While not as large or long as in past years, a COVID-safe 9/11 observance at the Edmonds Fallen Firefighter Memorial drew an estimated 50 people to contemplate and remember during the 20th anniversary Saturday of the horrific event that took more than 3,000 lives.
“With the pandemic still very much a part of our lives, we considered not having a formal observance at all,” said event organizer and South County firefighter Dave “Bronco” Erickson, the driving force behind the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Park. “But because 9/11 remains an intensely personal experience for so many, we instead opted to informally spread the word among firefighters and others, but not make any official announcement.”
The observance included a flag ceremony, bagpipes, and bugler Debbie Dawson playing taps. There was also an opportunity for attendees to share their own experiences, remembrances, and thoughts.
South County Fire also created a video of the ceremony, which you can watch here:
— Story and photos by Larry Vogel
Thank you for putting this video on the page. It was a wonderful tribute and moved me greatly.
Thank you to those who gathered yesterday. We would not have a 9/11 memorial in Edmonds if not for the individual firefighters who worked to make it happen; thank you! It is easy to forget, in fact, natural over time. 9/11, for some of us, is very personal; for others, history. But we should remember what happened, why it happened, the people it happened to, and all the people who gave their lives and perished that day. And a special thanks to the law enforcement and firefighters who went in while others worked to get out.
I have had the privilege to meet and work with many individuals across the globe who have dedicated their careers to protecting their communities and beyond. I would like to share one such 9/11 experience. His name is Erik Ronningen with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, I had worked with Erik for several years.
Erik was on the 71st floor of the North Tower that morning. He depicts his escape and discusses some of the individuals he encountered. In the end, he was the last person to make it out alive of the South Tower. In this 20th memorial year, I took the opportunity to discuss his 9/11 day on a new podcast we are doing with the Morrone 9/11 Center; so people will not forget. I think you will enjoy it. You can find it at http://www.securitymindset.org or any of the places you get your podcast from. Thank you for remembering.