25 Years Later
A Timeline of Terror How events unfolded on the morning of September 11, 2001
Remember Together Headlines from around the world
Santa Clarita Remembers Looking back: Impacts of 9/11 on SCV
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THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
A Timeline of the Morning of September 11, 2001
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n the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes bound for California. The planes departed from airports in Boston, Massachusetts; Newark, New Jersey; and Washington, D.C. September 11 would become an infamous date in American and world history, and the events of that day would forever change the world. As the world commemorates the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the following timeline, courtesy of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, can help people fully understand how events unfolded on that late-summer morning two decades ago.
5:45 a.m. Two of the hijackers pass through security at Portland International Airport in Maine. The men will take a short flight to Boston Logan International Airport, where they will join three other hijackers and board American Airlines Flight 11. 6:00 a.m. Two of the hijacked
planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, will eventually crash into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. The day was a significant one on the New York City political calendar, as polling stations opened at 6 a.m. for primary elections.
7:59 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 takes off from Boston with 11 crew members, 76 passengers and five hijackers on board. The plane, which will eventually crash into the North tower at the World Trade Center, is filled with more than 76,000 pounds of fuel.
8:15 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 takes off from Boston with nine crew members, 51 passengers, and five hijackers on board. This flight also is loaded with 76,000 pounds of fuel. 8:19 a.m. American Airlines ground personnel are alerted by flight attendant Betty Ann Ong that Flight 11 is being hijacked. This call lasts roughly 25 minutes and Ong reports that the cockpit is unreachable. In the moments before Ong’s call, one of the hijackers stabbed
Daniel M. Lewin, who was sitting in front of him in first class. Lewin is likely the first person killed in the 9/11 attacks.
8:20 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 takes off from Washington Dulles International Airport. The flight has 49,900 pounds of fuel and is carrying six crew members, 53 passengers and five hijackers. 8:21 a.m. The transponder on
Flight 11 is turned off. This device is meant to allow air traffic controllers to identify and monitor the flight path of a plane.
8:24 a.m. One of the hijackers of
Flight 11 unwittingly broadcasts a message to air traffic controllers alerting them to the attacks. The hijacker was attempting to communicate with passengers and crew within the cabin.
8:30 a.m. Around this time,
roughly 80 people have already begun gathering on the 106th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center for a financial technology conference. The conference is one of many events on the Trade Center schedule that day.
but was delayed due to routine traffic. Seven crew members, 33 passengers and four hijackers are on board. The flight is filled with 48,700 pounds of fuel.
8:46 a.m. Five hijackers crash
Flight 11 into floors 93 through 99 of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Hundreds, including everyone on board the flight, are killed instantly. The crash severs all three emergency stairwells, trapping hundreds of people above the 91st floor.
8:46 a.m. Police, paramedics and firefighters are sent to the North Tower. 8:50 a.m. While visiting an
elementary school in Florida, U.S. President George W. Bush is notified that a small plane has hit the North Tower.
8:52 a.m. A flight attendant aboard Flight 175 reaches a United Airlines operator in San Francisco and reports the flight is being hijacked. By 9 a.m., various passengers on Flight 175 have called family members.
in the entire World Trade Center complex.
9:02 a.m. An evacuation order is broadcast in the South Tower.
9:03 a.m. Five hijackers crash Flight 175 into floors 77 through 85 of the South Tower. All onboard the flight are killed, as are an unknown number of people inside the building. Two of the three emergency stairwells are impassable and most elevator cables are severed, trapping many people above the impact zone and inside elevator cars. 9:03 a.m. A second call for mobi-
lization brings the total number of New York City Police Department officers responding to the scene to roughly 2,000. In addition, the FDNY issues a fifth alarm and deploys several hundred additional firefighters to the scene.
9:05 a.m. President Bush is informed that a second plane has crashed into the World Trade Center. 9:12 a.m. Flight attendant Renée
8:55 a.m. The Port Authority
Control Center alerts the military that a hijacking is under way.
informs people inside the South Tower via a public address system that the building is secure and there is no need to evacuate.
A. May calls her mother and tells her that hijackers have seized control of Flight 77. When May’s call is disconnected, she calls American Airlines.
8:42 a.m. United Airlines Flight
8:59 a.m. The Port Authority
9:30 a.m. Amidst reports of additional hijacked planes, the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management at 7 World Trade Center is evacuated.
8:37 a.m. The Boston Air Traffic
93 takes off from Newark International Airport. The flight was due to take off at roughly the same time as the other hijacked planes,
Police Department orders both towers evacuated. One minute later Captain Anthony Whitaker expands the order to include all civilians
See TIMELINE, page 14
THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
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Looking back: Impact of 9/11 on SCV
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n Dec. 12, 1941, five days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the ranchers and small business owners of Santa Clarita awoke to The Signal headline: “Newhall Calm Under Impact of War.” It would be nearly seven decades until the news team at the paper had to once again inform readers that their country’s mainland had been attacked in an act of war — and how that attack of Sept. 11, 2001, would impact the community. As their predecessors had done 70 years before, The Signal reporters left their office chairs the morning of Sept. 12,
2001, with the knowledge that they had to flush out the local connections, but as a daily paper rather than a weekly, they would have less than 24 hours this time. “An Act of War” ran across the top of page A1 on Sept. 12, followed by a single story pulled from the Associated Press detailing what was known up to that point about the terrorist attack. The rest of the column inches were filled with the details of how one of the most horrific days in American history impacted a small, West Coast community. See LOOKING BACK, page 10
The Young Americans for Freedom Chapter at Trinity Classical Academy hosts its annual 9/11 Never Forget Memorial Event by placing flags on campus remembering the 2,977 lives lost on September 11. In 2019, they added four flags for Americans who died at the Benghazi embassy in 2012. SIGNAL FILE PHOTO
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THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
The 9/11 Memorial
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mong the more indelible images to emerge on September 11, 2001 was the sight of two planes crashing into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center. Still photos and video footage of those planes flying into the Twin Towers were the first images of the attacks many Americans saw, and no one who watched events unfold that morning will ever forget those images. Though both the North and South Towers fell on that day, today the site where each tower once stood is a serene retreat in the bustling lower Manhattan neighborhood that was shaken to its core on the day of the attacks. The 9/11 Memorial was designed by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum notes that Arad
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and Walker’s proposal was chosen in a design competition that featured 5,201 submissions from 63 countries. The 9/11 Memorial is located on the western side of the former World Trade Center where the Twin Towers once stood. Two enormous reflecting pools are part of the Memorial Plaza, which is where the North and South Towers once stood. The pools feature the two largest man-made waterfalls in North America. Around the edges of the pools, the names of people who were killed in the 9/11 attacks in New York, the Pentagon, on Flight 93, and in the 1993 bombing at the World Trade Center are etched in bronze. In recognition of the crash sites, 400 swamp white oak See MEMORIAL, page 13
THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
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The Pentagon Memorial
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t 9:37 a.m. on September 11, 2001, five hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. All 53 passengers and six crew members perished in the crash, and an additional 125 military and civilian personnel on the ground were killed in the fire caused by the crash. The hijacking of Flight 77 was part of the broader attack on 9/11, which remains the deadliest terrorist attack in world history. The Pentagon Memorial was created to honor the 184 people whose lives were lost at the Pentagon on 9/11, as well as their families and all those who sacrifice to protect and preserve the freedom of Americans. The design of the Pentagon Memorial was developed by architects Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman. Their design was chosen from 1,100 submissions. The Pentagon Memorial sits on two acres of land just outside where Flight 77 struck the building. The memorial includes 184 benches that are dedicated to each of the victims. The benches are organized in a timeline of their ages, stretching from the youngest victim, 3-year- Dana Falkenberg, to the oldest, 71-year-old John Yamnicky. Each bench is engraved with a victim’s name and arches over a shallow reflecting pool of water, lit from below. The benches for the passengers who were aboard the plane at the time
of the crash are positioned so visitors will face the sky when reading the victim’s names. The benches dedicated to the victims who were inside the building are positioned so their names and the Pentagon are in the same view. A curved wall known as the Age Wall also is a significant part of the memorial. The wall increases in height from 3 inches to 71 inches to represent the ages of the victims. Eighty-five paperbark maple trees were clustered throughout the memorial, and these trees feature foliage that changes to orange and red each fall. The trees will eventually grow to 30 feet, providing a canopy of shade over the memorial. The Pentagon Memorial is free and open seven days a week year-round, though visitors are urged to contact the Memorial in advance due to potential restrictions or closures. More information about the Memorial is available at washington.org/find-dclistings/national-911-pentagonmemorial.
The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, located just outside the Pentagon, is dedicated to the 184 lives lost in the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon. The lives are memorialized by “Memorial Unit” benches. The benches are surrounded by 85 Crape Myrtle trees and the age wall, which grows one inch in height per year relative to the ages of the victims. ©AdobeStock
ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS.
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THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
Headlines From Around the World the Day After 9/11
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he terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001 shook the world. People across the globe, including men, women and children from all walks of life, reacted to the attacks with sadness, horror, shock, and anger. Newspaper front pages throughout the United States and the world reflected those emotions on September 12.
• Chicago Tribune: ‘Our nation saw evil’: Hijacked jets destroy World Trade Center, hit Pentagon; Thousands feared dead in nation’s worst terrorist attack • Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia): America Attacked • Houston Chronicle: Terror Hits Home • Los Angeles Times: Terrorists Attack New York, Pentagon • New York Daily News: It’s War • New York Post: Act of War: World Trade Center destroyed; many dead • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Horror Mounts • San Francisco Examiner: Bastards! A Changed America • Seattle Post-Intelligencer: ‘None of us will ever forget’ • The Age (Melbourne, Australia): War on America • The Australian: War Of Terror: Bush vows to hunt down perpetrators of world’s worst terrorist attacks • The Boston Globe: New day of infamy: Thousands feared dead after planes hit towers, Pentagon • The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Australia): US Attacked • The Daily Telegraph (London): War on America • The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia): World Terror: Hijacked Jets Hit Trade Centre; 10,000 Dead • The Dallas Morning News: War at home: Shaken nation awaits tally from Pentagon, Trade Center attacks; Bush vows to track down terrorists and ‘bring them to justice’ • The New York Times: U.S. Attacked: Hijacked Jets Destroy Twin Towers And Hit Pentagon In Day Of Terror • The Sydney Morning Herald: Terror war on US: World Trade Center Razed; 10,000 feared dead in suicide attacks • The Washington Post: Terrorists Hijack 4 Airliners, Destroy World Trade Center, Hit Pentagon; Hundreds Dead • USA Today: ‘Act of war’: Terrorists strike; death toll ‘horrendous’
THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
September 12, 2001
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September 11, 2011
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THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
The Flight 93 National Memorial
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t 10:03 a.m. on September 11, 2001, the last of four planes that were hijacked earlier that morning crashed into a field near the town of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The people behind the 9/11 attacks later claimed the hijackers who commandeered the plane intended to crash it into the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., but passengers and crew stormed the cockpit, prompting the hijackers to crash the plane into the field, which is less than 20 minutes’ flying time to Washington, D.C. The efforts of passengers and crew onboard Flight 93 were nothing short of heroic. Though everyone aboard the flight perished in the crash, the attack on the U.S. Capitol was thwarted, saving untold number of lives. All passengers and crew on board Flight 93 were awarded a Congressional Gold Medal on September 11, 2014. The Flight 93 National Memorial is located in Stonycreek Township in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, roughly two miles north of Shanksville. The memorial was opened to family members of the victims on September 10, 2015, and is now open to the public seven days a week, 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset, though visitors are urged to contact the memorial in advance due to potential restrictions or closures. In September 2005, the Flight 93 Advisory Commission, which included family members of the victims as well as design and art professionals and community and national leaders, chose a design proposal submitted by Paul Murdoch Architects and Nelson Byrd Woltz Architects from among 1,100 entries. The Flight 93 National Memorial includes the Tower of Voices, a 93-foot-tall musical instrument that holds 40 wind chimes, one to represent each of the 40 passengers and
The Flight 93 Memorial features the Wall of Names that is made up of 40 white-polished marble stones inscribed with the names of the passengers and crew of Flight 93. The Memorial also includes the Tower of Voices which is a 93-foot-tall musical instrument holding 40 wind chimes, one for each of the 40 passengers and crew members who perished in the crash. ©Adobestock
crew members who perished in the crash. The tower is located on an oval concrete plaza that includes two curved concrete benches facing the opening of the tower. The tower is surrounded by concentric rings of white pines and deciduous plantings. A live webcam of the Tower of Voices can be viewed at www.flight93friends.org/planyour-visit/webcams. Visitors to the Flight 93 National Memorial also can visit the Memorial Plaza. The Memorial Plaza features the Wall of Names, which is made up of 40 white polished marble stones inscribed with the names of the passengers and crew who were aboard Flight 93 on 9/11. The Memorial Plaza extends one-quarter mile alongside the area where Flight 93 crashed. Visitors can walk along the Memorial Plaza and view the impact site, including a grove of eastern hemlock trees that were damaged by the crash. A gap in the tree line is still visible and serves as a lasting “scar” of the crash. More information about the Flight 93
National Memorial is available at www.nps. gov/flni/planyourvisit/index.htm.
THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
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President George W. Bush’s Address to the Nation On September 11, 2001
“
Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have
filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. See PRESIDENT BUSH, page 12
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THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
LOOKING BACK
Continued from page 3
Articles informed parents that local schools would remain open despite a number of them having gone into an emergency lockdown during the morning drop-off a day before. Signal Staff Writer Diana Sevanlan was able to track down former Valencia resident John Keysor, who watched the attack unfold from the ground on Wall Street. Another front-page piece reported the reactions from local residents, saying that there was a mixture of “remorse, anger and sorrow after the worst act of terrorism ever committed on American soil.”
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Reporter Patti Shea was able to reach then-Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon in Washington, D.C., eventually learning that hundreds of members of Congress and their supporting staffs were saved due to the heroic actions of the passengers on Flight 93, who fought to purposefully crash their hijacked plane instead of letting it crash into the nation’s Capitol. “It boggles my mind,” McKeon said at the time of the incident. “I’m shell shocked.” The final story at the bottom of the page, another authored by Shea, detailed how 900 residents had already lined up at the local chapter of the American Red Cross to donate blood. “People need to feel like they
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can do something,” Deborah Alter, a Red Cross representative, told The Signal for the Sept. 12 issue. “I’ve seen this before at Oklahoma City.” In the years to follow On Sept. 11, 2002, a year after the attack, The Signal published a front-page headline that both delivered the hard news of the day, while also — whether intentionally or not — expressed through proxy an emotion that was being felt by so many around the nation. “Terror Alert Level at ‘High Alert’” followed by, “Bush administration closes nine U.S. embassies, heightens security at landmarks.” City of Santa Clarita employee Robert Murphy recounted to then-Signal City Editor Leon Worden about losing his brother, Lt. Raymond Murphy, 46, a lieutenant on the New York Fire Department’s Ladder 16, when the towers fell. Murphy’s testimony was paired with a collection of reflections from other community members, Santa Clarita Valley first responders recalled their experiences assisting in the rescue effort at Ground Zero, and a number of ceremonies were organized by SCV residents to pay tribute to their countrymen killed 3,000 miles away. Much like that one-year anniversary, the front pages on subsequent anniversaries would both inform readers of the news of the day, while also providing future generations with a time capsule into the nation’s state of unity and social-emotional
health as time marched on. For example, in 2004, three years after the attack, The Signal ran a photograph of the World Trade Center Towers shortly after being struck, the smoke billowing from the side of each obscuring the headline: “The memory remains.” On the anniversary five years removed from the attack, tragedies were still being told and reflection was still being met with “heavy hearts,” said the Sept. 11, 2006, headline. However, prominently displayed above that: “Feeling Safer from Terror,” reflecting the shifting sentiments of the time. On the 10-year anniversary, the full likeness of the Twin Towers was again placed on the front page, but without smoke spilling out from the inside. “Local agencies grow more cautious” introduced the bottom of the package, but the words written for the stories entitled “SCV Remembers” and “Heroic Response” filled out a silhouette of the skyscrapers — towering over all buildings and competing pieces on the printed page once again. Now, 25 years later, The Signal continues the tradition established over two-plus decades of remembrance. Remembering 9/11 from the front lines As the public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department, one of the first things former Capt. II Rick Godinez did when arriving at the media office as part of his morning routine was turn on the TVs that
THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
lined the wall. “As I was turning these TVs on, everything was happening, and things were already starting to develop,” the Santa Clarita resident said. “And I remember just standing there watching as every monitor was lit up with the World Trade Center.” As a firefighter, Godinez had been part of many high-rise building fires and remembered the unusual feeling as he watched the World Trade Center burn, knowing just how dangerous it was for his fellow first responders. “Then, as the towers collapsed, all I could think about was, how many firefighters were in there,” Godinez added. “My heart just sunk.” Soon, Godinez would find himself on a plane to New York, not to fight the fire, but to support his fellow firefighters who were searching the rubble for their own as part of a critical incident stress team. The distinct smell and visuals of a 110-story building collapsed into a four- or five-story pile of rubble have stuck with Godinez all these years, he said. “Everything was pulverized,” Godinez added. “It was just dust and debris and large chunks of concrete and metal.” Nothing from these offices — whether desk, chair, computer or telephone — was recognizable. “It was very surreal,” he added. “Every street corner, park, tree, bush was littered with debris, dust everywhere.” In that dust, firefighters and
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police officers had written messages to the fallen, saying, “‘Johnny, we’re coming to get you,’” Godinez recalled. Godinez said he couldn’t help but feel as though these men and women were his family, and though the feeling of loss will never go away, he said it made an incredible impact on his life. “I think back over the years, and I feel fortunate to have been there and played a role in that to help in some way,” Godinez said, adding it was one of the highlights of his career to be able to respond to such a significant milestone in the nation’s history. “As sad as it was, I still feel proud that we were able to go and at least help out.” Looking back, Godinez said it’s the patriotism that stood out and he hopes that Americans will continue to remember. “People shouldn’t forget. They need to remember these events and how we preserved and came through it and are still America and are still a great nation,” Godinez added. “Despite the pandemic, despite things that are going on the world, we are the best country with more opportunities, so I think there needs to be an appreciation for the people that have paid the ultimate price to protect it.” ‘America the Beautiful’ Eleven-term Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, who represented the SCV during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, said this week he remembers seeing the first plane hit the tower on the news, See REMEMBER, page 14
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THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
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September 11, 2001 We Will Never Forget
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bring them to justice. We will PRESIDENT BUSH tomake no distinction between
Continued from page 9
America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining. Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America — with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could. Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government’s emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it’s prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C. to help with local rescue efforts. Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks. The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington which had to be evacuated today are reopening for essential personnel tonight, and will be open for business tomorrow. Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business, as well. The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I’ve directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and
the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance. America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.” This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world. Thank you. Good night, and God bless America.”
THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
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MEMORIAL
Continued from page 4
trees were selected from nurseries located in New York, Pennsylvania and near Washington, D.C. These trees are located throughout the Memorial Plaza, providing a peaceful respite separate from the surrounding city. The Memorial Plaza also includes one Callery pear tree. That tree was discovered at Ground Zero weeks after the attacks and it was severely damaged. The tree, now known as the Survivor Tree, was nursed back to health by members of the New York City Parks and Recreation Department and returned to the World Trade Center site in 2010, where it still stands as an enduring symbol of resilience and perseverance. The 9/11 Memorial is free and open daily
The Flag of Honor is displayed at the NYC 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero. It contains the names of all those who perished at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon and aboard United flights 175 and 93 and American flights 11 and 77 on September 11, 2001, and in the February 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. PHOTOS COURTESY MC
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information about the 9/11 Memorial and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum can be found at www.911memorial.org.
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SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
YEARS OF REMEMBRANCE
WE WILL NEVER FORGET Honoring the victims, survivors, and the first responders of September 11, 2001
“Twenty-five years ago our nation changed forever. Today I join our commuity in honoring the memory of every person we lost and thanking the first responders who ran toward danger. We remember. We are greatful. We will never forget.” JASON GIBBS JASON GIBBS FOR CONGRESS
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THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
REMEMBER
Marc Manfro remembered his partner, John Perry, who was set to retire the morning of 9/11 in a Sunday Signal article last year. Perry never made it home. Photo by Habeba Mostafa / The Signal
Continued from page 11
thinking, “What a sad accident” — until the second one hit. McKeon joined other leaders on the steps of the Capitol later that day as they addressed the nation, recalling the feeling when someone started singing “America the Beautiful.” “Everybody joined in, and it was a very emotional time,” McKeon said. “When I went home, all the cars had flags on them. … It was a time of the country really coming together.” It’s this sentiment that has stuck with McKeon all these years as the nation is again put through tremendous strain, hoping America can once again come together. Good guys battling bad guys Now-Castaic resident Marc Manfro was a New York police officer in September 2001, and spent the weeks and months following the attack guarding a handful of “terrorist target” locations, like the subway tunnels. Since then, Manfro has battled an ailment many of his fellow first responders have come to know all too well — a respirato-
TIMELINE
Continued from page 2
9:37 a.m. Hijackers crash Flight
77 into the Pentagon. All 53 passengers and six crew members perish, and 125 military and civilian personnel on the ground are killed in the fire caused by the crash.
9:42 a.m. The Federal Aviation
Administration grounds all flights, ordering all civilian planes in United States airspace to land. Departures also are prohibited.
9:45 a.m. Evacuations at the
ry condition dubbed “World Trade Center Cough.” While Manfro has endured a number of surgeries and additional health problems due to his time at Ground Zero following the attacks, he said he is still proud to have aided in the efforts. Manfro’s father was a police officer and his sons are law enforcement officers. Both are just trying to do their part for public ser-
White House and the U.S. Capitol begin. Both the House of Representatives and Senate are in session at the time the evacuation begins.
9:58 a.m. Flight 93 is flying so
low to the ground that passenger Edward P. Felt is able to reach an emergency 911 operator in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
9:59 a.m. The South Tower col-
lapses after burning for 56 minutes. The tower collapses in just 10 seconds.
vice, Manfro said, adding that he hopes to continue inspiring others to do the same. “(We) need to step forward to support all the organizations that the public needs to be protected … the police, firefighters, military, medical professionals,” he added. “It’s a cycle of the good guys continuing to battle the bad guys … so, maybe that cycle can inspire others.”
9:59 a.m. Continuity-of-government procedures are implemented for the first known time in American history. 10:03 a.m. Four hijackers crash Flight 93 into a field near the town of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. All 33 passengers and seven crew members on board perish. Passengers and crew had stormed the cockpit, and the plane ultimately crashes just 20 minutes’ flying time from Washington, D.C. 10:15 a.m. The E Ring of the Pen-
tagon collapses.
10:28 a.m. The North Tower col-
lapses after burning for 102 minutes. More than 1,600 people are killed as a result of the attack on the North Tower.
11:02 a.m. New York City Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani urges the evacuation of lower Manhattan.
12:16 p.m. The last flight still in
the air above the continental United States lands. Within two and a half hours, U.S. airspace has been cleared of roughly 4,500 commercial and general aviation planes.
THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
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How to Honor First Responders
T
oday marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The attacks on September 11, 2001 remain the deadliest terror attacks in world history, claiming more than 2,900 lives and causing countless injuries and long-term health problems for tens of thousands of civilians and first responders. The 25th anniversary of 9/11 will no doubt evoke responses that span the emotional spectrum. Sadness may dominate such responses, but the anniversary of 9/11 also is a great time to reflect on the efforts of first responders. First responders played a vital role on 9/11, and many lost their lives and/or suffered long-term health consequences resulting from their selfless efforts to save innocent victims of the attacks. In the two-plus decades since the 9/11 attacks, first responders have continued to make countless sacrifices to ensure their communities are safe and peaceful places to call home. The 25th anniversary of 9/11 is a great time to recognize the efforts of first responders and honor them for all they do. Donate to local fire departments According to the U.S. Fire
Administration, 54% of active firefighting personnel are volunteers. Many of those volunteer firefighters work for underfunded departments that are in need of financial
support. Donating to such departments is a great way to show first responders how much their efforts are appreciated. Donations may be used to purchase new equipment, upgrade existing facilities, provide vital training, and/or improve response times, the latter of which can increase the likelihood that firefighters make it through calls safe and sound.
Back legislation to support wounded first responders.
Many first responders suffer significant mental and physical injuries while on the job. Various nonprofit organizations help wounded first responders who may need to make modifications to their homes or purchase costly equipment to get through their daily lives.
But nonprofit organizations cannot go it alone in support of wounded first responders. Citizens can do their part by promoting and voting for local, state and national legislation that makes it easy for wounded first responders to get the help they need, when they need it. In addition to urging local politicians to support such legislation, private citizens can utilize social media to promote proposals and other efforts to support wounded first responders. Many 9/11 first responders are still fighting for government-backed support to treat injuries suffered 25 years ago, and a vocal citizenry can be a strong asset in their fight and the fight of countless others in
need of help. Commit to supporting first responders year-round The
25th anniversary of 9/11 will call attention to the efforts of first responders on that day 25 years ago as well as the countless times since then that these brave men and women have served their communities. But first responders deserve vocal, year-round support.
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Make a concerted effort to thank policemen, firefighters, EMTs, nurses, and doctors in your community whenever you interact with them, and urge others to follow suit.
First responders play a vital role in communities across the globe. The 25th anniversary of 9/11 can serve as a catalyst for communities to express their support for first responders.
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THE SIGNAL • SEPTEMBER 11, 2026