by Sam Miller

Created on: April 14, 2010   Last Updated: April 16, 2010

The 9/11 terrorist attacks on America in 2001 marked a new phase in international terrorism, when for the first time airplanes were used as weapons of mass destruction to murder innocent citizens of sovereign state; the United States. Though not an actual eye witness to atrocities committed through, Osama Bin Laden's  Al Queda terrorist Group. I  was an impartial observer thousand of miles away in Nigeria, Africa when the first plane hit the first twin tower. Not too long afterwards a second plane hit the other tower and it seemed all hell had broken loose. The devastation characterized by the  black carbon smoke of the debris of twisted and mangled steel metal of what was once the twin towers seemed to be like a Hollywood movie spectacle but this it was real and not a movie.

The world and America was redefined by 9/11.That day the world stood in shock at the magnitude of destruction of the lives of close to 3,000 innocent men, women and children representing different nationalities around the world. I can't ever forget even after close to ten years the tragic loss of lives and property on that day in 2001. The events which took place thousands of miles away in America were seen live on my TV screen in Nigeria. I could not understand initially what was happening and felt that America was under a severe attack of some sorts. It was only later that it dawned on us that some form of new terrorist attack had taken place on American soil.

The world stood in solidarity with the America people on that day in 2001 it will never forget because a new war  called terrorism had been declared against the United States by a yet to identified enemy. President George W. Bush would later declare a war against terrorism.

The 9/11 attacks brought out many heroic deeds of the firefighters, brave  heroes who risked their lives to save so many on that day.Many heroes were made on that day. Who can ever forget the exploits of the volunteer rescuers who scavenged through the rubble with their bare hands to rescue those trapped beneath the debris and rubble of what once was the twin towers. Everyone had a story to recount of bravery and courage, however, the struggle with the terrorist  on the plane that crashed on a plain field in near Washington stands out as one of the greatest heroic deeds. They sacrificed their lives to save the lives of so many others on that day.

9/11 for me will always be remembered as a day when few people; firefighters, volunteer workers, policemen, and many other unsung heroes were prepared to risk their lives to save the lives of others. The immortal words of Sir Winston Church, the wartime Prime Minister of Great  Britain are a fitting epithet "Never in history have so few men been owed so much to their country as the airmen and heroes of the battle of Great Britain" These parting words could aptly apply to the heroes of 9/11.                         

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