Today marks 23 years since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, when 2,996 lives were lost in the attacks on America. Though Utah is roughly 2,400 miles from where the attacks occurred, the impact reached across the nation. Even here in Utah, three of our own citizens were among those who lost their lives that day. These are their stories.

Mary Alice Wahlstrom & Carolyn Mayer Beug:

Deseret News | Wahlstrom Family Photos
Deseret News | Wahlstrom Family Photos
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Deseret News | Beug Family Photos
Deseret News | Beug Family Photos
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Mary and her daughter Carolyn were aboard American Airlines Flight 11, which was tragically hijacked and flown into the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001. It was the first of four planes to be hijacked that day. Mary, a resident of Kaysville, Utah, had traveled to the East Coast to help Carolyn's twins settle into school at the Rhode Island School of Design. The two were on their way from Boston to Los Angeles. Mary was 78 years old, and Carolyn was 48.

Despite her reluctance to travel due to her husband Norman's recent heart attack, Mary made the trip to support her daughter. Norman believed Mary could have lived another 25 years, stating, "I have no doubt about it." Mary disliked flying, and the night before the attacks, she told her family, "I'll never do this again. I'll come home, and I'll never do this again." Mary was the proud mother of five, grandmother of 16, and had even achieved two holes-in-one on the golf course. Her husband, Norman, passed away in 2006 at the age of 88.

Carolyn, on the other hand, was a prominent figure in the music industry. She produced Van Halen's "Right Now" music video, which won the MTV Video Music Award for "Best Video" in 1992. A mother of three—Lauren, Lindsey, and Nicholas—Carolyn had retired from her music career and was working on a children's book about Noah's Ark, told from the perspective of Noah's wife.

Brady Howell:

Deseret News | Howell Family Photos
Deseret News | Howell Family Photos
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Brady, a graduate of Utah State University, was working at the Pentagon on the morning of September 11th, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building's west wall. The attack claimed the lives of 125 people inside the Pentagon, as well as the 64 passengers aboard the Boeing 757.

At just 26 years old, Brady was a dedicated member of the LDS Church and had been married to his wife, Liz, for nearly five years. He was posthumously awarded the Superior Civilian Service Medal for his contributions to the Navy. Defense officials honored Brady for being at his post on September 11th, stating that his service in defense of his country was as honorable as that of a soldier in combat.

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