The above picture was taken on the mall in front of the
Close up of the one of the signs placed around the perimeter of the display. There were also some international flags on display representing some of the various foreign nations whose citizens dies that day. Interestingly, this whole display was done by a local company that manufactures and distributes flags and flag display equipment...and I saw not a single sign bearing their name in the display. People walked through, and all you could hear was the sound of the flags blowing in the breeze. A reverent silence prevailed over the display as those who came each reviewed his or her experiences of that fateful day a year ago.
I saw many families while I was there. It was hard watching
adults struggling to cope with their own emotions while caring for children who
were far too young to understand the significance of the flags around
them. To the credit of the children, I didn't see any who could not
somehow sense that this was a special place. For a few moments, everyone
who came, young and old, male and female, families, and even a group of mentally
handicapped individuals stopped their busy daily lives to remember. If
those who caused this pain only knew how much stronger we have become, and how
terribly their comrades have paid, and will continue to pay, for this horrible
crime, I wonder if they still would have done what they did.
It's hard to picture mentally just how
big this thing is. As I walked among the rows, I was reminded of rank on
rank of soldiers standing at attention, guarding us even now.
Some brought flowers, small flags, notes
etc. The flags didn't have individual names on them so I don't know how
people picked out where they would leave these tokens as they experienced their
own memories and grief. For anyone who has ever shed a few tears at THE
WALL (the Vietnam Veterans memorial in Washington DC) or during the changing of
the guard at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, VA, this display is
every bit as moving in its sheer power to remind those who come of just how
deeply we all experienced the cowardly attack on innocent civilians in our own
homeland.
We parked about a block away to get in
and experience it up close. We weren't the only ones as you can
see.
Please
forward in respect for those who died and their
families.
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