Friday, September 11, 2009 marked the eighth anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies that ever occurred on American soil. The terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 Americans and left thousands more in tragic circumstances.
The Marquette community honored the lives of those who perished, the heroic acts of those involved in the tragedy, and the men and women who serve in the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony in front of the Raynor Library flagpoles Friday.
Department of Public Safety Chief Larry Rickard, a former Army Field Grade Officer, told the gathered crowd to remember how the victims of Sept. 11 lived — committed to duty.
“We will never be able to undo this grave injustice because danger and evil never rest,” Rickard said.
Members of Marquette’s Navy, Army and Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs stood attentively in formation throughout the ceremony.
“It is different standing in that formation with a uniform on,” said Tyler Jaspan, a freshman in the College of Engineering and a member of the Navy ROTC program. “It just makes you feel like you’re doing something better than the average college student.”
Jaspan said the Sept. 11 attacks reinforced his passion for becoming a member of the nation’s armed forces.
At the conclusion of the event, ROTC members raised the American flag to the tune of the national anthem and later lowered it to half-staff in acknowledgment of those who died on Sept. 11.
The effects and emotions of Sept. 11 weren’t only felt in the United States, but worldwide. Abdul-Hameed Al-Nassar, a freshman in the College of Communication, said Sept. 11 has not been forgotten in his hometown of Kuwait City either.
“Back home there wouldn’t be events or sermons on Sept. 11, but people feel for the victims. They feel for America,” Al-Nassar said. “The one thing, however, I have seen from Sept. 11 (here) is that it has become a yearly event. It shouldn’t be. It should be all the time. People should always remember.”
Marquette’s College Republicans commemorated the tragedy by setting up a display of 2,993 American flags on Central Mall, representing the lives lost on September 11.
“The sheer volume of flags allows you to take in the memory of what happened,” said Alex Hansen, chairman of College Republicans and a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. “The bottom line is to think of all the advantages and privileges we have here and don’t take it for granted.”
