There are some parts of history that are so tragic that we cannot ignore them. We may wish that they never occurred, or dream of a world in which they aren’t a reality, but we cannot ignore or forget the tragedy. The September 11 attack is one of those moments. Those who were old enough to understand will never forget where they were on that day, the first time they heard what was happening. The site of the once proud Twin towers, the World Trade Center, has been known since the attack as Ground Zero.
The World Trade Center
Sitting on 16 acres in Lower Manhattan, the World Trade Center once stood on the site tall and proud. The Twin Towers rose above the surrounding buildings. They were a part of the New York Skyline, and were an iconic site in New York. Until they were destroyed on September 11, 2001. Since then the site has been known as Ground Zero, a fitting term. Used to describe the point of a detonation closest to the Earth, the term can be used to describe both the physical location, and the reactive fires that spread through the people left behind.
The Memorial Museum
The National September 11 Memorial Museum is the country’s principal memorial to commemorate the September 11 attacks. Located on the former location of the Twin Towers, the Memorial is a monument to those who died in the September 11 attacks, as well as to those who died in the World Trade Center bombing of 1993. It was constructed as a reminder of those lives that were lost, and of the scars that have never quite healed. It will remain there, where the Twin Towers fell, a reminder of what once was, and where we must go now that it has changed.
Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives when the Twin Towers were attacked, and they should be remembered. The Memorial stands as a reminder not only of the victims who were within the towers, but also those who died attempting to rescue those within. On September 11, 2011, ten years after the original tragedy, the dedication ceremony was held at the memorial. The Memorial official opened the next day, allowing the public to remember. Within three months of the opening, more than 1 million people have visited.
More than twelve years have passed since the fall of the Twin Towers in the September 11 attack. Despite that, there are very few who do not feel the emotions with a fresh tang every time it is mentioned, every time thoughts stray to that 16 acre stretch of land. The scars of that day will never fully heal, and the memories of that day will never truly fade. Those who lost their lives that day should not be forgotten. This tragedy in the past should reflect itself in the way we live, in the way we strive to create a better future. Ground Zero will forever be a reminder, a memory of the things we want to outgrow. The Memorial Museum, and the other new buildings being constructed, will rise up to take the place of those that fell. They will stand as a reminder of what we’ve lost, and of the perspective that we have gained.