In the words of New York City Mayor, Rudolph Guiliani, "Our hearts are broken, but they are beating, and they are beating stronger than ever." At Schneider Electric in Clovis, every heavy heart remembered.
“The events of September 11, 2001 never leave me. It's always part of my sub conscience,” said Anthony Whitaker. Whitaker was commanding officer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at the time. He remembers the devastation. His department lost 37 police officers and 38 civilian staff that morning. He and his fallen colleagues were helping evacuate the towers.
Whitaker said, “The yearly tribute of what happened September 11 is a reminder of my fallen colleagues, it's also a reminder of my colleagues that survived that morning, that have incurred difficulties mentally and physically.”
The annual commemoration this time around has been tough for Andrew Isolano. He was a New York firefighter. He is now a firefighter for the Clovis Fire Department.
“I thought I had put it behind me pretty good last year, the ceremony and ten years, but for some reason, it kind of, I think because I put it away for a year, it kind of all came back,” said Isolano.
He was reminded of the call as portions of 9-1-1 calls were played. He lost a lot of friends that day. The valley remembers them every year as our heroes stand united the flag flies at half-staff.
“This ceremony, the fact that people still turn out 11 years later, it saved my life back then, and it's amazing,” said Isolano.
The permanent 9/11 memorial at Schneider Electric was built just three months after the attacks. Services at the memorial have become an annual tradition.
TXT 24
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