September 11, 2001: Remember the Bravery

A Time to Remember the Bravery by Werner Braun

In his September 9, 2011 column titled "Remember the bravery" for the Dalton Daily Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute president Werner Braun discusses his recollections of the morning of September 11 and urges readers to remember the bravery of the responders who gave their lives to save other innocents who died that day. Here are excerpts:

“On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was driving to Helen, Ga., for a conference. As I listened to the radio, the music was interrupted by a news alert that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in New York City. 

I continued listening to the radio as I pulled into the parking lot in Helen. I walked into the hotel lobby, where I joined a group of roughly 100 concerned faces huddled around the television. 

While we were all watching, the second plane hit the remaining Twin Tower.

There were 2,977 victims, including 411 emergency workers who responded to the scene and died as they tried to rescue people and fight fires. The New York City Fire Department lost 341 firefighters. The New York City Police Department lost 23 officers. The Port Authority Police Department lost 37 officers, and eight emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics from private medical services units were killed.

This bravery is important to celebrate because it demonstrates the power of the human spirit in the face of terror. You hear it all the time: Public service is not an occupation, it is a calling.  On Sept. 11, we all saw men and women who went above and beyond the call of duty, sacrificing their lives for others and for their country. 

So, no matter where you are this weekend I hope you will join me in reflecting on Sept. 11, 2001. Let us remember those who lost loved ones during the horrific events, as we celebrate the bravery of those who faced death that day and refused to run.”

Thank you, Werner.

~Bethany