Saturday, September 10, 2011

9/11 Anniversary, Then and Now

Images of the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, PA, then and now. We're Americans. We remember and we rebuild.

Photo Gallery at this link of remembrances around the world today. Sprocket, 9/11/2011

World Trade Center





World Trade Center Memorial








Pentagon Crash Site




Pentagon Memorial





Crash site of United Flight 93


United Flight 93 Memorial isn't complete ten years later. Here are temporary memorials (I believe erected at the site) to those who decided to fight back.






Wall at Shanksville, PA, unveiled

9/11 Memoiral Architect Discusses Vision For Landmark

Memorial Construction at Ground Zero Images

9/11 Memorial and Museum


Tributes of Light Rises in Twin Towers' Footprints


Thousands Help Restore Massive Flag From Groung Zero

2 comments:

ritanita said...

Sprocket, thank you for the pictures. 9/11 was a day of terror and heroism. My heart goes out to the families of those who died and to those who survived the attacks as well as the first-responders who are affected to this day. Then, there were those who worked endlessly to clear the debris at their own peril.

9/11 also reminds me of a day in the late 60's, when my grandmother, visiting from Florida, wanted me to take her to the World Trade Center. She had grown up and worked in the city and wanted to see the tall buildings that had changed her beloved skyline.

I, who have a terrible fear of heights that hits my stomach with utter nausea and causes me to shake all over, managed to ride up to the observation deck. My grandmother literally dragged me to the narrow escalator that took us to the roof. I stood there, sick and quaking, as she showed me the places she had lived and worked. It was an awesome, if frightening experience for me.

From 9/11 on, whenever I see the pictures or view the video, I feel the same sick feelings I felt when I was there, only worse, because I now imagine the same experience as though I was there on 9/11. I know that what I felt had to be only a tiny bit of what those who were in the building felt and I grieve for them as well as those who died at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. They all died heroes.

Sprocket said...

You're welcome ritanita. I felt the images of reconstruction and remembrance were a power statement to our nation's fortitude.

I have never been to the WTC, but a piece of the WTC and the Pentagon is part of the 9/11 remembrance fountain at Fire Station 88, in Sherman Oaks.

Every time I pass that fountain (on a regular, almost daily basis) I remember those who lost their lives.

There was a memorial service at the fountain last night at 7:00 pm. Several city counsel members spoke, as well as two people who lost relatives.

One gentleman who spoke, was the brother of one of the pilots of flight 77, that crashed into the Pentagon. He reminded us that there were very, very few bodies recovered from all locations. Only a couple hundred or so.

Most of the thousands of people who died were pulverized into dust. Thousands of body parts were recovered, 6,000 of which he said, would fit in a test tube.

So, the WTC is where all those innocent victims ended up being buried.

I think the reflecting fountains are a fitting memorial for the WTC site. I'm looking forward to seeing the PA memorial when it's finally completed.