Hundreds gather for Mayor’s 25th Anniversary Ceremony of 9/11
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hundreds gathered on the front lawn of Honolulu Hale Friday evening to mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
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Those gathered remembered the lives that were lost 25 years ago and 5,000 miles away.
The ceremony included a small part of a rusted steel beam from one of the World Trade Center towers.
A bell was rung by Honolulu firefighters nine times — one for each of those with Hawaii ties who lost their lives during the attacks.
One of the speakers at the ceremony was Honolulu Police Lt. Robert Jones. He was with the New York City Fire Department and was vacationing in Hawaii when the attacks occurred. He returned to New York to help with the rescue and recovery efforts.
“On that day we lost truly some of the bravest and the best, in New York City and our country and the world. And I really am grateful that you’re all here, keeping the memory of that day alive,” Jones told the gathering.
Retired special forces officer Lt. Col. Gilbert Mestler was also part of the recovery effort and recalled the desperate search for survivors.
“People worked the pile, convinced that somewhere, somehow, they would find survivors. Just move one more piece, they’ll be five firefighters sitting under that beam, wondering where you’ve been. They firmly believed that,” said Mestler.
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“For those of us who wear the badge, the courage of the men and women who answered that call will hold a special place in our hearts, especially today,” said Honolulu Police Chief David Lazar.
It was noted that many of the new first responders weren’t born yet, or were too young to remember the events of 25 years ago.
“They did not witness the smoke rising into sky. They did not live through the immediate shock of the morning. Yet, they have still answered this noble calling,” said Honolulu Fire Chief Kalani Hao.
“It is our sacred duty to pass the legacy of that sacrifice onto this new generation. We must be sure that they understand, not only the unimaginable pain of that day, but the enduring triumph of the human spirit that followed,” he added.
One of those attending the ceremony was Christine Domhoff, the Hawaii Vice Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was attending a conference in eastern Ohio on September 11, 2001, and saw the hijacked plane that ultimately crashed in Pennsylvania.
“The plane — flight 93 — turned right over our head sand it was flying so low, I ducked because I thought it was coming at me,” Domhoff told HNN.
“When you look at it on TV, you think it’s just insane that things like that happen in America,” she added. “I don’t believed I’ve ever really processed it in full. But I’ll never forget it the rest of my life.”
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