About 300 people gathered on the front lawn of the Douglas
County Wilcox Building in downtown Castle Rock at noon Wednesday to
commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks.
Earlier in the day, the Castle Rock Fire and Rescue Department,
in a public ceremony, read all the names of the New York City
firefighters who died one year ago during rescue efforts at the
World Trade Center. About 60 people and the Castle Rock
firefighters listened as Castle Rock acting Fire Chief Norris Croom
fought back tears while announcing the names of his
brethren.
Residents, community leaders, government workers and children at
the commemorations were somber, yet attentive. Upon request from
President George W. Bush and the National Association of Counties,
the Douglas Board of County Commissioners declared Sept. 11 Patriot
Day.
“The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” sung live by Marlene Gresh,
opened the Wilcox ceremony as people finished arriving on the lawn.
Veterans posted the New York, Colorado and U.S. flags, courtesy of
American Legion Post 1187 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10587.
The vets led the Pledge of Allegiance.
“On that day last year, we saw the worst of humanity and the
best of humanity: terrorism and hate, and at the same time, acts of
unexpected kindness,” said Douglas County Clerk and Recorder Carole
Murray. “We learned that we are all connected, whether we are burly
firefighters in New York City or shrouded, poverty stricken women
in Afghanistan.”
A gentle breeze cooled the crowd throughout the sunlit ceremony,
and two flags set up by organizers tipped over.
Lay minister and Douglas County employee George Schnurle
immediately picked up the flags, just before he led a prayer of
remembrance.
“We all just saw how quickly the flags were picked up, and that
symbolizes how quickly our nation can face a challenge. And as the
leader of the free world, we do it well,” said Sen. John Evans,
R-Parker. “This commemorations is not about tragedy. It’s about how
we stand in the face of challenge. This is the third service I’ve
been to today, and at each one there were children filled with
hope, energy and vision for our future. I want to thank everyone
who helps raise our children and for making this a special day for
them.”
Schnurle asked people to remember the heroic efforts by
thousands of people since the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. He prayed
for peace on Earth and for the children who will lead the nation
into the future.
Schnurle asked people to teach children in a manner so that love
and freedom will prevail.
The nation changed forever last year, said Douglas County
Commission Chair Jim Sullivan. Tighter security at airports and
government buildings around the nation is a small but necessary
price the nation has paid to guarantee its freedoms.
Several speakers from the area told stories of their direct
involvement after the attacks. Douglas County victims’ assistance
advocates Carole Malezija and Jamie Driscoll talked about the
overwhelming severity of victims’ situations in New York City.
Driscoll encountered a rescue dog, “Anna,” which searched for
people trapped in the massive wreckage of the former World Trade
Towers.
Lone Tree resident Lt. Col. Mark A. Schoenrock, now the
inspector general for the Department of Military Affairs, was one
of about 20,000 people in the Pentagon building when one of the
terrorist-hijacked commercial airplanes crashed into the
Pentagon.
Schoenrock said he was walking down the fourth corridor when his
instincts told him to take a different route to a meeting in the
sixth corridor. Minutes later, the jet slammed into the fourth
corridor.
“Every day when I wake up, I give thanks to God for giving me
another day on this Earth. I am thankful to be an American,” said
Schoenrock, who brought his wife and daughter to Castle Rock for
the commemoration.
Croom rang a bell to honor last year’s fallen New York
firefighters. Instead of the traditional three sets of five rings,
he added a fourth set for New York firefighters.
In closing the Patriot Day ceremony, Gresh led the audience in
the singing of the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Many people, including about 40 children, wore red-white-and-blue
garments inspired by the U.S. flag. Some shed a few tears, while
all stood tall and proud.
“Throughout the last year we have learned our strength, our
determination and our appreciation of our freedom here in what we
thought was a protected space,” Murray said. “A couple of new
generations of Americans have changed and moved into our places as
healers in world history. Because America has changed, the world
will change. Amidst evil, why we are here is love.”