On September 11, very few of those working in the State of New York tax office on the 86th floor of the World Trade Center knew how serious the situation really was. A plane had hit the tower next to them, but the authorities had announced that everything was okay, and that everyone should return to their desks. Thanks to a number of heroes — especially Rose Riso, the office fire marshal — many of the employees ignored the announcement and started evacuating. That decision likely saved their lives, for within a few minutes a second airplane crashed into their building, trapping the remaining coworkers on the 86th floor. The tax office lost 40 people to the September 11 attacks. Their coworkers continue to honor them to this day.

These are only a sampling of the stories of the victims of September 11. An estimated 2,830 people died or are missing in the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center. Ninety-eight percent of those victims were at work, and the youngest was only 2 ½ years old. One in six — 494 — are reportedly either foreigners or Americans with dual citizenship, hailing from more than 90 countries. In the attack on the Pentagon, 189 were killed, and in a field in Pennsylvania, another 45 died when their plane plummeted to earth due to the efforts of a small group of heroes who wanted to avert another crash into a building full of people.

Whether they were in New York, Virginia or Pennsylvania, the victims and heroes of September 11 represented the diversity that is America and the world. All will be missed. None will be forgotten.