The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, touched every corner of the nation, including Iowa. That morning, eight Iowans were among the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives in New York, Washington, D.C., and aboard hijacked planes.
In New York City, three men with Iowa roots were inside the World Trade Center when American Airlines Flight 11 and United Flight 175 struck the towers. Jim Cleere of Newton managed to call home twice, leaving his wife Jean two final messages before the towers fell. Michael Tinley of Council Bluffs and Timothy Haviland of Ames were both employed by Marsh & McLennan, the company whose offices sat in the direct path of Flight 11.
At the Pentagon, two other Iowans were killed when Flight 77 slammed into the building. Specialist Craig Scott Amundson, who grew up in Cedar Rapids and Anamosa before attending the University of Iowa, was serving on active duty. Retired Lt. Col. Gary Smith of Council Bluffs, a Vietnam veteran, was attending a meeting at the time of the crash.
Flight 77 also carried three Iowa women. Each had her own reason for traveling that day. Attorney Karen Kincade of Waverly was headed west for work. Former Iowa State gymnast Mari-Rae Sopper of Ames was beginning her new role as head coach at UC–Santa Barbara. Sandra Teague of Des Moines, a physician, was starting what was to be a celebratory trip to Australia. All three died when the plane was hijacked and flown into the Pentagon.
Though years have passed, the loss remains deeply felt. The lives of these eight Iowans—Cleere, Tinley, Haviland, Amundson, Smith, Kincade, Sopper, and Teague—continue to be remembered not only by their loved ones but also by fellow Iowans who honor their stories every September.
