Today we honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost on September 11, 2001.
It’s been 21 years since the morning that shook our nation to its core, yet the resilience and bravery of the men and women who rose to the challenge remain something we’ll truly never forget.
On this anniversary, I wanted to reflect on the most important lesson we’ve learned from 9/11.
Even decades later, one message rings clear as day, and that is the power of unity.
We saw this from the moment news broke out of the attacks on the World Trade Center. Hundreds of Americans indubitably ran toward the face of danger simply because it was the right thing to do.
First responders ran up 110 flights of stairs, smoke billowing around them. Masses of volunteers arrived at Ground Zero with tugboats and yachts ready to help evacuate people. And thousands of Americans signed up for clean-up and search and rescue efforts – some driving cross-country to help in the name of unity.
These messages of selflessness were heard across the country, and it’s what inspired me to follow in their footsteps and help those around me affected by the events of 9/11 in any which way I could.
At the time of the attacks, I was General Manager at United Nissan and had recently attended a Nissan convention that was being held close to our dealership in Las Vegas.
As news broke out of the attacks, all air travel was grounded, meaning thousands of travelers were left stranded in the city.
Like most Americans during this time, I was glued to the television, watching hours of coverage of the events, from seeing the towers fall to the pleas of New Yorkers hoping to get in contact with loved ones and the city’s calls for help from first responders.
Watching this ignited something inside me, and I spent time thinking of ways I could help. It was in the days following when I heard on the radio stranded travelers calling in asking for volunteers to help transport them. I knew after hearing this that this was my call to action.
Shortly thereafter, I began using vehicles from our fleet at United Nissan to help some of the stranded dealers who were in town for the convention. Along with this, I rented all the vans I could and organized for them to travel l back and forth from Las Vegas to the Bay Area, where they resumed minimal domestic and international flights.
With the help of my incredible team, we spread the word to media outlets, and on the first day, we were transporting 150 travelers to California, where they could catch a flight back home.
As news caught on about our service, we were fortunate enough to have dozens of local businesses in the area donate food and water – including vehicle donations from Platinum Tours, Enterprise Leasing, and The City of Las Vegas, whom I credit for helping us transport more travelers than we imagined.
With their help, we were able to get about 1,000 travelers safely back home.
In the following weeks, as the chaos settled, we started to receive hundreds of letters and emails at United Nissan. The stranded travelers, now safely back home and with loved ones, were messaging us in masses, thanking us for our kindness. Many of which, writing that they were inspired by our acts and vowed to pay it forward to those who needed help in their area.
Reflecting on this time reminds me of the strength of numbers and how bravery, resilience, and selflessness – the very acts of the courageous men and women who rose to the challenge in New York – are contagious. Since that day, I carry these feelings of unity with me and vow to never forget them.
I hope that sharing this story and some of the letters we received in the aftermath inspires you to do the same:
