By Shayan Abbasi
From Ground Zero’s ashes arose a nation’s resolve. From empty seats at the dinner table to a nation unified in loss, American resilience was showcased that one September day in 2001. Though the best and the worst of us was shown that day, our collective goodness shone brighter than our flaws in the wake of tragedy.
We find examples of courage from Michael Benfrante and John Cerqueira, who carried a wheelchaired woman down 68 flights of stairs. We find inspiration in retired Colonel Rick Rescorla, who used a bullhorn to get nearly 2,700 people to evacuate, then telling his wife “You’ve made my life” before the South Tower collapsed on him when he returned to ensure everyone else made it out. The numerous stories of firefighters selflessly entering crumbling buildings and the brave passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 who gave up their lives to prevent the hijacked plane from reaching its destination, inspire us to do better.
“Twenty-two years later [we can] remember and [be] aware of sacrifices that were made, and the subsequent war on terror and the eventual capture of the guy responsible for it. Take a second to think about that,” history teacher Martin Baratti said.
For me and my generation, 9/11 is not a personal memory but a historical event recounted by teachers, parents and survivors. We’ve seen images of the burning buildings and heard the stories of courage and loss, and we’ve come to understand that the world was forever changed by the acts of terror that unfolded that Tuesday morning.
How did these senseless attacks affect our own Fountain Valley community? Baratti expresses the state of shock at Fountain Valley High School at the time.
“They [students] never imagined anything like this could happen, but it was definitely a wake up call for them because we had kids from here that joined Navy Seals that joined the military and wanted to do something about it,” Baratti said.
It’s a history lesson that teaches us about the resilience of the human spirit and the need to stand together in the face of adversity. It reminds us that, even in the darkest of times, acts of kindness and heroism can shine brightly.
And, on 9/11, heroism did shine brightly. In an interview with Chemistry teacher Michael Olsberg, he spoke of the valor of Welles Crowther, also known as “the man in the red bandana.”
“He took off his day trading cap, and he put his firefighter cap on, and he calls out and goes, ‘those of you who can stand, stand now. If you can help others, do so,’ ” Olsberg said. “He walked down 20 flights of stairs with a group of people, he could have kept going with them, but instead, he chose to go back up and gather more people.”
Though he eventually went down with the building, at least 12 people credit him with saving their lives.
“What would you do in a moment of crisis? Would you scatter or would you be a leader? We can look to the example set by Welles Crowther, and he was a leader,” Olsberg said.
The attacks affected and still affect us differently. Some strengthened family ties, some found renewed faith in God, some enlisted to protect our nation from forces that wish it harm.
Through acts of kindness and service, we can contribute our part in making this world a better place by honoring those people who we will never be in contact with again. Volunteer at a local shelter, help a neighbor in need or simply lend a listening ear to someone struggling. Let’s never forget the heroes and lives lost. Let their memory inspire us to do better, to choose love over hatred, unity over division and compassion over judgment.
On this 9/11, let’s be more like Michael Benfrante and John Cerqueira. More like Rick Rescorla. And more like Welles Crowther. Let’s remember and honor the 2,977 individuals who died that day. In our hearts, the towers still stand tall, and resilience, a force stronger than steel, emerged on 9/11.
