NARRATOR: On the clear, nearly cloudless morning of September 11, 2001, the United States experienced the single deadliest terrorist attack in its history. Four commercial planes, each loaded with thousands of gallons of jet fuel, were hijacked and turned into guided missiles. Nearly 3,000 people from 90 countries lost their lives, including 2,753 people who were killed when the World Trade Center Twin Towers collapsed. The attacks began in Boston, far from the ultimate sites of destruction. Two of the planes that struck the World Trade Center departed from Logan International Airport. The crews and many passengers on those flights were Massachusetts residents, making the state the starting point and home to some of the first victims of the attacks.

The 9/11 attacks were planned and carried out by 19 men affiliated with al-Qaeda, a terrorist network led by Osama bin Laden. Al-Qaeda spent years planning and training for a deadly attack on the United States.

On the morning of September 11, five hijackers boarded American Airlines Flight 11 and another five boarded United Airlines Flight 175 in Boston. At 7:59 AM, Flight 11, carrying 76 passengers and 11 crew members took off from Logan. 15 minutes later, at 8:14 AM, Flight 175, with 51 passengers and nine crew members followed. Both flights were bound for Los Angeles. But the hijackers diverted the planes to New York.

At 8:46 AM, Flight 11 was deliberately crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. 17 minutes later, at 9:03 AM, Flight 175 slammed into the South Tower, leaving no doubt that America was under attack.

American Airlines Flight 77 departed from Washington Dulles International Airport for Los Angeles at 8:20 carrying 53 passengers, six crew members and five hijackers. It was crashed into the western side of the Pentagon at 9:37 AM; killing all people on board and 125 civilian and military personnel inside the building. At 8:42 AM, United Airlines Flight 93 departed from Newark Airport bound for San Francisco with 33 passengers, seven crew members, and four hijackers. When passengers on board learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center via phone calls, they courageously voted to storm the cockpit, preventing the hijackers from reaching their intended target, likely the U.S. Capitol. Instead, as the passengers attempted to regain control of the cockpit, the hijackers diverted the plane and crashed it into an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Everyone on board was killed, but there were no fatalities on the ground.

From the earliest moments, crew members and passengers stood at the forefront of warning and resistance. Flight 11 attendants Amy Sweeney and Betty Ong calmly and clearly communicated urgent updates to American Airlines staff on the ground, thereby alerting the world of the hijacking.

AMERICANAIRLINESEMPLOYEE: What flight are you on?

BETTYONG: Okay, my name is Betty Ong. I'm number three on Flight 11. We can't breathe, and I don't know, I think we're getting hijacked.

NARRATOR: Their calls revealed a terrifying scene-- attacks, murders, and the threat of a bomb in the cockpit. Captain John Ogonowski, a Massachusetts resident, Vietnam veteran, and veteran commercial pilot, was murdered while at the controls of Flight 11, but helped activate the cockpit radio, allowing authorities to hear the hijackers' actions. Passenger Daniel Lewin, a Cambridge tech innovator and former Israeli military officer, reportedly fought the hijackers before being fatally attacked. These victims showed incredible strength, focus and resourcefulness in the midst of the attack, and were the first to alert, resist, and sacrifice.

NARRATOR: The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop at 9:25 AM on September 11. All airborne flights were ordered to land immediately, and international flights were instructed to turn back or divert to Canada or other countries, emptying the skies for the first time in U.S. history. The nation responded to the attacks with a display of unity and resilience, guided by a promise to never forget, always remember.

CROWD: And the home of the brave.