and sent debris raining onto the streets of New York.

As Americans watched in horror as panic erupted in New York, American Airlines flight 77 circled downtown Washington D.C and sliced into the Pentagon headquarters at 9:45 a.m. In total, 125 officials were killed in the structural collapse that followed along with all 64 plane passengers.

Aboard the flights, there was little the passengers could do but try to contact their loved ones. Several brave passengers flooded the cockpit of one of the flights in an insurrection. The flight flipped and spiraled until it landed in the field in Pennsylvania, killing all 45 passengers.

“Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” These were the words of President George W. Bush, reacting to the attacks after being safely returned to the White House that night.

On October 7th, the Americans began and led an international effort to overthrow the Taliban. It was called Operation Enduring Freedom, and within two months of the operation, the U.S. was able to remove the Taliban from power, but the war raged on.

Osama Bin Laden, leader of the extremist group Al Qaeda that was responsible for the attacks, remained at large until May 2nd, 2011, when he was found and executed by a U.S. special operations team in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Today, in place of the World Trade Centers, there lies a memorial with the names of the people who died in the attacks. The park is nearly eight acres and contains the original footprints of the buildings.

Today, we remember those who gave their lives that day just “…doing what they do,” as Alan Jackson would say. We remember the 3,000 plus civilians who lost their lives in the World Trade Center that day, those who left their homes that morning with no knowledge that they would never return. We acknowledge the families of the fallen as they remember their loved ones and their legacies. We remember the passengers on the planes that were hijacked, and had to travel for some time while carrying the knowledge that there would be no emergency landing. These brave people are gone, but never forgotten.