Today marks the 25th anniversary of the largest attack on America. Today’s college seniors weren’t even alive when the attack happened. They’re familiar with the events by learning in school.

For an elementary student, 9/11 is what Pearl Harbor is to older people.

America changed forever after Sept. 11, 2001. Security safeguards are in most public places. The Homeland Security Department was created by President George W. Bush employing thousands to make certain airports were safe and no contraband gets on aircraft like before. Before TSA, airports hired their own security. Many were poorly trained and received slightly more than minimum wage.

In total, 2,977 were killed plus all the hijackers died. The plane that struck the Pentagon was hijacked near our area. Historical flight data shows that was the plane that made it farther west than the other aircrafts. It turned around over our area as hijackers headed for Washington.

The NYC Fire Department, police department and paramedics lost 343 members. Since then, hundreds more died of injuries and health problems from the attack in New York. This was the largest loss of first responders in history.

Could this very same form of attack happen today? Doubtful. Airline passengers are screened much more closely. Cockpit doors are now made of heavy metal and locked at all times during flight. Plus, passengers would gang up on attackers much like they tried to do on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania. There’s a national memorial there now called Flight 93 Memorial that gives as much information as they can about that attack and crash.

We’re a free country and vulnerable to attacks on other forms of transportation. Our freight railroads are safer with less derailments than in the past. They do ship hazardous chemicals right through our area and elsewhere every day. Railroads don’t have the protection airlines do, especially in rural areas.

Highway bridges have always been vulnerable. Although today’s bridges are well constructed, designers likely didn’t take into account the risk of terrorism. Many have security cameras in place.

We’re a safer country but not totally safe. Some don’t like security cameras in public places fearing the government will be tracking them. But shouldn’t we all want to be safer, even if it means we’re on camera while moving around in public? The country felt that way after Sept. 11, 2001.

— From Tribune News Service