Are you old enough to recall watching the live coverage of the attacks on 9/11?
The recent 25th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11 has led to many essays and commentaries. Media discussions over the causes, effects, and aftermath of our country’s response filled the airwaves, computer screens, and cell phones. Even if you didn’t see the 911 attacks you should at least know about what happened on that day in 2001.
All the articles are well and good because I am an advocate of the “never forget” mentality. Whether it’s Memorial and Veterans days and the like, I think is imperative that we “remember” and show reverence for certain events and especially the past sacrifices made by others.
A Scottish Irish Remembering Experience
Every year around the second week in September I attend an annual Scottish/Irish festival. I don my kilt, have a Guinness or two, eat some haggis, watch highland games and attend a military Tattoo in the evenings.
Most think of a military tattoo is a body inking that many serviceman (including me) obtain to express their service branch or unit. However it also has another meaning referring to a special event.
For those who do not know about a military tattoo event it is a time honored tradition with a deep cultural significance within the armed forces. The term comes from a 17th century Dutch phrase ”tap toe” meaning “turn off the tap” to signal soldiers to leave the bars and pubs and return to their barracks usually accompanied with drumbeats.
Over time those signals evolved into formalized military performances They became displays of military music and marching entertainment. English and Scots units especially adopted them, and to this day the yearly Edinburgh Tattoo is a world renown event. In the Tattoo I attend there are bagpipe/military bands from places such as the United Kingdom and Canada and service bands and drill teams from our military services.
This year there was a solemn ceremony in remembrance of 9/11. The combined bagpipe and military bands played “Amazing Grace” and “Highland Cathedral.” A lone bugler played “Taps” and a lone piper played “Abide in Me.”
When I hear Taps and the pipes play Amazing Grace I tear up. It’s an emotional/spiritual experience that says to me “Never forget.” What impressed me as I looked around the crowd was that I was not the only one tearing up. There was a bunch of us teary eyed grizzled old vets (to be expected) but there were also some 20-year-olds that had tears – they got it!
Forgetting?
There has been some media attention to the fact that we have “forgotten” the lessons of 9/11. To be sure there are many aspects to the notion of lessons learned whether politically, militarily, and security wise from 9/11. The experts and pundits will be continually debating those issues for years.
However, the significant “never forget” issue for me is that to always remember the sacrifices that were made. We should remember the men and women who died as victims on the planes, in the twin towers and Pentagon. But, especially we should remember those who sacrificed their lives in attempting to save them – the firefighters, police officers, and other first responders are the core to never forget.
I would add that it is also important that the sacrifices of the brave passengers of United flight 93 should never be forgotten. Passenger Todd Beamer’s last words “Let’s roll” as they attacked the hijackers should be one of those infamous sacrifice quotes to memorize. Their actions saved hundreds of lives in our nation’s Capital.
A Faith Element to the 9/11 Sacrifices
In 2002 the Catholic League contacted the New York Fire and Police Departments as well as the Port Authority to get information of the religious background of the first responders killed in the 9/11 attack. While official data were not available the agencies did provide an estimate of what they believed to be true.
What was reported was that of the 343 firefighters, 85% of the memorial services/masses were for Catholics. Of the 23 police officers killed 20 (87%) were Catholic. The Port Authority estimated that 85-90% of their first responders were Catholic.
Catholic League President Bill Donahue commented that the percentages should not be surprising considering the long tradition of New York firefighters and police officers coming from Irish and Italian ethnic groups, traditionally Catholic.
To be sure, many people of other faiths or no particular faith also gave their lives in trying to save others. However, the data showing a large number of Catholic first responders parallel personal experience with military and public safety personnel. I can conclude anecdotally that it appears a high percentage of Catholics enter public service occupations.
I think this reflects a “service” morality of our faith. I would also add that in agreeing to serve in such occupations there is also a conscious acknowledgment, willingness, and acceptance to also place oneself in harm’s way.
Service and Sacrifice
The data reported by the Catholic League can cause a reflection of the nature of our faith.
The Catholic faith is one in which we have obligations. From the simple commandant to love God and neighbor to more formal duties. We are to attend mass, live the sacramental life, follow Catholic moral teaching, and serve the poor and vulnerable through acts of charity and the acts of mercy. In that sense I think there is a predisposition for service.
Our faith is also one that is grounded in the notion of sacrifice of which Christ’s is the ultimate one. In the mass we experience the representation of that sacrifice. We have seasons like Lent where we are to practice sacrifices (granted on a relatively small scale). In that sense there can be a predisposition to make the ultimate sacrifice to save others. The words of Jesus says it all in John 15:13: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Never forget!
