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It was another sad reminder of where we are today. I counted only three U.S. flags proudly waving on home fronts on a particular street in the heart of Wheeling. It was on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, and there were few signs that it meant anything other than another start to the work week. And that's sad.
I am not one to celebrate or observe every anniversary in our history books. However, the memories of Sept. 11, 2001, are still freshly etched in my mind. On that day when terrorists rained death and destruction down on our country, everything changed -- for a while.
We got mad. More than ever, we turned our thoughts and attention inward to the people who shared our country's values and freedoms. We embraced strangers when tears flowed freely.
But now, where has our patriotism gone? Has it really faded to the point of no return? I hope not. Perhaps it's just too painful for many to think about. Yet we can't forget. We can't let our guard down. We can't continue to be so politically and ethically divided that we fall to the enemy again.
Maybe you took the time this past week to watch some of the documentaries compiled about 9/11. I know I did because each time I watch these stories, even year after year, I learn something new about that day. Being the wife of a professional firefighter at the time of the attack, many of the stories about the New York Fire Department and their losses hit home.
From these stories I learned that numerous survivors held onto their faith and were convinced there was divine intervention in their survival. One man whose workmates were crushed when the first plane hit the north tower of the Twin Towers in New York City still questions why he was saved. He and another man who helped one another out of the building claim to be blood brothers for life. And they cherish every day.
A woman who was trying to escape one of the towers by walking down dozens of stairs said she came upon another woman who was suffering an asthma attack and could not go on. The first woman pulled an inhaler out of her purse and gave it to the suffering woman. They were both saved.
The most startling revelation I learned this time around was about the priest who served as chaplain on the New York Fire Department. The Rev. Mychal Fallon Judge, OFM, was on the scene of the destruction as the disaster unfolded. He was tragically killed and firefighters carried his body to a nearby Catholic church where he was laid upon the altar. His body was then removed by fellow clergy. I never knew that before, and the image is hard to shake.
I realize we moved on and much changed in the way we greeted each day since. Let's just not forget that we believed this could never happen to the United States. Heads up, folk. And raise those flags again.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.