Washington, U.S.A. – Generation Opportunity President Paul T. Conway, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Labor, has issued the following statement:

“Today, in our prayers and in our hearts, we remember the thousands of innocent Americans and first responders who lost their lives during the cowardly terror attacks of September 11, 2001. We mourn their loss and pledge to their families and loved ones to always honor their memory and to never forget their bravery and sacrifice. We offer our full respect for the courage and selflessness demonstrated by those who answered this nation’s call to respond through the War on Terror, including those in the United States Armed Forces, committed federal civil servants, countless state and local police, and emergency responders whose ongoing vigilance continues to keep us safe here at home.

We also pay tribute to America’s next greatest generation, whose love of our country and unwavering commitment to their fellow citizens was forged by the events of that day. Through their patriotism, military service, and example of helping those in need here and overseas, young Americans have sent a powerful message to the world that our nation’s ideals are intact, that our exceptionalism remains, and that the memory of those who fell of September 11 will never fade.”

Mr. Conway served as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on September 11, 2001, and was involved in the legislative efforts to establish the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He later served as an agency Chief of Staff at DHS and was awarded the Secretary’s Silver Medal, the second highest DHS civilian award, for his leadership and distinguished service over a significant time to the Department.

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Pennsylvania, U.S.A. – Governor Tom Corbett joined officials on September 11 at the U.S. Army War College in Cumberland County to remember those who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, as well as all those who have sacrificed their lives in war in the past 11 years.

“We have shown the world that there is no compromise in our determination to remain a nation of free people, safe in our homes, and entitled to the liberties inscribed by our founders,” Corbett said.

“Today, our men and women in uniform continue that tradition. We are here today to honor their sacrifice,” Corbett said. “Each of them, those who came home to us, those we lost, stood guard over the American Dream.”

The ceremony, led by U.S. Army War College Commandant Maj. General Anthony A. Cucolo III, honors military men and women, as well as police officers, firefighters, and civilians who were killed in the terrorist attacks, as well as all those who have since died in protection of our nation.

Among the nearly 3,000 people who died on Sept. 11, 2001, were three alumni of the U.S. Army War College. Three more alumni were killed in combat operations.

The war college is the Army’s most senior military educational institution, training officers in leadership, strategy and international operations.

“The best monument we can build to the brave men and women who stood sentinel is to protect the values and liberties for which they gave their last full measure,” Corbett said.

U.S. and state flags were flying at half-staff in observance of Patriot Day.

Image Courtesy of   Governor Tom Corbett

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New York, U.S.A. – For the eleventh anniversary of 9/11, AJC Executive Director David Harris issued the following statement:

“Eleven years ago, our city and nation suffered monstrous acts of terrorism. We were attacked by radical Islamist forces not for a specific policy, but for who we are — an open, democratic, pluralistic society.

“We remember the cherished lives of the nearly 3,000 people who were murdered on that fateful day, a day seared into our memory forever.

“We can only begin to imagine the enduring pain — and irretrievable loss — of the families, friends, and colleagues of those who were slain.

“And we recall the extraordinary courage of those who put their own lives on the line—and, in many cases, sacrificed their lives—so that others might live.

“Painful memories will always remain, as they should, but remembrance stirs us to reflect on both the evil and, yes, the good that emerged on that tragic day and in its aftermath.

“The good is rooted in the heart and soul of American society. Right after 9/11, as a country, we stood as one. We were all in this together—as proud, strong, determined Americans. We must never lose that sense of common destiny.

“Memories and reflections of 9/11, and what has transpired since, inspire us to recommit to the core values that form the bedrock of the United States of America. We must never falter in the defense of human freedom and human dignity.

“And never again should we underestimate our enemies or suffer from a failure of imagination. 9/11 was a sobering reminder that those who despise what we stand for—liberty, diversity, religious freedom, and women’s equality—will stop at nothing in the name of their demented political and religious ideology.

“We and our allies—the family of democratic countries and common values—must remain ever vigilant and ever united.”

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New York, U.S.A. – The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s major annual fundraiser, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run, will be replicated in communities throughout the nation and to different international locations on its 11th anniversary this September.

The Foundation has expanded its reach into communities throughout the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska as well as an inaugural run in London. So far, close to 70 communities have signed up to hold Tunnel to Towers runs and 25 motorcycle rides, 34.3 miles in length, are also scheduled with the “Bikers for America’s Bravest” program.

Since 2002, the New York City Tunnel to Towers Run has been held annually to honor the 343 firefighters and first responders who lost their lives on 9/11 and recreates the final footsteps of firefighter Stephen Siller who was last seen running through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel with 60 pounds of gear strapped to his back en route to the World Trade Center after the attacks. Last year, more than 30,000 people attended and took part in the NY event, while an additional 12,000 participated in runs throughout the world, a tradition that started in 2011.

“The New York City event began as a way to honor Stephen and his firefighter brothers,” said Frank Siller, one of Stephen’s siblings and the chairman of the Foundation. “Over the years, through an influx of volunteers, donations and interest, it has continued to grow and evolve nationwide and worldwide. We are grateful now to have the opportunity to include the entire United States, and even countries around the world, in this moving and meaningful event.”

For more information on race locations, registration or fundraising – please visit T2Trun.org.

Image Courtesy of  PaulSteinJC

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Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the most devastating terrorist attack on American soil in modern times. Countless ceremonies, gatherings and events will take place around the U.S. and world to honor approximately 3,000 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

On Sunday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and other city officials, will dedicate the newly built 9/11 Memorial at the site where the World Trade Center (WTC) towers once stood, according to American City & Country. “We had to design a memorial that would stand the test of time — and design the space that our city would need to grow and prosper,” Bloomberg said Tuesday at breakfast in Lower Manhattan sponsored by the Association for a Better New York. “I believe that history will record that we accomplished both.”

Bloomberg’s words are evidence of the perseverance that U.S. leaders and citizens have demonstrated in the years which followed the deadly events of 9/11.

On September 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., a hijacked American Airlines (AA) Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A mere 17 minutes later, at 9:03 a.m., hijacked United Airlines (UA) Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the WTC.  At 9:37 a.m., hijacked AA Flight 77 flew into the west wall of the Pentagon. At 10 a.m., the hijacked UA Flight 93 crashed into a field in Shaksville, Pennsylvania. The passengers and crew attempted to retake control of the plane which was believed to be traveling toward the White House.

According to The District of Columbia Website, a candlelight service will take place at the First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. to honor the lives lost in the plane crash at the Pentagon.

President Obama and Vice President Biden will visit the crash site in Shaksville Sunday. Biden will later attend the dedication in New York. Obama will attend ceremonies in D.C., according to the New York Daily News.

Many will take a moment Sunday to remember the servicemen and servicewomen who lost their lives while responding to the terrorist attacks.

Police and firefighters in New York, and all around the U.S., are expected to observe a national Moment of Remembrance of the 9/11 attacks by sounding their police and firefighters sirens and bells, according to the Jackson County Times-Journal. At precisely 1 p.m EDT, bells will sound for a minute. Frank Lautenberg, U.S. Senator of New Jersey, encouraged the public to participate. “’This Moment of Remembrance’” will be a symbol of solidarity throughout the county and across the country. We must never forget what happened on that tragic day,” Lautenberg said.

Other individuals are sharing their perspectives and memories of 9/11 through a quieter, solitary activity – writing.

In post on the Foundry website, a Conservative policy news blog from the Heritage Foundation, Jessica Zuckerman reflects on how the events of 9/11 shaped the world for many young Americans. “I was barely a teenager on 9/11, but these memories will stay with me forever,” Zuckerman said. “For many in my generation, the events of September 11, 2001 shattered our naiveté and changed our perspective of the world. Coming of age in the War on Terror, we were defined by it.” Zuckerman said that after 9/11 her dreams of becoming a doctor or a teacher were replaced with an interest in the hot topic of homeland security and counterterrorism.

In an opinion piece written for the Washington Times, Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, of San Deigo, expressed outrage that the memorial for Flight 93, in Pennsylvania, has not been completed due to a lack of funding. “Flight 93 is an afterthought in the narrative of 9/11 and it shouldn’t be,” Falkenthal said.

Linda Paul, a guest columist for OregonLive, recalls her experience being inside the Pentagon when the airplane struck the building. “When the plane struck us, there was a single loud boom, more like a solid but muffled thud and the office shuddered, identical to the shudder of an earthquake,” Paul said. “I looked back to see the giant black cloud of smoke hovering over the building. I thought, ‘They’re killing us with our own damn airplanes.’ I may have said this aloud.”

Storytelling is a tool that many organizations are encouraging people to use in an effort to unite Americans and to honor the lives lost on 9/11.

The Washington Informer is inviting people to submit their stories of 9/11 along with photos to be added to the “Informer’s 9/11 Anniversary section.” One person who contributed to the Informer said, “That evening, I did nothing but watch television news and read the special edition of the Post. I knew that America would never be the same from then on.”

According to the Huffington Post, even the cooking community has come together to share their 9/11 experiences. The Food Republic interviewed 8 New York Chefs about that horrific morning. ”I remember while walking over the [Queensboro] Bridge, this one somber moment when someone, who clearly was from Ground Zero, covered in white dust, with a blank stare, was walking on the bridge,” said Bryan Voltaggio, chef at VOLT restaurant.

Similarly, StoryCorps, a nonprofit organization, “whose mission is to provide Americans…with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives,” dedicated space on their website for the oral telling of 9/11 stories. StoryCorps hopes to record one story for every life lost on 9/11.

“It was Christine’s first trip in an airplane,” Lee Hanson said during his recording for StoryCorp. He and his wife, Eunice Hanson, lost three family members on 9/11 – they were passengers on UA Flight 175.

According to Kirsti A. Dyer MD, a fellow of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, our stories can strengthen us. “Storytelling can be regarded as one of the oldest healing arts; it has been used for centuries as a universal, useful way for the grieving person to cope with loss” Dyer said. “Telling the story can provide the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of one’s experiences.”

Codi Schneider, a 7 year-old at the time of 9/11, remembers the towers crumbling on TV and his father predicting the Air Force would send him to war soon, the Associated Press said. Codi’s father, an Air Force Chief Master, served in Iraq and was responsible for disarming enemy booby traps. Now a teenager, Codi said the years since 9/11 have been full of nightmares. He often wakes up screaming in the middle of the night.

According to the AP, Codi said he doesn’t want to be in the Air Force like his father. He wants to be a filmmaker or maybe a journalist when he grows up. “Whatever I do when I’m older,” Codi said “I want to tell people my story.”

While ceremonies to remember 9/11 will be the focus of Sunday for many Americans, the U.S. Homeland Security Department will be on alert in light of recent terrorist threats.

Image courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/6120234023/

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The US Homeland Security Department has acknowledged a ‘credible and specific’ report that al Qaeda is planning to blow up infrastructure in New York on the anniversary of the national tragedy that struck the United States 10 years ago on September 11.

New York’s mayor Michael Bloomberg told the press that the intelligence of the threat was uncorroborated but because of the nature of the situation, nobody was willing to take chances. “We know the terrorists regard the anniversary as an opportunity to strike again. We do live in a world where we must take these threats seriously,” Bloomberg said according to British newspaper The Guardian.

Intelligence agencies are behind the warning. To the Huffington Post, a US intelligence official said, “US counterterrorism entities have been alert for any leads, and for the first time we’ve received specific and credible – but unconfirmed – threat information linked to the 9/11 anniversary.

Any and all leads related to possible plots are of course being run to ground, and the US will bring every resource to bear to ensure the security of the American people.” The assistant director of the FBI in New York, Janice Fedarcyk, told The Guardian that initial suspicion was raised during the raid at Abbottabad, Pakistan that killed Osama Bin Laden.

The obtained intelligence showed that al-Qaida had an interest in several important dates – including 9/11. President Barack Obama has requested redoubled effort from the counter-terrorism forces in order to clarify the nature of the threat and Fedarcyk was sure to stress that “sometimes this reporting is credible and warrants intense focus, other times it lacks credibility and is highly unlikely to relate to real plots that are underway.”

Citizens of New York will have to deal with tightened security around the city. Sky News reports that extra police will carry out checks on cars around tunnels and bridges while there will be more bag inspections on the subway and more resources put into radiation and bomb monitoring.

Mayor Bloomberg said that while the authorities are taking additional measures to protect the city in anticipation of the weekend, he would like New Yorkers to go about their business as usual. “The best thing we can do to fight terror is to refuse to be intimidated by it.

For the past 10 years we have not allowed terrorists to intimidate us, we have lived out lives without fear and we will continue to do so,” said Bloomberg.
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