Remembering my friend Danny Lewin, the co-founder and chief technology officer of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Akamai, a content delivery network also providing web and Internet security services.
Danny, 31, left his wife and two young children behind as he became the first 9/11 victim as he attacked the terrorists aboard American Airlines Flight No. 11, leaving from Boston for Los Angeles.
“On the morning of September 11, 2001, Danny Lewin boarded American Airlines Flight No. 11 in Boston, expecting to reach Los Angeles. Instead, the flight was hijacked and commandeered by Arab terrorists, crashing into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
On that fateful flight, Danny Lewin became the very first victim of the largest terrorist attack in history in which almost 3,000 Americans died. An internal memorandum of the Federal Aviation Administration says “that in the course of a struggle that took place between Lewin, a graduate of Israel’s elite commando unit, Sayeret Matkal, and the four hijackers who were assaulting that cockpit, Lewin was murdered by Satam Al Suqami, a 25-year-old Saudi.”
There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?