Several Calvert County residents spent a small portion of their Sunday to salute the heroes and remember the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on America.
Many were in attendance at Veterans’ Memorial Park in Chesapeake Beach for an early afternoon ceremony.
“Today we celebrate and honor the first responders and remember those who lost their lives,” said Chesapeake Beach Mayor Bruce Wahl.
Gerald Donovan, Wahl’s predecessor as mayor of the bayside town, recalled four days after terrorists high-jacked four commercial airplanes, destroyed New York’s World Trade Center, damaged the Pentagon resulting in the loss of 2,977 innocent lives, the town held a candlelight vigil at Veterans’ Memorial Park.
“Maryland lost more people in 9/11 than 45 other states,” said Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. [D-District 27]. Miller also noted Marylanders have made significant monetary donations for the national 9/11 Memorial. Additionally, a monument crafted from wreckage from the plane that crashed in Somerset County, PA on the day of the attack is located at the Baltimore World Trade Center.
Authorities have said brave passengers took action against the hijackers, which resulted in the plane crashing in Pennsylvania.
U.S. House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer [D-MD District 5] said 17 residents of his congressional district died as a result of the attack on America.
The Chesapeake Beach remembrance was a display of patriotism typical of the time-honored occasions like Memorial Day, Veterans’ Day and Independence Day. The colors were presented by the Knights of Columbus Lord Baltimore Assembly Color Corps. The popular barbershop quartet Fathers and Sons rendered an unaccompanied version of the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Students from the Abigail Francisco School of Classical Ballet performed a dance to John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Local actress/vocalist Clare O’Shea led the gathering in singing “God Bless America.”
“America since 9/11 has stood tall,” said Hoyer, who drew applause when he reminded the gathering that U.S. Navy Seals recently killed the attack’s alleged mastermind, Osama Bin Laden.
Donovan
