It is still a time to remember. The years pass but the memory of the tragedy that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001 remains fresh in the minds and hearts of many in America. In that regard, the 4th Annual Peachtree City Patriot Day & Freedom Walk will be held on September 11 at Falcon Field.
Peachtree City Leisure Services Director Randy Gaddo said the community will again remember the lives of nearly 3,000 people killed on September 11, 2001, a day that is emblazoned in the minds of Americans and peace loving people around the world.
Gaddo said the Patriot Day event will be held at Atlanta Regional Airport, Falcon Field beginning at 9:30 a.m. with the “America Supports You Freedom Walk,” followed at 10 a.m. with a formal program. The public is invited to participate in the walk, which is less than one mile and all on airport grounds, he said.
Peachtree City’s 4th annual event will feature honors to the flag including the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance. A commemorative wreath will also be presented. The guest speaker will be Mr. Bob McCubbins, president of the General Raymond Davis chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association.
In fair weather the formal program will be held at the Veterans Memorial at Falcon Field, Gaddo said, adding that the proceedings will be held at the adjacent Commemorative Air Force hangar in the event of inclement weather.
Gaddo said that, “Nine years has not dimmed the horrific memories that the world witnessed on that day, when Islamic extremists used commercial aircraft as weapons of mass destruction in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, killing and injuring thousands. In order to ensure Remembrance of the lives tragically lost, Patriot Day was declared by Presidential proclamation to be a national day to remember those who died or were injured and their families.”
Gaddo noted that the U.S. House of Representatives Joint Resolution 71 was approved by a vote of 407-0 on October 25, 2001. It requested that the President designate September 11 of each year as “Patriot Day.” President George W. Bush signed the resolution into law on December 18, 2001 (as Public Law 107-89). Initially, the day was called the Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001. It was actually on September 4, 2002, that President Bush used his authority created by the resolution and proclaimed September 11, 2002 as Patriot Day, Gaddo said.
Commenting on the history of the Freedom Walk, Gaddo said it started as a commemorative effort by employees in the Pentagon to honor those who were killed there. From there it spread and has become a national tradition that calls on people to reflect on the lives lost on September 11, 2001, remember those who responded, honor our first responders and veterans past and present and renew our commitment to freedom and the values of our country.
For more information call 770-631-2542 or visit the city’s website at http://www.peachtree-city.org
