Patriot Day: Thirteen years after the American tragedy

This morning a small group of residents and visitors joined a complement of fire academy cadets, city and county firefighters and emergency medical personnel, police officers, and representatives from other law enforcement agencies, to remember the American tragedy that introduced a new term to the national vocabulary — Nine-Eleven.

Each year on the anniversary of the terrible events and amazing acts of bravery in New York City, Washington, DC, and Somerset County, Pennsylvania, the City of St. Augustine holds the brief Ceremony of Remembrance that includes a prayer, some music, some words and a moment of silence.

There was a presentation of flags by the St Augustine Police Color Guard, Anthony Cuthbert and Jennifer Michaux, followed by the pledge of allegiance to the flag; led by members of the St. Augustine Fire Department. An invocation was offered by St. Augustine Police Officer, Roy Smith.

Musical breaks were performed on the acoustic guitar by Ed Purtill; a St. Augustine Fire Department Engineer. St Johns County Fire Rescue Chief Carl Shank offered a few words of support and condolence, and St. Augustine Fire Chief JC Costeira announced the traditional minute of silence at 8:44 a.m. — the same time that the first jet airliner crashed into the World Trade Center. A retired New York firefighter, John Westfield, concluded the ceremony with thirteen chimes of the Fire Department’s historic 1900 fire bell; one for each year since the attacks.