A flight teacher who lost his student pilot on 9/11, a couple whose careers were inspired by 9/11 and their daughter, who was born on 9/11, were among those who came to Northbrook’s Sept. 11 Remembrance ceremony Thursday morning.
Christiana Luke, a fifth-grader who turned 11 on Sept. 11, was the only child to attend the ceremony, which was held at Northbrook Fire Department’s Station 11, 740 Dundee Road.
Christiana’s parents Scott and Marie Luke met in Alaska circa 2009 during a United States Army medical services career track.
Eight months after meeting, they were married and, “Four years later, we had Christiana on 9/11,” Marie Luke said, her voice showing emotion.
“It’s a good day to remember, but it’s also an important day in American lives that unfortunately, we tend to kind of, not want to remember, and this generation needs to,” Marie Luke added, gesturing to Christiana.
“They were not born yet.”
Dr. Scott Luke practices internal medicine and is of the Glenbrook North High School Class of 1989.
“I went into the army because of 9/11,” Scott Luke said.
“I was in medical school at the time so then I said, ‘I’m definitely going to go in,’ and I did go in and I started my residency,” he added.
The sunny sky and pleasant temperature over Northbrook on Sept. 11 this year was similar to that of Manhattan in 2001.
“I’m glad we came today,” Christiana Luke said on her golden birthday. “It’s important to remember 9/11.”
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Greeting the Luke family after the remembrance program was Matt Jaeger of Northbrook, president of the Northbrook Veterans Center and a United States Marine Corps veteran.
Jaeger, of the Glenbrook North High School Class of 1976, was an American Airlines pilot in 2001 and, “lost my crew members…and our family.
“A copilot for United Airlines was my flight student in flight school (in 1989) in Pensacola, Florida, Michael Horrocks,” Jaeger said. “He was a copilot with a wife and two children.
“I knew him very well. I went to his wedding.”
Jaeger was in Operation Desert Storm and served in the Marine Corps from 1981 to 2001.
According to ABC27.com news, Jaeger’s friend Michael Horrocks also served in the Marine Corps.
He was the first officer aboard the United Airlines Flight 175 plane which struck Tower 2 of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m on Sept 11, 2001.
“So that’s why I come,” Jaeger said. “I remember Michael.”