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Ed
Humphrey was the featured speaker at the Milford High School
Memorial for September 11, 2006 at 7:15 AM at the flag pole in front
of the Milford High School. Following were his remarks:
Good
morning.
Do you
remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard of
the tragedy of 5 years ago? We all do.
Sept.
11, 2001 is forever etched in our conscience; the grief we all felt
for those who lost their lives, the sadness for the family members
who lost a father, mother, son, daughter or sibling; as well as the
following actions that took place involving the brave men and women
of our Armed Forces.
But
while many people on this day will merely reflect on the terrorist
act that sent two planes into a building in New York, one plane into
the Pentagon, and another into a field in Pennsylvania; I ask that
you focus your remembrance of this solemn occasion on what followed
shortly after, in the hours and days and weeks as our country came
to grips with the national tragedy.
President George Bush spoke just after the terrorist attacks and
said "adversity introduces us to ourselves.” And he was
right. Our fellow Americans were generous and kind, resourceful and
brave. We saw our national character in rescuers working past
exhaustion, in long lines of blood donors, in thousands of citizens
who asked to work and serve in any way possible.
Our
nation truly came together in the aftermath of Sept. 11 like no
other time in our history. We helped each other, we comforted each
other, we hugged each other, and we cried with each other.
We saw
compassionate acts inside the World Trade Center. One man who could
have saved himself stayed until the end at the side of his
quadriplegic friend. A beloved priest died giving the last rites to
a firefighter. Two office workers, finding a disabled stranger,
carried her down 68 floors to safety.
In
honor of those who died that day 5 years ago, we should pledge to
continue to serve our fellow man, to extend that offer of help, to
simply be kind to one another every moment of every day. We are
Americans, and that is what Americans do.
As the
Sept. 11 tragedy united us in sorrow; we should also allow it to
unite us in compassion and love for our fellow man. That would be
a fitting way to honor all of those who died.
God
Bless You and God Bless America.
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