Grissom remembers 9/11

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Mota
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind. --  While most people can’t remember where they were at any given time in their lives, 15 years later most can remember where they were during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

To help ensure those memories were not forgotten, more than 500 Grissom Airmen, firefighters and civilians joined Americans around the world Sept. 11, to pay their respects to the victims.

Kicking off the ceremony, Col. Larry Shaw, 434th Air Refueling Wing commander, shared his thoughts and thanked participants for joining.

“Like most of you, I can remember exactly where I was and what I was doing the morning I heard about the attacks, but most importantly I can still remember how I felt that day,” said Shaw. ‘I hope that feeling never fades for me, and I hope it never fades for you,”

“Thank you for joining me this morning to help remember those who lost their lives, and to remind us why we’re here on this [unit training assembly] doing our jobs to support the mission,” he added.

Following Shaw’s message to Airmen, Chap. (Lt. Col.) Obadiah Smith Jr., 434th ARW chaplain, provided words of encouragement followed by a moment of silence in remembrance of 9/11.

“We are gathered in remembrance of those who lost their lives during 9/11, but also we stand with a determination that we are a people of resolve to do what is good, right and just,” said Smith. “Let us not lose hope or become dismay - we are a blessed nation and blessed people; and may we have a better understanding that in the midst of this great tragedy, we have freedoms that abound every day.”

Ending a moment of silence was the somber sound of Taps played by Senior Airman Stephanie Briones, Grissom base honor guard manager, as a final tribute to the fallen before the base personnel went back quietly to their work area.

Since 9/11, the 434th ARW, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command, and its Airmen have been called on frequently to deploy Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.