On September 11, 2001, I was just four years old, living in Fiji, far from the tragic events occurring in New York City. I distinctly remember watching the breaking news that reported on the harrowing attacks shaking the world that day.
My family spoke about the 9/11 terror attacks regularly, reflecting on the horrific crash into the World Trade Center that resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent individuals, including first responders. My late grandmother was particularly affected; she would often tear up while watching the news, as if she had personally lost family members in the tragedy.
The destruction of the twin towers captured global headlines, and the coverage remained a constant in our lives for months and years following the incident. These early memories fueled a personal desire in me to understand the full implications of 9/11 and its significant impact on world history.
On that fateful morning, 19 terrorists from the Islamist extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes, crashing two of them into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center. The collapse of these towers resulted from the damage inflicted by the crashes and the ensuing fires, claiming the lives of nearly 3,000 individuals from 93 nations.
The third plane struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, where 184 civilians and military personnel lost their lives. After learning about the other attacks, passengers aboard the fourth hijacked plane, Flight 93, fought back against the hijackers, resulting in the plane crashing into an empty field in western Pennsylvania, approximately 20 minutes from Washington, D.C., killing 40 individuals.
Twenty-three years later, on September 1, 2024, while visiting New York as part of the International Visitors Leadership Programme run by the United States Department of State, I made it a priority to see the 9/11 memorial in lower Manhattan.
Alongside a colleague, I departed from the Park Central hotel around 11 a.m., taking a nearly 20-minute drive to the memorial site. Our journey led us under the Brooklyn Bridge and past Wall Street, ultimately arriving at a site that once housed the twin towers.
Upon arrival, I was met with a multitude of tourists from around the globe who shared the same intent to pay their respects at the memorial. The memorial features two nearly-acre-sized pools set in the footprints of the former towers. Each pool boasts the largest man-made waterfalls in North America, cascading down 30 feet into square basins before descending another 20 feet into smaller, central voids.
According to memorial architect Michael Arad, the pools symbolize “absence made visible.” Although the water flows into these voids, they can never be filled, with the sound of cascading water offering a tranquil escape from the city’s hustle and bustle.
As I walked through the memorial and read the names of the 2,983 victims inscribed on the bronze parapets surrounding the pools, I felt a profound sense of sorrow. Each name represented an individual life cut short, including many courageous first responders. I envisioned the tragic event unfolding 23 years ago, feeling the helplessness and fear experienced during that chaotic day.
Among the names engraved was “Rahma Salle and her unborn child.” Rahma, a 28-year-old passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 11, was seven months pregnant and traveling with her husband, Michael Theodoridis, 32. Tragically, both lost their lives when Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower.
Interestingly, the memorial plaza features a lone Callery pear tree, surviving the devastation of 9/11. Discovered in October 2001 by recovery workers, the badly damaged tree was dubbed the Survivor Tree. After being cared for by the New York City Parks and Recreation Department, the tree was restored and returned to the World Trade Center site in 2010 as a symbol of resilience.
My visit to the 9/11 Memorial was an emotional journey, allowing me to grasp the profound loss experienced on September 11, 2001. Each name on the bronze panels surrounding the pools represented an interrupted story, with nearly 3,000 lives lost, including first responders.
Inside the museum, I encountered personal artifacts, emotional narratives, and historical displays that vividly depicted the tragic events of 9/11. The exhibits told the stories of those who responded to danger and the families left behind, allowing me to truly absorb the collective grief and lasting impact of this global tragedy.
Ultimately, this visit was more than just a tour; it was a heartfelt journey into the legacy of September 11 and its ongoing influence on our world. The experience served as a poignant reminder of the enduring scars left by that day in history.