As millions of people remembered and honor those innocent civilian victims of Sept. 11, 2001, a different kind of flag hung proudly at the Anne Dale jewelry store in Mandeville.
Called the “Flag of Honor,” it has all the names of all the civilian victims of the terrorist attacks that changed this country. The 2,977 names are listed on the stripes of the flag in alphabetical order by last name. Part of a fund raising effort for the victims’ families, the flag can be ordered online.
A separate flag, the “Flag of Heroes” honors those 411 first responders that lost their lives trying to help the victims before the towers collapsed. Although fewer in number, this flag portrays the heroes on red stripes only, signifying the blood they spilled in the line of duty.
On Sept. 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked with the intention of being flown into specified targets. The first plane, American Airline flight 11, crashed into north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. EST, which collapsed at 10:28 a.m. after burning for 102 minutes. The second plane, United 175 hit the south tower at 9:03 a.m. The tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m. after burning for 56 minutes. The Pentagon was hit at 9:37 a.m. by American Airline flight 77. The fourth plane, United flight 93, was headed to either the White House or the Capitol building, but was retaken by civilians and crashed in Shanksville, Penn. At 10:03.
World Trade Center building seven collapsed at 5:30 p.m. due to the debris, damage and fire from the north tower.
There were 2,996 deaths, including the 19 terrorists on board the planes. In the two World Trade Center towers and on the ground, 2,606 lives were lost; 246 died on the four planes and 125 perished at the Pentagon. In addition, more than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks. It is estimated that 17,400 people were in the World Trade Center complex at the time, with about 90 percent of the buildings’ occupants evacuated before the buildings collapsed.
In addition, 411 emergency workers died including 341 New York Fire Department firefighters, 23 members of the New York Police Department, 2 NYPD paramedics, 27 Port Authority officers and eight private EMT personnel.
Memorial services each year have honored the victims and the first responders that lost their lives that day. In addition, several thousand people were injured that day.
By Debbie Glover
Saint Tammany News
Published on Wednesday, September 15, 2010