Twenty years have past since the unspeakably horrible events of September 11th.  Today, a generation of college students and young adults has no memory of the world’s worst terror attack.  What they know about 9/11 is what they’ve been taught in school, what they’ve seen on TV and the internet, and what those of us who lived through it tell them.

For those of us who lived through it, September 11, 2001 was the day that we were violated on our own soil, the day that we were made to face the reality that there are those in this world who want us dead simply because we are American.  You know what happened.  That day we watched four coordinated terrorist attacks, by the simply evil Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda, use commercial passenger aircraft filled with hundreds of people, literally slam into buildings.  And then we watched those buildings crumble to the ground, killing thousands more.  The 9/11 attacks were the deadliest terrorist act in world history, and the most devastating foreign attack on United States soil since the Pearl Harbor bombing on December 7, 1941.  And get this, as of 9/10/21, only 1,647 (61%) of 2,753 WTC victims’ remains have been positively identified, according to the NYC medical examiner’s office. Twenty years later, they’re still working on this, with 2 more victims positively identified just days ago.

It was an unbelievable horror and the days that followed, dark.

But in the midst of those dark days — some of the darkest days in American history — something amazing happened. A country where people were still divided in the wake of a close, controversial presidential election less than a year earlier put aside their differences for a little while and came together. We prayed together, we cried together and most of all, we stood together. For a short time, the United States of America was truly united.

We watched men and women show us what American Exceptionalism meant; watching  them go back into the inferno to save others over and over.  We watched these brave people give themselves, their futures, and their very lives. Heroism during 9/11, and throughout the Global War on Terror, was inexhaustible.

Fast forward 20 years.

We’re all aware of a number of broad takeaways from the events of 9/11.  From conversations about national security, to the always morphing, demented fringe of al-Qaeda/ISIS-K/WhoEverIsComingNext-like spawn, to considerations surrounding religious freedom and loss of individual liberties, the fallout of that terrible event continues to impact our lives today. Even in the midst of A LOT OF CRAP on our plate like: recent events in Afghanistan, COVID, the rise of progressive Socialism, a porous southern border, election integrity, mammoth fiscal woes, lack of a reliable workforce,  Joe Biden (’nuff said there!) and, of course, a completely polarized country, we are still changed because of 9/11.

It’s a hole forever in our hearts.

For many of us who lived through it, it’s our obligation to keep the memory of that day alive — to “Never Forget.”  So, in an effort to keep the events and stories of 9/11 ever close, we’ve gathered below a small sampling of some of our Victory Girls blog posts — stories if you will — from over the years that demonstrate both the abject evil and the uncommon courage witnessed on that horrible day. We hope you pick out a few to read, and then pass on these stories to those who have come after.  It’s an important part of our history and legacy.

Always vigilant.  Always ready.  Never Forget. But always be ready to hold your ground and declare your right as our founders intended to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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Here’s a few links to past Victory Girls September 11th Tribute Posts!  

A Victory Girls 9/11 Collective: We Remember, We Are Not Afraid

A Victory Girls 9/11 Collective: Life After 9/11 

Remembering 9/11: The Music That Gave Us Hope, Strength, And Courage [VIDEO]

#September11: Remembering the Sixth Graders on Flight 77

9/11 Perspective: How We Got Here From There

Remembering 9/11: September 11th, My Son and Duty

Remembering 9/11: Rick Rescorla, a Singing Hero

#September11th: Remembering The 9/11 Jumpers

9/11’s Youngest Victims: The Fate of Juliana McCourt

Our Sacred Obligation to the Next Generation

#September11: The Flight Crew

Remembering 9/11: Happy Birthday, My Son

Remembering 9/11: George W. Bush’s World Series Opening Pitch [VIDEO]

Remembering 9/11: Todd Beamer and the Heroes of Flight 93

Never Forget 9/11

September 11: You Will Be Made To Forget

Remembering 9/11: Attacks Gave A Navel Academy Plebe New Resolve [VIDEO]

Photo Credit: The incredibly beautiful featured photo is “New York City Skyline At Night” from © Can Stock Photo Inc. /Gerard Fritz/ License.