After a long and often trying year, emotions and memories regarding the terrorist attacks last Sept. 11 still run strong for the people of Oak Harbor.
Hundreds of local residents, many decked out in patriotic colors and most holding small American flags, attended the 9/11 commemorative ceremony Wednesday in Oak Harbor’s Flintstone Park. The ceremony, entitled “Salute to Courage,” featured prayer, testimony and music that paied heartfelt tribute to the “everyday heroes” who came to the fore during the days and weeks after the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001.
Following the Posting of the Colors by members of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station and the Pledge of Allegiance, numerous speakers — including Pastor David Lura of United Methodist Church and Lt. Cmdr. Michael Colson, chaplain, USN — stood at the podium under the clear, blue sky and delivered words of encouragement, hope and remembrance to the crowd.
A touching medley of “America the Beautiful/God Bless America” was performed by the Youth Choir from Living Faith Christian Center, and a moment of silence was observed both locally and statewide.
Mayor Patty Cohen, who was not in attendance, and the Oak Harbor City Council declared Sept. 11 “Always Remember 9/11 Day” as well as “Patriot Day” in commemoration of America’s “everyday heroes,” many of whom — firefighters, police officers, soldiers and emergency workers — were on hand for the proceedings.
Perhaps the most rousing words were spoken by Chaplain Colson, who more than once broke into a capela singing. “This memorial allows us as a community to pay tribute to those who have passed on,” Colson said. He added that Wednesday’s ceremony was an opportunity to “highlight liberal democracy as it is embodied in our Bill of Rights and our Constitution.”
At one point, Colson urged the crowd to hold their flags high. “Liberal democracy required your response so everybody’s freedom can flourish in an environment where democracy rules,” Colson intoned.
During his invocation, Pastor Lura spoke words of caution as he prayed that people “say not too much, nor too little about the tragic events” being recalled. He asked the crowd to remember those “impacted directly or indirectly by that other day that shall live in infamy, Sept. 11, 2001.”
The unattributed poem, “Two Thousand One, Nine Eleven” — which features such lines as “the man on sticks studied everything closely/then shared his perceptions on what he saw, mostly” — was read alternatingly by officials representing victims of the 9/11 tragedy, including members of local police, fire and military outfits, as well as ordinary citizens.
Many of those in attendence were moved to tears by the ceremony, which obviously stirred strong emotions connected to that terrible day one year ago.
The commemoration ended with Laying of Wreaths at the foot of the American flag, with each wreath representing victims from the four airplanes that crashed in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. as a result of terrorist take-overs on Sept. 11. Many laid single flowers, or planted their flags in the soft ground near the wreaths.
A bagpipe player rendered “Amazing Grace,” a single trumpeter played “Taps,” and the colors were retired by the Honor Guard.
There was lots of hugging at the conclusion of the ceremony, as people sought comfort in each other’s presence and consolation from powerful emotions.
