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I went to a 9/11 Remembrance Service this evening.  The event was hosted by the city government in the town that I live. As a member of the City Council, I like to attend as many city sponsored events as I can.  I live in a patriotic town, known for having the oldest Veteran’s Day parade in the state.  A group of citizens is currently working on erecting a new memorial to honor those who have served in the U.S. armed forces.

As I drove up to where the ceremony was to be held, I saw several flashing lights and a plume of smoke.  No, this was not a reenactment of the events that happened on September 11, 2001.  This was an actual house fire two blocks away from city center.  All of the fire and rescue service volunteers who were planning to attend the Remembrance Ceremony were instead fighting to save the lives and property of one of our neighbors.

Two of the volunteers ushered me and the other cars through, and while I was greatly concerned for the family and their home I had a sense of pride to live in a community where an all-volunteer fire company still exists.  These brave men and women, along with the volunteer ambulance company and paid police officers, risk their lives to protect and serve our community, and they deserve our gratitude.

It was a prescient and vivid reminder of one of the reasons why I was attending the event this evening – to honor those who have, and would, willingly put their own lives on the line to save another.  More than 400 emergency workers died while serving others in the line of duty on September 11, 2001.

I pulled into the parking lot of City Hall and walked across the street to the park where the service was being held.  The sound of bagpipes filled the air, and members of the local American Legion were in attendance to perform colors.  A large tent was set-up with dozens of metal folding chairs lined in perfect rows.  There were enough seats to accommodate at least a hundred people.

Sadly, only about 40 people attended, including the guest speakers and members of local government.  During the opening prayer, I couldn’t help but wonder if we are too quick to forget the tragedies and bravery of 9/11.

What should we remember about September 11, 2001?

2975 people died (excluding the 19 hijackers)

Approximately 13,500 people escaped the World Trade Center buildings alive

Citizens of 115 nations died from the attacks

24 people are still listed as missing

Approximately 1600 spouses lost their husband/wife

The ratio of men to women who died is 3:1

The number of children who lost a parent is 3051

About 200 people jumped from the World Trade Center towers to their deaths

The center of American military leadership and might was attacked

A group of heroic passengers thwarted the efforts of hijackers and lost their lives in a field near Shanksville, PA

There were no survivors on any of the four planes hijacked and crashed

The world stock markets experienced an accumulated loss of more than $1.5 trillion

or,

The price of freedom in America has gone up billions of dollars and cost thousands of lives

9/11 Memorial at Arlington Cemetery

As I sat and listened to the guest speakers address the small audience of people in attendance, I wondered if the other 6000+ people in my town had forgotten what day it was, or had they simply moved on from the events of September 11, 2001?

Is it time for us as Americans, or those from any nation that experienced a loss on that fateful day, to stop the ceremonies, make peace with our past and forgive?  I thought about the wives, husbands, daughters and sons of all the victims – how did they spend this day?  What would they say or think about all the empty chairs under the tent at the ceremony this evening?  Would they understand?  Should they understand?

Time marches on, and it has now been seven years since the Towers fell, the Pentagon burned and the ashes of heroes scattered across the field in rural Pennsylvania.  The world has changed greatly in the last seven years, but a few things remain the same – there are thousands of families who will never forget the tragic losses of 9/11, and thankfully, there are thousands of volunteer fire/rescue members and police officers who would give their lives like their fallen brethren to save and protect us and our liberties.

The Remembrance Ceremony ended to the sound of Amazing Grace on the bagpipes followed by Taps on the bugle.  I said a prayer for the families of those who lost loved ones on 9/11; I said a prayer for those men and women fighting the fire two blocks away from us; and, I said a prayer for our nation to remember that our freedoms are not free.

Have we all really forgotten what happened on September 11, 2001?  I remember.  Do you?

Crash Site Memorial near Shanksville, PA

Twin Towers burning in front of Lady Liberty

Reference Articles:

9/11 by the Numbers

September 11 Attacks

The 9-11 Commission Final Report

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Tags | 9/11, freedom, history, Remembrance Service, September 11th, tragedy

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