Remarks prepared for Charge Peter Brennan
Commemoration Ceremony September 11 Memorial
Good
Morning. Today, we gather here to
mark the eighth anniversary of the tragic events of 2001.
We are here to honor those who died in New York, in Washington, and on
a field in rural Pennsylvania as a result of an unprecedented terrorist attack
on the United States. We remember
their families and friends. We
remember the heroic firemen, police and other first responders, many of whom
also lost their lives trying to save the lives of others.
These
attacks were not against the United States alone, but against the civilized
world. Those who perished that day
came from 40 nations. They came
from all walks of life and social conditions.
They represented many of the world’s religions and cultures.
In the days following these events, much of the world came together as
one, to offer us solace and support, and to reaffirm our friendship, our
commitment to democratic values, and our respect for the basic dignity and
worth of human life. Our friends
and allies, including the people of Costa Rica, helped us get through those
terrible days. We thanked them then, and we thank them now.
We
are especially happy that representatives of the Cuerpo de Bomberos Nacional
de Seguro and the Reserva de la Fuerza Publica are here to share these moments
with us. Thank you for coming.
Every
time I enter this Embassy, I am greeted by a United States Marine.
The presence of our Marines at this Mission is a constant reminder to
me and my colleagues of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces
who put their lives on their line to defend the basic freedoms that came under
attack on September 11, 2001. They
deserve our gratitude.
I now ask
the Marines to lower the flag to half-staff, and then ask that you join me in
a moment of silence in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11/2001.
Marines lower flag to the
sound of “Taps”
Cuerpo de Bomberos sound
the siren
Thank
you again for joining us in paying this tribute to the victims of the
terrorist attack of 9/11 and to their families and friends.
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