EXCALIBUR is committed to honoring the men, women, and children killed in the terrorist attacks on our country, the service members and civilians who die in the service of our country, and also saluting the service of our troops and first responders on the front lines. “We Honor and Salute” will change periodically. When the facility is up and running, every day will begin with a moment of silence for those that have been lost and the day will end with a moment of silence for those that are out their serving that they may return safely. This is not about religion or politics; it’s about sacrifice and service. We will never forget.
September 11th, 2001
At 8:45 a.m. on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the terrorist network al-Qaeda launched a coordinated attack on the United States of America. The attack consisted of hijacking four airborne commercial airliners and turning them into weapons by flying them into predetermined buildings. The targets were the World Trade Center Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and either the White House or US Capitol building. The last hijacked plane of the day was United Airlines Flight 93 and it is clear that the crew and passengers who survived the takeover stormed the cockpit and caused the terrorist pilot to crash, or that he crashed the plane so that the passengers would have no chance of retaking it.
2, 973 people were lost that day, while 24 officially remain listed as being missing. 2,602 people died at the World Trade Center site and 125 died at the Pentagon. All of the people onboard the hijacked planes were killed: 88 on American Flight 11, 59 on United Flight 175, 59 on American Flight 77, and 40 on United Flight 93. The nineteen hijackers that carried out the attacks are not included in the above figures. Heroism was not only found in Flight 93 as the losses at the World Trade Center include 343 New York City Fire Department firefighters, 37 Port Authority Police Department officers, and 23 New York City Police Department officers.
Combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq
In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, President Bush ordered our military to commence strikes against Taliban and terrorist targets in Afghanistan. These strikes were in response to both the attacks of September 11 and the Taliban's failure to "…close terrorist training camps; hand over leaders of the al Qaeda network; and return all foreign nationals, including American citizens, unjustly detained in your country." [1] Within two months, allied forces removed the Taliban government and installed Hamid Karzai as head of the interim government in December 2001. In January 2004, the Afghan Grand Assembly –Loya Jirga-- adopted a new Constitution. In October of that year, presidential elections occurred in which Hamid Karzai won with 55% of the vote. In September of 2005, Afghanistan held its first Parliamentary and Provincial elections in over 30 years. [2]
However, the removal of the Taliban and installation of a new government did not end the war. Forces loyal to the Taliban scattered into the mountains of Afghanistan or across the boarder into Pakistan where they conduct hit-and-run attacks on allied forces that continue to this day. While the primary objective of removing the Taliban and destroying terrorist training networks in Afghanistan has been successful, quelling the insurgency and re-building Afghan infrastructure is a more difficult task. Since July of 2006, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been responsible for security in all Afghanistan –this is the first time in NATO's history that Article V, common defense, has been evoked.
In March 2003 a multi-national coalition led by the United States began military operations against Iraq, in what the U.S. military now calls Operation Iraqi Freedom. These operations were the culmination of United States policy to force Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein to cease his pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, his support of terror, and the abuse of his people.
Coalition forces drove on Baghdad with speed unprecedented in the history of warfare. The Iraqi regime was quickly overwhelmed, and coalition forces began the process of returning control of the country to the Iraqi people. On January 31st, 2005 elections were held, and the Iraqi people formed a government to draft a permanent constitution. In October this constitution was ratified, and in December a general election was held to elect members of the Iraqi National Assembly. On May 20th, 2006 this government assumed sovereignty of Iraq.
Despite the progress made by legitimate forces within Iraq, many foreign and jihadi elements have used the new Iraqi state as a battleground for their extremist causes. These terrorists and insurgents launch attacks against coalition forces and the Iraqi populous, with the objective of destabilizing the legitimate Iraqi government. They use terrorist tactics and suicide attacks to strike at civilians. Roaming death squads intimidate the Iraqi population and discourage participation in their own government.
Coalition forces in Iraq are working constantly to provide security for the Iraqi people. The United States is sending increased numbers of troops to the theater in order to provide security to civilians in Baghdad, where most of the violence is occurring. American troops are also working tirelessly to train the Iraqi National Army, so that the Iraqis will be able to provide their own security. In addition to these efforts, American forces work every day to help rebuild the infrastructure of the Iraqi state. Soldiers help rebuild schools, establish networks for critical utilities such as electricity, water and sanitation, and in partnering with American aid agencies, help to rebuild the Iraqi economy.
Combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have come at a heavy price of US troops killed and wounded. The numbers would be undoubtedly much higher if not for the incredible speed and skill of our medical personnel in treating and evacuating wounded personnel from the combat zone. Every life is a massive loss to the loved ones, family, and friends of those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for America. As of May 1st 2007, operations in Afghanistan have produced approximately 385 U.S. military fatalities with approximately 1,140 wounded. Operations in Iraq have produced approximately 3,350 fatalities and approximately 24,400 wounded personnel.
On the pointy edge defending freedom and America
Since the Allied victory in WWII, US personnel have served abroad protecting America’s interest and defending freedom. Despite complete victory and unconditional surrender by the Japanese and Germans in WWII, our troops have maintained a presence in both those countries and in South Korea after the armistice which ended the Korean War. Our troops have served across the globe in every climate, in war and peace, and continue serving in almost forgotten places like the Sinai Desert, the Demilitarized Zone in the Republic of Korea, and on the high seas underway and across the skies where the nation needs them.
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, our troops have been active in places to include Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, the Philippines, and Iraq. We owe our freedom to these brave men and women who continue to serve our country in our defense. We keep them in our thoughts and prayers hoping they return home safely to their loved ones.
[1] The Attack: The Mass Murder of September 11th, 2001. 9-11 Research. http://911research.wtc7.net/sept11/attack.html
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq
[4] http://icasualties.org/oif/default.aspx