Pelco by Schneider Electric hosts 15th annual 9/11 ceremony

Never forget. Never forget the innocent lives robbed from existence. Never forget the courageous heroes who willingly lost their lives. Never forget the families left incomplete after that day.

America suffered its greatest loss in history 15 years ago, Sept. 11, 2001. Nearly 3,000 souls lost forever due to the malicious and evil intentions of terrorists. Now, as a united nation, we carry on with one main goal, never forget.

Arguably the hardest part of that task is to keep the youth of America informed. The class of 2017, was two years old on that day. The task at hand now is not only to never forget but to remember, educate, learn from that infamous day.

As a member of the generation that cannot remember or did not live through that day, I strive to learn as much as possible. Obtaining knowledge and remembrance, can be accomplished by our age group. We must stay informed and become familiar with this event, just as much as the ones who have the dreadful memories burnt into their head.

Personally, a trip to New York changed my perspective forever. Visiting the 9/11 memorial museum and memorial was jaw dropping. Endless amounts of names etched into bronze plates, a museum that descends underground revealing the tattered foundations of the World Trade Center.

A portion of the museum dedicated to each respective attack on that day in New York, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA. Audio recordings from airplane passengers and videos of hopeless victims jumping from the upper levels of the towers. The disturbing content stirred up emotions, causing myself to experience those horrors as genuinely as possible.

A sense of hope also presented itself in that sorrowful and commemorative part of Manhattan. Hundreds of people inside the museum were doing the same thing as myself: remembering. People from diverse ethnicities, religions, political stances all stood in the same room, united as humans, paying respects to those lost lives.

The museum itself sat in the shadow of the new Freedom Tower. It stands as a sign of strength, healing, and as it says in the name freedom. America, slowly but surely, continues to show resilience and unity as we recover from the horrendous attacks.

Another sign of hope is in every town of America. Without fail, memorial ceremonies are put on annually to honor those fallen heroes. In Clovis, the 15th annual Pelco by Schneider Electric 9/11 memorial ceremony commenced at 8:46 a.m. with radio recordings of firefighters, paramedics, and police officers crying out for help.

Guest of Honor speaker and former New York Firefighter Andy Isolano shed light on a source of hope that may often be overlooked. He shared that his reason for moving from New York to Clovis was the great amount of support. Isolano could not believe that there would be so much support for a city that was 3,000 miles away.

“I came to Fresno in 2001, when they had the original memorial,” Isolano said. “It was the first good place for me to be after 9/11. People from this community, that I didn’t even know before that trip, were awesome. I decided that if I’m going to be somewhere after 9/11, this would be a good place and I’ve been here every year. We’re 3,000 miles away and all these people care and make me feel better about that day.”

This gives our generation yet another reason to remember and honor those victims of 9/11. A retired firefighter who suffered through that day finds inspiration through us. The ones who support and recognize the events.

David McDonald, former CEO of Pelco, encourages the young people of America to stay involved and remember the events of 9/11. He stresses the importance of never forgetting the lives that were lost on that day.

“I think that we can never ever forget what happened that day, and all of the heroes and victims,” McDonald said. “We need to always remain vigilante. I think it is important for the younger generation to carry that banner forward.”

Hundreds of people were in attendance, including long time supporter, Kris Munster. To her, this historical event means respect and honor to our entire country. It is because of the brave firemen, that teens today can know about the importance of this event.

“I have been coming here all 15 years,” Munster said. “This event shows respect and honor for all of those who serve in our country, those firefighters who never returned home and for this next generation. The first and foremost reason why it is so important is God. He gave all those firefighters the courage to run into those buildings while everyone else was running away. Those firemen stand for our soldiers, police officers and each and every person.

As we move forward in time and in generation, America must stay diligent in remembering the events of 9/11. We must unite every year, reminding ourselves of the tragic events. If we fail to do so, then the memories of that day will be lost forever. That day defines our nation and if we lose it, as time goes on, we will lose ourselves.

Please leave a comment on what 9/11 means to you or share a memory that you have from this historical event.

For another article on 9/11, read: 9/11: Remembering a tragedy, shaping the future.

These authors can be reached via Twitter: @nick_leblanc1 and @phillip11499 and via email: Nick LeBlanc and Phillip Christopher.