“I will never forget that September 11”

Yesterday, the US observed the National Day of Service and Remembrance in memory of those who perished during the terrorist attack in New York.

Let us recall that 16 years ago, al-Qaeda captured four airliners operated by American Airlines and United Airlines. Two of them crashed into the Twin Towers, and one into the Pentagon. The last one did not reach its goal, the White House, following the passengers’ revolt. It crashed in Pennsylvania. As a result of the terrorist attack, 2,977 people died, including 11 Ukrainians. Also, 343 firefighters and 60 police officers died on that day as they fought bravely for the life of each person. Among those who were in the towers during their collapse, only 20 survived. Sujo John was one of the survivors. His life changed forever after this tragedy. John became a motivational speaker who uses his training to give people hope and faith. He decided that he should try and rescue people from slavery. John created a non-profit charitable organization to combat the trafficking of women and children which is called YouCanFreeUs, and he told our publication about it as well.

ABOUT THE ATTACK

“That day started like any other, but then everything changed forever. I will never forget that September 11. It is hard to believe that 16 years have passed. Everything is so fresh in my mind. I feel the smell of jet fuel, I almost feel the heat of fire, and the feeling of how a building collapsed near me is so fresh and still real today. At the hall level, I approached the South Tower to look for my wife, and then the earth began to tremble, it felt like an earthquake. It was the South Tower collapsing, and I was next to it. Those of us who were there came together and began to pray thinking that we would die. All 28 people from my office were rescued, although at least 8 died on our floor.”

ABOUT THE RESCUE WORKERS

“These brave men who were the first to start the rescue operation on September 11 died so that others could live. They have shown the world what America is made of. They have shown that there are men and women here who love freedom so much that they will protect their homeland even if it would require them to sacrifice their lives. After the South Tower collapsed near me, I was rescued by an FBI agent who pulled me out and led me to safety.”

ABOUT LESSONS LEARNED AFTER THE TERRORIST ATTACK

“The lessons of September 11 (called the 9/11 in the US as a shorthand) should be learned by America and all the nations of the world so as to prevent new terrorist attacks from occurring. While it is impossible to stop all terrorist attacks, we can stop a majority of them by doing better at collecting intelligence and improving security measures. Our lifestyle has changed since. It is a pity we have lost some of our civil liberties. The greatest lesson is that we must pay attention to threats, even if they are thousands of kilometers away, before they reach American shores. Americans have been feeling vulnerable since September 11, when we realized that we have a real enemy.”

ABOUT DONALD TRUMP’S POLICY ON TERRORISM

“America must do its utmost to protect this country from the threat of radical Islam which wants to destroy the Western civilization and its culture.”

ABOUT THE FAMILY

“My wife also worked at the World Trade Center. She worked on the 71st floor of the South Tower. She was four months pregnant then. For hours, I believed her to be dead, and she believed that I was dead. She was late for work, and it saved her life. Now we have three children: a boy of 15, who my wife was pregnant with at that time, a girl of 11 and a 6-year-old boy. Our children are aware of that day, because it has affected us in many ways. I feel that it is important to discuss with the children the fact that there is evil in the world, but I also remind them that goodness always defeats injustice.”

ABOUT LIFE AFTER THE TERRORIST ATTACK

“My life has changed a lot. Most media covered our story, and this prompted me to become a motivational speaker. I shared my story of hope and faith with the rest of the world. Also, I launched a non-profit project called YouCanFreeUs Foundation, which rescues women and children from modern slavery. When I saw the horrors suffered by victims of human trafficking, I felt that since I was rescued, I was now duty-bound to rescue those still trapped.”

For more information on the work of YouCanFreeUs, visit www.youcanfree.us