Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Today We Remember Asia Cottom


Today we remember Asia Cottom, 11-years-old.

Asia Cottom was with 11-year-old companions Rodney Dickens and Bernard Brown on AA Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon.


Her last project at school was to list her role models and best friends. For her heroes, she listed her parents. She listed her brother as one of her best friends. And on her list of great singers, she listed her mother. For Asia, family was at the top of her list.


She was extremely excited about her four-day National Geographic adventure. She was one of three exceptional middle-school students headed for a four-day educational adventure to the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary off the California coast, accompanied by their teachers. She had spent days on the computer on the internet learning about the National Geographic Society, its projects, marine biology and research, and Pacific ecosystems.


Asia was a real charmer who was trying hard to grow up. She had a talent for science and math and dreamed of becoming a pediatrician. She also enjoyed dancing and jumping rope double-Dutch style. At times it was a challenge to keep Asia busy and her teachers looked for extra opportunities to expand her horizons. Her math and science magnet school had state-of-art computer equipment and technology. Asia had special computer skills and wanted her classmates to learn as much as she did about computers. She loved to learn and was off to a great start at her first year in middle school.


Asia's mom talks about her little girl:

"Asia, the little girl with the infectious grin. She loved to laugh, she loved to smile, she loved people and she loved God. She loved girl things like Tweety Bird and Barbies, jump ropes and purses, and she had wisdom beyond her years. She was everything a mom could hope for in a child. I miss her every minute."

Asia was decked in her "Tweety gear" upon boarding her flight.


Alan Rockline of Olney, MD, left a personal promise to Asia her memorial page:

"Dear Asia, Your picture is on our fridge. I just tried to explain 9-11 to my 7 year old. She doesn't understand. I promise to take her to your bench at the Pentagon, and I also promise that she will know you."

We Will Never Forget!

1 comment:

  1. These stories trouble me. I am only a 15 year old child, and I can`t imagine being on those planes on that horrible day. Can you imagine that feeling of knowing your going to die any second? This is horrible! At school I have a magnet with the twin towers on it, along with a bracelet that reperesnts 911. I bought this from the ground zero memorial site when I went to Manhattan on march break. I also read a poem in school about another child name "Christine Hanson" who was 2 years old when she and her beloved parents boarded United Airlines 175 that crashed into the south tower. God rest these innocent peoples souls. Osama Binladen did not have to take these peoples lives. I don't understand why! How could he. I love God, and I know he will look after each and everyone of them. I love them all too. As the rest of my fellow Canadians, we feel terribly sorry for America's loss of the wonderful Twin Towers that once stood.

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