On Friday, the community in San Francisco’s Chinatown honored Betty Ong, the flight attendant who made the first call reporting the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11. Twenty-five years later, the community gathered to remember the courage she showed that day with a tribute at the Chinato wn Night Market. They played a song honoring Ong. “She’s our hero who stood up and was the first call to report the hijackers,” Rev. Norman Fong, a longtime friend of Ong family, said. Ong grew up in Chinatown and later became a flight attendant. On Sept. 11, she made the first call alerting authorities to the hijacking. She remained on the phone for 23 minutes, calmly relaying what was happening on board before the plane crashed into the North Tower. Because of her call, all other planes got grounded. 23 years later, her courage still resonates with those celebrating her legacy. Ong’s brother Harry joined the tribute, thanking organizers for honoring his sister. “It still hurts you almost die 25 times. Every year yet you yourself want to forget 9/11, don’t ever forget, we just live with it,” Harry Ong told NBC Bay Area’s Jessica Aguirre. Ong’s legacy is a reminder that in a moment of crisis, ordinary people can do extraordinary things. ...read more read less