Heather Penney, a combat pilot during the September 11th attacks, recalls the day that dramatically changed her life. At 26 years old, she accepted an unusual and dangerous mission: to intercept a plane hijacked by terrorists and potentially sacrifice her life for her country. Penney says, "We knew it was a suicide mission, but I wanted to protect and defend my country." On September 11, 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center were struck by hijacked commercial airplanes in what became the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil. The Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, was also hit by a hijacked plane. CNN reported that an explosion occurred and the building was evacuated. However, after the Cold War, the United States had not maintained a fully functional alert system for its fighter jets, leaving the country unprepared for such an attack. Penney took off without ammunition, along with another F-16 pilot, to intercept any aircraft approaching Washington, D.C. According to Penney, her teammate was supposed to crash into the cockpit of the hijacked plane to kill the terrorists and disable the controls. Her role was to crash into the tail of the aircraft, rip off the tail section, and unbalance the plane, forcing it to crash to the ground. On the ground, their intelligence officer was racing against time to identify the flights that had disappeared from radar screens. He contacted airlines, airport switchboards, and control towers in the region to find out which planes were no longer reporting. He eventually called back with the information: "There is one flying over the river and coming towards you." This was United Flight 93, which had been hijacked and was heading toward Washington. Four terrorists had taken control of the plane, but the passengers and crew, many of whom were ordinary civilians, fought back. The plane ultimately crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, with no survivors. Penney notes that among the passengers on Flight 93, there were no military veterans or police officers—only ordinary Americans. She says, "The decision they made is why I am still standing in front of you today." She has not forgotten any of their faces and remains haunted by that day. "I don't know if I will ever forgive myself, or if I will ever forgive our nation as a whole for having failed so completely that day," she says. "So, the only thing I can do is ensure that the story of Flight 93 is told again and again, in a way that continues to honor their sacrifices." After leaving the military, Penney has dedicated herself to advocating for better preparedness in the event of future attacks on American soil. She now works with an organization focused on ensuring the country is fully ready to respond to any new threats.