The Village of Villa Park held its annual Patriot Day ceremony on Friday morning, Sept. 11, to mark the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The ceremony was held at Fire Station 81, 1440 S. Ardmore Ave.
Willowbrook High School’s U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) presented the colors at the beginning of the service. Members of Willowbrook’s choir then performed “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“Today we remember the 2,977 innocent people who lost their lives in the attacks,” stated Villa Park Fire Chief Steve Stapleton during his remarks at the ceremony. “We remember the firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel, and other first responders who ran toward danger while others were running away.
They answered the call to serve, knowing the risks, and many made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Stapleton noted that 323 firefighters and paramedics from New York City died while responding to the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
“They were professionals who came to work that morning expecting to help others, and never came home,” he said.
Stapleton and others who spoke during the ceremony referred to the nation’s united response to the terrorist attacks of 25 years ago.
“The story of September 11 is not only one of tragedy. It is the story of extraordinary courage, compassion and unity,” stated Stapleton. “We honor those we lost by continuing to serve our communities with courage and compassion. Today we remember the victims. We honor the heroes, and we remember the families who were left behind.”
Villa Park Village Manager Michael Rivas spoke briefly during the ceremony.
“Every one of us who was alive then remembers exactly where we were. We remember the shock, the sadness, the disbelief,” said Rivas. “We also remember something else; how our nation came together.”
Other speakers included Villa Park Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2801 Commander Jim Blankshain.
“It was a cowardly act,” said Blankshain of the attacks. “People were just going to work to provide for their families when it occurred. There were so many heroes that day. Let’s hope and pray that something like this never happens again.”
Villa Park Deputy Police Chief Jose Pagan also spoke during the ceremony, as did Villa Park’s legislative representatives in Springfield, State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton and State Representative Diane Blair-Sherlock.
“I’m just here to thank all of our first responders and firefighters for everything they do every day,” said Glowiak Hilton, who joined Blair-Sherlock in noting the significant number of current citizens who aren’t old enough to remember the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“This is why we do this,” said Glowiak Hilton while referring to the purpose of the Patriot Day observance, which she described as “a day of remembrance so that we can tell our children and grandchildren what happened, and how we came together as a group to make the world and the United States a better place.”
“A lot of us in this room weren’t even alive when this happened,” said Blair-Sherlock, who is a longtime Villa Park resident. “So I think it’s important that we share our stories; that we talk about what happened that day; that we talk about how we felt, and that we talk about how this can never happen again.”
Blair-Sherlock also spoke about Villa Park being in a flight path, and how residents could normally look up during a clear day and see multiple planes in the sky.
“We live in a flight path, and all of a sudden, it was silent,” said Blair-Sherlock in speaking about the eerie absence of planes in the sky after the terrorist attacks.
“Let’s also remember what happened after September 11, and how we all came together,” said Blair-Sherlock at the conclusion of her remarks.
Glenn Nystrom of the United States Coast Guard also spoke during the ceremony. He provided information about the significant contributions the Coast Guard made immediately after the terrorist attacks. Those contributions included the organization and coordination to call for all available boats to transport up to 500,000 people out of Manhattan within hours of the attacks.
Near the end of the service, Stapleton mentioned something new in this year’s ceremony. He asked everyone in attendance to sign an American flag that was on a table.
“This flag represents our community’s shared commitment to remember the lives lost, honor the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, and recognize the courage and unity that emerged from one of the darkest days in our nation’s history,” said Stapleton. He said the flag would be proudly flown at the fire department that day.
“After it is flown today, it will be carefully preserved and placed in a shadow box for permanent display at Village Hall,” added Stapleton. Those in attendance then signed the flag during a brief break. They then gathered near the flagpole outside of the fire station and watched as the special flag was raised and flown just under the traditional flag that was already on the flagpole.
Ann Appleyard of Tunes of Glory Pipes and Drums in Warrenville played “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes after attendees gathered outside near the end of the ceremony.
