Today is Patriot Day and marks the 19th year since the 911 attacks. On September 11th we honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 innocent victims who died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Each year Americans dedicate this day to remembering those who died and to the first responders who risked their own lives to save others.
For many, September 11, 2001, began like any other weekday. We made our way to work. Children attended school. We shopped, had coffee, waited in line at a drive-thru. Those of us who weren’t in New York City heard the first reports on the radio or television. A friend or neighbor alerted us to a plane flying into one of the Twin Towers. We felt disbelief. An accident, perhaps, a miscalculation. Then, a second plane flew into the second tower. Our disbelief turned into uncertainty and concern.
Those on the ground faced terror and obstacles they had never known. As a set of coordinated suicide attacks organized by the militant group Al Qaeda targeted the World Trade Center, the rest of the nation witnessed the unbelievable. And then a third plane crashed into The Pentagon. And yet another crashed into a field in Shanksville, PA.
Every year since that fateful day, the United States comes together to remember the fallen. We remember the first responders and those who made difficult decisions. Since that day, memorials have risen from the ashes.
This community event will feature the remembrance of the victims of September 11, 2001 and an awards distribution to Central Florida first responders who have gone “above and beyond” service in the line of duty in the last year.
The Keynote Speaker will be Mike Cortes, Former FDNY and September 11, 2001 First Responder. The event will take place on Youtube. For the link to the event just go to PositivelyOsceola.com and look for the 911 Tribute article or link.
Source: National Day, Positively Osceola, CFHLA
