9/11 Remembered

Members of the Victoria Fire Department Honor Guard.  The firefighter on the truck is ringing the bell to
mark the moment the first tower fell and a moment of silence followed to honor all those who perished

Today was just an ordinary beautiful sunny day in September, in fact it was the exact sort of day on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.  This changed radically on that September day in 2001 and it would change our world forever.  It was the day that people lost their lives because someone decided that hate was more powerful than peace and love.  Two jetliners crashed into the World Trade Centre, one into the Pentagon and the fourth and final jet in Shanksville PA in a farmers field.

I was home on that day with my four year old who had chicken pox.  I was up early and my husband called me from work telling me to turn on the television.  America had been attacked and I could not believe the images I was seeing on television.  It was surreal to say the least, unimaginable.  I like so many around the world were riveted to the television and could only watch and pray that people made it out safely and return home to their families.  Then the towers fell, I cried, I didn't know what else to do.  That evening I lit a candle and put it in my living room window as my way to remember all of the countless lives that were lost.

My most single vivid memory of the day is the chirping sound of the alarms that the firemen & women wore on their uniforms. When a firefighter becomes motionless or prone these are triggered to chirp so they can be found and brought to safety. There were just so many going off and I knew these were all fallen firefighters.  That will forever live with me.

We should remember everyday and thank those who protect us.  The firefighters, paramedics, police officers and our military all stand quiet post without fanfare protecting and rescuing us in times of peril.  These people are the brave unsung heroes of our society, they run into to danger as the rest of us flee, for this I am grateful and I don't think I can show my gratitude enough for your sacrifices and for those who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.

To the children and families of 9/11 who lost a loved one, I pray that you find peace.  There are no words that I can say to ease your pain and loss.  The children of this tragedy were struck the most because they lost the person most important in their lives, the person they called "Mom or Dad"

Today my daughter and I went to the main Firehall in Victoria and attended a service of Remembrance of the Firefighters and all who lost their lives on that fateful day.  A moment of silence was held to mark when each tower fell and the firemen rang the code 3-4-3 on the fire bell for the 343 brothers & sisters they lost that day.

Thank you for protecting us each day and may God watch over you and your families to keep you safe.

Ringing out code  3-4-3 in remembrance the 343 lost Firefighters