Featured Image Credit: 911memorial.org
If you’re old enough, you’ve likely been all asked the question ‘Where were you when the tragic 9/11 attacks occurred.’
For many of us, we were in school. For others, we may have been about to start our first day at a new job. Regardless of where you were, the images projected around the world those 23 years ago will likely stay with you forever.
Frank L. Culbertson Jr, however, is the only American citizen in history to have witnessed the attacks from 200 miles away. The NASA astronaut was aboard the International Space Station (ISS) when he first found out about the horrific attacks on that very day.
While the tragic event likely hit the astronaut hard enough, the very next day Culbertson heard even more crushing news — that his own friend was the pilot of American Airlines Flight 77.
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Captain Charles F. Burlingame III was flying the Boeing 757 plane, which was hijacked by terrorists on that fateful day. The plane struck the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, resulting in the loss of 64 people on the plane, and 125 people in the Pentagon.
This loss also included that of the astronaut’s friend, and U.S. Naval Academy classmate.
While upon hearing the loss, instead of wallowing in despair, Culbertson paid a heartbreaking tribute to his friend, and U.S Navel Academy classmate the only way he knew how.
Taking a trumpet, that Culbertson had brought with him to the space station, the astronaut filmed himself playing ‘Taps’ in memorial to his friend, and the events that day.
‘Taps’ has a long history in the US Military.
The 24-note tune is now performed at the end of military funerals and during wreath-laying ceremonies. With Burlingame’s long military service, and past as a Navy jet fighter pilot for the United States Naval Academy, the tribute felt especially fitting.
According to the 9/11 Memorial website, a recording of Culbertson playing the military tune was broadcast at the U.S. Navy vs Boston College football game, held on September 22, 2001. The footage was shared just days after the memorial service for Captain Burlingame was held in the Navel Academy Chapel at Annapolis, Maryland.
This wasn’t the only tribute carried out by astronauts for those lost on 9/11. Christopher Cassidy, a U.S Navy Seal and NASA astronaut brought ashes on board the space station in 2020, during Expedition 63.
The ashes belonged to Chandler Raymond Keller, a passenger on the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77.
Keller had been known to have an interest in outer space and was a propulsion engineer and project manager for Boeing Satellite Systems. During his work, he was part of a collaboration with the U.S Department of Defense on a satellite project designed to ‘monitor terrorist activity.’
Due to his tragic loss of life, Keller never managed to reach outer space for himself. However, thanks to astronaut Christopher Cassidy, even after death, his dreams still managed to come true.
Featured image credit: Sparwasser & Mario Tama via Getty images.
