JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Naval Station Mayport sailors, Navy security forces and first responders held a 9/11 remembrance ceremony on Wednesday.
Share your memories: Where were you when the 9/11 attacks happened?
Capt. Brian A. Binder talked about why they do the ceremony every year.
“It’s important for us to stop what we’re doing each and every year at this moment, at this day, raise the flag, bring it back down and respect those who have lost their lives,” Binder said.
He said most of the junior sailors in the service weren’t alive during the attacks.
“It’s been 23 years now and we have to understand that even though most junior sailors who have now entered our service weren’t born largely during this time period,” Binder said.
ACC Dante Spagnolo said it is important for the junior sailors to understand the significance of the day.
“I love talking to sailors about that, I want them to experience and actually feel how that day actually went, and what I was thinking at that time, what everybody was thinking or doing at that time living through 9/11,” Spagnolo said.
Assistant Chief of Operations Eric Boggess talked about where he was when the planes crashed.
“I was an E5 sergeant at the time and got called into a day room with the instructors and saw it on TV and knew at that point that we were probably going to war,” Boggess said.
He said people should be involved in their local ceremonies to show respect to firefighters, law enforcement, first responders and veterans.