Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Jonathan Carmichael | Members from each service stand in formation during a Sept. 11 commemoration ceremony...... read more read more
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CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti - This morning, members of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa and Camp Lemonnier paid tribute to the memory of those who lost their lives in the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.
At 8 a.m. sharp 12 years after the tragedy, representatives from each of the services gathered to remember those lost during a ceremony held under the half-mast American flag here. Though everyone felt the effects of that day, it holds a special importance for service members who have fought to eradicate terrorism around the globe.
"This is a day we'll never let go by without pausing to reflect," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Terry Ferrell, CJTF-HOA commander. "Remembering that day, especially while we're deployed, has added significance as we continue our mission here in the Horn of Africa answering our nation's call to prevent another attack on our home land."
The ceremony featured excerpts from several accounts and writings related to the attacks, as well as the personal account of one CJTF-HOA warrior who experienced the attacks firsthand.
"9/11 was personal for me because I was there," said U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Adam Newsum, who was working as a recruiter only blocks from the World Trade Center that Tuesday morning. Newsum, a New York native, recounted the feelings he shared with his fellow recruiters that day. "Some may not have been old enough to internalize the emotion of that moment, but for most of us, the emotion of that day was real. It was palpable. It was personal."
Between helping victims to safety and aiding the injured, Newsum noticed someone had written his service's motto into the rubble.
"Seeing the Semper Fidelis scrawled into the remains of one of the sides of the wall gave me hope immediately at that moment to know that we can get past this," said Newsum, who was the guest speaker at this morning's ceremony.
From the first responders who selflessly entered the burning towers making the ultimate sacrifice in the name of saving others, to the brave men and women of United Airlines flight 93 whose actions saved countless lives, service members around the globe take time to remember the heroes who lost their lives that day, and those who continue to defend freedom in every corner of the globe.
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2013 03:36 |
| Story ID: | 115453 |
| Location: | CAMP LEMONNIER, DJ |
| Hometown: | NEW YORK, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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