Ceremony was held in front of City Hall on Monday morning

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

With Vancouver Fire Department vehicles parked in front of City Hall, dozens of guests listened to featured speakers.

Our congresswoman, our mayor, and others each shared their memories of Sept. 11, 2001, and encouraged everyone to serve, in one way or another, their fellow citizens.

They did so while battling against jet noise from overhead, as airplanes that had just taken off from PDX climbed high over Vancouver.

Those sounds, those images, were a reminder of Sept. 11 and the immediate aftermath, as well. Because for a week or so, there were no jet engine sounds from airlines.

Today, 22 years later, the sounds of flight and of uplifting voices could be heard throughout America on Patriot Day, including downtown Vancouver.

Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez noted she was in the eighth grade when the attacks happened.

More than two decades later, she wanted to use some of her time at Vancouver’s Patriot Day Salute to bring attention to the “epidemic” of suicides from those in the military and our first responders. She said she wants to “elevate asking for help to a form of bravery and heroism.”

It takes courage to ask for help, she said.

She also had tips for all citizens, asking to say “hello to a neighbor in an epidemic of loneliness” or by reaching out to an old friend just to ask how they are doing during these times.

“These are the things that I think are ways we can practice heroism every day,” Gluesenkamp Perez said.

Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle said it was one of the worst days in American history.

“It was a day that we’ll never forget. We remember the dust, the smoke, and the despair. We remember the pain and the grief,” the mayor said. “We remember the shock and the sadness and our disbelief and the sense of numbness as we watched the horrific scenes unfold.”

The events of Sept. 11 also made her proud because of the way Americans responded.

“It also invoked the very best of our country,” she said, remembering the strength and courage displayed by the American people.

Peter Schrater, chaplain for Vancouver Fire Department, also noted the character of the American people.

“One of the things that led to regaining hope was the way that within a few days, we as a community, we as a country, rallied around one another regardless of our beliefs, regardless of the way we voted,” Schrater said. “We decided we were a community, we were a larger family. That gave us a sense of hope.”

Vancouver Fire Chief Brennan Blue was working in San Diego during the attacks. Within a couple of weeks, he went to New York to help. He saw the strength of the human spirit there.

“It made me feel very proud of the people in our profession that risked everything to go out there and save as many people as they could,” Blue said.

He appreciates ceremonies such as Monday’s Patriot Day Salutes. This was a day to remember and honor those who fell. But our community can also honor those who died by honoring those who live, too.

“It’s important to remember to not just honor our first responders and military members when they’re gone, when they’ve died and made the ultimate sacrifice,” Blue said. “The most important thing is to honor them when they are alive.”

Jeff Mori, the chief of Vancouver Police, shared his family’s story. His two oldest sons were not even high school students when the attacks happened, but they both would eventually serve in the U.S. Army, fighting in Afghanistan years later.

The Patriot Day Salute also featured a presentation of a wreath, the final alarm for those who died, a rifle salute, the playing of Taps, and the release of doves.

The event was presented by the Community Military Appreciation Committee.