In the name of freedom

September 11 marks the 15th anniversary of the attacks in 2001, the day Americans watched in horror as a sunny Tuesday morning was violently disrupted by coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and a fourth hijacked plane that crashed near Shanksville, Penn.

“Although I didn’t know anyone personally who died that day, for me, and I think for all of us who were adults when it happened, my life as an American has never been the same,” said Peg Mulhall of Sun City. “The cone of safety isn’t here anymore…we can’t forget this. We have to remember this.”

For a minimal donation, people can honor the after-the-fact vic- tims of 9-11 with a personalized flag, bearing the individual’s name. (Photos by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)

Besides a stunning display of 2,976 flags near Fountain View Pavilion, representing each life lost on that day, a special Memorial Garden will be a centerpiece for this year’s remembrance of September 11. For a $5 donation, individuals may purchase a personalized flag to honor family members or friends who lost their lives beyond that fateful Tuesday morning: first responders who became ill cleaning up Ground Zero or soldiers who died in the subsequent wars. The personalized flag will be marked with the name of the deceased on a red, white, and blue ribbon, and the person who purchases the flag is invited to place it in the special Memorial Garden on September 11, then keep the flag after the memorial program as a remembrance of the day.

Representatives from the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and National Guard will be in attendance at the 1 p.m. memorial program on September 11. Starting at 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., three short films will be shown in Drendel Ballroom: “Mansions of the Lord,” “Ragged Old Flag,” and “Boatlift,” the retelling of the 9/11 boat lift that evacuated half a million people from Lower Manhattan in the wake of the tragedy. Mulhall says the short films, the memorabilia on display, and the special memorial event are sure to remind participants of the way people helped other strangers in the midst of tragedy and confusion.

“In my life, I’ve found that when you least expect it, someone does something heroic,” says Mulhall.

To purchase a personalized flag for the 9/11 Memorial Garden, visit the display near the CAM desk at Prairie Lodge on August 29 and 30 from 10-11 a.m. or contact Peg Mulhall at finnsgma6@gmail.com.

Members of the 9-11 Memorial Committee.

Sample of personalized flag.

9/11 Documentary Showing

Attend a special showing of “9/11,” the documentary filmed by James Hanlon and French filmmakers Gédéon Naudet and Jules Naudet. In New York City on September 11, 2001 to make a documentary about a rookie firefighter in Manhattan, the filmmakers found themselves thrust into the midst of the chaos that ensued on one of the most infamous days in American history, capturing rare glimpses of Ground Zero with their cameras rolling. The film will be shown Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4 at 12 p.m. at Meadowview Lodge.

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