Remembering 9/11: 12 people with Wisconsin ties killed in terrorist attacks
Americans are remembering events that happened nearly 20 years ago that shaped history.
On Sept. 11, 2001, the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil claimed the lives of 2,977 victims after four planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The nineteen men who hijacked the commercial planes received their orders by al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden.
On Dec. 18, 2001, Congress approved the president to designate Sept. 11 as “Patriot Day” on each anniversary of the attack.
The National September 11 Memorial was dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks and opened to the public the following day. The National September 11 Museum opened in May 2014.
Twelve names are etched into the memorial that have ties to Wisconsin.
Those names include:
- Ann N. Nelson Born on May 17, 1971 in Ashland and later attended Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam. Nelson lived in New York City and worked at the World Trade Center. She worked for Cantor Fitzgerald.
- Michell Lee Jean Robotham Born on Jan. 18, 1969 in Chippewa Falls. She lived in Kearny, New Jersey and worked at the World Trade Center. Robotham worked for Aon Corporation.
- Patricia J. Statz Born on Jan. 25, 1960 in Chippewa Falls. She attended McDonell High School and pursued a degree in Theater at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire that she completed at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in 1983. She also obtained a Masters in Education while studying in Germany. Statz lived in Takoma Park, Maryland and worked at the Pentagon as a civilian employee of the U.S. Army.
- John Patrick Hart Born on Feb. 27, 1963 in Eau Claire. Hart lived in Danville, California and was visiting the World Trade Center to make a business presentation. He worked for Fiduciary Trust Company International.
- SFC John J. Chada Born on Sept. 13, 1945 in Milwaukee. He was a two-time Vietnam veteran and followed his military career at the Pentagon as a civilian employee for the U.S. Army. He was living in Manassas, Virginia.
- Andrea Lyn Haberman Born on Feb. 2, 1976 in Milwaukee. She lived in Chicago and was in New York on a business trip. She was on the 92nd floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center when the plane crashed into the building.
- Gregory Kamal Bruno Wachtler Born on Feb. 7, 1976 in Milwaukee. He lived in Manhattan and worked at the World Trade Center. He worked for Fred Alger Management.
- LTC Dean E. Mattson Born on Mar. 30th, 1944 in Luck. Mattson was living in Alexandria, Virginia at the time of the attack. He was serving as the executive officer for the Army Information Management Support Center in the Pentagon. According to Pentagon officials, Mattson was less than three months away from retiring when he was killed.
- Kirsten Lail Christophe Born on Nov. 20, 1961 in Racine. Christophe lived in Maplewood, New Jersey and worked at the World Trade Center. She worked for Aon Corporation.
- LTC Dennis M. Johnson Born on Apr. 1, 1953 in Port Edwards. He graduated from John Edwards High School and started his military career in the ROTC program at UW-Stevens Point. Johnson lived in Virginia and worked in the Pentagon as the Chief of Personnel Services for the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Pentagon, according to the Pentagon.
- Scott Michael Johnson Born on Apr. 7, 1975 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He worked at the World Trade Center for Keefe, Bruyette, and Woods. Johnson was the son of a Racine native.
- Ramzi Doany Born on Aug.19, 1966 in Amman, Jordan. He was a UW-Milwaukee alumni, according to the insurance broker he worked for, Marsh and McLennan. Doany worked at the World Trade Center.
Sept. 11 is known not only as a day for remembrance and patriotism, but also as a day of service. People around the country volunteer at charities on and near the anniversary.
Timeline:
September 11, 2001
- 8:46 a.m. ET - American Airlines Flight 11 (traveling from Boston to Los Angeles) strikes the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
- 9:03 a.m. ET - United Airlines Flight 175 (traveling from Boston to Los Angeles) strikes the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
- 9:37 a.m. ET - American Airlines Flight 77 (traveling from Dulles, Virginia, to Los Angeles) strikes the Pentagon Building in Washington.
- 9:59 a.m. ET - South tower of WTC collapses in approximately 10 seconds.
- 10:03 a.m. ET - United Airlines Flight 93 (traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco) crashes in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
- 10:28 a.m. ET - North tower of WTC collapses. The time between the first attack and the collapse of both World Trade Center towers is 102 minutes.
