Fort Hamilton turns out for 9/11 commemoration

A solemn ceremony was held on the afternoon of 9/11 at Fort Hamilton to mark the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Garrison Commander Colonel Eluyn Gines spoke to the soldiers and employees at the army base of how September 11 affected him personally. Gines had left the Pentagon to attend a course in Georgia, later to find out that many of his co-workers, including his boss, had perished.

“We remember and respect the lives that were lost that day; we read their names and press their photos into our hearts,” he said. “On this day, marking the anniversary of their deaths, we recall the beauty and the meaning of their lives.”

To him, the attacks still feel like yesterday. The observance was held at the flagpole in front of 113 Schum Avenue, at 3 p.m., where the lowering of the flag takes place at the end of the day.

Its purpose was summed up in three bold words that dominated a flyer announcing the event: Honor, Remember, Reunite.