The attack took place on a clear morning in New York City.
The temperature was 68 degrees in Central Park and 72 at LaGuardia
International Airport around the time of the first crash into the World Trade
Center.
The first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767
from Boston to Los Angeles, struck the North Tower near the 80th floor at 8:46
a.m. EDT. Seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767
from Boston to Los Angeles, smashed into the South Tower near the 60th floor.
The South Tower collapsed at 9:59 EDT, while the North Tower fell at 10:28 EDT.
Around 9:37 a.m. EDT, American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing
757 from Washington to Los Angeles, dove into the west side of the Pentagon,
killing all 64 aboard as well as 125 on the ground.
The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757
from Newark to San Francisco, crashed into the ground near Shanksville, Pa. at
approximately 10:03 EDT, killing all 44 on board.
The casualties from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001
were diverse in many ways. The deaths represented most U.S. states as well as
77 countries, a host of occupations, and a wide array of personal backgrounds.
A total of 2,977 individuals lost their lives on that
morning, including 2,606 at the World Trade Center, 265 on the four planes
involved, and 125 at the Pentagon. The death total excludes the nineteen
hijackers.
It is believed that nine of the civilian deaths were
residents of Illinois. Over 6,000 were injured in the incidents.
Some 2,605 were U.S. citizens, with 372 citizens of other
nations, not including the hijackers. An estimated 344 of the deaths were
firefighters, while another 72 were law enforcement officers.
At the World Trade Center, the dead included 2,192 civilians
and 343 firemen. The 71 law enforcement officers who died at the site hailed
from several agencies, including the New York City Police Department, the Port
Authority Police Department, and others.
Eight EMTs and paramedics were among the lost. Some fifty-five military
personnel died at the Pentagon.
Overall, the dead at the WTC ranged in age from 18-79, with
a total of 1,402 in the North Tower.
The staffs of some firms in the World Trade Center were
decimated by the catastrophe. Cantor Fitzgerald, an investment bank on Floors
101-105 of the North Tower, lost 658 of its 960 New York City staff members and
struggled to recover, both financially and emotionally.
Insurance firm Marsh McLennan, on Floors 93-100 of the North
Tower, suffered the loss of 295 employees, while Aon, a worldwide financial
concern with offices on eight floors of the South Tower, lost 175 workers.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control in August 2002
– which only studied the 2,726 death certificates filed to that date – found
that 75.8 percent of the victims were white, 9.5 percent were Hispanic, 7.9
percent were African-American, and 6.5 percent were Asian or Pacific
Islander.
A total of 77.1 percent of victims were male, with 22.9
percent female. Education levels ranged from 67.4 with college or more, 12.1
percent with some college, and 18.9 percent with high school. Eleven victims
had less than a high school degree.
In addition, there were thousands of other long-term
effects. The Cancer Centers of America reports that over 2,000 first responders
and Ground Zero workers have lost their lives to a multitude of illnesses,
including cancer, due to the high levels of toxic dust from the ruins of the
sites.
A Mount Sinai study of police officers and recovery workers
revealed higher-than-normal risks of cancer, particularly leukemia, thyroid
cancer, and prostate cancer. Skin cancer is believed to be another hazard for
rescue and recovery workers.
The September 11
attacks remain among the deadliest days in American history. By comparison,
2,403 Americans were killed at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The National Park
Service reports an estimated 3,650 battlefield deaths combined from North and
South at the Civil War clash at Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862.
The death toll of the 9/11 attacks was finally exceeded by
the 3,080 deaths from COVID-19 on Dec. 9, 2020. That record was broken numerous
times afterward, including in January 2021, when an average of 3,100 Americans
died from the pandemic each day that month.
Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
