As the nation marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with ceremonies in lower Manhattan, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania, people across southern New England gathered in towns and villages, beaches and churches, to commemorate those who died. Here are highlights from a few of those ceremonies.
Rhode Island leaders gather in Providence
Rhode Island elected officials held a ceremony on the Statehouse lawn under a blue sky Saturday morning. A few common themes emerged — remembering those who were lost in the attacks and the subsequent wars, honoring the sacrifice of their loved ones, and recalling the stronger sense of unity among Americans after 9/11.
Governor Dan McKee pointed to how with the 20th anniversary many young people have no direct knowledge of what happened. “So now more than ever, it is up to us to ensure that the victims, the heroes, the families, are never forgotten. That is our duty as Americans,” he told a small group of onlookers.
Speaking to a group of family members of the nine Rhode Islanders who lost their lives on 9/11, and the 29 armed service members from the state who died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, McKee said, “We are in awe of your strength.”
The names of those who died were read as part of the ceremony, and bells were sounded to mark each of the planes used to make attacks on 9/11.
In his remarks, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, the chairman of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee, said, “The best way to honor those who we lost on 9/11 is to continue to hold their memories tight and recognize the sacrifices of the many who have fought during these last 20 years. But also for all of us to come together as a community as we did then, united as one nation, united as Americans.”
In New Bedford, a firefighter shares his memories
In New Bedford, Mass., a pair of ladder trucks hung an American flag larger than the firetruck blocking the adjacent street by the City Hall memorial led by mayor Jon Mitchell.
“It has been reported that nearly a half a million people in the two weeks that followed just showed up and said, ‘What can I do?’” said Mitchell, introducing Mathew Ostiguy, a fire captain who drove to Ground Zero as part of a federal search and rescue team that included five members of the New Bedford Fire Department.
Ostiguy described what he felt as the heat of the crash still radiated from Ground Zero.
“With thousands of people missing, I thought for sure I’d be hearing about one rescue after another, hoping I’d play a part in some way,” Ostiguy said. “But it became apparent pretty quickly that wasn’t going to be the case.”
“Our role there became less of a rescuer, and more of a symbol of hope,” he continued.
“I’m not here to shock people with useless gory details of what I saw, but I’ll share for you the thousands of people I saw, trying to do anything they could to help to show kindness,” Ostiguy said.
He and several other speakers in New Bedford expressed yearning for the sense of unity they felt in public after the attack.
“That’s the moment that we today in a far more divided America need to take stock of,” Mayor Mitchell said.
The ceremony lasted an hour, ending with a prayer. Ostiguy said it was the first 9/11 memorial event he’d ever attended.
Middletown surfers hold “paddle-out” memorial
In Middletown, roughly 70 people gathered Saturday morning at Second Beach in Middletown for the annual 9/11 Memorial Paddle Out. A ‘paddle out’ is a tradition in surf culture, like a floating service to remember people who have passed away.
AmpSurf, a local nonprofit that teaches adaptive surfing to people with disabilities, has organized the event for the last five years.
“It’s kind of like a funeral,” said organizer Justin Speegle, who volunteers with AmpSurf. “You know, you’re out there and you’re silently remembering those that are lost.”By 10 a.m., most of the crowd on Second Beach slowly made their way into the water. Past the surf break, the figures formed a large circle on their boards, bobbing with each wave. Following tradition, the group paddled out a floral wreath with them and released it on the water, floating in memory of those lost.
