As a father of two teenage sons, I plan to talk to them on 9-11-2021 about the tragic events that happened on American soil 20 years ago, before they were born. Because we spend almost every weekend hunting or fishing, this discussion will likely happen in the boat or duck blind. And for us, it’ll be the perfect place to celebrate our freedoms because that’s what the heroes of 9-11 would want — for Americans to go on with our lives . . . but never forget. 

I plan to share the two videos below with my sons. The first tells the story of the passengers and crew who fought the hijackers of United Flight 93. These men and women successfully prevented the terrorists from crashing the plane into the White House. I’m not sure if my sons know all of the details explained in this video. They need to see it and understand.

The second video is new to me; it originally appeared on ABC News only a few days ago. It tells the story of Heather Penney, who was a rookie F-16 pilot in 2001 and volunteered for a suicide mission to crash her unarmed jet into United Flight 93 to prevent it from hitting the White House. She ultimately didn’t have to complete her mission because the passengers themselves stepped up to fight the terrorists.

Never forget.