Team Seymour remembers 9/11

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Whitney Lambert
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  To the workers who dropped everything to save someone in need on September 11, 2001, the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron and 4th Security Forces Squadron held a 9/11 remembrance ceremony in their honor.

"We are here to remember those who have lost their life on 9/11 and since," said Senior Master Sgt. David Houtz, 4SFS operations superintendent. "We need these ceremonies to remind us of where we have been and where we are going."

The hour-long ceremony included a color guard consisting of firemen and defenders, a slide show documenting the terrorist attack, three guest speakers and a 21-gun salute by 4th Fighter Wing base honor guard. The slide show presented different pictures of victims, falling buildings and responders on 9/11.

"It was a very touching event [9/11 remembrance ceremony]; it took me on a trip down memory lane to remember and honor those fallen people in my prayers," said Merary Lopez, spouse of Staff Sgt. Skipper Valentin, 4CES fire safety inspector.

The speakers told stories remembering what they were doing at the time of the attack and how the attacks affected them, their families and our country. On that Tuesday, September 11, 2001, no one was prepared for such a tragic event to occur. Many united and learned something that day; to be aware of your surroundings, give back to your community and lookout for one another.

"Within the last ten years we [Americans] have learned to be more aware of our surrounding and are more understanding of the world we are currently in," said Tech. Sgt. Darion Shrieves, 4SFS standardization evaluator.

Everyday people and emergency responders demonstrated bravery and unity on that unforgettable day. They had the courage to go in an unsecure building searching for survivors and donated food, clothes and shelter to those in need. The biggest act demonstrated was an entire country coming together as one.