The long shadows of 9/11, in Palm Coast

As retired New York City first responders and rescue workers gathered in a line, united 22 years later in Palm Coast, their shadows told a story. 

The sun remained low enough over the trees along Old Kings Road, at Palm Coast Elks Lodge 2709, that the honorees’ shadows stretched across the walkway, as if reaching out, reminding the crowd to remember the reason they had gathered on the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, in New York City.

It was the 12th year in a row that the Elks Lodge had hosted a ceremony. This year, Jerry DiMenna was master of ceremonies, Jerry O’Gara was ceremony producer, Fred Gleissner was bell coordinator, and retired FDNY Lt. Richie Glover was keynote speaker.

Other speakers were Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, Flagler County Commissioner Greg Hansen, Sheriff’s Office Chief Mark Strobridge, and Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill. Check the Palm Coast Observer’s Facebook page for video clips of Alfin’s and Berryhill’s speeches.

The full transcript of Alfin’s speech follows:

Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, many of us remember three significant aspects:

First, we recall where we were and what we were doing at 8:46 a.m. on that fateful morning.

Second, the overwhelming sorrow and fear as we witnessed 3,000 Americans lost to Al Qaeda’s attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City, the Pentagon, in Washington, D.C., and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Third, our enemy aimed not only to harm our citizens but also to shatter our democracy’s resolve. However, instead of breaking, our nation came together in the face of adversity. We found solace in the love of family and friends, and we embraced a deep sense of national pride, demonstrating our ability to recover and stand united. We showed the world that if they harmed one American, they harmed us all.

I remember the immense unity and pride we felt as a nation, which gave us hope and reassurance that no one could divide us. Ironically, 9/11 brought out the best in us as Americans.

Today, 22 years later, I can’t help but long for that feeling again. We seem to have lost that sense of purpose and unity. In 2023, I long for the bond that once defined us. We’ve become divided.

Despite the challenges we face, we should be able to engage in principled dialogue without losing sight of the fact that we are all Americans. What unites us is far more powerful than what divides us. 

As your mayor, I strive every day to rekindle the sense of community that united us 22 years ago. That’s the purpose of today’s ceremony – to come together as a community and honor the memories of those lost on September 11, 2001.

I promise to lead the effort to try to unite our community in the name of peace, for the families who lost loved ones on 9/11, and for ourselves.

Let’s proudly proclaim it together: Today, we are a united Palm Coast.

The full transcript of Flagler County Commissioner Greg Hansen's speech follows:

For me a hero is someone who touches our lives in a personal way and there was no shortage of heroes on September 11 and they touched the lives of all Americans.

At the time, we watched in horror as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Thousands of people awoke as they had done every morning until that fateful day to go about their lives: some went to work, others planned to travel.

To say that life became chaotic is an understatement.

This seemingly routine day dramatically changed when 19 terrorists boarded and hijacked four commercial airplanes to attack America.

This is just one example:

United Flight 93 did not arrive at the hijackers' intended target – the Nation's Capital – and instead crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, because of the selfless and courageous actions of the 40 passenger and crew members on board.

When Flight 93 was hijacked, these heroes used airfones on the plane to contact the authorities and their loved ones.

A total of 13 passengers made 37 phone calls.

They learned of the first two attacks and took quick action.

The passengers and crew took a vote;

They decided to fight back to try and regain control of their airplane.

The struggle the passengers and crew members had with their hijackers began in the skies over Western Pennsylvania.

It ended with the high-speed crash of the plane in a reclaimed strip mine near Shanksville.

This site was a mere 18 minutes flying time from Washington, D.C.

Countless lives were spared thanks to their heroic actions, except their own as all on board Flight 93 were lost.

We relive these events to honor the heroes of 9/11.

According to Pew Research, an ever-growing number of Americans have no personal memory of that day, either because they were too young or not yet born.

We made a vow: Never Forget

We are commanding ourselves to never forget the heroes of United Flight 93.

We are commanding ourselves to never forget the sacrifices that those brave souls – firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement officers, and countless volunteers – made to rescue those trapped in the Twin Towers or hoping against hope that somehow there were survivors following the collapse.

“Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America,” to quote President George W. Bush on that fateful day.

It is uniquely human dynamic that we can mourn the loss of life of a large group of people whom most of us have never met, and that is what brings us together today.