On the windshield of Aurora fire trucks can be seen, “We will never forget 9-11-01.”
That phrase is not just a way to be patriotic, Aurora Fire Chief David McCabe told a group of firefighters, police officers, city officials and members of the public on Thursday. It’s to remember, learn from and teach about the events of that day to “make us a stronger city, a stronger community and a stronger nation,” he said.
The theme of learning from the events surrounding the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was a common one among all three Aurora city officials who spoke during a ceremony to remember the attacks as well as those who lost their lives during and because of them. That ceremony was held at the Aurora Central Fire Station on Thursday morning and was hosted by the Aurora Police and Fire Honor Guard.
During McCabe’s speech, he said the events of 9/11 need to be talked about and taught to younger generations so that those events don’t repeat, plus to honor those that were impacted and those who responded. He noted that 343 New York firefighters, along with dozens of law enforcement and eight EMTs, were among the 2,753 who died in New York City that day after airplanes hit the north and south towers of the World Trade Center.
The Pentagon was also struck by a hijacked airplane, he recounted, and another that may have been headed to the U.S. Capitol was intentionally flown into a field after passengers who learned of the other attacks stormed the cockpit and attempted to regain control of the aircraft from the terrorists.
Since that day, more have died because of the attacks. McCabe said that, just this week, 39 names were added to the New York Fire Department 9/11 memorial after they died from cancer or other health issues linked back to their efforts at Ground Zero in the city in the wake of the attacks.
In honor of the victims of the 9/11 attacks, Aurora Police and Fire Honor Guard members at the Thursday event ceremonially hung a wreath, then an American flag flown by a fire truck’s ladder was lowered.
The terrorists wanted Americans to change their way of life, McCabe said, but “we refused.” America might have been “stunned and shaken,” but “we did not go down,” he said.
The passengers on the flight that was potentially headed towards the U.S. Capitol likely didn’t believe they would regain control of the plane and safety land it, but they still acted because that’s what Americans do, according to McCabe.
Later in the ceremony, Aurora Police Chief Matt Thomas said many of the city’s newest police officers and firefighters hadn’t even been born when the attacks took place, so for them, that day is more historical than personal. So, “it is our responsibility to pass along the lessons of that day by sharing the stories of service and sacrifices” with them, he said.
Each time first responders respond to a call or choose service over self, they are contributing to honor those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks, which had a “lasting impact on our nation,” according to Thomas.
In the days after the attacks, people came together across communities, neighbors supported one another and there was a clear sense of unity, which is important to reflect on when the nation faces division, he said.
“We shouldn’t wait for major tragedies to find common ground,” Thomas said. “The examples of courage, service and unity from 9/11 remain relevant today and continue to show the value of working together.”
Aurora Mayor John Laesch during his speech also highlighted what lessons about community could be learned from the events surrounding the 9/11 attacks.
Aurora remembers that day not only as Americans but also as neighbors who answered the call to service, he said, as just hours after the attacks six city firefighters of their own will drove straight to New York City to “stand alongside their brothers and sisters in service.”
“They took with them not only the training and courage but also the spirit of our community,” Laesch said.
He saw that spirit just a few weeks ago, he said, after storms hit Aurora and the surrounding area. Not only did city staff including first responders work through the night, but he saw neighbors helping neighbors, he said.
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“Thankfully, in this most recent storm, the only loss was to property,” Laesch said. “But, it shows us once again that the community has the capacity to take care of each other.”
When tragedy strikes, people are stronger when they face it together, according to Laesch. He said that coming together as a community is “what heals us, what binds us and what gives us strength to endure in times of tragedy.”