'The towers are gone!' Since 9/11, nothing has been the same.

As we near the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, you've no doubt seen more of the tributes, the horrifying tales recounting loss and survival, and the tender moments of unity that feel so fleeting now. As we revisit that history and remember the nearly 3,000 people who died in the attacks that day, we wanted to hear from you, our readers, on how you view one of the nation's most foundational shared memories. So we asked you what you experienced that day, what you remember from that moment of both unimaginable loss and of coming together as Americans, and how you see the legacy of that dark day now, with 25 years of hindsight and history. See a collection of your responses below. For more opportunities to weigh in with your takes on the news, visit usatoday.com/forum, leave us a voicemail at (202) 655-3923 or drop us a note at forum@usatoday.com. 'The towers are gone!' I was on a Long Island Rail Road train to Penn Station when we first heard of a plane crashing into the first tower of the World Trade Center. We thought it was a small plane, but I could see the smoke rising from the building. I entered the subway, but it stopped running, so I walked to Chinatown. Everyone was walking the other way, and cars were playing the news on the radio. I called my wife, who said, "The towers are gone!" I thought I would have heard it, but I checked the web, and it was true. I walked back to Penn Station and waited for hours until they released one train back home. When I got home, I couldn't turn off the TV, watching the news coverage. Nothing was the same after. More security at airports, the military at public locations. What should have been done differently is that we should have been more diligent and direct in going after the people behind the attack. We ended up in a war for more years than we should have, and people are paying the price even now. Having worked downtown, my office was closed for a week, but I went back and had to pass the rubble every day, walking to work. I'll never forget two things: 1) the posters everywhere of missing people and 2) the smell. In 2009, I was diagnosed with cancer, which I thankfully beat. I think we do a wonderful job of remembering that day every year by taking a moment of silence for each plane and for when the buildings fell. We remember the victims by reading their names, so we never forget. The reflecting pools are beautiful reminders of the people and buildings. The 9/11 museum is a trove of history that everyone should see. Thanks to the Victim Compensation Fund, many first responders are able to get the treatment they need and the money they deserve for volunteering. I'm not sure what justice looks like 25 years after 9/11. Too many have died, and there's nothing anyone can do to bring them back. What would justice look like? This was the worst foreign attack on American soil in our history. This is a day no one should forget, but I think that 9/11 is to people who weren't born then as Pearl Harbor or the Vietnam War is to Generation X. We don't do enough to remember the day, just what's read in textbooks. Bring survivors and first responders to schools to tell their story. - Craig Markowitz, New York I felt helpless on 9/11. I found a way to help today. I remember most the feeling of helplessness on 9/11. Watching the TV coverage over and over, those fleeing Lower Manhattan, covered in dust. The loved ones holding up pictures and pleading for any information about those missing. Friends, family members, firefighters. I knew there was nothing I could do to bring back those lost. Donating blood that wasn't needed. Donating supplies like flashlights, gloves, food for the rescue workers. It was a day of tragedy, but also a day of unity. Since 2002, I have been part of the 9/11Day.org program, honoring those fallen with community service. Each year, I have been at the USS Intrepid packing shelf-stable meals for local New York City food banks. This year, 50 locations are hosting events – planning to pack 18 million meals for food banks. I will be in Miami, which is hosting for the first year. We can unite for good. - Ellen Bowen, Florida For a short time, we were all united as Americans I was in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, visiting my mom on Sept. 11, 2001. I had recently moved to St. Louis. We had planned on going the next day to the World Trade Center; my wife had never been there. That morning, my mom called the house from work and said the Trade Center was on fire and we probably couldn't go. So I turned on the TV, and saw the second plane hit. I knew at that point this was a terrorist attack. I have pictures of the smoke coming up over Manhattan. It was one of the most dreadful days I have ever experienced. I think a lot of Americans back then had a false sense of security that we were safe. 9/11 made us realize we were not. That day made most communities in the Northeast really come together since it was so close to home. When I got back to St. Louis, people were upset, but it was different. New York City was far away, and it didn't impact them as much. I still get sad thinking about that day, today. As a first responder myself, we have been through our highs and lows. The people who died that day trying to rescue others were heroes of the highest order. Unfortunately, over the past 25 years, social media has brought the few bad officers into the spotlight and painted all of us with a broad brush. We dedicate our lives to helping others and don't ask for anything in return. Sept. 11 was a horrible experience, but the country was briefly united. Right now, this country is so divided, and it seems it's MAGA vs. Democrats. Back on that awful day, we were just Americans. Grieving and comforting each other. - Marc Beiner, Missouri Sept. 11, 2001, started out as a lovely day I worked in Midtown Manhattan at the time, and I distinctly remember, as I was walking from Grand Central station to my office, thinking just how lovely a day it was. I'm at my desk settling in with my usual coffee, checking online for any news or baseball items of interest, when I notice that the internet is really slow for some reason. That's when someone comes in and tells us that a plane hit the World Trade Center. I putter about doing some work for a while, not even going to watch the TV that someone had set up in another room. I know that in the first few hours after every disaster or breaking news story, there's nothing but confusion and guessing – so I always wait a while before checking the news. Around noon, we were told we could go home, because the office was closing and would be closed the next day. Things were open again on the 13th as we pretty much knew what had happened and needed to get on with things. I recall hearing an announcement on the subway: "Because of an incident at the World Trade Center ..." Rather an understatement. - Richard Solensky, New York May we learn from our past and stay out of foreign wars I dropped my husband off at Sacramento International Airport that morning and told him I wish he could be home for his 29th birthday that day. I returned home, and he called and said to turn on the TV. I saw a plane hit the Pentagon. His plane was grounded on the tarmac. I drove back to SMF to get him. Everyone leaving the plane got the news and was crying. It was surreal. I was able to meet my husband at the gate on 9/11. Never again. I also became more skeptical of our world. Innocence was lost. We need to honor our first responders and the pilots and flight attendants. I try to remind my children how life was before and after 9/11, and they're both well-versed in what happened. What America needs now is to stay out of foreign wars. This is what got us into this trouble to begin with. - Johanna Naughton, California This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The towers are gone!' Since 9/11, nothing has been the same. | Your Turn Reporting by Opinion Forum, USA TODAY / USA TODAY USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect This story was originally published September 7, 2026 at 6:02 AM.