Torii Station holds remembrance ceremony to honor 9/11 anniversary

By Chip Steitz, 10th Regional Support Group Public AffairsSeptember 21, 2012

Torii Station holds remembrance ceremony to honor 9/11 anniversary
(From left): Col. Sheila Bryant and Command Sgt. Maj. Shelton Williamson, commander and command sergeant major of the 10th Regional Support Group, respectively, place a wreath in front of the Okinawa Memorial during the 9/11 remembrance ceremony held... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

TORII STATION, Okinawa (Sept. 12, 2012) -- More than 150 Soldiers, family members, Department of Defense employees and Japanese citizens gathered here Sept. 11 to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks that took place 11 years ago, and those who have died in military conflicts since then.

Prior to the ceremony, a moment of silence was observed to remember Staff Sgt. Jeremie S. Border, 28, of Mesquite, Texas, previously assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), here, who died Sept. 1 in Batur Village, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire.

"Jeremie Border was both a Soldier and a friend who will be missed dearly," said Lauren Hall, public affairs officer for U.S. Army Garrison Torii Station. "I will never forget him or the ultimate sacrifice he made in the service to our country defending our freedom."

Hall served as the master of ceremonies for the event and opened the ceremony by saying, "Today's ceremony will honor the memory of all the innocent men, women and children who gave their lives on September 11th, 2001, and all of the service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our great nation."

Col. Sheila Bryant, commander of the 10th Regional Support Group reaffirmed the Army's commitment and dedication to remembering those who died in the attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

"Today we pause to remember a day that tested our country," said Bryant. "Although the passage of time has eased some of the pain, the loss and images are forever seared in our consciousness and we will never forget."

Bryant went onto explain how the deliberate acts of hatred against the United States brought new meaning to the words liberty and freedom.

"In a moment of sadness and grief, when the very essence of America's soul was tested, we were reminded why we are a great nation: It is our people," said Bryant. "We saw our national character in the eloquent act of sacrifice.

"It is what Franklin Roosevelt called the warm courage of national unity," Bryant concluded, quoting the former president. "'Grief, tragedy and hatred are only for a time. Goodness, remembrance and love have no end.'"