On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 men hijacked four commercial planes as part of a coordinated attack on the United States. Two of those planes were flown into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The third plane struck the U.S. Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane failed to reach its intended target and was crashed by the hijackers in a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Louisiana natives Lt. Michael Scott Lamana (USN), Petty Officer Second Class Kevin Wayne Yokum (USN) and Lt. Col. (Ret.) Robert Joseph Hymel (USAF) died in the attack on the Pentagon. Louis Calvin Williams, III and Elizabeth Ann “Betty” Farmer were killed in the attack on the World Trade Center.
Arkansas natives Sara Low, a flight attendant on Flight 11, and Malissa White were killed in the World Trade Center attack and Operations Specialist Second Class Nehamon Lyons (USN), IV died at the Pentagon.
Join Lisa O'Brien and Michael Carnahan tonight at 8:00 p.m. Central as they talk about Tonight, the attacks, the aftermath and those responsible.. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was the architect of the plan to use planes as weapon against the United States. He oversaw operations and training of pilots and hijackers chosen personally by Osama bin Laden. Zaccarias Mossaoui was intended to pilot a fifth hijacked plane into the White House. His behavior and statements, as well as his inquiries regarding converting GPS units for aeronautical operation raised suspicions at his flight school, which led to his arrest on immigration violations in August, 2001 and Al Hamza Ahmad Suliman al Bahlul, Osama bin Laden’s personal assistant and al Qaeda’s propaganda minister. Bahlul took loyalty oaths from Mohammad Atta and Ziad al Jarrah and produced their “martyr’s wills,” a propaganda tool.