Remembering the Children on 9-11

by Anne Paddock

Today marks 17 years since 9-11 and yet the wounds continue to feel raw, especially for the people who lost family and friends that day. Nearly 3,000 people were killed that day, the majority of whom were adults but there were also eight very young children (ages 2 – 11) who perished when the planes they were on crashed. Had those children lived, they would be 19-28 years old today, in the prime of their lives.

American Airlines Flight 77 departed Washington, DC for Los Angeles but was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon. On board, were five children:

Asia SiVon Cottom, 11 years old, of Washington, DC; a 6th grader, she was flying from Washington, DC to California on a school trip.

Rodney Dickens, 11 years old, of Washington, DC, a 6th grader, he was also flying from Washington, DC to California on a school trip.

Bernard Brown, II, 11 years old, of Washington, DC, a 6th grader, he was also flying from Washington, DC to California on a school trip.

Dana Falkenberg, age 3, and Zoe Falkenberg, age 8, of University Park, Maryland, the sisters were flying with their parents from Washington, DC to Los Angeles where they planned to connect to a flight to Australia.

United Flight 175 left Boston’s Logan Airport for Los Angeles but was diverted by hijackers to New York City where they crashed the jet into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. On board were three very young children:

Juliana McCourt, age 4, of New London, Connecticut, she was traveling with her mother from Boston to California to go to Disneyland.