Photo By Shelby West | Lt. Philip M. Dellaventura, Zone Manger, Fleet Maintenance Submarines, was a keynote...... read more read more
On Sept. 11, 2001, our nation was upended as nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. The world watched in horror as two of these flights, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, crashed into the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City. Another flight, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. United Airlines Flight 93 was also taken over by terrorists; however, the passengers stormed the cockpit and brought the plane down in Shanksville, Pa. before it could reach its intended destination. In one of the most deadliest terrorist attacks in American history, 2,977 people from 93 nations lost their lives and more than 6,000 were injured, with 2,753 killed in New York, 194 killed at the Pentagon, and 40 killed on Flight 93.
Twenty-two years have passed since that fateful day – yet many still remember the broadcasts, the sirens, the clouds of smoke pouring through the city after the attack – many still remember exactly where they were the day the towers fell. Our nation saw armed forces, law enforcement and emergency response personnel taking their stand wherever they were needed to protect the American people. Thousands of volunteers raced to offer assistance in rescue, recovery and cleanup efforts. From the ashes, we rose together, to continue forward, to serve and protect and to uplift our brothers and sisters through the tragedy and turmoil. Many lost their lives that day, yet our nation never forgets their sacrifice, honoring their memory today and every day for their strength and endurance to protect our freedom. Now designated as Patriot Day, our nation gathers together each year to remember the fallen.
Honoring the memory of those who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) held its annual Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony and Fall-In for Colors Sept. 11, hosted by the Veterans Employee Readiness Group (VET-ERG) and Chief Petty Officers Mess. Navy Chaplain Lt. Paul E. Rockrohr provided the invocation and benediction for the ceremony. Musical accompaniment was provided by the U.S. Navy band as well as bagpiper Lt. Col. (Ret.) Thomas Metz as the workforce took a moment to honor those who were lost during the attack.
“You all probably remember where you were the day of the attack and the events that transpired twenty-two years ago. Our nation not only changed physically from the attack, but also mentally, emotionally, and brought significant changes throughout our world,” said Shipyard Commander Capt. Jip Mosman. “I was deployed when the attacks occurred off the west coast of India. When we returned from deployment, I returned home to a very different United States. Through this tragedy, I saw more patriotism fill our streets, our brothers and sisters coming together in ways I never saw before. I saw our nation born anew with pride and respect instilled into our people as we honored those we had lost.”
Command Master Chief Stephanie Canteen shared her own personal account of the Sept. 11 attacks, “I was stationed in Jacksonville when I received word … to come to the office as a plane had just struck the World Trade Center. I rushed to the office in time to see the second plane hit and my heart sank. I had family in New York City and my heart went out to everyone as they pushed forward through this attack. Today, we stand in solidarity in honoring those who lost their lives during September 11 and stand in solidarity of those firefighters, police officers, military members and volunteers who put their heart and soul on the line to perform their rescue efforts… We are stronger and better than ever before.”
Lt. Philip M. Dellaventura, Zone Manger, Fleet Maintenance Submarines, was a keynote speaker for the ceremony – sharing his personal account of the attacks as a native of Staten Island, New York having watched the world change from his backyard. “I was 20 years old at the time living in a studio apartment, in the forgotten borough of New York City, Staten Island,” he said as he recalled his mother calling him that morning warning him not to go into the city because planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. “Whether you’re from Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Manhattan, we all have one thing in common – we are all New Yorkers. And an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”
During the attack, Dellaventura went out to pick up his father who was being discharged from the hospital before returning to the restaurant where he worked in order to watch the events unfold on television. “On the way there, a call came over the FM radio for all off duty police or fire personnel to report to their precinct or fire house. After reaching my destination, I was able to watch what was happening less than nine miles from where I stood. For the city that never sleeps, New York stopped. All bridges and tunnels were closed, all public transportation was halted and all emergency services were en route. Even areas from Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut were standing by to assist in whatever emergency might come up within the city.”
He continued, “On the corner of Victory Boulevard and Jude Avenue stood one fireman from my local firehouse suited up with his helmet on. When I asked what he was doing, he said his company had already left and the only way to get to Manhatten was the public bus. I drove him to the ferry. I still don’t know who he was but it is safe to say he came home since no one from Engine 163 or 83 truck was lost that day.”
“You always see in the movies the panic and chaos following the attack but the reality is my city and our country put our personal feelings aside that day and united in an effort to save lives. In the week that followed, a cloud of smoke covered lower Manhattan. Rescue workers would come into my pizzeria covered in debris to grab a slice before a couple hours of sleep before returning to ground zero and continue searches. A final count of 4,257 remains was retrieved from the site, yet only 300 could be identified. A memorial stands at ground zero today, honoring all who lost their lives that day,” said Dellaventura. “It’s strange today to think we have service members in active duty who were not even born yet in 2001. It is incumbent on those of us who were alive then to hold these services and learn from that day. Our world can quite literally change in the blink of an eye and we must always be ready to respond and keep pressing forward. General Patton once said, ‘prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and unpredictable.’ Because [9-11] was the definition of the unforeseeable and unpredictable. How we responded as a military and as a nation is proof when even faced with adversity we can never stop moving forward.”
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2023 15:08 |
| Story ID: | 453167 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Norfolk Naval Shipyard Pauses to Reflect During Annual Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony, by Kristi R Britt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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