Statement of Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette

Remembrance Ceremony

September 11, 2005
Arlington Courthouse Plaza

Thank you for coming to this special memorial observance of the September 11th attack on our country, and particularly on the Pentagon - which sits on Arlington soil as a part of our Arlington community.

Arlington is proud of our historic ties to the Pentagon - this nation's military command headquarters - and the Pentagon's special role in our community.

Today we come together to honor the memories of those who were lost on the morning of September 11, 2001. The sky was blue, the air was clear, people were beginning their daily routines when the skies parted and the world changed overnight. By September 12, 2001 - despite differences of race, nationality and religion - the world was more united then we had ever been.

This observance commemorates those who lost their lives as well as those first responders who did their jobs...and did their jobs so very well.

And today, let our embrace widen to include all those, the world over, who have experienced the death or destruction of man-made terrorism, as well as those who have experienced the death and destruction of natural disasters - such as Katrina. Loss is loss. Pain is pain. Suffering is suffering.

On this beautiful September day, let us look back to honor and respect those lives lost and broken during the attack on our Arlington soil, yet let us also look forward, open our hearts, open our minds and open our eyes.

As the bells toll for our 184 neighbors and friends who died at the Pentagon, let us remember who we are and envision the world we want to help create.