Friday, September 9, 2011

Random Facts Friday Sept. 9, 2011

Hello all,
As benefiting the moment, I feel it only proper for the Random Facts this week to honor Sept. 11, 2001 with some facts of that fateful day.

1. About 3000 people died in New York, but only half of them had bodies recovered and buried. 70 countries lost citizens. The memorial will include the names of all those lost. For those families who did not bury their loved one, this will be their cemetery.

2. The New York City Fire Department lost 343 firefighters. 60 police officers from New York City and the Port Authority, and 8 private emergency medical technicians and paramedics also died. Part of the disparity between the numbers: the radio systems were designed to talk only to their employees, not to other types of responders. The police were notified the second tower was going down and many were able to get out before the collapse, but word never got to the firefighters, also due in part to faulty radios.

3. 189 people died at the Pentagon and on American Flight 77. More civilians than people in the military were killed at the Pentagon.

4. 44 passengers and crew members died on United Flight 93. Terrorist leaders who were later captured said that the target was the Capitol.

6. There were 19 hijackers.

7. My own fact to contribute: all planes were grounded in U.S. air space. Around 5pm or so, several of us saw a jet flying overhead. We became concerned and because it was quite visible, felt many phone calls would be made to authorities, which indeed happened. Much later it was confirmed it was Air Force One, President Bush's airplane. He had been headed back to Washington to address the nation.

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