Residents, officials gather in Beach Haven in remembrance of Sept. 11 attacks

Photo by Jack Reynolds
Participants honored the 9/11 victims with a
quiet moment of reflection.

On the heels of President Barack Obama’s authorization of U.S. air strikes against the militant group known as ISIS or ISIL in Syria, local residents and officials gathered at the Pearl Street Pavilion in Beach Haven Thursday morning to pay tribute to the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. A moment of silence was shared among the assemblage, honoring the thousands of people who were injured and lost during the attacks as well as the thousands more who responded and survived, taking the horrific images with them.

The Rev. Frank Crumbaugh of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church as well as Beach Haven Councilman James White spoke prior to the quiet reflection, urging the crowd to never forget.

“I ask that you permit yourself to make sure that the lessons learned that day are passed on to all generations to come. The bravery and determination of the American people was never more visible,” White said. “...We must educate in our schools, our churches and our communities, what our enemies did on this infamous day. Let it be a constant reminder that we must remain strong and vigilant, and seek out those that wish to see the death and destruction of our country.

“Since 9/11, 6,800 of the best America has to offer lost their lives in the fight for freedom and the fight against terrorism, and 52,000 have been wounded,” he added.

White also honored the government’s reorganization after the 9/11 attacks, including the birth of the Patriot Act signed into law by then-President George W. Bush in 2001 as well as the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, “to protect us from future attacks.”

However, he said, “we are now entering a new phase, and I hope and pray that our politicians will finish the job this time and eradicate the scourge of ISIS from the Earth.”

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.