Team Minot commemorates fallen heroes of 9/11

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Benjamin Stratton
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT, N.D. --  Students and Team Minot members at Magic City Campus High School took time to remember the lives lost and commemorate the heroism and comradery in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks Sept. 11 here.

"As a teacher, times like these have become a history lesson," said Lt. Col. Mike Burt, commanding officer of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Squadron ND20021. "My students now were in grade school when the attacks took place."

The Colonel's history lesson: the September 11 attacks were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners.

The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others.

The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C.

There were no survivors from any of the flights. More than 2,900 people, including the terrorists, died on a day that will never be forgotten.

The ceremony started with the raising of the American flag to half-staff by the cadets at 7:46 a.m. at the local time when the first airliner struck the north tower of the WTC.

"I was in fourth grade when the attacks happened," said Cadet Major Elizabeth Stahl, Cadet Corps squadron ND20021 commander and daughter of Lt. Col. William Stahl, 5th Maintenance Group commander at Minot Air Force Base. "I feel it is very important for kids to fully understand the impact 9/11 had on our lives."

Cadet Stahl led the flag detail with flawless execution. The tradition of flying the flag at half-staff began centuries ago to allow the invisible flag of death to fly on top of the mast, thus signifying death's presence, power, and prominence.

Some at the event likened the tragic events of 9/11 to the bombing of Pearl Harbor in terms of what it means to the current generation. Members of the Axis powers at the time, the Japanese, attacked a strategic naval shipyard at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii bringing the U.S. to the frontlines of WWII.

"Pearl Harbor was equally important," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Snelson, 219th Air National Guard security response force leader and guest speaker at the ceremony. "9/11 is why I serve so that's why it's important to me. When I was a recruiter on active duty, I would have old WWII veterans come into my office and talk to me about how it was their responsible to kill Nazi's. It is our responsibility to care about terrorism and keep the terrorists from attacking our country again."

In the same respect, members of the Cadet Corps said some regions of the country still have remembrance ceremonies for the victims of Pearl Harbor. However, as 9/11 happened during the lifetimes of these cadets and others in attendance at the ceremony, it is this generations "Day of Infamy."

As members of the Team Minot community remembered the events of 9/11, one thought ran through the minds of those in attendance and Cadet Stahl put it into words, "I am proud to be an American."

However, even though the attacks targeted American soil, more than 80 countries were represented in the final death count.

"These people gave their lives without having raised their right hand," Colonel Burt said. "This day had a major impact on civilized society throughout the world."

"We are now fighting an intangible enemy," Sergeant Snelson said. "Days like this solidify our reason for serving and our motivation for continued service."