Team Seymour remembers 9/11

  • Published
  • By Airman Shawna L. Keyes
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Members of Team Seymour held a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, Sept. 11, 2016, at the main fire station at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, to mark the 15-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks in 2001.

More than 150 members of the base attended this year’s event, which featured a slideshow of imagery showing the towers and first responders during the attack and in the rubble, which had audience members holding back tears. A 21-gun salute, a bell-ringing ceremony by Sean Quinby, 4th Civil Engineer Squadron fire chief, and special narrations regarding different events of 9/11.

“It’s hard to believe, but today marks the 15th anniversary [of 9/11],” said Quinby. “It’s been 15 years since a perfect blue-sky morning turned into the blackest of nights. What began as an ordinary day resulted in the loss of 2,977 citizens from over 90 countries, and in the 15 years since we’ve lost soldiers, sailors, Marines, and Airmen.”

Quinby compared 9/11 to other historic events and spoke of the differences in our country now compared to 20 years ago. Both Quinby and others confessed that the events of 9/11 shaped who they are today.

“I retired from active duty in the Air Force just before 9/11,” said Quinby. “So, 9/11 had an impact on every American, but my impact happened about a year later. After seeing the events of the year after 9/11, I decided I really had to come back to the Air Force.”

Quinby said he was lucky enough to be hired onto the fire station at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, being able to do what he loves and being able to train new generations of fire fighters.

Along with Quinby, Col. Christopher Sage, 4th Fighter Wing commander and Maj. Gilbert Wyche, 4th Security Forces Squadron commander, also spoke during the ceremony and reflected on where they were during the attacks and the inspiration that came from the first responders on that day.

“I was just a senior in high school on 9/11, but I stand as one of the thousands of first responders and military members that were inspired by the courage and warrior ethos of the first responders in 9/11,” said Wyche. “The legacy of 9/11 for me though is not found in specific statistics, but instead in the heroism of the fire fighters, the medical responders, the police officers, and the military who ran into buildings or charged forward on the battle field; because their heroism inspired a generation to follow. In me and in many of the Airmen here you can see their legacy.”