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Patriot Day

Yesterday was Patriot Day. Three months after the 2001 terrorist attacks, Congress approved a joint resolution designating Sept. 11 as Patriot Day. Every year, we pause to remember the lives lost and changed on that late summer morning. It was established to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and recognize the brave first responders who risked their lives that day. Some came home and some did not. Those who survived will never be the same.

The Pentagon was also struck by a plane that day, and another plane went down in Pennsylvania en route to striking another unknown target. The World Trade Center buildings were the most poignant to me that day, not only because they were the most covered by the media but also because I had visited them before.

My grandparents and most of my dad’s family is from New York City. I grew up visiting several times a year, sometimes with my whole family and sometimes with just my dad. I have memories as a child of seeing the World Trade Center towers as we drove around the city, and even remember a time or two that we went shopping in the concourse below.

When I see old movies or TV shows that take place in New York prior to 2001, it is always bittersweet to see the towers. They were such a prominent landmark. Built before I was born, I never knew the skyline without it until that fateful day.

It is impossible to not be reminded of that day this time of year. When I shop in the store, I see bread, milk, and other items that expire on Sept. 11. There are many who won’t buy things that expire on that date, saying it is bad luck. For me, when I see that date stamped on an item at the grocery store, it makes me pause and think about the horrible tragedy that occurred that day.

Although it is a sad day in our nation’s history, we can also remember the way people came together afterward. People came from all over the country to donate supplies and help with the cleanup effort. There are ceremonies and races in many places throughout the country to commemorate it. Every year, people wear full firefighter gear and climb 2,200 stairs in 40 pounds of clothing and equipment as the firefighters did that day.

Perhaps the most poignant annual event is the reading of the names of the almost 3,000 people who died that day. The attacks killed 2,977 people from 90 nations: 2,753 people were killed in New York; 184 people were killed at the Pentagon; and 40 people were killed on Flight 93.

For the baby boomer generation, they will always remember where they were when President Kennedy was shot. For my generation, we will always remember what we were doing when we heard the World Trade Center towers were hit. This was before the days of social media, but live TV and internet stories gave us real-time updates on what was happening in a way no news story had before.

May we never forget.

Shari Van Baale
Salem Communications Coordinator

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