City officials, veterans and their families gathered at Providence City Hall Friday to memorialize the 15th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
A small crowd recited the Pledge of Allegiance before listening speakers including Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and the city’s chief of police, who recognized the thousands lost in the terrorist attacks. Veterans’ Organization, Operation Stand Down Rhode Island commemorated the servicemen and women who’ve died in the subsequent War on Terror.
West Warwick resident Lynn St Germain-Lundh was there to honor her son Sergeant Brian St. Germain, who died in a convoy in Iraq in 2006.
“When Brian was asked why he did so many convoys, he said he did them because he wanted to protect other marines who had families, who had wives and children at home,” said St. Germain-Lundh. “So he was that kind of a kid. He would volunteer to do things, even though he knew it put himself in danger, to spare others from that same danger.”
It was Sgt. St. Germain’s second tour of duty in Iraq.
“He was told that that unit was going back, they were going to go back in January of 2006,” said St. Germain-Lundh. “He could have used his reenlistment package to get out of it, but he decided to put off his reenlistment package, so he could go back over to fight with those that he had trained with. Unfortunately we weren’t as lucky that time.”
St Germain was only 22 when he died. To date, 28 Rhode Islanders have been killed in the Global War on Terror, according to Operation Stand Down Rhode Island.
