The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Restaurant Barn.
SOUTHWEST HARBOR—The children gathered in front of Pemetic School along Main Street in Southwest Harbor were chattering, jumping, talking, and waiting, a typical noisy cacophony of kids being kids, being happy, being chatty outside under a beautiful blue sky.
One American flag was held behind them.
The police cruiser came first, followed by fire trucks and emergency vehicles. The students hushed, silent, as the procession passed by. No sirens sang into the streets. No one shouted hello.
They stood. They waited. They watched.
The banner on the side of one truck read: “Never forget. September 11, 2001. Remember the 343.”
The 343 refers to the members of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) on September 11. Those deaths were hundreds of the just under 3,000 people that died as a result of four intentional commercial planes crashes. Many others have died in the last 25 years from illnesses related to the attacks.
According to the New York Times, “The WTC Health Program has recorded the deaths of 9,224 members of the program. The fund had paid out nearly 9,000 death claims by the end of last year, roughly triple the number of people who died the day of the attacks.
“Dozens of cancers and respiratory illnesses have been linked to the toxins unleashed when the towers collapsed and burned. More firefighters have died from 9/11-related illnesses than the 343 who died on the day of the attacks, according to New York fire union officials.”
Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center's twin towers in New York City. One was flown into the Pentagon, in Washington, D.C. Another crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
As the History Channel explains, “19 terrorists from the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda—founded by Osama bin Laden—hijacked four commercial passenger airplanes and carried out coordinated suicide attacks against targets in the United States.”
The Southwest Harbor procession of emergency vehicles marked the 25th anniversary of those attacks.
First Responders from Southwest Harbor honored “the memory of those who lost their lives with a silent procession through town,” according to information released from members of the department.
The procession left the town’s fire station at 9, went to the center of town before traveling through Manset to Seawall before returning. People showed up and stood on both sides of the road.
Bangor also hosted multiple events.
Six Maine residents died in the attacks. Many other Mainers were connected to others who passed, including some who had attended college in Maine.
All photos: Carrie Jones/Shaun Farrar/BHS
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
We have video and more photos on our Facebook page. All images: Bar Harbor Story.
Southwest Harbor Fire Department
World Trade Center Health Program
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That is so special. In 2001, the first day of school for Pemetic was supposed to be September 11th after the huge renovation, but the fire alarm system malfunctioned (if I remember correctly) and school was cancelled. Therefore, my siblings and I were able to watch the horrific events unfold on TV at home all morning. Later that school year, we were part of the student body who quilted the large American flag during Mr. Sattler’s art class that now hangs on Pemetic’s gymnasium wall. Lest we forget.