Ceremony to remember, celebrate ‘collective strength of the American People’
Indianapolis, IN, 2018-Sep-13 — /Travel PR News/ — Today (Sept. 11, 2018) the Indianapolis Airport Authority hosted a ceremony at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) to commemorate the seventeenth anniversary of the infamous tragedy that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.
The ceremony, which included IAA first responders and TSA officials, honored the lives of more than 3,000 people who perished in the terrorist attacks that struck the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and United Flight 93 over Pennsylvania.
“While the world has grown beyond these acts of Sept. 11, 2001, they will forever live on in our history to remind us of the bravery of so many who stood together in the face of unspeakable tragedy, and were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow man,” said IAA Executive Director Mario Rodriguez.
A piece of the World Trade Center steel recovered from Ground Zero, measuring approximately 12” x 12” x 6” and weighing about 40 pounds, was placed on display in Civic Plaza for the day.
“This display is more than a piece of steel,” said Mike Medvescek, senior director of operations and public safety for the IAA. “It’s a reminder that even though darkness and brokenness reside in the world, so does honor and strength – and when we pull together in unity, we are stronger than anything that can divide us.”
In 2011, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey presented the recovered steel to local Indianapolis public-safety responders and IAA employees who assisted at the attack site in 2001. The artifact remains on display permanently at the Indy airport’s fire station 1 throughout the year.
“Today we pause to remember the thousands of innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001,” said U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly. “We pay tribute to those heroes who showed immense bravery in the face of profound tragedy. As we honor their memories through service and the betterment of our communities, we recommit to defending the liberties and freedoms that form the bedrock of our country.”
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Source: Indianapolis Airport Authority