HOUSTON — September 11, 2001.
A sunny cloudless morning in Manhattan, the unthinkable happened.
A plane crashed into the World Trade Center.
It was one of four hijacked planes part of a daring attack that brought the nation to its knees. Nearly 3,000 people died.
To mark the 21st anniversary, Houston Baptist University is hosting the Ground Zero 360 Exhibit, titled “Remembrance."
The exhibit will host a powerful collection of artwork, including photographs, flyers posted of those missing after the Twin Towers fell, messages scrawled in the dust and a piece of steel from the towers.
"She was always the life of the party," Jim Smith said.
Smith recently visited the exhibit to see the painting of his wife Moira. They were both New York City police officers. Moira died in the second tower.
"She was down in the lobby and someone came down and said a woman was having an asthma attack on the third floor and couldn't make it down. She went up to the third floor to get the woman when the building came down," Smith said.
The couple's daughter was just 2 years old at the time.
Smith said he tries not to think about the loss of his wife.
"I try to remember her life, to celebrate life, celebrate her heroism, talk about the good times. For me, it works. Maybe it's denial but it's got me going for the last 21 years," he said.
Patrick Jackson is in town to honor and remember his brother-in-law Kevin O'Rourke. He was one of 343 firefighters killed.
"From the time we were kids, there was nothing more that Kevin wanted to do than be a firefighter," Jackson said. "I miss everything about him, the sad part is that I didn't realize how much I would miss that until after he was gone, that how would you say ...you take things for granted.. and after that, I have never taken it for granted again."
Jackson and Smith visit 9/11 exhibits every year. While they admit it is difficult to relive the tragedy, they want to remind everyone of the sacrifice and courage of first responders.
One Houston artist said it best, "Life is temporary, heroes are forever."