By FRANCIS JOSEPH
Twenty- five years ago on this Friday – 14 Trinidadians died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre buildings in New York.
The United States and the rest of the world have not been the same.
For certain, the United States increased their security, ensuring that arriving in that country would not be the same for visitors.
But for the 14 Trinidadians, it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many of them were in work or heading to New York on that morning – September 11, 2001. For me, it was better late than never, as I was scheduled to fly out the following day on business for Newsday. Well, you call that saved by the bell!
They were:
Conrad Cottoy, 50; Rena Sam-Dinnoo; Joan Francis; Winston Grant, 59; Clara Hinds, 52; Stephen Joseph, 39; Glenroy Neblett, 42; Jerome Nedd, 39; Oscar Nesbitt, 58; Anthony Portillo, 48; Vishnoo Ramsaroop, 45; Goumatie Thackurdeen, 35; Boyie Mohammed, 50; and Paula Morales, 42.
So for those who were not born as yet and for those who may not remember, this is what happened:
* This was a coordinated series of four suicide terrorist attacks carried out by the al-Qaeda extremist group against the United States.
The Hijackings: Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes on a busy morning.
World Trade Center : Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers. Flight 11 hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m., and Flight 175 hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. Both towers eventually collapsed.
The Pentagon in Virginia: Flight 77 was flown into the military headquarters outside Washington, D.C., at 9:37 a.m.
Shanksville (Pennsylvania): Flight 93 was targeted at a federal building or the U.S. Capitol, but passengers and crew fought back. The plane crashed in a rural field.
After the dust cleared and an inventory was taken, 2,977 persons were killed in the four attacks. But the most devastating was the destruction of the Twin Towers and the remarkable restaurant at the top of one of the buildings – Windows to the World, of which I had the pleasure to visit on many occasions.
ceremony in Port-of-Spain on Friday
On Thursday night, a fleet of 2,977 illuminated drones rose over New York Harbor, with each light representing each person killed in the attacks of September 11.
The aerial tribute, titled “2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor,” gradually transformed from moving points of light into a recreation of the World Trade Center’s iconic Twin Towers, restoring their familiar outline to the New York skyline for a brief but deeply emotional moment.
The display was designed as an act of remembrance for victims, survivors, families and first responders, while also helping a younger generation connect with an event many were not alive to witness.
The September 11 attacks triggered wars, sweeping changes to global security policy, the creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, expanded surveillance powers and profound social and political consequences that continue to shape the world today.
The US Embassy in Port-of-Spain usually commemorates this day annually. Friday is no exception.
