Remembering 9/11

 Earlier in the summer we visited the small town of Cashmere in Eastern Washington.  While we were there we stopped in to see the September 11 Spirit of America Memorial that was completed in 2015.  On this 20th anniversary of that fateful day it seemed appropriate to share these photos and remember the events of that terrible morning that rocked the world.

There were 2,977 people who perished that morning, including 343 firefighters and 72 police officers.  Every name is etched in stone.  

 

 

 

 

This piece of tangled metal came from one of the towers.  The limestone cornice was part of the Pentagon.  

 

 It took 99 days to completely extinguish the fires at the World Trade Center complex and another 120 days for the clean up and recovery operation to be completed.  In all, about 2 million tons of steel and rubble were removed.  

 

A pear tree has been planted on the site as a reminder of resilience and hope for the nation.  The original "Survivor Tree" was nursed back to health and then planted by the South Pool of the New York 9/11 Memorial where it is thriving.  Every year memorial seedlings are taken from the tree and given to three communities that have suffered from tragedy in recent years. 

 We found the memorial garden to be a thoughtful and peaceful place for reflection.  We remember how on that day the world mourned with us and later stood shoulder to shoulder with us as we fought against evil. To those of you around the nation and the world who sacrificed for us, I say  Thank you, God bless you. May we always remember the fragility of life and the gift of life, and to live our lives with gratitude, courage and integrity.

Adieu!