President Proclaims Patriot Day, Day of Remembrance
By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89),
the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as “Patriot Day,”
and by Public Law 111-13, approved April 21, 2009, the Congress has
requested the observance of September 11 as an annually recognized
“National Day of Service and Remembrance”. President Obama officially
proclaimed September 11, 2013, as Patriot Day.
In his
remarks,
the President said "Twelve years ago this month, nearly three thousand innocent men,
women, and children lost their lives in attacks meant to terrorize our
Nation. They had been going about their day, harming no one, when sudden
violence struck. We will never undo the pain and injustice borne that
terrible morning, nor will we ever forget those we lost."
He continued, "On September 11, 2001, amid shattered glass, twisted steel, and
clouds of dust, the spirit of America shone through. We remember the
sacrifice of strangers and first responders who rushed into darkness to
carry others from danger. We remember the unbreakable bonds of unity we
felt in the long days that followed -- how we held each other, how we
came to our neighbors' aid, how we prayed for one another. We recall how
Americans of every station joined together to support the survivors in
their hour of need and to heal our Nation in the years that followed.”
Remembering 9/11/2001
Each year we recall where we were when learning about the terrorist attacks. We were on the inaugural voyage of Norwegian Sun, thousands of miles from home in Paris, France. Our tour bus was filled with our fellow passengers, the majority of whom lived in New York. The transatlantic cruise, we were on, was originally scheduled to conclude in New York but ended in Boston instead.
What was to have been a celebration of our 25th Anniversary, quickly became a very unique experience as we observed the hospitality and caring from so many people across the globe as our journey home continued.
See our article from 2011,
FDNY May We Never Forget, on the 10th anniversary, as we recalled our journey back to New York to visit the site of the World Trade Center attacks. Should your cruise vacation plans include New York, we recommend spending some time at the WTC Memorial and other historic sites in the city.
