Habersham remembers and reflects on the 20th anniversary of 9/11

(Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

On the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks that claimed 2,977 lives, members of the Habersham community came together to remember those we lost, and reflect on the past.

Grant-Reeves VFW Post 7720 held a candlelight vigil and memorial Saturday night. Veterans and civilians alike met at the Habersham Veterans Wall of Honor for an evening of prayer and remembrance.

Commander Jim Morgan of Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 15, spoke about the horrors many faced during the September 11 attacks and the memories we should honor and remember. But he spoke on something else, too— what we should learn, 20 years later.

“We can find some solace in remembering how our nation was united in the subsequent days and months following those attacks,” Morgan said. “That day, we came together and refused to allow evil to triumph over good. The accounts of hope and heroism that emerged from the rubble of ground zero, the Pentagon, and the rural Pennsylvania field inspired us all.”

DAV Chapter 15 Commander Jim Morgan delivers a speech on remembrance and unity. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

He reminded Americans of the importance of family and community, and how in the 20 years since Americans came together following the attacks, “we don’t even get along anymore.” He spoke about the heartbreaking phone calls from airplane passengers and people in the Twin Towers, which are full of “I love you’s,” and “I’ll miss you’s,” and how these things are what matter the most.

“I think there’s a lesson in this— that we can’t look to anyone else to fix our problems or heal our country unless we are prepared to lead the effort,” Morgan said. “We cannot restore America, the one we know and love, the one we cherish, until we first change ourselves, until we fix things at home. We work on our house and we build it from there. We build up our community, our neighborhoods [and] the effect can ripple out.”

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