A misty rain fell gently as more than 100 police officers, firefighters and emergency workers stood at attention at noon Tuesday in Tamarind Park downtown, honoring those killed in
the 9/11 terrorist attacks
17 years ago.
The memory brought tears to the eyes of Bonnie McCann, a downtown office worker who came to the ceremony to pay her respects. She was living in southern New Jersey on that pivotal day, Sept. 11, 2001.
“I stood in my front yard and saw that cloud,” she recalled, her throat catching with emotion. “And it was so unbelievable.”
That “cloud” was the smoke billowing from the World Trade Center as al-Qaida terrorists slammed the planes they had hijacked into the twin towers, one after the other.
“I was a crazy woman. I was running into the front yard and back into the house and out to the yard and back into the house because I couldn’t believe what was going on,” McCann said.
Other terrorists crashed
a third plane into the
Pentagon, just outside
Washington, D.C. A fourth plane went down in a Pennsylvania field after its passengers rose up to try to take back the plane from the hijackers.
The horror unfolded almost in slow motion across the country as people realized that the multifaceted disaster was deliberate and coordinated. Altogether the suicide attacks killed 2,977 people and injured more than 6,000 people.
City Managing Director Roy Amemiya recounted the events for onlookers, many of whom just happened upon the ceremony on their lunch breaks, drawn in by the commanding wail of Celtic bagpipers playing “Amazing Grace” and the music of the Royal Hawaiian Band.
“It was a truly tragic day for not just Americans, but for all humanity,” Amemiya said.
He paid tribute to nine people killed that day who had direct connections to Hawaii:
>> Michael Collins, 38, a manager at Cantor Fitzgerald’s eSpeed subsidiary.
>> Patricia Colodner, 39, an executive secretary at Marsh Inc.
>> Georgine Corrigan, 56, an antiques dealer.
>> Maile Hale, 26, chief operating officer of Boston Investor Services.
>> Heather Ho, 32, a pastry chef at Windows on the World.
>> Richard Keane, 54, a senior vice president at Marsh &McLennan.
>> David Laychak, 40, a Pentagon budget analyst.
>> Richard Y.C. Lee, 34, chief information officer for Equities Technology at Cantor Fitzgerald.
>> Christine Snyder, 32, the first certified arborist at the Outdoor Circle.
Gov. David Ige issued a proclamation to mark “9/11 Remembrance Day” in Hawaii. The annual memorial ceremony in Honolulu also honors the sacrifice of first responders and salutes those who carry on in that profession. Representatives of American and United airlines attended as well, mourning colleagues who were lost that day.
“I used to be a flight attendant for United Airlines,” said James Cobbin, 32, who joined Tuesday’s gathering. “When this comes around, you kind of think about how you would respond in those situations. And you’re kind of helpless up in the air; you don’t really have much you can rely on. So the selfless efforts of those people, it sticks to me.”
Many in attendance held miniature American flags while high above them the American and Hawaiian flags flew at half-staff. The remembrance program was supported by Bank of Hawaii, BAE Systems, The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Anthology Marketing Group and Douglas Emmett Management.
As the event progressed, the sprinkling rain made way for some sunshine.
“Today America continues to face threats to the freedoms we enjoy,” Amemiya said. “But we are a resilient people, and we have proven that the incredible spirit of America will rise up to protect the beliefs that we all cherish whenever they are challenged.”
He noted that this past Sunday, Cortlandt Street subway station in New York City finally reopened, 17 years after it was destroyed in the attacks.
“This stands as another reminder that although it may take time, recovery is possible,” Amemiya said. “Healing is possible. Hope is possible. We don’t forget and we don’t give up.”
After a long moment of silence, a bugler from the Royal Hawaiian Band played a resonant rendition of taps.
“I’m glad that people remember,” McCann said. “People should remember.”
