Wednesday will mark 23 years since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2021.

At 8:46 a.m., a hijacked 767 airplane flew into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. A second hijacked plane hit the south tower at 9:03 a.m. At 9:37 a.m. a third airplane was crashed into the Pentagon.

A fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was downed in rural Pennsylvania after passengers attacked the hijackers to prevent them from reaching their target.

The attacks killed approximately 3,000 people and injured thousands more. Among the dead were 343 firefighters and 72 police officers who responded to the scene. Hundreds more continue to suffer longterm health complications from inhaling the dust and fumes from the destroyed buildings.

It’s a defining moment in our nation’s history, so much so that most Americans alive at the time can recall exactly where they were and what they were doing when the planes hit. At the same time, an entire generation has grown up learning of 9/11 in only history books and movies.

While devastating, Sept. 11 also became one of a few rare instances when the nation came together and showed the world the full might of the United States.

When divided by class, race, religion or politics, like it is today, our military is just the most dominant fighting force on the face of the planet. But add the support of the American people and the nation’s economic engine to the mixture, and there are few, if any, foes who stand a chance.

But we are not united. In fact, it could be argued we are more divided than ever.

In November, Americans will elect the next president of the United States, and the threat of political violence over the outcome is horrifically real.

At the same time, military leaders are preparing for the next foreign conflict, which promises to be not a war fought with drones bombing caves in the middle east, but a contest between superpowers that will play out on the sea, in the air, in the digital realm and even in outer space.

Take some time this week to remember Sept. 11, 2001, the first responders, the passengers of Flight 93 and the tens of thousands of men and women who have since fought in Afghanistan and Iraq as a result of that day. Remember how we put politics and policy aside and came together as a nation.

We will need that unity in the coming fight. Let us hope the cost is low enough to bear.