YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea -- Eighth Army and the American Red Cross held a ceremony Sept. 12 at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul in tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pa.
Serving as keynote speaker for the ceremony was Eighth Army Deputy Commanding General for Sustainment Maj. Gen. Tammy Smith.
"We are here…today to remember and honor those we lost in the tragic attacks on Sept. 11, 2001," said Smith. "We all watched in horror glued to the television screen as people who had been working in the twin towers and the Pentagon on that beautiful fall day were recovered from the rubble. We all knew that no one on those airplanes had survived the crash and we knew that we were sharing a collective moment in American consciousness."
Following the attacks, Americans came together like no other time in U.S. history. For Smith it was that unity that helped the U.S. defeat the fear that lies at the heart of terrorism, but she urged attendees to continue to work together to defend American ideals.
"Instead of cowering in fear we lifted our heads up in unity across America," Smith continued. "We were all Americans after 9/11. Resilient. Strong. To never forget that resiliency we must not fear our neighbors. We must help those in need. We must honor our American values. We must hold in high esteem that our flag, red white and blue is an enduring symbol of opportunity and inclusion and is not a symbol of what the terrorist hope to achieve, fear and chaos."
Also speaking during the ceremony was Eighth Army Operations Company Commander Capt. Isabelle Morse and 1st Sgt. Lynn Scott Collum, Eighth Army Operations Co. senior enlisted leader. For Morse, it was the selfless acts of American men and women following the attacks that resonated with her the most.
"People of all ages creeds and nationalities came together to defend our Nation from an abstract concept that threatened our freedoms," said Morse. "After Sept. 11 Soldiers postponed their retirements to deploy instead, Soldiers reenlisted at an alarming rate to do their part, and enlistments increased dramatically to answer the Nation's call. Our Soldiers trained harder, shed tears and blood and gave their lives in defense of our nation knowing that a very real and dangerous enemy could strike at any moment. That selfless service in the face death truly embodies our Soldiers commitment to America and our way of life."
The ceremony marked the 15th anniversary of 9/11 that took the lives of 2,996 people and injured another 6,000. Despite the many years that have passed since then, the U.S. continues to fight terrorism around the globe in defense of our Nation.
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