On September 11, 2001, I was just four years old, in Fiji, far away from the financial district of Lower Manhattan in New York. I distinctly remember watching the breaking news that covered events which shocked the world.
My parents and grandparents frequently discussed the 9/11 terror attacks, specifically the crash into the World Trade Center that took the lives of nearly 3,000 innocent people, including first responders, on that tragic day. My late grandmother would become emotional while watching news coverage about the victims, feeling as if she had lost her own family members in the tragedy.
The destruction of the Twin Towers made global headlines, and the news remained a constant presence in our home for months and years afterward. These early experiences instilled in me a deep commitment to understanding the full ramifications of the events of 9/11 and their significant impact on world history.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists from the Islamist extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes, crashing two into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The Twin Towers ultimately collapsed due to the impacts and the subsequent fires, resulting in the deaths of nearly 3,000 individuals from 93 different countries.
The third plane struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, resulting in the loss of 184 civilians and service members. After learning of the other attacks, passengers on the fourth hijacked aircraft, Flight 93, fought back, ultimately crashing the plane into an empty field in Pennsylvania, which killed 40 people.
Fast forward to September 1, 2024, during my visit to New York as part of the International Visitors Leadership Program by the United States Department of State, I prioritized visiting the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. At around 11 a.m., a colleague and I left the Park Central hotel for the nearly 20-minute drive.
As we arrived, we were greeted by hundreds of tourists from around the world who also made it a priority to pay their respects at the memorial. The focal points of the Memorial are two pools, each nearly an acre in size, located at the foundation of the former North and South Towers. According to the memorial notes, these pools feature the largest manmade waterfalls in North America, each descending 30 feet into a square basin and then dropping another 20 feet into a smaller central void.
The memorial architect, Michael Arad, described the pools as “absence made visible.” Although water flows into the voids, they can never be filled, with the sound of cascading water contributing to a sense of tranquility amidst the city’s bustle. As I wandered through the memorial, I felt a heavy heart reading the names of the 2,983 individuals who lost their lives in both the 2001 and 1993 terrorist attacks, etched on bronze parapets around the pools.
Standing before the twin reflecting pools, marking the footprints of the World Trade Center towers, I sensed the weight of history and loss. I reflected on victims like Rahma Salle, who, with her unborn child, tragically perished when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. Rahma was 28 years old, seven months pregnant, and traveling with her husband, who also lost his life that day.
The memorial plaza also features a unique Callery pear tree, known as the Survivor Tree, which is the only tree that survived the 9/11 events. Discovered by recovery workers in October 2001, the severely damaged tree was nurtured back to health by the New York City Parks and Recreation Department and returned to the World Trade Center site in 2010, serving as a symbol of resilience and perseverance.
My first visit to the 9/11 Memorial was deeply emotional, allowing me to comprehend the extent of the loss that September 11, 2001, brought to the world. Each name on the bronze panels surrounding the pools represented a life lost—a stark reminder of the nearly 3,000 people, including brave first responders, who perished that day.
As I explored the museum, I encountered personal artifacts, testimonies, and historical displays that brought those events into sharp focus, revealing the stories of heroes who rushed into danger and families who lost loved ones. This visit served as a powerful reminder of the enduring legacy of September 11 and its global impact.