Eighteen years ago, the tragedy of Sept. 11 took place when a terrorist group called al-Qaida hijacked four airplanes on a suicide mission against pride monuments of the United States. They targeted the TwinTowers in the planes  AA11 and UA175. They targeted the Pentagon in the AA77, and either the White House or the World Trade Center with the UA93. All of the targets were hit, except the White House or the World Trade Center (undecided), and that plane landed in a field in Somerset County, PA. This was a terrible loss.  About 2,996 people died, 2,753 of them coming from the fourth plane that landed in the field. People will remember this tragedy for years to come.

Many people do different things to honor the heroes of 9/11, along with mourning those who were lost. They do things such as put up flags, share memories, and attend community events. Doing this helps keep the memory alive of those who were lost.

Mr. Culler, seventh grade geography teacher,  said he was teaching, working on the maps, a lot like students are working on now, when Mr. Kappas, eighth grade history teacher,  came into the room, and told him to turn on the TV. He said that he was scared and was worried that they might come after a school like us because of their name. So, as you can see it was a very stressful day for a large amount of people.

 Mrs. Glover, a fifth grade teacher, says that she remembers driving down the parkway by the airport going home, and there was no one else on the road, which she thought was weird. And then the school secretary called and notified her on what was happening. She said that when she found out she was sad and angry. 

“This changed the way we live, it’s always in the back of our mind.” she stated. “This tragedy will not be easily forgotten.”

For the day of 9/11 there is a special flag called the Flag of Honor that was put up at Freedom Area School District. It is a flag that has all 2,996 victim’s names on it.  It is called the Flag of Honor to honor those who risked their lives saving people. This also represents the 2,753 people who fought against the terrorist flying the fourth plane. They knew they were going to die either way. So, they thought that they could fight for their country one last time and save many more lives. This flag is a symbol of who we need to honor and those who were lost in this incident.

Some events that happened that week  to remember 9/11 include a moment of silence which started at 8:46am, a remembrance and Patriot Day recognition in Erie which was from 10 a.m., and a national day of service in Morgantown at 10 a.m.  Many events happened to remember this day and these are just a few examples. This will be a tragedy people will remember for years to come, so show that you are grateful for the heroes that saved us and mourn for those lost.