September 11, 2011 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Ten years ago on September 11  I was returning some books at the North Bay Public Library when the librarian asked if I had heard about the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York. We have all had those moments when something  freezes in your mind and remains for years. I can still visualize that moment as if it were a photograph. 

Composite the Front page of the Nugget on September 12, 2001 and an image of the twin towers.

I remembered when I worked for the Ministry of Correctional Services as Principal at Cecil Facer School in Sudbury and went to a Youth Services Conference in New York and spent 3 days in a Board Room in one of the Twin Towers.( By the way Cecil Facer will celebrate 40 years on Sept 22 

For the next few days the anger against Al Quaeda and Osama Ben Laden and the horror of the event filled the pages of newspapers and filled the airways. The Nugget had 12 pages on September 12.  The pain and anger has never stopped even with Bin Laden’s death in May . 

Further Al Quaeda terrorism has taken place in Yemen, , Somalia, Bali, Madrid, London, Detroit, Afghanistan and Morroco.  

I am writing this on August 31 and already there is a build up for the recognition of the day in all of its inhumanity.  The Globe & Mail showed the photo today of a young lady who walked down 78 storeys and collapsed into the arms of a deputy marshall who ran to the scene at the World Trade Centre. Another photo shows her today. She has never been back. 

September 11, 2001 

Knife wielding terrorists turned 4 commercial airliners into passenger laden missiles unleashing the deadliest sneak attack against the United States since Pearl Harbour. (I still remember my father waking me on December 7, 1941 when I was 10 years old to tell me about Pearl Harbour).  The strike was bold and meticulously planned according to the Nugget.  Two planes flew into the Twin Towers where 50,000 people worked.  Another headed to the Presidential retreat at Camp David but was forced to the ground outside Pittsburgh and one headed for the Pentagon. 

People jumped to their death from the window of the Towers to escape the flames. People in the planes made final phone calls to family before dying. Everyone was touched including many Canadians.  Canadian “Ace” Bailey the Head of Scouting for the NHL Los Angeles Kings died in the event as did other Canadians. 

The final count of deaths was 3,000 including 19 hijackers with 6000 injured. The Pentagon had 186 deaths. When one considers that these were primarily young professionals with wives, husbands and children and extended families the impact was horrendous. 

Memorials on Saturday 

There will be numerous memorials on Saturday. (Google 9 11 Anniversary) President Obama has issued a set of Guidelines for the 9/11 Anniversary.  It stresses the possibility of more attacks from al Quaeda on the anniversary. 

There will be four moments of silence at most events to commemorate the times of the plane crashes and there will be tributes in light at sunset. 

Canada 

Canada will be remembering in many ways ( check www.canada.com/news9/11anniversary/index.html)

The National Arts Centre in Ottawa will hold a memorial concert on its outside terrace at 8:46 am – the time when the first plane struck the first Twin Tower of the World Trade Centre. 

9/11 Artefact on local display 

The Nugget reported that the Lavigne Fire Department in West Nipissing has acquired a piece of steel from the Twin Towers for display. It is dedicated to the 343 members of the New York fire Department that died in the attack. 

A memorial is now under construction in Lavigne and will be dedicated Saturday September 11 at 2:30 pm. It will be available for viewing during station hours. Everyone is invited to the opening and or a visit. 

It should be recognized that Osama Bin Laden was recently killed. Among many memorials the Pentagon has been repaired and a memorial built. The Twin Towers were started to be rebuilt in 2002. Many others will be open this weekend.

(Unfortunately this column did not appear in Community Voices)