| Remembering September 11 By Jennifer Kenny |  |
1 September 11, 2001, will forever be a sad day in the history of the United States. The terrorist attacks knocked down the Twin Towers, crashed a plane in Pennsylvania, and plunged a plane into the Pentagon. These attacks killed thousands of people.
2 In the hours following the attacks, people were glued to the television for information. They hoped and prayed for survivors. They reached out to friends and family. Many turned to their faith and came together in churches and synagogues to pray. Many people close to the locations of the attacks volunteered to help out. In some cases, those from far away came, too. Fundraisers began across the nation to raise money to help the victims and their families.
3 In the months following the attacks, many funerals were held to mourn individuals who lost their lives in the attacks. On the six-month anniversary, two bright lights pierced through the New York City sky to mark the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center. This event was called the "Tribute in Light." On the first anniversary of the attacks, the entire country watched a special ceremony at the site of Ground Zero that was broadcast on national television.
4 As time passed, individuals came together in many communities for special memorials. What is a memorial? A memorial is anything meant to help people remember a person or event. Many such memorials have been created in the tri-state area. The tri-state area is New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. New York City is a major commercial area. While many of the victims lived in the city, many others lived in the tri-state area. Some of the people who lost their lives were policemen, firemen, financial workers, and other business people. Many of them lived in the towns surrounding New York City and commuted, or traveled between work and home, each day. Many of the victims' hometowns have struggled with the best way to honor their residents.
5 Many local schools share a moment of silence on September 11 each year. Some include the ringing of school bells as well. Counselors are available to speak with students and staff members on this day. Some schools also lower the flag. Many churches and synagogues hold special memorial gatherings each September 11. Some communities, like Orangetown, New York, hold a candlelight vigil at the town hall.
6 Some memorials are available year-round in a more permanent way. One firehouse in Rockland County, New York, was rededicated to Greg Sikorsky. He was a firefighter who lost his life at the World Trade Center. At Ardsley High School, also in New York, some creative students painted a mural of red, white, and blue. It contained many drawings and messages from students who wished to express their feelings. Many schools planted trees and gardens to remember those who died.
7 In Ramapo, New York, the town dedicated a "Walk of Remembrance" at their park. The walk was to remember town residents who were killed September 11, 2001. Each family picked a tree to be planted for their lost relative.
8 Sculpture memorials have touched some communities. A famous sculptor from Tribeca named Bryan Hunt used steel recovered from the World Trade Center site to create the memorials. These memorials were then made available to victims' families. They gave the families something with weight with which to remember their loved ones.
9 At the Haverstraw Bay Park along the Hudson River in New York, a living memorial called the Patriot Garden was created. There are numerous trees and flowers to create a palette of colors across the seasons. It is a symbol of the cycle of life. There are daffodils, phlox, lilacs, and English lavender. There are weeping cherry trees and Japanese maple trees, too. Next to the garden, there is a memorial area. A walkway displays events from September 11, 2001. There is a 20-foot beam from Tower Two that is on a base in the shape of Ground Zero. A corner wall randomly displays the names of victims from the area.
10 At the town hall in Haverstraw, New York, a memorial also commemorates those who died. It is made of black marble in the middle and two slabs of polished stone on the sides. It reads "The Price of Freedom" across the top. It says "So that we will never forget" across the bottom. The images of one local policeman and two local firemen who died are in the center. Local residents donated money by purchasing brick pavers with tributes on them.
11 One unique memorial was a song written by Kristy Jackson. It is entitled "Little Did She Know (She'd Kissed a Hero)." It is often played on the radio around the anniversary of September 11. It is dedicated to all the heroes of September 11. It especially speaks to the fallen airline victims with the words "But when faced with certain death, he'd said a prayer and took a breath, and led an army of true angels in the sky." It ends with the lines, "Though he'd always been an angel in her eyes, putting others first, it's true, that's what heroes always do, now he doesn't need a pair of wings to fly."
12 May we never forget.
2 In the hours following the attacks, people were glued to the television for information. They hoped and prayed for survivors. They reached out to friends and family. Many turned to their faith and came together in churches and synagogues to pray. Many people close to the locations of the attacks volunteered to help out. In some cases, those from far away came, too. Fundraisers began across the nation to raise money to help the victims and their families.
3 In the months following the attacks, many funerals were held to mourn individuals who lost their lives in the attacks. On the six-month anniversary, two bright lights pierced through the New York City sky to mark the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center. This event was called the "Tribute in Light." On the first anniversary of the attacks, the entire country watched a special ceremony at the site of Ground Zero that was broadcast on national television.
4 As time passed, individuals came together in many communities for special memorials. What is a memorial? A memorial is anything meant to help people remember a person or event. Many such memorials have been created in the tri-state area. The tri-state area is New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. New York City is a major commercial area. While many of the victims lived in the city, many others lived in the tri-state area. Some of the people who lost their lives were policemen, firemen, financial workers, and other business people. Many of them lived in the towns surrounding New York City and commuted, or traveled between work and home, each day. Many of the victims' hometowns have struggled with the best way to honor their residents.
5 Many local schools share a moment of silence on September 11 each year. Some include the ringing of school bells as well. Counselors are available to speak with students and staff members on this day. Some schools also lower the flag. Many churches and synagogues hold special memorial gatherings each September 11. Some communities, like Orangetown, New York, hold a candlelight vigil at the town hall.
6 Some memorials are available year-round in a more permanent way. One firehouse in Rockland County, New York, was rededicated to Greg Sikorsky. He was a firefighter who lost his life at the World Trade Center. At Ardsley High School, also in New York, some creative students painted a mural of red, white, and blue. It contained many drawings and messages from students who wished to express their feelings. Many schools planted trees and gardens to remember those who died.
7 In Ramapo, New York, the town dedicated a "Walk of Remembrance" at their park. The walk was to remember town residents who were killed September 11, 2001. Each family picked a tree to be planted for their lost relative.
8 Sculpture memorials have touched some communities. A famous sculptor from Tribeca named Bryan Hunt used steel recovered from the World Trade Center site to create the memorials. These memorials were then made available to victims' families. They gave the families something with weight with which to remember their loved ones.
9 At the Haverstraw Bay Park along the Hudson River in New York, a living memorial called the Patriot Garden was created. There are numerous trees and flowers to create a palette of colors across the seasons. It is a symbol of the cycle of life. There are daffodils, phlox, lilacs, and English lavender. There are weeping cherry trees and Japanese maple trees, too. Next to the garden, there is a memorial area. A walkway displays events from September 11, 2001. There is a 20-foot beam from Tower Two that is on a base in the shape of Ground Zero. A corner wall randomly displays the names of victims from the area.
10 At the town hall in Haverstraw, New York, a memorial also commemorates those who died. It is made of black marble in the middle and two slabs of polished stone on the sides. It reads "The Price of Freedom" across the top. It says "So that we will never forget" across the bottom. The images of one local policeman and two local firemen who died are in the center. Local residents donated money by purchasing brick pavers with tributes on them.
11 One unique memorial was a song written by Kristy Jackson. It is entitled "Little Did She Know (She'd Kissed a Hero)." It is often played on the radio around the anniversary of September 11. It is dedicated to all the heroes of September 11. It especially speaks to the fallen airline victims with the words "But when faced with certain death, he'd said a prayer and took a breath, and led an army of true angels in the sky." It ends with the lines, "Though he'd always been an angel in her eyes, putting others first, it's true, that's what heroes always do, now he doesn't need a pair of wings to fly."
12 May we never forget.