This year marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, the deadliest on American soil since Pearl Harbor 60 years earlier. Midland, like other cities across the country, is hosting memorial events and commemorations that hopefully spark curiosity and encourage people to learn more about these events.

We are now living in a time when a third of the U.S. population was too young to remember 9/11 or was not yet born. Ten percent of our adult population was not alive during 9/11. These individuals therefore rely on schools, family members, or self-education to learn about this event.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon issued a nationwide call to action, urging K-12 educators across the country to set aside time today to honor the victims and heroes of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But shouldn’t we do this every year? Isn’t that how we ‘never forget’?

Only 25 states have rules that require or expect public schools to provide specific instruction on the Sept. 11 attacks. Thirteen states allow mentions of 9/11 in their education programs. Two states require or recommend school observances. Meaning only 40 of our 50 states even have a policy on teaching about 9/11. But why is that a problem?

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  • 54% of Americans think those born after 2001 generally do not have a good understanding of the Sept. 11 attacks. 23% think people born after 2001 do have a good understanding.
  • 27% of Americans think the American people focus too little on the memory of the events of Sept. 11, and 8% think they focus on it too much.

So how do we get to a well-informed country that wants to be patriotic? The American Identity Project has a few suggestions. In their guide ‘Teaching students what it means to be American,’ they bring up a few key points that could help build a united image.

These include teaching history and social studies (especially examples that show what life is like when freedom is compromised or absent), encouraging and actively participating in community and national service, teaching civil disagreement (protecting speech while fostering good argument habits), and affirming a creedal American identity. These are not just things to teach our children, but to implement ourselves.

Patriotism thrives when we look to these two wise words: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country,” John F. Kennedy said, and “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” Winston Churchill said. I hope we can all agree that these are important principles.

If you can’t answer the following questions about the 9/11 attacks, or give a rough estimate, I implore you to take some time today and read, watch videos, and hear stories. Learn about this national tragedy and its impact on American lives.

  • How many people died?
  • How many people on the planes died? How many survived?
  • How many first responders arrived at the site of the Twin Towers? How many died?
  • How many planes and crash sites were there?
  • How did the hijackings occur?
  • What were the intended targets of the planes?
  • What did they do with other planes in U.S. airspace?
  • What is the Twin Tower site called now?
  • How long did the fires burn?
  • How many victims remain unidentified?

The deadliest terrorist attack, killing a total of 2,977 people. The deadliest aviation disaster of all time, killing 265 civilians. Nobody on the planes survived. The deadliest incident for first responder personnel in American history, killing 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement, 55 military personnel. Approximately half of the New York City Fire Department was deployed.

Four planes total, with two headed for the World Trade Center towers, one to the Pentagon, and one intended for the U.S. Capitol or the White House. The fourth plane, headed for the Capitol, crashed in a rural field in Pennsylvania after the passengers learned of the other hijackings and overtook the plane. The other hijackers retained control of the planes with threats of bombs, mace, and by wielding boxcutters.

Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded worldwide as the order came to close American airspace. Five hundred flights turned back or were redirected to other countries. Canada received 226 of the diverted flights and launched Operation Yellow Ribbon to manage the large number of grounded planes and stranded passengers.

The last fires at the site, known as Ground Zero, were extinguished on Dec. 20, 2001. In New York City, about 430,000 job-months and $2.8 billion in wages were lost in the first three months after the attacks. About 40% of the deaths in the World Trade Center, 1,103 victims, remain unidentified.

We are still feeling the effects today. In 2020, the NYPD confirmed that 247 police officers had died due to 9/11-related illnesses. In September 2022, the FDNY confirmed that 299 firefighters had died due to 9/11-related illnesses.

These deaths come from exposure to the hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic debris containing more than 2,500 contaminants and known carcinogens that were spread across Lower Manhattan when the towers collapsed. Both agencies believe that the death toll will rise dramatically in the coming years.

This article comes to you because I am included in the large number of Americans born after 9/11 who had little school, family, or self-education on the subject. I was humbled this year. As someone who takes commemoration very seriously, I was ashamed of how little I knew about 9/11.

I couldn’t answer many of the questions I asked you above accurately. On Sept. 4, I went to the opening night of “The Guys” at MCT and was deeply moved and challenged to deepen my knowledge of the events of 9/11. Understanding where we have been is vital so we can move forward confidently and wisely.