On September 11, 2001, and the U.S. airspace was closed down, international flights that were enroute to the USA had to land somewhere, and for many of those flights, the “somewhere” was Gander, Newfoundland. The people of the tiny town of Gander opened their homes and hearts to the thousands of refugees on that day and several following days.
This CBC documentary tells the story.
Here’s the story, as told by Caryn’s Thoughts in 2020:
When the United States closed its airspace that day, it left literally thousands of people out over the oceans with nowhere to go…almost. Those that had not passed the point of no return, most likely turned around, but there were many planes that had to go on. Nevertheless, they could not land in the United States, so our neighbors in Canada came to the rescue.
9:39 a.m. — Passengers and crew aboard United Airlines Flight 93 begin calling 911 and loved ones after the plane is hijacked. The Boeing 757 was en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco.
Passenger Lauren Grandcolas calls her husband, Jack, and leaves a voicemail: “I just wanted to tell you I love you. We’re having a little problem on the plane. … I’m totally fine.
“I just love you. Please tell my family I love them, too.”
9:42 a.m. — For the first time in history, the Federal Aviation Administration grounds all civilian flights and orders all commercial traffic over America to land. At one point, Air Force One is the only passenger jet in the air, transporting Bush to an undisclosed location.
Around this time, the U.S. Capitol and White House are evacuated once it became clear high-value locations were being targeted.
10:03 a.m. — Passengers and surviving crew members on board Flight 93 disrupt the hijackers’ plans after learning about the other planes hitting the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
The voice recorder on the plane catches what sounds like passengers using a food cart to break into the cockpit. The hijackers are heard discussing whether to intentionally crash the plane, short of their reported intended target in Washington.
As the hijackers and passengers struggle for control, the plane crashes in a field in Stonycreek Township in southwest Pennsylvania. The 9/11 Commission later concluded that Flight 93 probably was headed for the U.S. Capitol.
I sent an email of condolence to Deena Burnett, wife of Tom Burnett, Jr. I didn’t know what else to do; I just knew I had to do something to acknowledge their sacrifice.
As we all watched/listened in horror, the attacks on our country continued.
9:12 a.m. — Passengers and flight attendants on board American Airlines Flight 77 call loved ones to let them know their Boeing 757 has been hijacked. The plane was en route from Dulles, Va., to Los Angeles.
Then-Solicitor General Theodore Olson’s wife, Barbara Kay Olson, calls her husband to let him know what was happening.
“What do I tell the pilot to do?” he says were his wife’s last words.
9:37 a.m. — The plane crashes into the western side of the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., while traveling 530 mph, killing all 64 aboard and 125 on the ground.
PBS’s Frontline used to put out some interesting documentaries. Here is one of them.
When the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001, among the thousands killed was the one man who may have known more about Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda than any other person in America: John O’Neill.
This 2002 FRONTLINE documentary chronicles John O’Neill’s struggle to convince the FBI to pay attention to the threat posed by Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.
John Patrick O’Neill was an American counter-terrorism expert who worked as a special agent and eventually a Special Agent in Charge in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He began to study the roots of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing after he assisted in the capture of Ramzi Yousef, who was the leader of that plot.1 O’Neill investigated the bombing of the American embassies in Africa, the USS Cole in Yemen, the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, and the first attack on the World Trade Center. He believed that America should kill Osama bin Laden before Al Qaeda launched a devastating attack, but his voice was often a lonely one.
For five years, he led the fight to track down and prosecute Al Qaeda operatives throughout the world. But he was a controversial figure inside the buttoned-down world of the FBI. O’Neill’s critics contend that his personal failings proved fatal to his FBI career. His supporters, however, believe his main failing was refusing to conform to the standard-issue FBI mold.
The irony is that this is where John O’Neill died on September 11, 2001. Continue reading →
BBC Documentary. I have seen other videos and read other articles that address this topic. I think this one is a good summary of the building design, materials, and forces that all contributed to the collapse of the towers.
I hesitated to post this because of the numerous conspiracy theories about a government controlled demolition, a cabal by the Jews etc. This is NOT a forum to discuss conspiracy theories! I will make one comment here about controlled demolition. If you watch the collapse of the towers, you can easily see that the collapse is from the top down, each floor collapsing the one below it. A controlled demolition is done from the bottom up, or multiple points, and the explosions before collapse are clearly visible and audible.
Believe me, I have heard every conspiracy theory over the years about the twin towers, and Tower Seven. They have been addressed.
Don’t comment unless you have first watched the entire documentary, and then directlyaddress the points made in this video by the building structural engineers, fire experts etc.
This documentary chronicles the firsthand experiences of New Yorkers during the September 11, 2001 attacks. Through personal home videos and raw narration, it captures the shock, fear, and resilience of individuals witnessing the tragedy unfold. The film presents a vivid mosaic of the chaos and unity that marked that day, highlighting the immediate reactions, emotional struggles, and the community’s response. It serves as a powerful tribute to the indomitable spirit of New York City, providing an intimate and poignant perspective on one of America’s darkest days.
As it happened. I think each of us remembers when they first realized what was happening. I was at work. When the second plane hit, my boss ran into my office and said, “It’s terrorism!”
Denise Corliss is pictured with her search dog Bretagne at Ground Zero in New York City in September 2001. It was their first deployment together.
In 2016, the last of the New York ground zero search dogs died at age 16 with her longtime handler and best friend by her side.
Bretagne (pronounced “Brittany”), a whip-smart golden retriever with feathery fur and a sunny smile, lived an adventure-packed life until the very end.
See below for LIVE coverage from C-SPAN on YouTube.
Here’s everything you need to know before the debate:
When is the debate?
Harris and Trump will debate on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. ET. The debate will run for 90 minutes with two commercial breaks.
Where is the debate?
ABC News is hosting the debate at the National Constitution Center, a private nonprofit education center and museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia.
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