The staff and students of Benjamin Logan Schools took part in a Patriot Day Remembrance throughout the morning Monday, Sept. 11, to reflect on the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Students representatives from BLHS Student Government read over the PA system to share the history with the student body in sync with the timing of the attacks— 8:45 a.m., Mia Stahler and Addison Scott; 9:03 a.m. Lauren Hemmelgarn; 9:37 a.m. Taihler Crawford; and 10:03 a.m. Joslin Wilber.
After each message, Taps was performed for all to hear in the halls of BLHS by student musicians Graham Studebaker and Damon Johnson.
“In remembrance of the tragic day that took place, when 3,000 people lost their lives, the Benjamin Logan students will pause four times this morning to honor the day that forever changed our country and the world,” Mia said in her address.
Addison said at 8:46 a.m., Flight 11 crashed at roughly 466 mph into the north face of the North Tower (One WTC) of the World Trade Center, between floors 93 and 99. “The aircraft entered the tower intact. It plowed to the building core, severing all three gypsum-encased stairwells, dragging combustibles with it. A powerful shock wave traveled down to the ground and up again. The burning fuel ignited the combustibles and the remnants of the aircraft.
“As the building lacked a traditional full cage frame and depended almost entirely on the strength of a narrow structural core running up the center, fire at the center of the impact zone was in a position to compromise the integrity of all internal columns.
People below the severed stairwells began to evacuate—no one above the impact zone was able to do so.”
Lauren reported that at 9:03 a.m., Flight 175 crashed at about 590 mph into the south face of the South Tower of the World Trade Center, banked between floors 77 and 85.
“All 65 people on board the aircraft died instantly on impact, and unknown hundreds in the building as well. By this time, several media organizations, including the three major broadcast networks, were covering the first plane crash—millions saw the impact live. Parts of the plane, including the starboard engine, left the building from its east and north sides, and fell to the ground six blocks away.”
Then at 9:37 a.m., Taihler said Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the Pentagon at 530 mph and started a violent fire.
“The section of the Pentagon hit consisted mainly of newly renovated, unoccupied offices. All 64 people on board were killed, as were 125 Pentagon personnel.”
Finally at 10:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 93 was crashed by its hijackers and passengers at 583 mph, due to fighting in the cockpit 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in Somerset County, Pa., Joslin said.
“Later reports indicate that passengers had learned about the World Trade Center and Pentagon crashes on cell phones and at least three were planning to resist the hijackers; the resistance was confirmed by Flight 93’s cockpit voice recording, on which the hijackers are heard making their decision to down the plane before the passengers succeed in breaching the cockpit door. The 9/11 Commission believed that Flight 93’s target was either the United States Capitol building or the White House in Washington, D.C.”
The students concluded their presentation with the following remarks: “Today we pause to remember so we always remember so many who gave their lives to help their fellow citizens.
On this day, please remember this quote from Former President Barack Obama, ‘Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.’”
Damon Johnson plays Taps Monday morning, Sept. 11, for a Patriot Day remembrance at Benjamin Logan High School. (Benjamin Logan PHOTO)
