“Where were you when the world stopped turning?” is how Alan Jackson’s song about the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy begins.
For many emergency workers in New York City on that fateful day in 2001, the answer to Alan Jackson’s question is that they were rushing back to the scene after the first attack on the Twin Towers to try to help those in need. That’s when the second tower was hit by another plane, killing many of the first responders who had raced to area to provide assistance.
The 9-11 terrorist attacks resulted in 2,977 fatalities. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in our nation’s history. A total of 411 emergency workers died as they tried to rescue people and fight fires, most of them from the New York City Fire Department.
As many of us struggle to explain the tragedy of Sept. 11 to our children and grandchildren, it is always worthwhile to commend the bravery of the firefighters and police officers who rushed to the scene of the terrorist attack on that fateful day, as well as the bravery of the members of our armed forces who later responded to the attacks. While the example of this tragedy certainly stands out – brave men and women in these careers make similar choices every single day of their careers when they put themselves at risk to ensure the safety of others.
We hope you will all join us at noon on Saturday at the civic center in a special ceremony to memorialize the lives lost in the tragedy of 9-11 and to honor our first responders and members of our military. The terrorist attacks of 9-11 were a terrible tragedy, but they brought us together as Americans. Let’s come together again to recognize those who put their lives at risk for us every day.
Both the Jericho Walk and the 16th of September events this weekend will also be paying tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on Saturday. Finally, look for the giant electrical American flag by Lakeview Christian Home’s Riverbend building. Thank you to Lisa Rice, Jody Knox, Jeannie Watson and Chad Ingram for putting together this special tribute.
On another note, best of luck to all of our sports teams this weekend. The Cavemen host Coronado in Friday’s Homecoming game. Also, the Carlsbad Cavegirls will play their toughest game of the year on Saturday. The Cavegirls are currently 10-0 and are the defending state champions, but Rio Rancho (7-1) is currently ranked higher due to schedule difficulty. That game is at 2 p.m. Saturday in Carlsbad. Go Cavemen and Cavegirls!
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway