After five years of planning, and 14 years following the terrorist attacks themselves, Greenwich has a beautiful memorial to honor and remember the 33 victims with ties to Greenwich. Today, we are coming together as a community, both in celebration for the completion of the memorial and in memory of those we lost. It will be emotional. And it will be rewarding.
Donations from more than 1,000 of our neighbors, from one dollar to $50,000 came. If you are not a part of this incredible success story yet, climb aboard. Donations are still being accepted and are needed for the ongoing educational programming surrounding the memorial.
It takes courage to believe … to build a memorial the likes of which now looks out over Cos Cob Harbor. They have become political. People have opinions and many do not like change. Five years ago, when the group responsible for the memorial began their efforts, they received a tremendous amount of support. They also received opposition and there were many doubters. To their credit they were not dissuaded. They worked through the opposition. Plato said: “Courage is knowing what not to fear.” Their one fear was letting the families of those 33 people feel their loved ones were not remembered by their community.
The nature of memorials has changed over time. It used to be that they honored a battle, a branch of service or even a war. Since the Vietnam War there has been a shift to honor the individuals who lost their lives. It is easier and there is less politics involved. Such is the case with our memorial. The names of the 33 individuals who lost their lives have been painstakingly and artistically included in the design. It is a bold, patriotic, and awe inspiring.
Many who lost a loved one on September 11, 2001 do not have a gravestone to visit.
That may be hard to reconcile – the importance of it – if you have not experienced it. A gravestone helps focus grief; it is an incredibly significant part of the bereavement ritual.
Grief is something we all collectively experienced 14 years ago. We came together as a community to attend religious services. Our houses of worship overflowed with neighbors, with grief and with love. There was an outpouring.
Then we left. We took our tremendous grief and attempted to move on or to move it to action. Whether it was forcing Congress to examine how this attack occurred or fighting a war on terrorism. The family members and friends remained, reminders everywhere. When we exhausted our grief, they still mourned.
Thankfully, a small group of individuals had the courage and vision to take the first steps in the process of creating the memorial. Difficulties loomed and they had moments of doubt but strength and support came – often from unexpected or surprising places – when they needed it most. Events conspired to bring together the right team at the right moment and the magic of what the Greenwich community is capable of shined through.
