Shaheen: 20 years after 9/11: We are stronger when we stand together
Only a few weeks ago, the United States ended its military mission in Afghanistan, which was launched in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11th twenty years ago today. Those of us old enough to remember that day recall precisely where we were when we learned the Twin Towers and Pentagon were hit, and later, that a group of brave souls aboard Flight 93 gave their lives to force terrorists away from hitting the third target: likely, the U.S. Capitol.
I was Governor of New Hampshire at the time and was in Washington, DC for a national event on early childhood education. I’ll never forget peering out a window that morning watching smoke pour from the Pentagon. We lost nearly 3,000 Americans that day, among them, beloved members of the New Hampshire community. As we mark 20 years since that tragic morning, I’m reminded of all the lives impacted by the terrorist attacks on 9/11: the people we loved who were viciously taken, first responders who ran into the flames to save as many lives as they could, the U.S. service members who signed up to serve and seek justice for their fellow Americans, and how an entire nation of Americans – bonded by both grief and resilience – fought through our nation’s darkest hour.
The devastating loss of so many Americans had a ripple effect across our nation: all of them loved and missed by their families, friends, coworkers and more. New Hampshire was not spared. And twenty years later, we continue to mourn our community members. Among them, Tom McGuinness, a Portsmouth resident who was a co-pilot on Flight 11. We also honor the lives of Kathleen and Michael Shearer of Dover, and others in the Seacoast community and throughout the state. Robert LeBlanc was a professor of geography at the University of New Hampshire. And those are only a handful of Granite Staters taken from us on 9/11 – so many other lives were cut short, stories left unfinished and most important, families besieged in grief. Two decades later, we continue to show up and stand by those families to honor the fallen and unequivocally say to those we lost: you will never be forgotten.
On this day we also pay tribute to the lives of U.S. service members who made the ultimate sacrifice while seeking justice for Americans killed on September 11th. On August 31st, the United States completed its military mission in Afghanistan, which ultimately claimed the lives of 2,461 Americans, including 13 service members who last month heroically gave their lives as they worked around the clock to evacuate U.S. citizens, Afghan allies and other vulnerable populations. Most of the 13 killed were young children when the war started. 2,461 lives gone and 2,461 families left behind. Tens of thousands of U.S. service members sustained wounds from their service in Afghanistan – both seen and unseen – that they will carry for the rest of their lives. We honor them today and always, as well as the 800,000 Americans who proudly served in Afghanistan, and their families who made immense sacrifices.
I remember clearly how the New Hampshire Air National Guard deployed almost immediately after the 9/11 attacks to assist with refueling and continued to serve throughout the duration of the war. I cannot imagine how difficult it is for those directly impacted by U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, but I would like to say to all of those who served: your service mattered; your sacrifices will not be forgotten. You are a model to the world about what U.S. values look like by carrying out our mission to wipe out terror cells that threaten our national security and global stability, to empower women and girls and to promote democratic ideals that lift up communities. The deteriorating conditions we witnessed in Afghanistan are heartbreaking, but they do not undermine your work – your service and sacrifice – to make our country and world a safer place.
Reflecting on 20 years since 9/11, one of the most significant recollections I have is the overwhelming sense of community, borne out of both our communal grief and resilience. I remember attending a prayer service at St. Paul’s Church in Concord only a few days after the terror attacks. What started as a memorial and prayer service grew into a community gathering with residents joining together to sing “God Bless America.” I’ll also never forget that while other State Capitols in New England chose to close temporarily following the attacks, our State House remained open. We were resolute that we would not bend and would not let the terrorists win – they would not be allowed to shutter our democracy. In our nation’s darkest hour, we stood strong by standing together.
As we mark this solemn anniversary, I hope Granite Staters and Americans will join me to honor all those impacted by the terror attacks on 9/11: victims, first responders, U.S. service members – as well as our NATO allies and Afghan allies who rallied to and fought by our side – and all Americans who continue to feel the ripple effects of that day as strongly now as they did then. I hope we can all find the opportunity to channel the solidarity we felt twenty years ago and remember that we are stronger when we are together.
