Stand Tall and Strong

NFL's 9/11 - Chicago's Soldier Field

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=7ffd9bd2-2505-400f-a6b1-1a97efcb4841" target="_new" title="">The NFL's 9/11 Remembrance</a>

Oh the Keeper of Men

(images courtesy of: treasuredheros on Ebay)
10 years. Wow, I can't believe it's been that long. With all the media memorials on TV these past few days it feels like only yesterday I was sitting in my math class freshman year of high school. I remember that being one of the big questions people would always ask: 'Do you remember where you were that day?'. That day shook me, because my family and I had just visited New York City earlier that summer. I don't remember if we even visited the towers during our visit. :(

For this year my family and I will be attending a memorial ceremony this evening at a near by high school. I'll be wearing my thin blue line lapel pin for that and probably the rest of the month. Not sure what Sam will be doing.

I have a feeling that something similar will be taking place at fire houses around the nation, but this is what our neighboring county is participating for the Moment of Remembrance:

U.S. Senate resolution S. Res. 237 is calling on all Americans to participate in a Moment of Remembrance on September 11, 2011.

At 1 p.m., Sunday all fire engines and rescue trucks in St. Lucie County will sound their sirens for 20-30 seconds. St. Lucie County Law Enforcement will be joining firefighters at the fire stations for this Moment of Remembrance.

The U.S. Senate resolution calls for first responders, houses of worship, towns, and others throughout the country to sound sirens and bells as a signal for everyone to stop and remember the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

I meant to post this a little later in the day and not at 2am, but since I have to care for my Grandpa at night I figured I might as well post it now.

You are never forgotten if one person remembers

(image copyright 2011 by WPBF.com. All rights reserved.)

This story is similar to a story in April I posted about the firefighter who ran the Boston Marathon in full uniform. Palm Beach County Firefighter Aaron Piering says he's running (or rather ran) the Jeff Annas Memorial Firefighters 5K Run in full bunker gear in honor of those men, women and all those who perished in the September 11th attacks. He was able to raise $3,000 to benefit local charities including "Little Smiles", which benefits children with cancer.

I wonder if it was on purpose that he was given the number 343?

First Responders left off the guest list

I'm just so appalled. I just don't know how to express myself. I was just made aware through a friend's post on Facebook and this article: First responders excluded from 9-11 ceremony. To think they weren't invited to any of the ceremonies is a blatant lack of respect. We go on and on about patriotism and how we'll never forget those who gave their lives for others and this is how the city shows their appreciation is an outrage. I'd like to know who'd be invited over these survivors other than the families who lost their loved ones. And if space is the concern, find a bigger venue. All and all I just think they should've been included.

I hope some kind of justice and appreciation can be shown to these outstanding individuals.

9/11

The 10th anniversary is coming up in just about 142 days. I know my self, I'm always looking for a new project to work on. Sam's patch project is just about done, just one more frame and I'll always be on the look out for a few of the older department patches. I just purchased (a horrible habit now that I know my way around ebay) a 9-11 memorial patch of Sirius K9 of the New York Port Authority. Apparently, he was the only police K9 to have lost his life during the World Trade Center Ordeal. This site here: K9 Monuments showcases memorials and statues to service animals. Sirius has a plaque that was erected in 2002. This got me thinking on my next big patch project: collect various 9-11 memorial and department related patches and of course get them framed. I'm not sure on the whole look of it and if I'll include anniversary patches, which apparently as I'm finding out there has been one released for every year past that date...so 10 in all. I'd like to include patches of all the departments that were lost in the WTC, Pennsylvania and Pentagon attacks inclusive of police, fire, and other government officials.

I'm still scrolling through the K9 Monument/Memorial site and I'm just amazed at the number of monuments that have been erected all over the world to service dogs.

Not sure when I'll have this all done, it'll probably take a few years at best with just collecting the different patches. I think I'll stick to it being a 10year showcase. I started researching which companies of the fire department were involved, so I'm going and cataloging all 347 firefighters to find which engine/ladder/battalion/squad/rescue company they were with and then going on ebay and a few other sites to find their department patch. I'll be doing the same for the police department and port authority and any other department I can find within that research.

Sorry if any of this sounds repetitive, kind of typing out the thoughts as it comes to me. I'm trying to catch myself if it has been said already.

I'm thinking of contacting the WTC memorial to see if they can help as a last resort with anything and kind of explain what I'm doing and if they would be so kind to help. Not sure if I'll end up donating the finished product...but if the memorial museum does help, I would like to send them something as a thank you, possibly a little side framed patch project that they could put int he museum if they can do that sort of thing. I'll be keeping an update of everything I'll be doing.