It was 23 years ago that the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil on September 11 took the lives of nearly 3,000 people.
A longstanding memorial at Monroe Community College in Brighton was the focal point for a ceremony on Wednesday.
The program to honor those who lost their lives has been going on nearly as long as the attacks themselves.
The 9/11 memorial at the MCC campus in Brighton was built the year after the attacks, in 2002. It was constructed so that at 8:45 a.m. every Sept. 11, the sun aligns with the monument, casting a shadow that bears a likeness to the Twin Towers that once stood in lower Manhattan.
Eric Wheeler is Assistant Director of Veterans Services at MCC, and he served 20 years in the military.
He took part in Wednesday’s ceremonies to make sure first responders, veterans and other citizens are top of mind for their service and sacrifice.
“And we want to make sure that in remembering them, we also remember their families, the Gold Star families, the parents, the siblings, the spouses and partners and the children of those who were lost on that day,” said Wheeler. “They gave the ultimate sacrifice. And today we remember them.”
A number of students were not even born when the 9/11 attacks happened, but MCC president DeAnna Burt-Nanna said the memorial service is still meaningful for them.
“They care, because the same things that we cared about at the time of that horrific crisis that we endured as a country are still things that we care about today that matter to students, about making sure that there's safety and protection for everyone, as well as doing what is right and honoring those that deserve to be honored in situations where they protect our country,” said Burt-Nanna.
Angelo Romero is president of the Student Government Association at MCC. He hopes the feeling of unity that many people talked about after the way America came together following the 2001 attacks can continue today.
“We saw the day after so many people came together, no matter (the) race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, everything,” said Romero. ”Everyone came together to mourn the loss that happened. I think that's important. Yes, there is a lot of polarization nowadays, but I still believe on this day that we can come together, united.”
