Tuesday, September 11, 2001, was America’s darkest day. It was a day that saw 2,977 people murdered by al-Qaida terrorists who attacked our country from within using American resources.

The attacks on the World Trade Center killed 72 law enforcement officers, 343 firefighters and eight emergency medical technicians and paramedics. Thirty-seven of the law enforcement officers were from a single agency, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department (PAPD), the first of the first responders and the primary law enforcement agency at the World Trade Center.

The day tour of the PAPD’s World Trade Center (WTC) Command was preparing for its 6:45 a.m. roll call inside the PAPD WTC Station House. It was a morning like many before it for the cops on the day tour, with the exception of what would later be remembered as an unusually beautiful day.

American Airlines (AAL) Flight 11 departed Boston’s Logan International Airport at 7:59 a.m., bound for Los Angeles. Five al-Qaida operatives led by the sinister Egyptian terrorist Mohamed Atta seized control of the Boeing 767 with deadly force soon after takeoff. They redirected Flight 11 toward the Lower Manhattan skyline of New York City.

The PAPD cops tuned out after roll call and, as cops do everywhere, the first 15 minutes belonged to them before radio traffic began sending each to the multitude of jobs awaiting any command serving a community of 250,000 people.

During the next hour and a half, Atta, intent on completing his evil mission, flew AAL Flight 11 toward New York City with his sights on 1 WTC, the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Port Authority cops knew they patrolled the most terror-targeted facilities in the country. Many of the day-tour cops were veterans of the February 26, 1993, bombing of the World Trade Center, when terrorists drove a bomb-laden truck into the underground World Trade Center garage. The blast killed six people and an unborn child while injuring more than 1,000 others. The explosion destroyed the World Trade Center PAPD Station House, wounding officers who disregarded their injuries and immediately began a massive rescue operation.

PAPD history includes terror incidents at many of the agency’s field commands involving explosions, destruction and death. To say PAPD cops were experienced in handling critical incidents would be an understatement, but nothing prepared them for what was to come.

While AAL Flight 11 was heading toward New York City, the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. military became aware of other aircraft hijackings out of Boston Logan, Newark and Dulles International airports.

At 8:46 a.m., AAL Flight 11 was intentionally crashed into 1 WTC, striking between the 93rd and 99th floors. The world changed forever.

PAPD cops rushed into 1 WTC, encountering victims burned by aviation fuel that had rained down elevator shafts and spread into the building’s huge lobby. Other PAPD cops began their fateful climb up the tower’s stairs, rescuing people as they ascended toward the impact floors.

As WTC cops began what would become known as the greatest rescue effort in America’s history, Port Authority cops from commands throughout the Port District descended upon the massive complex.

At the same time, the PAPD began coordinating the response with its mutual aid partners, the NYPD and FDNY, as they responded to assist.

During the unfolding catastrophe at 1 WTC, three other aircraft — United Airlines (UAL) Flight 175, also out of Boston Logan; AAL Flight 77, which departed Dulles International in Virginia; and UAL Flight 93, which took off from Newark Airport — were in the air under the control of radical Islamists on a mission of death.

Seventeen minutes after AAL Flight 11 struck the North Tower, UAL Flight 175 crashed into 2 WTC, the South Tower, impacting floors 77 through 85.

It was now clear that the enemies of our nation were using American civil aviation as their air force.

The attacks continued at 9:37 a.m. when AAL Flight 77 struck the U.S. military headquarters, the Pentagon.

After the attack on the Pentagon, UAL Flight 93 crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It is believed the objective of the al-Qaida operatives who hijacked Flight 93 was to fly the aircraft into the White House or the U.S. Capitol.

That mission failed because of the selfless, heroic actions of the passengers aboard Flight 93, who fought the terrorists for control of the aircraft. Their fight to stop the terror plan cost them their lives.

The Global War on Terrorism had begun, with its first battles at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard UAL Flight 93. The first battle won by the U.S. in the Global War on Terrorism was won by the courageous passengers of UAL Flight 93, who became aware of the other hijackings and decided, “This stops now!”

At the World Trade Center, Port Authority cops and their partners never hesitated to enter the weakened and burning towers. Cops, firefighters, court officers, federal officers and others entered a hell-on-earth inferno in an effort to save thousands of lives.

In Arlington, Virginia, Pentagon Police Department officers and military personnel began searching for survivors and recovering the remains of the 184 victims killed in the diabolical act of terror. Pentagon Police were joined by the Arlington County police and fire departments, the Virginia State Police and many other first responder agencies, including federal law enforcement agencies.

The Pentagon search area was unstable, yet police officers, firefighters and other first responders risked their lives to save as many people as possible.

Like the selfless actions at the World Trade Center and the heroics aboard Flight 93, Pentagon responders acted with the same commitment and moral courage so that others may live.

The PAPD was devastated. The nation’s largest transportation-related police department suffered the greatest loss of police officers in a single incident in the history of American law enforcement, including members of its leadership. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also lost 37 civilian employees, including its executive director as well as 10 contractors.

The work facing the PAPD was unlike anything any police department had ever faced. The tragic undertaking of rescue and recovery at the World Trade Center was labor-intensive. The newly appointed chief of department, Joe Morris, needed manpower for a mission that would eventually last nine months. At the same time, the PAPD’s other field commands remained potential terror targets requiring increased staffing, and he knew he had to grow the size of the department as quickly as possible.

Morris led a terribly wounded police department that had suffered a near-fatal blow, yet he embraced the daunting task ahead.

He became akin to a grand master chess player, countering every adverse move with superior leadership. When asked how he accomplished rebuilding the PAPD while effectively keeping the department on mission, he said, “No other police department does what the PAPD does, and what it does is critical to the well-being of the people and commerce of New York and New Jersey.” He went on to say, “A chief needs to be a manager and a leader, but a chief needs to know when to be a manager and when to be a leader. The two are not the same.”

Morris succeeded as both a manager and a leader. He knew when the rule book needed to be tossed aside to get the job done.

“Port Authority police officers represented the very best of humanity in their resolve, efforts, actions and accomplishments.”

“As time has passed, I have come to realize I am truly blessed to be a member of the PAPD. During those dark, horrific days beginning September 11 and in its aftermath, we were touched by evil,” Morris said, reflecting on the events of 9/11. “Port Authority police officers represented the very best of humanity in their resolve, efforts, actions and accomplishments. Port Authority cops overcame their sorrow. Their work was the very best of law enforcement worldwide. I can never, ever truly express all my gratitude to those fellow members of the PAPD.”

We are now approaching the 25th remembrance of September 11, 2001. The first responders of 9/11 at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville have largely been replaced. Many of today’s police officers, firefighters and other first responders were not even born at that time. It is the responsibility of those who served before them to continue telling the story of America’s darkest day and the heroes in whose shadows they now serve. It is a lineage of selfless and heroic sacrifice that should flow through every law enforcement agency, fire department, EMS squad, commercial airline crew, military unit and every American, because if the phrase “Never Forget” fails to hold true and complacency settles in, we will lose all we hold dear.

Americans enjoy a great way of life created by the pioneer spirit of our nation’s founders. Our way of life has been defended for more than 250 years by those who swore an oath to do so. From the Minutemen of colonial Massachusetts to our incredible modern military and America’s first responders, they have all stood on the delicate front lines against threats our nation has endured throughout its history. On September 11, 2001, we saw law enforcement officers, firefighters, warfighters and ordinary civilians take a stand against a new type of evil. We all came together and declared, “Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever!”