Photo By Jon Connor | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- Soldiers, Civilians and community members at the Rock...... read more read more
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- More than two decades have passed since the heart-wrenching 9/11 terrorist attacks, but the Rock Island Arsenal and surrounding community members haven't forgotten those who lost their lives. They showed up to RIA at the 9/11 Memorial Sept. 11 in an annual somber ceremony to remember the victims — ranging in age from 2 to 85 — of the terrorist attacks.
The ceremony began with members of the Rock Island Arsenal Fire and Police departments honoring their fallen brethren, placing a firefighter's helmet and police dress hat atop the memorial brick towers. "We will carry their legacy into the future and forever honor their selfless sacrifices in the name of freedom," reads a plaque at the site.
With the All Saints Catholic School singing a heartfelt rendition of the National Anthem, the crowd faced onwards towards the 2,977 sun-kissed flags on the field — each representing a life lost in the attacks in New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Each flag was carefully placed earlier in the morning after a 2 1/2 mile remembrance flag walk by Soldiers, Army Civilians, and community members.
Two Gold Star families — meaning family members of a service member who lost his or her life during conflict — were guests of honor at the ceremony. Philip and Paula Steele, parents of Army Capt. Joshua Steele, and David Pausch, father of Cpl. Jason Pausch, placed a wreath at the site with ceremony host U.S. Army Garrison Rock Island Arsenal commander, Col. Joe Parker III and USAG-RIA Command Sgt. Maj. James Brown.
"On that specific day in 2001, in the face of devastation, Americans from every walk of life responded with a resolute spirit,” Parker told the crowd. “Strangers became neighbors, communities became families, and we united in grief, but also in hope. It is that sense of unity and common purpose that we must hold on to now more than ever."
"For those of us that experienced it, the attack on Sept. 11 is seared into our memories," Parker told the crowd. "We are now far enough from that date to have a significant majority of Soldiers in our formations that were not even alive when it took place."
Parker encouraged those who do remember the day to share their experience — and the fellowship that followed across our nation — with those that weren't old enough to experience it.
"This memorial before us, a stone replica of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, is more than just a monument of bricks," Parker said. "It is a testament to our shared burden."
The foundation of the memorial — a brick replica of the twin towers that fell on 9/11 in New York City — has stood since Sept. 9, 2010.
“On the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, over 250 bricks were handed out amongst the Soldiers, and they did the same walk, the 2 1/2 mile walk back and forth, and those bricks would become the core of the 9/11 monument that is today,” explained Army Sustainment Command historian Kevin Braafladt. That “sharing the burden” road march symbolized the responsibility to carry the load and memory of those who perished on 9/11, as well as those service members that had fallen since.
"While this was an attack on America, it was also an attack on humanity, affecting citizens from over 78 countries," Parker explained. "It was the single largest loss of life on American soil from a foreign attack, and the greatest loss of emergency responders in our nation's history."
Parker went on to tell the story of where he was when he first heard the news — in a senior history course. He recalls watching the second plane hit the other tower in his second class of the day.
"We sat there and audibly gasped when the second plane hit," he said of himself and his classmates. "Nobody really knew what to think, and a sheer paralysis set over everybody as the two towers crumbled. We were literally watching as the world changed before our eyes.
"To me, Sept. 11 had the feel of what Dec. 7 must have felt like to every Soldier…Sailor, Marine, and Coast Guardsman when they rushed to sign up for their country back in 1941," Parker continued.
With a moment of silence followed by the familiar and bittersweet tones of "Taps," played by American Legion members, the crowd showed their respects. The choir closed the event out with "America the Beautiful," a reminder that, while the memory of 9/11 is somber, this country continues to persevere.
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2024 16:12 |
| Story ID: | 480724 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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