9/11 Never Forget

[Carl]

9/11 came and went.
I far from forgot it yesterday, it was a somber reminiscent day thinking of what happened to so many.
Thinking of what changed...

We still have the ceremonies, lots of police presence at events and have to take our shoes off to board a plane...
but how much else has changed.

We still do not secure our boarders, still allow Visa holders to overstay their welcome
We are fighting, Isis is the new target, but they disband, change and move
Politicians seem indifferent to what should have been learned.

Schools do not teach of what happened...the little that is said leaves out thousands of US citizens were attacked and killed on US soil pushing that the attack is quantified as a retaliation.

9/11...after a day of thinking, I fear we are forgetting.

[Bruce]

People have short memories.

[Stephan]

I had to go to the office at my son's school yesterday.
They stopped the school day for a moment of silence at the start and end of the day.
Flags were lowered to half-mast.
It wasn't until later that I realized none of the students were born (not even close - grades 5-8).

Regards and remembrance,
Stephan

[WAC]

Carl, I fear most are forgetting. Here in California it is rarely spoke of. Most places did not have flags lowered. We are a one of the largest melting pots in the US. We see more flags from other countries than our own. Sad turn of events in such a short time. My wife and I were out of the country when it happened. We were locked out from our children and families unable to get home. The feeling of anger and fear for the safety of my people I could not reach will never fade.

[PeterPalmieri]

Most of the folks at work that lost friends and family don’t come to work or go on vacation. All the fireman and policeman living in the neighborhood are in their best dress for the day headed to memorials. It’s still very much a big deal around here, the kids were asked to wear red white and blue to school, they had a special assembly and drew pictures of the twin towers. Local news stations carry the complete reading of the names of all who were lost along with the moments of silence.

[Tony Meola]

Most of the folks at work that lost friends and family don’t come to work or go on vacation. All the fireman and policeman living in the neighborhood are in their best dress for the day headed to memorials. It’s still very much a big deal around here, the kids were asked to wear red white and blue to school, they had a special assembly and drew pictures of the twin towers. Local news stations carry the complete reading of the names of all who were lost along with the moments of silence.

Peter

Unfortunately, some news media outlets would like to make this a political issue. I believe it was MSNBC that would not show Mike Pence's speech.

Given what has happened in our schools, a time will come when they will not talk about 9/11 anymore. Pearl Harbor is barely an after thought in our schools.

[Carl]

Pete-
I think your area has a higher average of FDNY families then most areas, it is still personal for the community.

News coverage during the day I could not tell you, but when I watched at night there was a clip of the readings, a clip of Mike Pence attending a service and several digs at the Presidents comments from years ago. Sad...

In school it is just not a topic taught. But that is much of late history, seems everything that happened after the Civil War was crammed into a chapter and gone over quickly.

[Bertramp]

As some of you may remember, I was one of the folks running through the streets that morning.
Items on my desk on 9/10 were never again seen after I left that night.
In NY, folks still hold it closer, as most of us know someone that perished.
I'm in FL and it is remembered, but it is somewhat distant.

NEVER FORGET !! .... I can't !!

[DanielM]

Steve, late the night of 9/11 or it could have been the next day, after watching all the nationwide news coverage, I logged on to the original B31 board and one of the members posted a 1st person account of being across the street from the towers as it was occurring. Their office was in one of the towers and I believe lost some of their employee’s. It really drove home the tragedy and put a personal face on it for me, a guy halfway across the country. It was a powerful post that night. I can’t remember who posted it, for all I know it may have been you. It’s a shame that many of our American people seem to be forgetting.

Many years later when I got a chance to go to the Greenport Rendezvous. Ed Curry graciously allowed some Texans to stay with him for a little while, he put it into perspective again. He told me “up here everyone had someone”.

On that day the entire country ached for NYC and all of the people lost on the East coast in those terrible events. Be assured, many of us still do.

[Bertramp]

Daniel ...
That was me, I was across the street and saw the explosion of the second plane hitting and folks jumping out of windows way up high

[DanielM]

That post was on the original B31 site. It's too old to be in the saved copies. I think Capt. Pat's server provider lost a bunch of the early stuff.

I've wondered for years who that was.

I'm in the FL Keys this week and my wife and I will be flying out of FLL Saturday night. If you're down in Fort Lauderdale and would like to get some lunch Saturday, I'm buying.

I'll PM you my cell.

Daniel

[Pete Fallon]

Faithful,
It seems like only a few years ago not 17 years, that 9-11 took place. Our firefighters from the FDNY that worked the pile for months are dying at an alarming rate from cancer related illness. A lot of the members have since retired and the FDNY is not or never will be the same. I personally knew 7 souls that were murdered that day. Six firefighters and a marine surveyor friend that was on the first plane to hit tower 1. I will never forget.
Pete Fallon

[Seapalm]

In the Panhandle of FL the presence and aftermath is very much more remembered than most likely the rest of the US. We have a huge Military presence from Pensacola to Panama City to include:
4-US Air Force Bases
3-Naval Air/Sea Bases
Army 7th Special Forces
Army Ranger Swamp Training Base
Naval EOD school

We have lost friends, coworkers, and neighbors due to continuing fight with these terrorists, ISIS, and whomever hates what we stand for as a Nation... Rumor on the street here is that we are kicking ISIS butts, and since Trump has been in office, he has let the military officers call the shots and do their job. We trained hard to do what we do in the military, just let us do our job without tying our hands behind our backs and just maybe we will come out on top of this situation. Although I have been out of the Air Force for over a decade, I'm surrounded by those still fighting for our freedom! And, Believe me, Freedom is NOT Free...
And that includes all folks in uniform Police, Fire, and EMS! They'd are all taking risks with very little pay.

Lest us NOT forget!

[Carl]

Yes, we cannot forget. We all have or had connections to that day.

My wife was in the Tower for the '93 bombing and 9/11.
She was standing at the foot of the Towers when the 2nd plane hit.
Spoke to her right after but before the first came down.
Seemed like an eternity waiting to hear whether she got away...
She and her co-workers came home covered head to toe in heavy white soot...but they came home.

We are the lucky ones...we will never forget.

Those that lost can never forget.
Those that are being lost to illness from that day cannot forget.
Those that put their life on the line because of that day, due to that day cannot forget.

But as time goes on there are less people directly involved, 9/11 becomes a past tragedy of history.
Today...it seems that history is not yet on the books being taught, same as much of recent history misses the books.
Today the days news misses the classrooms. Too brutal, too violent...let kids live in a bubble, here''s a participation trophy, now lets all clap.

The news has it down to a few clips of the attack, a few rings of the bell at memorials, a quick shot of the Tower memorial, a somber nod from news anchor and onto weather...and I think too many are becoming fine with that.

[Seapalm]

Carl,
Unfortunately, you are spot on!
Now we need to go into "Time Out" just for mentioning it, someone may have been offended...