The haunting meaning behind each moment of silence during the 9/11 ceremony
This year, to mark 25 years of the 9/11 attacks, the ceremony will have seven moments of silence, instead of the usual six.
The 25th annual commemoration ceremony will take place on the Memorial plaza, New York, and the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum announced that they will observe seven moments of silence throughout the ceremony.
The seventh moment of silence will be added for the thousands of people who have since died following diseases linked to exposure from toxins from rubble and ash during the aftermath of the attacks.
"The National September 11 Memorial & Museum leads the nation, and the world, in marking the anniversary of the day that changed our lives forever," they state.
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The ceremony will commence at 8.30am ET, with the first moment of silence taking place at 8:46 a.m, the time when Flight 11 struck the North Tower.
The meaning behind each moment of silence during the 9/11 ceremony
As per the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the ceremony, which will take place 25 years after the attacks, will observe seven minutes of silence 'acknowledging when each of the World Trade Center towers was struck and fell, the times of the attack on the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93, and to honor those who lost their lives to 9/11-related illness and injury in the years since'.
Here's what they all represent, as per USA Today.
- 8:46 a.m. - Observance of time hijacked Flight 11 struck the North Tower
- 9:03 a.m. - Observance of time hijaked Flight 175 struck the South Tower
- 9:37 a.m. - Observance of time hijacked Flight 77 struck the Pentagon
- 9:59 a.m - Observance of time of the South Tower fell
- 10:03 a.m - Observance of time hijacked Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania
- 10:28 a.m. - Observance of time The North Tower fell
After the annual readings of the names of the victims, the seventh moment of silence will take place, in which will observe those who have died from illnesses since.
It won't just be a one-off for the 25th anniversary, with it being confirmed by The 9/11 Memorial & Museum that this will become permanent in the annual ceremonies in the years to come.
'400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants'
It has been estimated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that 400,000 people were exposed to 'toxic contaminants, risk of physical injury, and physically and emotionally stressful conditions,' after 9/11.
One of these is 9/11 responder, Michael O'Connell, who was diagnosed with sarcoidosis.
As per Cleveland Clinic, 'sarcoidosis is a condition that causes lumps or nodules (granulomas) to form in your lungs, lymph nodes, skin, eyes and other parts of your body'.
"My body was swollen probably two times the size of what it was the night before. I had blotches all over my body and high fever. Obviously, something was wrong," he told UNILAD, speaking of the morning he woke up six years after attacks.
Michael had to retire from his position in the FDNY due to his illness, and now advocates for the 9/11 community, 'so everyone affected by that day will not get left behind and those that we lose along the way know that we will NEVER FORGET!!!' he says.
Kiesha Dosanjh