Eight years later....

Patriot Day means so much to our family. It's a day we honor and remember. It's a day we pray and reflect. It's a day we remember the thousands of innocent victims who died (and the loved ones they left behind) on September 11, 2001.

The passengers and crew of American Airlines Flight 11, which hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m.:

The passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 175, which hit the South Tower at 9:02 a.m.:

The thousands of people in the World Trade Center's and those on the ground. I can't imagine the terror, panic, and suffering these individuals endured.

The passengers and crew of American Airlines Flight 77, which hit the Pentagon at 9:38 a.m.:

The passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, which dove into a Pennyslvania field at 10:06 a.m.:

The brave police officers and firefighter's who risked their lives and to those who lost their lives (even in the days after) trying to save others:

Our family will never forget!

When my 10 year old daughter asked me how many people died on 9/11, I knew it was close to three thousand, but I wanted to have a more definate answer. I found it and would like to share it with you.

Number of 9/11 Deaths

At least 2,985 people died in the September 11, 2001, attacks, including:

• 19 terrorists
• 2,966 victims [2,998 as of Spring 2009]

All but 13 people died on that day. The remaining 13 later died of their wounds. One person has died since the attacks, of lung cancer. It is suspected to have been caused by all the debris from the Twin Towers.

There were 266 people on the four planes:

• American Airlines Flight 11 (crashed into the WTC): 92 (including five terrorists)
• United Airlines Flight 175 (crashed into the WTC): 65 (including five terrorists)
• American Airlines Flight 77 (crashed into the Pentagon): 64 (including five terrorists)
• United Flight 93 (downed in Shanksville, PA): 45 (including four terrorists)

There were 2,595 people in the World Trade Center and near it, including:

• 343 NYFD firefighters and paramedics
• 23 NYPD police officers
• 37 Port Authority police officers
• 1,402 people in Tower 1
• 614 people in Tower 2
• 658 people at one company, Cantor Fitzgerald
• 1,762 New York residents
• 674 New Jersey residents
• 1 NYFD firefighter killed by a man jumping off the top floors of the Twin Towers

There were 125 civilians and military personnel at the Pentagon.

1,609 people lost a spouse or partner on 9/11. More than 3,051 children lost parents.

While it was mostly Americans who were killed in this horrific attack, there were also 327 foreign nationals. Here is the breakdown, according to country:

Argentina: 4 Australia: 11 Bangladesh: 6 Belarus: 1 Belgium: 1 Bermuda: 1 Brazil: 3 Canada: 27 Chile: 2 China: 4 Cote d'Ivoire: 1 Colombia: 17 Democratic Republic of the Congo: 2 Dominican Republic: 1 El Salvador: 1 Ecuador: 3 France: 1 Germany: 11 Ghana: 2 Guyana: 3 Haiti: 2 Honduras: 1 India: 1 Indonesia: 1 Ireland: 6 Israel: 5 Italy: 4 Jamaica: 16 Japan: 26 Jordan: 2 Lebanon: 3 Lithuania: 1 Malaysia: 7 Mexico: 16 Moldova: 1 Netherlands: 1 New Zealand: 2 Nigeria: 1 Panama: 2 Peru: 5 Philippines: 16 Portugal: 3 Poland: 1 Russia: 1 South Africa: 2 South Korea: 28 Spain: 1 Sweden: 1 Taiwan: 1 Ukraine: 1 Uzbekistan: 1 United Kingdom: 67 Venezuela: 1