Remembering Dora on September 11th

The Reflection garden in honor of Dora Menchaca at Amgen’s headquarters in Thousand Oaks (Photo – amgen.com)

Although it has been 23 years, the memory of the horror we all witnessed on that tragic September morning in 2001 remains fresh in our minds.

By Denise Menchaca

We could never have prepared ourselves for the victims of the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York City, Flight 93 crashing in Pennsylvania and Flight 77 crashing into the Pentagon on September 11.

One of those victims was my husband’s sister, Dora Marie Menchaca. She was on Flight 77 traveling back home to Santa Monica after helping develop a new drug for prostate cancer.  Instead, her flight crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 am.  She, like every other victim of this senseless act that will remain in America’s collective consciousness, was a beloved family member and friend who was a part of something bigger.

Every year by 8:00 am, someone anonymously leaves a diet coke, Dora’s favorite, at her memorial (Photo – amgen.com)

Dora Marie Menchaca (Photos – Denise Menchaca)

Dora was an epidemiologist (earned her PhD from UCLA). If she were here today, she would continue to play a part in the fight to develop science-based medicines during a time when our health is at more risk than ever. She was a fierce protector of her family and of vulnerable populations in need of healthcare, as well as a supporter of women pursuing careers in science. Let us draw from her memory an inspiration to continue our fight against COVID-19 and to support each other in the process.

May we never forget all those who perished on September 11th.

> John Menchaca remembers his sister, Dora Menchaca (watch video below):

Denise Menchaca is the Vice Mayor of the City of San Gabriel. This article was previously published in 2019, and recently revised.