By Commissioner Melinda Kane, Gold Star Mother and liaison to the Office of Veterans Affairs
With each passing anniversary of September 11, 2001, the Board of Commissioners, the Office of Veterans Affairs, and our communities come together to honor those we lost and to thank the first responders who risked their lives to save others. Although serving veterans is something we at the county are committed to doing 365 days a year, it is on days like 9/11 that we especially rally around our veteran community to show our undying appreciation for their sacrifices.
It is hard to believe that 22 years have passed since that fateful day. A day that began so mundane and routine for so many of us. We were commuting to work, getting our kids off to school, enjoying the morning news with a cup of coffee when the world stood still and America as we knew it, changed forever.
The terrorist attacks on September 11 ultimately killed upwards of 3,000 people and ignited the War on Terror, that has been raging for nearly two decades.
To honor the lives that were lost and the heroes of that day, the county hosts two annual events: the 9/11 Heroes Run and the 9/11 Veteran and First Responder Medal Ceremony.
The 9/11 heroes run began in 2008 in Doylestown, PA in honor of First Lieutenant Travis Manion, who was killed in Iraq on April 29, 2007. The race has since grown to a worldwide event that welcomes runners and walkers of all levels and ages to honor and remember the sacrifices of the heroes of Sept. 11, 2001, and the wars since. Each event kicks off at 9:11 a.m. and participants in Camden County make their trek around the Cooper River each year.
This annual event takes place on or near Sept. 11 and allows the community to honor local veterans, their families, and first responders. Local volunteers organize the 9/11 Heroes Runs on behalf of the Travis Manion Foundation in more than 50 cities around the world.
The county’s 9/11 Medal Ceremony honors and celebrates both first responders and veterans for their tireless dedication, sacrifices, and commitment to serving our nation on September 11 and the War on Terror.
The following Camden County residents will be recognized:
Veterans
• David C. Dziengowski, Navy, Haddonfield
• Flor-Maria Grant, Air Force, Pennsauken
• Juan Acevedo, Jr., Army, Cherry Hill
1st Responders
• Kevin R. Kane, FBI Supervisory Special Agent, Cherry Hill
• Frederick J. Lang, Jr. Camden County Prosecutor’s Office / FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Cherry Hill
• William Finnegan, Camden County North Task Force EMS-Chief, Pennsauken
The events of September 11, 2001, and its impact on our nation will never be forgotten. The lives that were lost and irreparably damaged on that day are too numerous to count but the least we can do, is come together as a community and honor those who sacrificed their safety and sometimes, their lives, for our freedom.