On September 11, 2001, I was just four years old and living in Fiji, far removed from the tragedy unfolding in New York City. Yet, I distinctly recall watching the breaking news that shocked the world. My family discussed the 9/11 attacks regularly, especially the impact of the crashes into the World Trade Center, which claimed nearly 3,000 innocent lives, including first responders.
My late grandmother often became emotional while watching the news reports about the victims, as if she had lost her own family members in the tragedy. The events of that day dominated our household discussions and the media for months and years to follow. These experiences ignited a deep interest in me to comprehend the full breadth of 9/11’s significance and its lasting effects on global history.
On that fateful day, 19 terrorists from the extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two of the planes were flown into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center, leading to their eventual collapse due to the tremendous damage caused by the crashes and the ensuing fires, resulting in deaths from 93 different countries. The third plane struck the Pentagon, killing 184 individuals, while passengers on the fourth hijacked plane, Flight 93, attempted to regain control, resulting in its crash in Pennsylvania, which killed 40 people.
Fast forward to September 1, 2024. As part of the International Visitors Leadership Programme sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, I visited the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. My colleague and I took an Uber from the Park Central hotel and navigated through the city to the memorial site, bustling with visitors from around the world.
At the memorial, two pools mark the footprints of the Twin Towers, each nearly an acre in size and featuring North America’s largest manmade waterfalls. The pools embody the concept of “absence made visible,” as described by architect Michael Arad, symbolizing the voids left by the tragedy. The sound of cascading water creates a peaceful atmosphere amid the city’s chaos.
Experiencing the memorial was profoundly emotional for me. As I walked through, I read the names of 2,983 victims commemorated on bronze parapets surrounding the pools. Standing before the reflective pools, I felt the intense weight of history and sorrow. The loss of innocent lives, such as Rahma Salle, a pregnant woman who perished on American Airlines Flight 11, served as a reminder of the devastating consequences of that day.
Interestingly, the memorial plaza also features the Survivor Tree, a Callery pear tree that endured the destruction of 9/11. Discovered in the wreckage and nursed back to health, it now stands in the plaza as a testament to resilience.
My visit to the 9/11 Memorial was a deeply moving experience that helped me understand the profound loss experienced on that September day. Each name on the memorial represented a personal story cut short, with a stark reminder of nearly 3,000 lost lives. The emotional exhibits in the accompanying museum further illustrated the bravery of first responders and the stories of those who experienced the events firsthand, deepening my realization of the far-reaching impact of the tragedy. The memorial is not merely a site of remembrance; it is a powerful reminder of the enduring legacy of 9/11 and its significance in our world today.