September 11th, 2023, has come and gone, and I saw no significant evidence that this date has any historical significance for people in our Orcas community. Does nobody remember what happened on September 11th, 2001? Do other issues simply take greater priority? Do people no longer want to be reminded about that catastrophic day?

It saddens me greatly to see that we seem to have no memory of the nearly 3,000 people who perished in the four passenger planes, the Twin Tower buildings, and the Pentagon, and of the hundreds of rescue workers who died during the attacks while trying to save people, and those who continued going into the highly toxic rubble during the days that followed. Many of the latter have since died, or still suffer from critical health conditions.

Thousands of Americans lost parents, children, and friends that day. The entire nation was in shock. For days, everyone was glued to whatever kind of news reports they could access. What has happened since then?

Our own Orcas Island Fire and Rescue (OIFR) volunteers drove across the country to bring back a large steel beam from the wreckage of the Twin Towers, to create a memorial here. OIFR presented a deeply moving commemoration of 9/11, and dedicated the memorial to honor the loss of so many of their fellow emergency workers, and the loss of the innocent victims of the disaster. The memorial beam now rests on display in the lobby of our Eastsound Fire Station, in front of the beautiful commemorative mural painted by Robin Lassen, on which are the words, “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” Below it is a plaque which states how that day changed our lives.

In New York City, and in other cities on the East Coast, this day is still honored with respectful ceremony. Why does nothing happen here, to honor that chilling event that remains prominent in the memories of so many other Americans?

The only acknowledgement of 9/11 that I have been able to find was a posting on that day on the OIFD Facebook page, at https://www.facebook.com/OrcasIslandFireAndRescue/. It is a moving tribute, but it would have been reassuring to see it more widely published. I hope that more notice can be given to this day in the future, here on Orcas.

Jean Henigson

Eastsound