Strongsville pauses to remember victims of 9/11 attacks
Tolling of the bell occurs at moment when South Tower collapsed
Members of city of Strongsville safety forces salute during a 9/11 remembrance ceremony at Fire Station No. 4. Photo by TERRY BRLAS
STRONGSVILLE – The weather on Sept. 11, 2001, the day America was attacked on its own soil, was clear and calm with temperatures in the low 60s on its way to a high in the low 70s. The weather on Sept. 11, 2017 was eerily similar.
Fire Station No. 4 on Prospect Road was the site of a remembrance ceremony where the city of Strongsville, its safety forces and residents paused to remember those who were murdered by Al-Qaeda terrorists when they hijacked two airplanes that were flown into the World Trade Center Towers in New York City, one plane flown into The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and another jetliner that crashed into a Shanksville, Penn. field thanks to the bravery of passengers onboard that terrible day 16 years ago.
“This morning was much like the beautiful morning of 16 years ago when America was hit with this horrific tragedy,” said Fire Chief Jack Draves.
The series of coordinated suicide attacks resulted in the murder of 2,974 people. Included in that number were 343 firefighters and 73 members of the law enforcement community, all in the line of duty.
The majority of casualties were civilians, including nationals of more than 90 different countries.
Sept. 11 is designated as Patriot Day. Flags are to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset, one of only five days where that is the case, and programs and activities are to be conducted honoring the individuals who lost their lives on that day in 2001.
A tolling of the bell ceremony took place at 9:59 a.m., the exact moment the South Tower collapsed. Assistant Fire Chief A.J. Aljabbi performed the duty.
Long before telephones and radios, fire departments used telegraph to communicate. When the handle was pulled on the familiar red fire alarm box found on every street corner in America, a special code was transmitted to each fire station.
When a firefighter died in the line of duty, the fire alarm office would tap out a special signal. That signal was five measured dashes, a pause, five measured dashes, another pause, five measured dashes, another pause and then five more dashes. This became known as the tolling of the bell.
Police Chief Mark Fender was in the World Trade Center four weeks prior to the attack. He had just returned to northeast Ohio from the National FBI Academy where he had spent the prior three months in New York City.
“I was in my office when I watched the television as the first twin tower was struck and then the second,” he recalled. “Moments later I watched people jump from the building to escape the flames. Having been atop those towers I imagined what it must have been like.”
Draves was at Fire Station No. 3 when he learned of the attacks.
“I was watching when the second plane hit. It gave me an uneasy feeling. I didn’t know it then, but it changed the world. It changed how we do things in safety services,” he said.
Rev. Joe Mamich, city of Strongsville safety forces chaplain, gave the benediction at the Sept. 11 ceremony.
“On this anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 we pause to remember all those who were lost on that day, especially our brothers and sisters who died in the line of duty. We thank you for their courage and sacrifice. In your boundless compassion we ask that you continue to console their families, their friends, co-workers and all those who continue to be affected by their loss. We ask too that you might bring peace to our world and faith to see in death the gates of eternal life so those who serve and those responding to hurricanes Harvey and Irma will be protected and continue to serve those they are protecting, and continue to do so with dignity, honor and courage.”
Fire Station No. 4 on Prospect Road was the site of a remembrance ceremony where the city of Strongsville, its safety forces and residents paused to remember those who were murdered by Al-Qaeda terrorists when they hijacked two airplanes that were flown into the World Trade Center Towers in New York City, one plane flown into The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and another jetliner that crashed into a Shanksville, Penn. field thanks to the bravery of passengers onboard that terrible day 16 years ago.
“This morning was much like the beautiful morning of 16 years ago when America was hit with this horrific tragedy,” said Fire Chief Jack Draves.
The series of coordinated suicide attacks resulted in the murder of 2,974 people. Included in that number were 343 firefighters and 73 members of the law enforcement community, all in the line of duty.
The majority of casualties were civilians, including nationals of more than 90 different countries.
Sept. 11 is designated as Patriot Day. Flags are to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset, one of only five days where that is the case, and programs and activities are to be conducted honoring the individuals who lost their lives on that day in 2001.
A tolling of the bell ceremony took place at 9:59 a.m., the exact moment the South Tower collapsed. Assistant Fire Chief A.J. Aljabbi performed the duty.
Long before telephones and radios, fire departments used telegraph to communicate. When the handle was pulled on the familiar red fire alarm box found on every street corner in America, a special code was transmitted to each fire station.
When a firefighter died in the line of duty, the fire alarm office would tap out a special signal. That signal was five measured dashes, a pause, five measured dashes, another pause, five measured dashes, another pause and then five more dashes. This became known as the tolling of the bell.
Police Chief Mark Fender was in the World Trade Center four weeks prior to the attack. He had just returned to northeast Ohio from the National FBI Academy where he had spent the prior three months in New York City.
“I was in my office when I watched the television as the first twin tower was struck and then the second,” he recalled. “Moments later I watched people jump from the building to escape the flames. Having been atop those towers I imagined what it must have been like.”
Draves was at Fire Station No. 3 when he learned of the attacks.
“I was watching when the second plane hit. It gave me an uneasy feeling. I didn’t know it then, but it changed the world. It changed how we do things in safety services,” he said.
Rev. Joe Mamich, city of Strongsville safety forces chaplain, gave the benediction at the Sept. 11 ceremony.
“On this anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 we pause to remember all those who were lost on that day, especially our brothers and sisters who died in the line of duty. We thank you for their courage and sacrifice. In your boundless compassion we ask that you continue to console their families, their friends, co-workers and all those who continue to be affected by their loss. We ask too that you might bring peace to our world and faith to see in death the gates of eternal life so those who serve and those responding to hurricanes Harvey and Irma will be protected and continue to serve those they are protecting, and continue to do so with dignity, honor and courage.”