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Oregon Loves New York: A Story of American Unity After 9/11
A nation in mourning. A city recovering. A unique moment in history when people came together to rebuild hope.
When an unimaginable crisis emerged, politically polarized Oregon found a common mission. Three weeks after the September 11th terrorist attacks, airplanes were empty and the New York economy was tanking. So 1,000 Freedom Fliers committed to taking 62 flights to NYC and infusing local businesses with revenue to show their unwavering support.
Arriving en masse to the grief-filled streets, Oregonians from diverse backgrounds and social statuses came to make a difference in their fellow Americans' lives. But beyond the much-needed economic boost, these unsung heroes discovered themselves providing something even more essential... their open hearts.
Sally Ruth Bourrie, freelance writer for the Chicago Tribune and The Boston Globe, witnessed firsthand this remarkable phenomenon sparked by the 2001 Flight for Freedom.
In a comprehensive and poignant account, she brings this extraordinary and largely unknown story vividly to life. In Oregon Loves New York, you'll
-How everyday people can make a huge difference by being present for others in times of need
-Ways a divided community can put aside politics, ideologies, and disagreements to achieve amazing things together
-More than 700 pages of tales of courage and humanity, including 200 full-color photographs, 100 personal interviews, 20 years of research, and archival news pieces now lost to history
-Heart-touching examples of the healing power of person-to-person contact and how we as a nation can honor each other
-Insight into a little-known event with a huge impact, positive messages of hope, and much, much more!
Oregon Loves New A Story of American Unity After 9/11 is a stunning look into a country rising from the ashes of unthinkable catastrophe. If you like true-life narratives, triumphs over tragedy, and the goodness of the human spirit, then you'll be uplifted by Sally Ruth Bourrie's inspirational journey.
When an unimaginable crisis emerged, politically polarized Oregon found a common mission. Three weeks after the September 11th terrorist attacks, airplanes were empty and the New York economy was tanking. So 1,000 Freedom Fliers committed to taking 62 flights to NYC and infusing local businesses with revenue to show their unwavering support.
Arriving en masse to the grief-filled streets, Oregonians from diverse backgrounds and social statuses came to make a difference in their fellow Americans' lives. But beyond the much-needed economic boost, these unsung heroes discovered themselves providing something even more essential... their open hearts.
Sally Ruth Bourrie, freelance writer for the Chicago Tribune and The Boston Globe, witnessed firsthand this remarkable phenomenon sparked by the 2001 Flight for Freedom.
In a comprehensive and poignant account, she brings this extraordinary and largely unknown story vividly to life. In Oregon Loves New York, you'll
-How everyday people can make a huge difference by being present for others in times of need
-Ways a divided community can put aside politics, ideologies, and disagreements to achieve amazing things together
-More than 700 pages of tales of courage and humanity, including 200 full-color photographs, 100 personal interviews, 20 years of research, and archival news pieces now lost to history
-Heart-touching examples of the healing power of person-to-person contact and how we as a nation can honor each other
-Insight into a little-known event with a huge impact, positive messages of hope, and much, much more!
Oregon Loves New A Story of American Unity After 9/11 is a stunning look into a country rising from the ashes of unthinkable catastrophe. If you like true-life narratives, triumphs over tragedy, and the goodness of the human spirit, then you'll be uplifted by Sally Ruth Bourrie's inspirational journey.
1117 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 30, 2021
Reviewed by Robert Buccellato
Americans like a quiet life and usually they get it, there is often something moderate about our cultural sensitivities that don't care much for moments of historical melodrama. They kind of massive moments of change and happenstance that come at you with a rush and leave behind a feeling of shocked uncertainty. But, every so often once such a moment is forced upon us, an instance when this fiercely divided country of 300 million has no choice but to collectively take stock and come together. Twenty years ago on September 11th, at the start of a typical quiet morning in New York City, our nation and its global place in the world changed forever. Despite all the time we have placed between this day and that one, we have never really managed to find an effective way to move beyond it, it simply remains the moment that silenced an entire age. Oregon Loves New York: A Story of American Unity After 9/11 by Sally Ruth Bourrie is an uplifting story of how many Americans tried in the aftermath of this unprecedented day in New York to push their community forward.
Just three weeks after the terrorist attacks, when the world was still afraid to get out of their homes much less on an airplane, One thousand Oregonians took sixty-two flights to boost the tanking New York economy. What they found were fellow Americans who needed more than their money, they needed their hearts. The Flight for Freedom was a little-known story, which this reviewer hopes this excellent new book will change as it showcases something so profoundly American. About a grouping of people with little connection to New York, sensing that America needed to pull together and help lift up the shaken big apple.
This engrossing book is not only a detailed study of the state of Oregon and its people; it's also the rare kind of history book that tackles a subject from a different vantage point. The focus isn't on the attacks, rather on the effects they had on the confidence of the national identity. It was the rarest of moments when all Americans managed to share in collective sorrow and these Flights of Freedom were just one of numerous examples of Americans placing unity above self-interest.
This is truly a heartfelt and compelling piece of nonfiction. It can't fail to stir feelings of patriotism in the minds of many and to provide a silver lining for a moment of national tragedy that in many ways defined a generation. Told in a lively and uplifting spirit. This touching book is the right mix of gorgeous and haunting, soulful and triumphant.
Americans like a quiet life and usually they get it, there is often something moderate about our cultural sensitivities that don't care much for moments of historical melodrama. They kind of massive moments of change and happenstance that come at you with a rush and leave behind a feeling of shocked uncertainty. But, every so often once such a moment is forced upon us, an instance when this fiercely divided country of 300 million has no choice but to collectively take stock and come together. Twenty years ago on September 11th, at the start of a typical quiet morning in New York City, our nation and its global place in the world changed forever. Despite all the time we have placed between this day and that one, we have never really managed to find an effective way to move beyond it, it simply remains the moment that silenced an entire age. Oregon Loves New York: A Story of American Unity After 9/11 by Sally Ruth Bourrie is an uplifting story of how many Americans tried in the aftermath of this unprecedented day in New York to push their community forward.
Just three weeks after the terrorist attacks, when the world was still afraid to get out of their homes much less on an airplane, One thousand Oregonians took sixty-two flights to boost the tanking New York economy. What they found were fellow Americans who needed more than their money, they needed their hearts. The Flight for Freedom was a little-known story, which this reviewer hopes this excellent new book will change as it showcases something so profoundly American. About a grouping of people with little connection to New York, sensing that America needed to pull together and help lift up the shaken big apple.
This engrossing book is not only a detailed study of the state of Oregon and its people; it's also the rare kind of history book that tackles a subject from a different vantage point. The focus isn't on the attacks, rather on the effects they had on the confidence of the national identity. It was the rarest of moments when all Americans managed to share in collective sorrow and these Flights of Freedom were just one of numerous examples of Americans placing unity above self-interest.
This is truly a heartfelt and compelling piece of nonfiction. It can't fail to stir feelings of patriotism in the minds of many and to provide a silver lining for a moment of national tragedy that in many ways defined a generation. Told in a lively and uplifting spirit. This touching book is the right mix of gorgeous and haunting, soulful and triumphant.
February 7, 2026
Oregon Loves New York: A Story of American Unity After 9/11 is an extraordinary, deeply human chronicle of what happens when ordinary people choose action over helplessness and compassion over distance. Sally Ruth Bourrie documents a remarkable moment in American history when grief gave rise to unity and when showing up became an act of healing.
Three weeks after September 11th, at a time when fear grounded planes and uncertainty paralyzed the nation, 1,000 Oregonians boarded 62 flights to New York City with one clear purpose: to support a wounded city by being present. Bourrie captures how this simple yet bold decision infused New York’s struggling economy with life while offering something even more meaningful human connection in a time of collective trauma.
What sets this book apart is its scope and integrity. Built on more than 20 years of research, over 100 interviews, extensive archival material, and hundreds of photographs, Oregon Loves New York preserves voices and moments that might otherwise have been lost. The narrative balances historical documentation with deeply personal stories, allowing readers to feel both the weight of the tragedy and the quiet power of kindness.
At its core, this book is about unity without conditions. Political differences, personal backgrounds, and social status dissolved in the face of shared humanity. Bourrie’s work reminds us that national healing does not always come from institutions or speeches, but from individuals willing to step forward with open hearts.
Oregon Loves New York will resonate strongly with readers of narrative nonfiction, American history, and inspirational true stories. It stands as both a historical record and a timeless reminder of what is possible when people choose empathy, presence, and solidarity.
Three weeks after September 11th, at a time when fear grounded planes and uncertainty paralyzed the nation, 1,000 Oregonians boarded 62 flights to New York City with one clear purpose: to support a wounded city by being present. Bourrie captures how this simple yet bold decision infused New York’s struggling economy with life while offering something even more meaningful human connection in a time of collective trauma.
What sets this book apart is its scope and integrity. Built on more than 20 years of research, over 100 interviews, extensive archival material, and hundreds of photographs, Oregon Loves New York preserves voices and moments that might otherwise have been lost. The narrative balances historical documentation with deeply personal stories, allowing readers to feel both the weight of the tragedy and the quiet power of kindness.
At its core, this book is about unity without conditions. Political differences, personal backgrounds, and social status dissolved in the face of shared humanity. Bourrie’s work reminds us that national healing does not always come from institutions or speeches, but from individuals willing to step forward with open hearts.
Oregon Loves New York will resonate strongly with readers of narrative nonfiction, American history, and inspirational true stories. It stands as both a historical record and a timeless reminder of what is possible when people choose empathy, presence, and solidarity.
January 14, 2026
Oregon Loves New York is a powerful act of remembrance and a moving testament to what ordinary people are capable of when they choose empathy over fear and connection over division.
What makes the book extraordinary is its focus not on institutions or headlines, but on presence, on the quiet courage of people who simply showed up for one another. By documenting the Freedom Fliers and their decision to travel to a grieving city at a moment of national paralysis, Bourrie restores attention to a form of heroism that is rarely celebrated: human solidarity.
The scale of the research is impressive, but it never overwhelms the emotional core of the story. The photographs, interviews, and archival material serve not as spectacle, but as witnesses, preserving voices, faces, and moments that would otherwise be lost. The result is a deeply intimate historical record that honors grief, healing, and the fragile beauty of unity.
Ultimately, Oregon Loves New York is not only about 9/11, it is about what comes after tragedy, and how communities rebuild meaning through kindness, presence, and care.
What makes the book extraordinary is its focus not on institutions or headlines, but on presence, on the quiet courage of people who simply showed up for one another. By documenting the Freedom Fliers and their decision to travel to a grieving city at a moment of national paralysis, Bourrie restores attention to a form of heroism that is rarely celebrated: human solidarity.
The scale of the research is impressive, but it never overwhelms the emotional core of the story. The photographs, interviews, and archival material serve not as spectacle, but as witnesses, preserving voices, faces, and moments that would otherwise be lost. The result is a deeply intimate historical record that honors grief, healing, and the fragile beauty of unity.
Ultimately, Oregon Loves New York is not only about 9/11, it is about what comes after tragedy, and how communities rebuild meaning through kindness, presence, and care.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews