Eagle Feathers #235 – Flight #93

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

One hundred fifty years ago this year was a fire wake-up call across the United States. The reason was the Great Chicago Fire of October 8 and 9, 1871. This remained the worst fire in American history until the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City.

The Chicago fire killed over 250 people, burned over 200 acres and destroyed over 17,000 buildings. The World Trade Towers’ loss was over 3,000 people killed on 16 acres in two 110-story towers and buildings housing 31 million square feet of the most valuable property in the world.

One insurance loss estimate was over $43 billion, but the emotional loss to America was incalculable. If you were old enough to remember that crucial day two decades ago, you will never forget where you were and what you were doing that Tuesday morning.

Thousands of innocent Americans were lost, and thousands were rescued by emergency workers and daring civilians who stood tall that day. They stood tall at the New York towers, the Pentagon and the flight over Pennsylvania. It was the most destructive terrorist strike in history.

Two weeks from now the country will observe the 20th anniversary of the attack. For the last eighteen years, Somerville firefighters, police officers and city officials have marched from Cedar Street to Davis Square to honor the victims and the rescuers of “911.”

The World Trade Center attack was the deadliest terrorist attack in history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States with 343 and 72 killed respectively.

The next time you are frustrated in traffic on Route #93, think about that day and the passengers on United Flight #93. We can thank them for whom and what they saved for our country that day, and especially remember their final message for us, the U.S. … let’s roll!