Has it really been a dozen years since the world changed? Like many of life’s tragic memories, Sept. 11, 2001, can flash into our minds as if it were yesterday and simultaneously fade into the recesses of our minds, a lifetime away.

America’s confidence was punched on that morning 12 years ago when we were terrified by a handful of thugs with a death wish.

The terrorists managed to catch our nation off-guard and they took full advantage of it as they managed to commandeer four passenger jets and turn three of them into flying bombs.

It’s believed passengers and crew on the third jet, Flight 93, figured out what the terrorists planned to do and stopped them. Their heroic acts allowed them to thwart the planned attack on the U.S. Capitol building, but it cost them their lives.

Their work started the war on terror, a war that continues to this day. A dozen years after 9/11, we must not let our guard down. We must remain on alert and cautious against those who would harm us simply because we’re American.

As we reflect on the memories of those who were killed in the attacks, it’s important to remember them as what they were — heroes.

Sept. 11 was a day of heroes — hundreds and hundreds of them, Americans from all walks of life, young and old, rich and poor.

The terrorist attacks took America to its knees, briefly. Fortunately cowardly thugs who kill innocent people cannot break our spirit.

We must never forget that our spirit and our togetherness make us a strong nation, capable of facing any challenge.