Daily Independent - Gannettcdn.gatehousemedia.com/custom-systems/ghns/files/2016 Rememb… · fitting tribute to the 9/11 tragedy. "We honor those who were lost, but we also celebrate

2 ~ Remembering 9/11 Daily Independent

PublisherJohn Watkins

EditorJack Barnwell

Advertising DirectorPaula McKay

Advertising SalesRodney Preul

Robert Aslanian

WritersJessica Weston

Christopher LivingstonJack Barnwell

In this special edition, welook at the 15 years that

have passed since Septem-ber 11, 2001.

U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER'S MATE ERIC J. TILFORD (2001)Ground Zero, New York City, N.Y. (Sept. 17, 2001) -- An aerial view shows only a small portion of the crime scene where the WorldTrade Center collapsed following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. Surrounding buildings were heavily damaged by the debris and mas-sive force of the falling twin towers. Clean-up efforts are expected to continue for months.

EDITOR’S FOREWARD

It was a terrifying moment. Theearth stood still as first oneplane, and then a second crashed

into the Twin Towers above NewYork City’s skyline on that fatefulday.

Word came moments later that a thirdplane crashed into the Pentagon in Wash-ington, D.C. A fourth plane went downin the fields of Pennsylvania after a groupof heroic passengers attempted to takeback the plane from hijackers.

Reality began to sneak in, 15 years ago.The United States was under attack.

Fifteen years later, our nation is stillrecovering from the tragic events thatclaimed almost 3,000 lives. Many of thepeople we knew lost family members, orknew the first responders who died duringthe aftermath of the attack in their at-tempt to rescue survivors.

Now, as communities across Americarally to recognize the 15th anniversaryof 9/11, Ridgecrest prepares in its ownway. For several years, the Ridgecrest Ex-change Club has put on the Field of Re-membrance, where flags are placed atFreedom Park behind City Hall, 100 W.California Ave.

For nine years, the service organizationhas planned and beautifully executed theParade of 1,000 Flags, where a sea ofAmerican flags are carried by volunteersfrom all walks down our city's streets,and in partnership with the Sailors andservicemembers from Naval Air WeaponsStation China Lake.

Its grand marshal in 2015 was our ownCongressman, House Majority LeaderKevin McCarthy. This year, on Sept. 10,the Exchange Club selected Scott O'Neil,retired executive director of Naval AirWarfare Center Weapons Division at ChinaLake and Point Mugu.

People still remember where they were,remember the impact it had on the nation.Many residents shared their thoughts andare included as vignettes in this specialedition. Others reflect on where our nationhas gone, and remind us to be Americans.

Like the residents of our valley haveshown, we as a people rallied around theU.S. as it declared war on terrorism andsought to punish those responsible forplanning the terrorist attacks.

The world we knew is radically differentthan from the ones some of us grew up inbefore 9/11 occurred. We enhanced oursecurity, enacted laws that would both en-sure greater protection and create some

controversy. This country went to wartwice, against Afghanistan and the Talibanin 2001, and against Iraq in 2003.

Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qae-da, was finally killed after an exhaustivemanhunt in May 2011.

As the world shook and recovered fromthe tragic events, it rebuilt itself. The WorldTrade Center is being rebuilt, once againtransforming the New York skyline andfilling in the gaping hole that was createdby the terrorist attacks.

Here in the Indian Wells Valley, wehonor the military personnel who diedduring the war on terrorism that followed.Banners fly on our city's lamp posts withthe faces servicemembers who are nativesor have ties to the Indian Wells Valley.Our schools continue to build off educa-tional opportunities offered by NAWCWD.We continue to support our first responders,who spend every day watching and pro-tecting our community.

As we commence to remember on the15th Anniversary of 9/11, we at the DailyIndependent want to thank those whoserve, our first responders. We also willnever forget the tragic event that occurredon that day in 2001, or the fact that weemerged stronger than ever as a nationand as a community.

Daily Independent Remembering 9/11 ~ 3

BETH J. HARPAZ AP Travel Editor

NEW YORK (AP) — Fifteen years after theSept. 11th attacks, Lower Manhattan has beenreborn.

The revitalization of the city's downtown,powered by $30 billion in government andprivate investment, includes not just the re-construction of the World Trade Center site,but also two new malls filled with upscale re-tailers, thousands of new hotel rooms anddozens of eateries ranging from a new Eatalyto a French food hall, Le District.

The statistics alone are stunning. There are29 hotels in the neighborhood, compared tosix before 9/11. More than 60,000 people livedowntown, nearly triple the number in 2000.And last year, the area hosted a record 14million visitors, according to the Alliance forDowntown New York.

And while there's plenty to do downtownfor free, including seeing the 9/11 memorialpark, visitors have also shown a willingness topay relatively steep prices for certain attractions.The 9/11 museum, which charges $24, hasdrawn 6.67 million visitors since its May 2014opening. The observatory atop One WorldTrade Center, which charges $34, has drawn 3million people in the 15 months since it opened.In comparison, the Statue of Liberty gets about4 million visitors a year.

"I don't think anyone would have expectedthat we would have rebounded so robustly, soquickly," said Jessica Lappin, president of theAlliance for Downtown New York. "There'sthe physical transformation at the site itself,but there's also the neighborhood. There's anenergy here. People could have given up after9/11 and nobody would have blamed them.Instead there has been a tenacity, a dedicationthat is inspiring."

The Alliance for Downtown New York wasfounded before 9/11, in 1995, when the "neigh-borhood was on its heels," Lappin recalled."The vacancy rate was going through the roof."At the time, downtown was a strictly 9-to-5area, keyed to the workday rhythms of WallStreet and City Hall, deserted at night and onweekends. Revitalization efforts were just gettingunderway "when 9/11 hit and changed every-thing."

But as government funding for disaster re-covery began to pour in, private investmentfollowed, spurring a massive rebuilding thatcontinues to this day. For blocks surroundingOne World Trade, half-built towers and cranesstill clutter the sky, barricades and scaffoldingline the streets, and the whine and clatter ofjackhammers fill the air. Construction workersin hardhats are as ubiquitous as tourists. Therecession hampered efforts to bring businessesback, but Lappin says private sector employment— 266,000 workers — is finally nearing pre-9/11 numbers. Conde Nast and Time Inc. have

relocated downtown. Group M, one of theworld's biggest advertising firms, will moveinto Three World Trade Center when it's com-plete.

So far, three towers have been built withplans for more.

The neighborhood is also becoming a shop-ping destination. Brookfield Place opened lastyear with luxury retailers like Gucci and Dianevon Furstenberg. It also houses Le District, aFrench food hall with a creperie, cafe, bar andmore, as well as Hudson Eats, with outposts ofpopular local eateries like Mighty Quinn's BBQand Num Pang's Cambodian sandwiches.

A second shopping center, Westfield, openedin August inside the Oculus, a striking whitestructure designed by famed architect SantiagoCalatrava. The curves of the Oculus' two ribbedwings are silhouetted by One World Traderising behind it. Inside the Oculus, retailersrange from Apple to Kate Spade to The Art ofShaving. The complex connects to Four WorldTrade, where the new Eataly NYC Downtownoffers a bounty of bread, cheese, coffee, produce,pasta and more. Below ground a massive transitcenter houses subways and a New Jersey PATHtrain station.

Elsewhere in Lower Manhattan, a Tom Col-icchio restaurant is planned for the just-openedBeekman Hotel; the soon-to-open Four Seasonshotel will host a Wolfgang Puck restaurant,and the storied Nobu restaurant will movedowntown from Tribeca. Other downtown at-tractions include Alexander Hamilton's tombin the graveyard of Trinity Church, the NationalMuseum of the American Indian and the Sea-Glass Carousel, which opened last year nearwhere boats leave for the Statue of Liberty andEllis Island.

But near the top of many visitors' New Yorkitineraries these days is a pilgrimage to theplace where planes turned the twin towersinto smoking piles of twisted steel and rubble.The tranquil park formally known as the Na-tional September 11 Memorial features tree-lined walkways and reflecting pools in the foot-prints of the twin towers. Bronze parapetsaround the pools bear the names of the nearly3,000 dead.

On Monday, park visitors included threesiblings from Barcelona, Arantxa, Meus andPau Saloni, on their first trip to New York. "It'sreally sad to see all the names, but it's nice toremember them," said Meus.

Also visiting Monday were Su-Ting Fu andhis family, in town from suburban Westchester."We lived in New York City when 9/11 hap-pened," he said. "But we hadn't come to seethis until today. It's nice to see everythingthey've done to memorialize it, but I also lovethe greenery, and how it feels very much like aliving type of memorial."

Lappin said the neighborhood's rebirth is afitting tribute to the 9/11 tragedy. "We honorthose who were lost, but we also celebrate lifeand move forward."

In this Aug. 19, 2016 photo, the lower Manhattan skyline, including One World TradeCenter and the Brooklyn Bridge, are shown in New York. Construction cranes continueworking on top of 3 World Trade Center. Fifteen years after the Sept. 11th attacks,downtown New York has been reborn, not just with the construction of One WorldTrade, but with a host of attractions both somber and vibrant, including the 9/11 Me-morial and Museum, two retail malls, new hotels and restaurants. (AP Photo/MarkLennihan)

In this May 15, 2014, file photo, patrons visit the pools at The 9/11 Memorial near theWorld Trade Center in New York. Fifteen years after the Sept. 11th attacks, downtownNew York has been reborn, not just with the construction of One World Trade, but witha host of attractions both somber and vibrant, including the 9/11 Memorial and Mu-seum, two retail malls, new hotels and restaurants. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

NATIONAL

The new downtown: Lower Manhattan reborn 15 years after 9/11

IN MEMORY OFTHOSE WE LOST

IN HONOR OF THOSEWHO HAVE REMINDED US

WHAT IT MEANS TO BEAMERICANS

9/11We Remember

“Let it be told to the futureworld, (that) when nothing buthope and virtue could survive,the city and the country, alarmedat one common danger, cameforth to meet and to repulse it.Say not that thousands are gone,turn out your tens of thousands;throw not the burden of the dayupon Providence, but ‘show yourfaith by your works,” that Godmay bless you.”

– Thomas Paine

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HONORING ANDTHANKINGALL WHO

HAVE SERVED

Today is the 15th Anniversary of 9-11,the words 9-11 mean something to all ofus, and in the years since, for the youngerpeople in our community, it may havebecome not a distant memory but a his-torical fact.

We are different in the Indian WellsValley, many find it not a memory but afact of our lives. It is a time to honorthose who by job, tourism or whateverreason were caught up this horrifictragedy.

For those who were there by happen-stance, we mourn your loss. Our gratitudeand thanks also belong to the first re-sponders who by choice offered their serv-ices and their lives to save others, rescuethe living and recover the deceased

In the Indian Wells Valley, it is personalto us. Many organizations, volunteers,non-profits, individuals, schools and gov-ernmental entities all make it possible -the Parade of 1000 Flags, the VeteranStand Down, the Military Banners Pro-gram, Remembering Our Fallen Heroes,all the Veterans’ Service Organizationsand so many, many more.

We raise our families up with pride inour Country, our Military and our Com-

munity - that is who we are. Are we allthe same? That is Freedom. To be different,yet respectful. Call it freedom. It may beliberty. It is what this nation was foundedupon. It’s what has defined us as Ameri-cans. It’s what almost everyone yearnsfor. It makes life worth living, whichmeans it’s worth fighting, protecting anddying for.

Fighting and protecting - that is whatour Military does everyday! That is whatour Police and Fire Fighters - all FirstResponders do everyday.

Our flag is that symbol - we will carryit with pride in the parade - our symbolof whom we all are - Together!

Peggy Breeden is the Mayor of the Cityof Ridgecrest.

Message from the Mayor: TheIWV Remembers

PEGGY BREEDEN

Honoring OurFirst Respondersand TheCommunityServiceMembersThat MadeOurCountyGreat


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9/11/2001Never Forget

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The Daily Independent sat down with Ridge-crest Chief of Police Ron Strand recently todiscuss the effect 9/11 and terrorism have hadon law enforcement at the city level.

Q: Are we more or less safe than we were15 years ago?

A: From a local perspective I think peopleare aware of terrorism than they were 15 yearsago. I think it's closer to home, also because ofrecent incidents we have had in our owncountry in Florida and San Bernardino.

The proximity of Ridgecrest to NAWC andNAWS at China Lake brings its own set ofbenefits and challenges.

The big thing is that a big percentage of ourpopulation works on the base, the warfightersupporting the defense effort. In some senseswe are a little more vigilant than other com-munities, but I also think because we do havea very safe community that's not always the

thing that is on the forefront of our mind whenit comes to home.

Q: Has local awareness of terrorism in-creased since 9/11?

A: I think security tightened up on the baseconsiderably. But as for the community, althoughwe're mindful of it, I still think we're stillhandling the same things we were 15 yearsago, and that is managing the crime withinour community.

Q: How has public safety changed? Doyou do things differently as a result of9/11?

A: At the street level? Probably not. But Ithink there's more communication betweenfederal, state and local governments than therewas before. I think there's a little bit moresharing of information.

Q: Does RPD have any safety advice forthe upcoming 9/11 anniversary?

A: It is usually the federal government thatcomes out with that advice.

Q: What about the upcoming Parade of1,000 Flags? Do you handle security justlike that is a normal event?

A: Obviously, we always have a large amountof public safety present because they [paradeparticipants] are on the roadway and we areclosing down the roadway. There will be a sub-stantial law enforcement presence there any-way.

Q: Do we believe that that would be thethreat of a terrorist attack? The likeli-

hood is no.A: We do have a significant number of officers

there because of the fact that we are providingtraffic control at the time, [but] there is nothingthat we have been told to indicate this is goingto create any sort of significant event.

Q: Should people report suspicious activ-ity they observe?

Law Enforcement in the post 9/11era. How have things changed?

LAW ENFORCEMENT

BY JESSICA WESTONCITY EDITOR

[email protected]

SEE PUBLIC SAFETY, PAGE 7


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Rememberingthose who gaveall for others

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9-11Honoring our defenders,

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A: Yes, they should always report suspiciousactivity and let us address it. If it is within thecity of Ridgecrest they should tell us. If it is onthe base they should tell China Lake PD orNCIS. If it's in the county, call the sheriff 's de-partment. Give us a call, let us check it out. Alot of times it turns out to be nothing but inthat rare case it may turn out to be somethingsignificant then we can at least address it.

The 911 emergency line should only be usedfor actual emergencies. For suspicious behaviorthat seems less urgent, people should call thepolice business number at 760-499-5000.

If it's not an emergency dial the businessline; if its something that you just have a hunchor this just doesn't look right but its not athreat. You will get the police department in atimely manner, but we try to discourage 911except for true emergencies.

Q: God forbid, but what do you advise forpeople who encounter an active shootersituation?

A: Three things, you either shelter in place,flee or in some cases you fight. It just depends.They have found that if you have somebody ina room with several people, sometimes if youhave to, if there's enough people you canactually attack or disarm or overwhelm theperson.

They talk about throwing objects, books,cups, whatever, just to get them off guard sopeople can escape or have the opportunity toattack them and get them to the ground. Youhave to make that decision.

If you are in a room that can be secured andthere is someone shooting in the hallway, staywhere you are and secure the room. If youhave to fight to defend your life then fight todefend your life.

Q: Would the armored vehicle come intoplay if there was a terrorist situation lo-cally?

A: Sure.

Q: How is RPD equipped to deal withsuch situations?

A: We train in active shooter situations threeor four times a year. That is part of our trainingregimen.

Strand said RPD also assists with activeshooter training at CCCC, BHS and local banks.

Q: In general, what advice do you havefor people concerned about public safetypost-9/11?

A: We always need to be reminded that weneed to be vigilant. But we also need to be re-minded that our country is made up of avariety of different people that have differentbackgrounds, different religions, and we stillneed to be mindful that we need to be respectfulof that also.

PUBLIC SAFETYContinued from Page 6

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/PUBLIC USEA New York City Police officer gathers gear from a vehicle in the aftermath of theSept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

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REMEMBERINGTHOSE WHO WERE LOST

HONORINGTHE BRAVE MEN AND

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As I reflect 15 years after one ofthe days in history that will beinstilled in my mind forever I

must say I feel incredible sadness. My sadness is not so much for those

we lost, we have had plenty of time tohonor, grieve and recognize their sac-rifices.

My sadness is for those of us who re-main; literally moments after we real-ized as a nation we were attacked wecame together like no other period inmy lifetime.

We were not black, white, brown,Hispanic, Asian, Muslim we were simplyAmericans united to serve one anotherand reevaluate what was great aboutthis nation.

In the time since others have triedwith every ounce of their being to san-itize what happened and erase our mem-ories but even worse destroy our unity.Many think that was the original goalbut in a true American miracle the op-posite happened, WE UNITED!

Unfortunately the attacks since thenhave far outweighed the damage of thatday, we as a nation have never been

more apart. We have turned againsteach other, courage has become com-promise, strength has become aggres-sion and prudence has become racist.

Fifteen years ago we were one, todaywe are many seeking only individualagenda's, tradition and history bedamned and honest evaluation discred-ited.

To quote Edwin Burke “the only thingnecessary for the triumph of evil is forgood men to do nothing.”

God Bless America!Chip Holloway is a past city coun-

cilmember and mayor of the city ofRidgecrest.

CHIP HOLLOWAY

Chip Holloway: A reflectiveanalysis on what happened

723 N. China Lake Blvd., Ridgecrest760-371-9868

A Special Thanksto All of our

First Responders&

Their Families

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

September 11, 2001

The day that changed us forever.

DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOA firefighter performs the “Last Bell” ceremony during the Sept. 11, 2012 candlelightvigil at Freedom Park.


It’s not often a piece of metal can bring aperson to tears. But some objects hold morememory than others. At the Bakersfield9/11 Memorial, there is a six and a half tonsteel girder. Dusted with rust and packedwith chunks of concrete, this piece of metaland rock was part of the twin towers. It fellto the ground that day 15 years ago andnow stands as a testament to those we lostand a symbol of our country’s resolve.

In 15 years, our country has gottenstronger and our vision has become clearer.There is evil in the world. There are peoplewho cannot accept the peaceful lives of in-nocents. America wants peace. We alwayshave and always will because we recognizethe terrors of war. But we have never andwill never choose peace at the expense offreedom because peace without freedom ismeaningless.

Unfortunately, the evil of terrorism hasdeep roots. Despite great efforts and sacri-fices from our service-members their fam-ilies, and our nation as a whole, the fightcontinues. But when we think back on 9/11,when we see the debris, when we rememberthe names and faces of those we lost, and

when we lookup at newtowers risingin honor ofthe fallen, weknow thatAmerica isstrong, ourvalues areworth fight-ing for, and

we will never give in to fear or terror.Radical Islamic terrorists declared war

on us 15 years ago. They continue to perse-cute that war against us and against otherpeace-loving people across the world. 9/11should serve always as a remembrance ofour fellow Americans and first respondersthat tragically lost their lives that day, andalso a clarion call that our nation must al-ways remain vigilant in defending ourselves,our families, and our homeland so that thisevil fails in visiting our shores again.

Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-Bak-ersfield) represents California’s 23rd Con-gressional District and is House MajoirtyLeader.

KEVIN MCCARTHY

Never Forget

Senator Fuller Honors Heroes and Remembers Victims of the September

11th Terror AttacksSACRAMENTO – Senator Jean Fuller (R-

Bakersfield) released the following statementon the 15th anniversary of the September11th terror attacks:

“Fifteen years ago, we woke up to a night-mare. Terrorists attacked U.S. soil and left atrail of devastation -- including the deathsof nearly 3,000 people.

“The terrorist attacks shook the UnitedStates while also hitting home for me inKern County.

“At the time, I was superintendent of oneof the largest K-8 school districts in California.Once I heard about the horrific attacks, Iwas stunned.

“My mind was consumed with thoughtsabout my 30,000 students and their safety.What if there were similar attacks nearby? Iflew into action and started my safety planfor my students and staff. But even in thebusyness, my heart ached for the brave firstresponders risking their lives and the victimsof those impacted by the acts of terrorism.

“As we commemorate the 15th anniversaryof September 11th, we continue to pray forthose whose lives were lost and for theirfamilies.

“We will never forget where we were on

that day: thehorrific im-ages of theWorld TradeCenter andPe n t a g o n ,first respon-ders’ sacri-fices, peoplesearching forloved ones,

and the bravery of passengers on UnitedAirlines Flight 93.

“America will continue to honor the sacri-fices of our heroes, continue to heal, andcontinue to fight for our freedom and safety.

“We ask God to guide our nation in ourcontinuing fight against terrorism and toprotect the military men and women, lawenforcement officers, and first responderswho serve as our vanguards in defendingour country.”

Sen. Jean Fuller (R - Bakersfield) representsCalifornia’s 16th state senate district and issenate Republican leader. A video of this ad-dress can be found on the Daily Independent’sFacebook page, www.facebook.com/thedai-lyindependent.

JEAN FULLER

Assemblywoman Shannon Groveremembers 9/11

We must fight backin the war on terror

It is hard to believe it has been 15 yearssince the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Many of ushave vivid memories of that day; where wewere; when we first found out; and how wereacted when we heard and watched thecowardly acts of evil. The events of September11, 2001 changed our country and the livesof millions. Parents, spouses, and childrenof the victims had to carry on without theirloved ones. The wounded had to gather thestrength to rebuild their lives with the helpof their communities. But for many youngmen and women, the events of 9/11 motivatedthem to act on their love of country andtheir sense of justice by joining the military.

9/11 woke up a generation of Americansto the reality of evil, just like the actions ofthe murderous tyrants of World War II wokeup our grandparents’ generation. They re-alized that real love of country is more thana feeling; it’s an emotion that motivatespeople to stand and defend that which theylove. Remembering 9/11 reminds us thatevil must be faced soberly, with courageousactions, and with moral confidence. To ac-

commodateor ignore peo-ple who com-mit horrificacts of butch-ery will onlystrengthentheir power.

Let’s usethe 15th an-niversary to

recommit ourselves to support our men andwomen in uniform who defend us from Is-lamic terrorists and tyranny around theworld. Let’s also recommit ourselves to stand-ing up for justice, for goodness, and for pro-tecting the defenseless. And let’s devote our-selves to serving our neighbors, caring forour community, and adhering to our nationalmotto: In God We Trust.

Assemblywoman Shannon Grove repre-sents the citizens of California’s 34th As-sembly District, covering a majority of KernCounty.

SHANNON GROVE

Fifteen years ago, our country was shak-en by the worst terror attack in our nation’shistory. We will never forget the lives lostat the World Trade Center, the Pentagon,and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

We can all remember where we werewhen we first heard the news, who wecalled and the emotions that we werefeeling. I had been in New York City theweekend before and could not believe myeyes as I watched in horror the imageson television.

It was a stark reminder of the evil thatexists in the world. But in the midst ofour country’s darkest time, we witnessedacts of heroism from first responders,neighbors and friends as they joined to-gether to help one another. We wereunited on the values that we in KernCounty are so familiar with – faith, familyand patriotism.

Our men and women in our ArmedForces answered the call to defend ourfreedoms. Words cannot express howgrateful we are to those who serve atChina Lake and military installations

around theworld to pro-tect us fromthe dangersin our world.Still today,the dangersof terrorismare all tooreal and wecontinue to

keep our military personnel and theirfamilies in our thoughts and prayers.

So on this September 11, while remem-bering those who lost their lives on thattragic day, let us reflect on the need touphold the values we treasure as a countryand defend the rights we cherish.

We will never forget what happenedon September 11 and let us rememberthat we as Americans will always rise tothe occasion. Together, as a county and acountry, we are strong and resilient.

Vince Fong is a candidate for the 34thAssembly District.

VINCE FONG

MESSAGES FROM OUR LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEADERS


Every generation has their “I remember theexact moment” events: the shot heard 'roundthe world, the firing on Fort Sumter, PearlHarbor, Kennedy's assassination. I didn’t un-derstand the unifying power of moments likethat until the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

The day started beautifully here in ChinaLake. I was the senior military deputy at theF/A-18 Advanced Weapons Laboratory, as-signed to the newly created VX-31 Dust Devils.I was flying at night that week, so I wasn’t atwork that morning. I got up early and tookmy kids and our new puppy out for some ex-ercise before school. After I dropped the boysat school, I headed back to change for work.There was a long line at the gate, and as I ap-proached, I could see employees being turnedaway; the base was closing down.

I hadn’t been listening to the radio, so Ihadn't heard the news.

I was able to get through the gate, and athome my wife Debbi and I watched the secondtower fall. I knew then that we would begoing to war, and as a Hornet pilot, I hoped Iwould be able to be there to help. I knewNAWCWD would soon be even more rele-vant.

I was called in to discuss what we could do;all the military units in the U.S. were. Itturned out we had weapons that were needed,and we had fighters. We discussed launchingin case the attacks continued and there was awest coast element to the terrorist cell, but thesituation was cloudy, to put it mildly. In theend, we took weapons to another unit, onethat was more suited to homeland defense.Then we got our teams together and looked atwhat we do best: rushing new capability toNavy and Marine aviators. We knew theywould be called upon soon.

As it turnedout, now-re-tired RearAdm. Jeff'Zoil' Penfield,a two-timeChina Laker,would leadsome of thefirst strikes.Naval Avia-

tion would make long range strikes intoAfghanistan, a place we never expected tostrike. It’s land-locked and until then not areal threat to the U.S.

My next set of orders made me the executiveofficer, then the commanding officer, of theGolden Dragons of VFA-192 in the USS KittyHawk. After I arrived, the Dragons weretasked with providing strike power and closeair support as Operation Iraqi Freedomlaunched.

The Sept. 11 attacks ignited 15 years of con-stant war that continues today. I am proud tohave been able to contribute both in operationalunits and as part of the Naval Air SystemsCommand.

Our task today remains the same: deliveraffordable, interoperable combat capabilitythat gives our military men and women anunfair advantage. Naval Aviation is even morerelevant today than we were in September2011, but we aren’t resting on our laurels. Wecan’t. Our potential adversaries are gainingon us, and we need to up our game. I couldn'task for a better team to do it than the folkshere at NAWCWD.

Rear Adm. Brian Corey is commander,Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division,China Lake and Point Mugu.

Most of us remember where we wereand what we were doing on Sept. 11,2001, when the terrifying images beganto emerge on our TV screens. It was anevent that seared itself into the nationalconscience. What struck me in the daysand weeks that followed, however, insharp contrast to the unimaginable actsof evil, was the humanity it revealed inthe American people.

This nation rallied together in our timeof need and uncertainty. It was such apowerful example of just how great thiscountry is. Where we called home, orwhat we did for a living did not distinguishus. We all called ourselves Americans.

Fifteen years later, our men and womenin the military remain deployed aroundthe world, engaging our adversaries, pro-tecting our allies, and sacrificing everyday to ensure that you and I continue toenjoy the freedoms that are foundationalto our American way of life. There arealso those who serve closer to home,keeping our neighborhoods, communities,and borders safe. National Guard, firefighters, law enforcement officials, andother first responders who were so centralto our nation’s response during and afterthe Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, continue toput their lives on the line every day toprotect and preserve our way of life.They, too, sacrifice for our national ideals,and so it is important to honor and givegratitude to all those who wear the uni-form, serving our communities and ourcountry, both at home and abroad.

Although we will never forget the eventsof Sept. 11, 2001, we must also consider

that thoseattacks didnot weakenus as a coun-try. Instead,they evokeda strong andresoundingresponse ofu n i t y ,s t r e n g t h ,

and resolve. America showed its best,its true colors, its resiliency. Perhapswe best honor those who have served,those who are serving, and those whohave fallen, by thinking and acting as wedid in those days and weeks after Sept.11.

Joan Johnson is executive director ofNaval Air Warfare Center Weapons Di-vision, China Lake and Point Mugu.

MESSAGES FROM OUR LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEADERS

Like most Americans, I will never forgetwhere I was that morning. I had just finisheda briefing in Maryland and was getting readyto drive to Washington, DC when I heard thenews. And, like most Americans, I was shocked,saddened, and angered all at once. I didn’ttruly appreciate the full impact of the event,but in the days and weeks that followed andas more information became available, it be-came obvious that a new world threat hademerged and life would never be the same.

Without question, that morning was a defin-ing moment for our nation. We were defined,not by the tragedy, but by our response. Ourcountry pulled together in a way that couldnot be understood by those who would commitsuch a terrible act. When the terrorists boardedthose planes, they decided to take the lives oftheir fellow man for no other reason than thefact that they were different. We are a peoplethat believe in tolerance, in compassion, and

in self-determination, and the evil and hatredwithin their hearts could not tolerate it.

What they failed to understand is thatAmerica is built upon an appreciation for thedifferences that we all share as Americans.We respect each other’s differences, we actuallycelebrate our diversity! There are countlesscultures, religions, and ideologies throughoutour country. The members of these groupslive together, work together, and help one an-other because though we have our differences,we have far more similarities. We have com-passion for one another. We hold the beliefthat we can learn from new ideas. Those thathated us for our differences could not haveunderstood the way every man, woman, andchild would pull together in support of oneanother, regardless of race, gender, or ideology.They could not understand the heroism ofour first responders, many who laid downtheir lives for complete strangers without hes-

itation. Theycould not un-derstand theway our com-m u n i t i e swould selfless-ly pull togeth-er in supportof one anoth-er. But wedid…. and that

was the defining moment for America.Winston Churchill once said, “You have en-

emies? Good, that means you've stood up forsomething, sometime in your life.” That maybe truer here in the United States than any-where else. America has its share of enemieswithout a doubt, maybe more than most othercountries in the world. But I truly believe thatthe reason is because America, more thanmost countries in the world, has stood forsomething then and still does. America standsfor the principles of freedom, liberty and un-leashed human potential like no other nation

before or since its founding. That is part ofthe reason I have attempted to do my part toserve this Country. From serving in the UnitedStates Navy to my present role as a KernCounty Supervisor, I believe that our Nationand our principles are worth defending.

It has been mentioned that this year is thefirst year that incoming high school freshmanwill learn about this tragedy as a historicalevent that has occurred before they were born.For this reason and many more, it is moreimportant than ever to remember the eventsof that day, and to recommit ourselves tothose principles that we proudly uphold, re-gardless of who would try to tear us down forit. Let them learn that we are diverse andproud of it.

We are more than our differences, we areAmericans.

Mick Gleason is Chairman of the KernCounty Board of Supervisors, representingRidgecrest and the First District. He is Captain,U.S. Navy (retired) and past CommandingOfficer, Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake.

What 9/11 Means to Me

15 years later

MICK GLEASON

BRIAN COREYJOAN JOHNSON

Corey remembers 9/11


The anniversary of 9/11, also known asPatriot Day falls on a Sunday this year, butthat won't stop some local schools fromhaving some sort of remembrance of thedate.

Every year the Ridgecrest Charter School'sPTO sponsors a “Hero's Day” to celebrate allfirst responders in honor of their service inremembrance of 9/11. This year the eventwill be on Friday Sept. 9 at 8:30 a.m. (Theschool also takes part in the Parade of 1,000flags.)

“We've invited local police, firefighters,paramedics and they will be doing a demon-stration for children with police cars, firetrucksand ambulances,” said Charter School Asst.Director Miriam Hogg.

“They will get explanation in their class-rooms and then they'll learn more with thedemonstrations with the officials that willbe here.”

The event is serious as befits the occasion,but the kids can also have fun. “It helped myson learn not to be scared of the police andfire departments. They get to see what they

do,” said Charter School PTO secretary Jen-nifer Leonard. “It builds friendship betweenthem.”

The whole thing wraps up with a luncheon,during which kids get to chat with the firstresponders.

“We're really looking forward to honoringall those who serve,” Hogg said. “Especiallybeing in a military town, our kids look forwardto any opportunity that they can supportand honor military families.”

Immanuel Christian School marches as aschool in the Parade of 1,000 Flags. “I thinkso far we have 30 signed up,” said principalLisa Waddill. “We do it each year, prettymuch since the beginning.”

Understanding of the significance of theevent varies by age range, she said. “Foryounger ones right now, we are just givingthem the opportunity to celebrate and honorour veterans.

“We look at it from the aspect of teachingthem citizenship. One of our pillars at theschool is citizenship and that ties in.”

Those too young to understand the signif-icance of the 9/11 terrorist attacks are taughtthe significance of the American flag. “It rep-

IWV Schools commemorate September 11SCHOOLS

BY JESSICA WESTONCITY EDITOR

[email protected]

COURTESY PHOTOInyokern Elementary students pledge alligience on Sept. 11, 2015.

SEE SCHOOLS, 13


PROUDLY HONORING THOSE THAT GAVEALL AND THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO SERVE

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THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TOPROTECT OUR GREAT NATION

resents our country our country and theyare showing pride in our country and thosethat serve and protect.”

Faller Elementary School celebrates “Pa-triot's Day” every year, according to principalMelissa Christman.

Students are encouraged to wear red, whiteand blue that day, they stand during the na-tional anthem and school lessons reflect theimportance of the event. Christman said eventhe younger students can tell something sig-nificant is gong on. “I think when the studentssee each other dressed in red, white, andblue it signifies to them that it is an importantday,” she said.

The school also always has a group of par-ents and students.participate in the Paradeof 1,000 Flags she said.

Inyokern Elementary School marks theoccasion with a Flag Ceremony every year.This year it will be on Sep. 9 at 8:30 a.m., ac-cording to principal Beverly Ewbank.

“The idea is to help the students appreciatethe sacrifice of the first responders who stoodin the gap when others fled,” Ewbank said.

Murray Middle School will also have aceremony on their front lawn Sep. 9 at 7:30a.m., according to principal Kirsti Smith.Smith said as the only school located on the

Navy base, Murray is particularly interestedin honoring the contributions of our armedforces.

Smith said there is a “brief ceremony, flagsalute, national anthem sung by our choirand played by our band.” She said the studentswould be told a “little story” explaining thesignificance.

“None of my kids were born when thishappened, but we do still think it's importantsince we are on the base,” she said.

Gateway Elementary will be recognizingPatriot Day after the fact, according to prin-cipal Lisa Decker.

“We are going to actually have an observa-tion of that on Sept. 12,” she said. Studentsare encouraged to wear red, white and blueand the day starts off at the school flag polewith a poem commemorating the day. “Wekind of kick off our day doing that.”

The event will also be commemorated dur-ing an awards assembly later in the day. Theschool always has a group participating inthe Parade of 1,000 Flags every year, shesaid.

Like others she said care is taken with dis-cussing the topic with the younger students.

“They weren't born yet,” she said. “We haveto be careful what we talk about, we talkabout what a patriot is.”

Some students have some awareness ofthe historic significance of the date. “Noneof them were alive yet, but they might havesiblings or parents that remember.”

SCHOOLSContinued from

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN SCHOOLStudents from Immanuel Christian School participate in the 2015 Parade of 1,000Flags.


In Honor and in Memory of all First Responders, Military & Veterans.

You Make Our Country Great.Thank You for Your Service and Your Sacrifice.

God Bless You and Your Families.

DON CORTICHIATOPRESIDENT,BOARD of DIRECTORSIWV WATER DISTRICT

In Honor and in Memory of all First Responders, Military & Veterans.

You Make Our Country Great.Thank You for Your Service and Your Sacrifice.

God Bless You and Your Families.

Honoring those who gavetheir life so others may live in

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I was living in Fullerton on September11, 2001. I was planning a wedding andmy fiance was a new high school teacher.

He woke me up with a phone call earlythat morning. The only phone was a land-line, so as I stumbled to answer it all Icould think was his car had broken downor there was some sort of personal emer-gency. So when he told me it was aboutsomething on TV, I was relieved.

“No, go turn it on,” he said. “Someoneflew an airplane into the World TradeCenter.”

I was not used to getting up so earlyand I just wanted to hang up and go backto bed. “People are jumping out of thebuilding,” he said.

That got my attention. I turned on theTV just in time to see the towers col-lapse.

My first reaction was to realize howmuch growing up in China Lake andRidgecrest has shaped me. I have workedwith people who worked in the Pentagonand I could imagine their shock and hor-ror. Maybe someone they knew was in-volved. How scared everyone must be.

I kept thinking about my parents inRidgecrest and the people on the base. I

called mydad and hesaid mymom could-n't talk, shewas gettingready to takea flight outof Inyokernon businesstravel.

“No, she'snot,” I said. My dad didn't believe methat I could possibly know such a thing.They had not turned the TV on.

I wrote a long entry in my diary, talkedto my fiance and my sister and watchedTV all day. I felt my patriotic lineage andfamily background of civil service andwas very proud of my parents for whatthey had chosen to dedicate their livesto.

I kind of expected people in OrangeCounty to have a lesser reaction to theevent, but honestly they seemed just asupset as people here. It was a hot dayand every door in the apartment complexwas open, with the news blaring. I re-member people hugging each other for

no reason.Down the hall lived a young kid named

Amir, who resembled someone from oneof the countries that some people lookeddown on in the immediate wake of theattacks. Our landlord was a paternal sortand held a vigil that Friday for all the

residents. When we stood in a semi-circlethat night holding candles, little Amirwas first in line.

I remember that most of all.Jessica Weston is the city editor for the

Daily Independent. She can be reachedat [email protected]

JESSICA WESTON

What I remember: The day it happened

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOThe Ridgecrest Exchange Club marches in the 2015 Parade of 1,000 Flags.


NATIONAL

BY JENNIFER PELTZAssociated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — For a time, it felt likethe attack that shattered America had alsobrought it together.

After Sept. 11, signs of newfound unityseemed to well up everywhere, from thehomes where American flags appeared vir-tually overnight to the Capitol steps wherelawmakers pushed aside party lines to sing"God Bless America" together.

That cohesion feels vanishingly distant asthe 15th anniversary of the attacks arrivesSunday. Gallup's 15-year-old poll of Americans'national pride hit its lowest-ever point thisyear. In a country that now seems carved upby door-slamming disputes over race, immi-gration, national security, policing and politics,people impelled by the spirit of commonpurpose after Sept. 11 rue how much it hasslipped away.

Jon Hile figured he could help the groundzero cleanup because he worked in industrialair pollution control. So he traveled fromLouisville, Kentucky, to volunteer, and it isnot exaggerating to say the experience changedhis life. He came home and became a fire-fighter.

Hile, who now runs a risk managementfirm, remembers it as a time of communalkindness, when "everybody understood howquickly things could change ... and howquickly you could feel vulnerable."

A decade and a half later, he sees a nationwhere economic stress has pushed manypeople to look out for themselves. Wherepeople stick to their comfort zones.

"I wish that we truly remembered," hesays, "like we said we'd never forget."

___Terrorism barely registered among Amer-

icans' top worries in early September 2001,but amid economic concerns, a Gallup pollaround then found only 43 percent of Amer-icans were satisfied with how things weregoing.

Then, in under two hours on Sept. 11, thenation lost nearly 3,000 people, two of itstallest buildings and its sense of impregnability.But out of the shock, fear and sorrow rose afeeling of regaining some things, too — ashared identity, a heartfelt commitment tothe nation indivisible.

Stores ran out of flags. Americans fromcoast to coast cupped candle flames andprayed at vigils, gave blood and billions ofdollars, cheered firefighters and police. Militaryrecruits cited the attacks as they signed up.

Congress scrubbed partisanship to pass a$40 billion anti-terrorism and victim aidmeasure three days after the attacks, andapproval ratings for lawmakers and the pres-ident sped to historic highs. A special postagestamp declared "United We Stand," and

Americans agreed: A Newsweek poll found79 percent felt 9/11 would make the countrystronger and more unified.

"I really saw people stand up for America.... And I was very proud of that," recallsMaria Medrano-Nehls, a retired state libraryagency worker in Lincoln, Nebraska. Herfoster daughter and niece, Army NationalGuard Master Sgt. Linda Tarango-Griess,was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in2004.

Now, Medrano-Nehls thinks wearinessfrom the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan andcombative politics have pried Americansapart, and it pains her to think of the militaryserving a country so torn.

Larry Brook can still picture the crowd ata post-9/11 interfaith vigil at an amphitheaterin Pelham, Alabama. The numbers seemeda tangible measure of an urge to come to-gether.

Now? "I don't think we're anywhere close,"says Brook, who publishes Southern JewishLife magazine. To him, political partisanshipand clashes over Middle East policy arewalling off middle ground.

Three days after 9/11, Joseph Espositowas at smoldering ground zero as RepublicanPresident George W. Bush grabbed a bullhornand vowed the attackers "will hear all of ussoon." The moment became an emblem ofAmerican strength and resolve, and Esposito,then the New York Police Department's topuniformed officer, was struck by "the cama-raderie, the unity" of those days.

He remembers the support police enjoyed

then, and how much the tone had changedby the time of the Occupy Wall Street protestsin 2011, when police arrested hundreds ofdemonstrators, many of whom said copsunjustly rounded and roughed them up.Now the city's emergency management com-missioner, Esposito has watched from thesidelines as a national protest movementhas erupted in recent years from policekillings of unarmed black men, and as policethemselves have been killed by gunmenclaiming vengeance.

These days, Esposito hopes his job can beunifying. He wants people to feel that thecity helps neighborhoods equally to handledisaster. "The 1 percenters should not bebetter prepared than the 99 percent," hesays.

"If everyone feels they're getting their fairshare," he adds, "it fosters better feelings to-ward one another."

___For all the signs of kinship after Sept. 11,

the first retribution attack came just fourdays later, authorities said.

Balbir Singh Sodhi was shot dead whileplacing flowers on a memorial at his Mesa,Arizona, gas station. Prosecutors said thegunman mistook Sodhi, an Indian Sikh im-migrant, for an Arab Muslim.

Seeing hundreds of people gather in soli-darity on the night of his brother's deathshowed me "the greatness of unity," saysRana Singh Sodhi, of Gilbert, Arizona. Butin the last two years, he's felt a "changetoward hatred again." He worries politicians

are stirring animosity toward immigrantsand minorities.

So does Imam Abdur-Rahim Ali.After 9/11, he invited first responders for

tea and coffee at the Northeast DenverIslamic Center to show appreciation andemphasize that Muslims "are regular Amer-icans." Now, Ali, who is African-American,believes Muslims and people of color arebeing demonized with "incendiary and di-visive" remarks.

"We can't act like racism hasn't been apart of all this," he says.

___Can the United States feel united again?Some Americans fear it will take another

catastrophe, if even that can shift the climate.Others are looking to political leaders to seta more collaborative tone, or to Americansthemselves to make an effort to understandand respect one another.

When Sonia Shah thinks about the pushand pull of American unity since the attacksthat killed her father, Jayesh, at the WorldTrade Center, she pictures a rock hitting apond.

The innermost ripple, that's the tight circleof support that came together around thepeople most directly affected by tragedy.Outside it, bigger and more diffuse, arebands of debate over policies and politics inthe wake of 9/11.

"We usually see the outer rings of the ar-guments," says the Baylor University senior."But I think there always is a current ofunity that goes underneath things."

15 years after Sept. 11: How the unity we forged broke apart

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 14, 2001) -- Retired Fire Chief Joseph Curry barks orders to rescue teams as they clear through debris thatwas once the World Trade Center on Sept. 14, 2001. U.S. Navy Photo by Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres.


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We WillNever Forget

Honoring theHeroes and

RememberingThose We Lost

Sept. 11, 2001 started out likeany other day.

I got up and started to get ready foranother work day at the paper, and thenI turned on the television.

To say what I saw on the TV was horrificwould be an understatement. I saw twoairline jets crash into the Twin Towers atthe World Trade Center in New YorkCity. It was something I never thought Iwould see.

That is when I knew America wasunder attack. For the next two days, theeyes of the news media were focused onthe attack. There were no commercials,and the American people put aside theirdifferences and came together as one.

Not since the Japanese attack on PearlHarbor did the people unite. It was in-spiring to see the people, regardless ofrace, creed, color, ethnicity or politicalpersuasion come together in a show ofunity.

What followed was even more inspiring.The China Lake Naval Air Weapons Sta-tion, which closed its gates to all except

key person-nel the dayof the attack,opened forbusiness asusual thenext day.

T h e r ewere obser-vances heldat Freedom

Park and some local schools. I had theopportunity to attend and cover some ofthese events. Ridgecrest, was alwaysknown for its patriotism, became evenmore patriotic.

Having grown up in New York, I havememories of the Twin Towers. I was ateenager when construction began. I re-member getting off the ferry and walkingpast the construction site.

It really saddened me to see them comedown in this manner.

John V. Ciani is a retired educationand public safety reporter for the DailyIndependent and a contributing colum-nist.

MY THOUGHTS

JOHN V. CIANI

Recalling 9/11 and its local reaction

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 15, 2001) -- The American flag is a prominent icon in the heartof what was once the World Trade Center in New York City, Sept. 15, 2001. U.S. Navyphoto by Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres. (RELEASED)


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On theGround atthe WorldTrade Centerin New YorkCity, 2001

America Remembers

To all whosacrificed so much...

We will not forget 9/11

Searles Valley Minerals

Where I was: IWV residentsrecall 9/11 attacks

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/PUBLIC USENew York Fire Department crews prepare for resecue attempts in the aftermath of theSept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Bob Gould, Ridgecrest PAC volunteerand many other offices

I was onboard a ship in the Baltic Sea,somewhere between Denmark and Stock-holm, Sweden. It was a major item on BBCworld news, every night. [My reaction was]shock, sympathy. Just wondering how bad itwas going to get. Every night it was worseand worse.

Little Deer Durvin, 34th Assembly Dis-trict Woman of the Year 2014, manyother offices

I was an Ambassador at the Chamber ofCommerce breakfast. Bill Farris came in andtold us. Everyone was in shock. They dismissedthe meeting so everyone could go home andbe with their families. I went home to bewith my husband and my daughter and wewatched it on tv. We couldn't believe it.

Dorothy Saitz, Ridgecrest resident, re-tired NAWC civil service

I was absolutely stunned sitting in frontof the TV watching the buildings. I didn'tknow who had done it. I was absolutelystunned, especially when the buildings felldown. At the end of the day I had a sense ofsadness and foreboding.

Beverly Ewbank, Principal, Inyokern El-ementary School

We were getting ready to go to school. Mysister called. She was supposed to be at thePentagon that day, but her meeting was can-celled. She said “turn on the TV.”' At first shedidn't know where her son was. [He wasOK.] We tried to explain as much as possibleto the kids [at Faller Elementary], but all Ican remember is that first day was so hard.

Ridgecrest Police Chief Ron StrandI remember exactly where I was. I was

working graveyard. I dropped my kids off atSt. Ann school, came home, turned on theTV set and said, 'you've got to be kiddingme.' At about the time they said a plane hadgone into the building and it wasn't too longlater that another one went through. All of asudden, everything kind of changed.

The thought initially was that more peoplehad lost their lives. It was just by a miraclethat it was less than 3,000 people that werekilled. It could have been a whole lot more.That was due to a lot of heroic work by thefire department, police department. Thoseguys gave their lives. They ran toward things

SEE MEMORIES, PAGE 191

instead of away from things. They went inand did what they had to. And because ofthat a lot of people's lives were saved. On theother end a lot of firemen and police officerslost their lives trying to protect the communitythat they were serving at the time.

Odessa Newman-Staples, President ofRidgecrest Democratic Club of the HighDesert, many other offices

That day I was late for work. I had the TVon and I was drinking coffee and the coffeewas hot. [When I heard the news] it spilled.I dropped the cup and burned myself. It'shard to remember, I still get chills thinkingabout it.

Leah Saitz, former resident, Ridgecrestnative

I was in Vegas with my friend Andrea, atthe Luxor. I got out of the shower and Andreawas freaking out. I watched the footage ofboth towers getting hit and thought it mustbe a tragic accident-wrong. It took me sevenhours to get back to Orange County. Lots oftraffic. Bad day listening to the radio.

Andy Stanford, author and Ridgecrestresident

I was in Texas conducting a firearms train-ing class and thought, “The world just changedpermanently and not for the better.” Thesubsequent U.S. wars of aggression, sporadicacts of terrorism on American soil and theloss of civil liberties due to the so-called “Pa-triot Act” only confirm my original reaction.

Peter Brown, IWV Water DistrictBoard of Directors

Well, first when I heard about it I didn'tthink it was real. And then I thought itwas anomaly, it was one of those things.Because planes have run into buildingsbefore. When the second plane hit, it washorrible. I watched the TV for three daysstraight. And I was glued to it and it wasscary. But I think we did a good job of ral-lying after it. We put ourselves down allthe time, but . . . we had a problem in LakeIsabella [fire] and our whole town goesup there. We have to focus on what's posi-tive.

Elsa Hennings, President, RidgecrestCharter School

I remember at the Charter School thestudents having their heads bowed in amoment of silence on that day. And wewere in the process of picking a schoolmascot and they picked the Eagle. Thatreally made it hit home.

Ginny D."When it happened I was teaching HS

band and Mr. Austin & I did not knowwhat was happening, starting so early inthe AM. After finding out we were able tobring a TV into the room to watch thenews coverage" It was a day never to for-get.

Kaleen N.I was in 8th grade on base and remember

being sent home and then being bussedfor the rest of the year due to the events ofthat day.

MEMORIESContinued from Page 18


DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOMallory Cosner, then 7, holds a candle during the Sept. 11, 2012 candlelight vigil atFreedom Park.


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Deana F.My kids were at college in San Diego at

the time and I remember being afraid forthem on how they would feel being awayfrom home. I did not want them to worry.

Mike F.It was surreal just watching the news from

5:30 AM on. I could not believe it was reallyhappening.

Jerry H.I was on base at the time with my two

baby boys and remember getting a call frommy uncle, he said quick watch what is hap-pening on TV. I was glad to have them withme.

Kevin C.I was in Bakersfield at the time, and

watched the news as the second plane hitthe tower. I really wondered who was behindthis event as the story was being told.

Fred M.I got a call from a friend and turned on the

news. I decided to take the day off and watchthe coverage to see why and what was happen-ing.

Mark B.I was in an area with no TV and my wife

called and relayed the information, it was unbe-lievable. It touched close to our family, a friendwas on travel from the pentagon and was luckynot to be in his office, but a friend of anotheraquiance was not and was lost at the pentagonlocation.

Jenifer K.It was a Tuesday, I remember watch Tom

Brokaw covering the event when it all was hap-pening. It was sad to learn that an entirecompany of investment brokers were killed thatday.

Mark M.I was in a breakfast meeting with a few other

business members, and a TV was on with thesound down, when someone said what is happing!Then a few employees of the restaurant came inand turned the sound up as we all stayed andwatched in disbelief.

Rob Roche.I was active duty with Weapons Test Squadron

(now VX-31) China lake. We were on morning

FOD walkdown when the first plane hit theWorld Trade Center. IIRC the base got lockeddown, everyone was sent home. I remembergoing home, walking in the door and turningthe TV on just in time to see the second planehit.

Ken NewtonI was in Ridgecrest and worked on the base.

As I did most mornings, I sat down in front ofthe TV to watch a little news before going towork.. The first tower had already been hit,and was on-screen, smoking. I don't rememberwhich channel or network it was, but they

MEMORIESContinued from 19

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/PUBLIC USEA New York City fireman directs others during rescue operations following the Sept.11, 2001 terrorist attacks.


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RICHARDRICKY

I was at the point in my life when youadded “a half ” to your age and worethose two words like a badge of honor.So, on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Iwas 10 ½, with a mix of childhood cu-riosity and aberrant maturity.

I was at home, beginning the morningas I usually did on off-track days: lyingon the floor, channel-surfing. In LosAngeles, because of the high population,the school year was divided in threetracks: A, B, C. I was on B track, whichmeant that I had about a six-week breakwhere I had a packet of homework todo.

Therefore, unlike many kids my age,I was actually not in a classroom.

Anyway, as I handled my usual routineof channel surfing, I noticed that thesame thing was popping up on manychannels I changed to. (Keep in mind,my family had DIRECTV, so outside ofchannel surfing itself being completelyentertaining to a 10 ½-year-old, justimagine the many channels with thisimage.)

The image: two buildings that lookedto be on fire.

I went to my mom’s room -- she waswatching a newscast -- and asked her

what wash a p p e n i n g .She told mes o m e t h i n gabout NewYork, and Iimmediatelydismissed it.We live inLos Angeles,why doeswhat's goingon with some

tall buildings in New York have to pre-vent me from watching cartoons? I justwanted to perform my morning routineand go on with one of my many daysoff.

(Obviously, I wasn't a news junkieback then.)

It wasn't until the day went on andthe details became more clear that I re-alized the magnitude of the situation.People who disliked this country decidedto attack it, and they succeeded. And itaffected a lot of people; perhaps eventhe whole nation.

We restarted school in mid-October,and from what I remember, my teacherwas having moments of cautious reflec-

tion. There's only so much you can tella group of 10 year olds, while at thesame time, it's a teaching experience.

One that is happening in real-time,not from a textbook.

CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTON

COURTESY CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTONChristopher Livingston was a 10-1/2-yearold when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacksoccurred.

Remembering 9/11: I was just a little kid MEMORIESContinued from 20

were reporting that apparently a small privateplane had collided with the tower.

Jennie NorrisI was at home in Ridgecrest with my six

week old son and 21 month old daughter. Iwondered what kind of world I had broughtthem into.

Gabriele Baader I was in Germany visiting my sick mom. I

was shopping in the local store that also hadTVs. I happened to walk by after the first planewent into the tower showing on one of the TVs.Slowly each TV started showing the same. AndI was glued to the screens. I looked around ifanybody was watching with me and saw thatno one was and I wanted to scream at thepeople around me to stop and look. No onedid. Asuza, California.

Robert ZmijewskiI was in the Navy stationed in Virginia Beach,

VA. We were a week away from deployment. Ijust walked into the lounge of barracks rightbefore the second plane hit the towers. We im-mediately knew our deployment mission wouldbe changed.


540 Perdew, Suite C760-446-3611

RememberingAll Who Were Lost

And HonoringAll Those Who Served

That Fateful Day

Remembering the ones we lost15 years ago

WE WOULDLIKE TO THANK

AND HONOR ALL WHORESPOND EVERY DAYTO SAVE THE LIVES OFFELLOW AMERICANS

760.446.40041501 1/2 N. China Lake Blvd.

www.cardinalplumbing.netLic.#496447

For the ninth year in arow Ridgecrest’s streets willturn into a river of red, whiteand blue as more than 1,000people march in the Paradeof 1,000 Flags.

The event, which startsat 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10,commemorates the 2,996people who died in the Sept.11, 2001 terrorist attacksagainst the World TradeCenter in New York City,the Pentagon in Washington,D.C. and those who died onboard all four planes.

The Ridgecrest ExchangeClub has coordinated thesignature event.

The 3/4-mile parade routebegins at the Sierra Lanesparking lot, 634 S. ChinaLake Blvd., will march northup the street, west on toWest California Avenue to-ward City Hall and FreedomPark where flag bearers willplant the flags.

Staging for the parade be-

gins promptly at 8:30 a.m.on the north side of the Sier-ra Lanes parking lot.

According to the Ex-change Club, parade partic-ipants will include digni-taries from Naval AirWeapons Station ChinaLake, the city, Kern County,law enforcement personnel,firefighters, military service-members and the BurroughsHigh School MarchingBand.

This year’s grand marshalwill be Scott O’Neil, retiredexecutive director of NavalAir Warfare CenterWeapons Division at ChinaLake and Point Mugu. Lastyear’s grand marshal wasHouse Majority LeaderCongressman Kevin Mc-Carthy.

“It started as a club event,but it has turned into aRidgecrest event,” statedExchange President Tim-othy Neipp in a news re-

lease about the event. “Peo-ple just come out of thewoodwork to volunteer andcome up with their ownideas.”

Once the parademarchers reach FreedomPark, they will plant theflags, which will form theRemembrance Fields, andwill stand until they are re-tired Sunday, Sept. 18.

According to parade co-ordinator Pat Farris, morethan 1,000 people willmarch this year, like it hasin past years.

“It just turns out to be aspectacular sight it makesour hearts swell to see ourcommunity at its very best,”Farris said.

On Sunday, Sept. 11 at7:30 p.m., the communitywill come together for theannual candlelight vigil,where each person will beprovided a candle and par-ticipate in a ceremony.

Parade of 1,000 Flags signifies unity, remembrance

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOCommunity members march in 2015’s Parade of 1,000 Flags.

Mon-Fri 7-6, Sat & Sun 8-5

877-459-6237(toll free)

4700 Lake Isabella Bl.Lake Isabella

www.lmlumber.com

Remembering9/11

Celebrating the resilience ofour nation

It’s the year after I graduated highschool, I’m in the shower gettingready for a long day at Cerro Coso.

In 2001, I was in college, adjunct facul-ty, and had two small children and awife. I hear a frantic cry and my wifetells me I have to look at the news. Shenever took interest in the news beforeso I figured this must be important. Inever expected to witness a moment sopowerful. It seemed as though theworld could cease to exist, time stoodstill, and our feeling of safety as Ameri-can’s temporarily was shattered.

Not only was it clear many lives werebeing lost but it was happening live, witnessedby the eyes of a nation. The feeling of hope-lessness over took me , all I could do waspray and see what unfolded. It was then, asthe moments full magnitude hit me, that

another plane struck. At that point the restis an emotional blur of tears, and fears. Icouldn’t help escape the vivid thoughts ofwhat it must’ve been like for the first re-sponders and victims of this attack. Thesefears had for a time infiltrated my dreams.

Stories of heroism and bravery began tostrike back at fear and we as a nation beganthe process of regaining our footing, andgetting back up almost immediately. Ter-rorism failed as will always be the case.American’s as a whole came closer and adormant nation woke up.

Fifteen years later, we are left with a littlemore pride in our country. A knowledge ofthe potential threats of the world. But mostof all a feeling of reassurance that at leastwe know as a country when we are put tothe test I feel we will come together. Myhope is we learned that we may as well loveeach other. When we come together againsta common threat your my brother or mysister. When we are at peace such will stillbe the case.

Rodney Connors is the Daily IndependentCirculation Manager.

BY RODNEY CONNORSCIRCULATION MANAGER

What I remember: A changedworld, and reassurance after

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 14, 2001) -- Rescue workers conduct search and rescue at-tempts, descending deep into the rubble of the World Trade Center. U.S. Navy Photoby Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.

1522 N. Inyo • Ridgecrest, CA 93555(760) 446-2204

Ford Flooring CA ST. Contractor Lic. # 781251

We will neverforget all ofour brave

service men &women who

sacrifice so wemay live in

FREEDOM

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Texas(TNS)

Every year about this time, we are re-minded about our nation's first respon-ders, mostly because of the events ofSept. 11, 2001, more commonly referredto as simply 9/11. First responders arethose people who work in law enforcement(police, sheriff 's deputies, DPS troopers,etc.), firefighters, ambulance drivers,EMTs and paramedics. They are calledfirst responders because they are the firstto arrive at the scene of some tragic event.

Ever since 9/11, the role of those firstresponders has made the public moreaware of those hazardous jobs, and thepublic's appreciation has grown.

Businesses, especially restaurants, offerspecial deals about this time of year inan effort to thank the first respondersfor their service.

We applaud those who make the effortto thank our first responders, but wepoint out that these people provide avery necessary public service 24 hours aday, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

It takes a special type of person to takeon such duties because of the carnagethey see.

Some scenes of tragedy can be quitegruesome, which most people would havea difficult time coping with.

But our first responders answer callafter call and perform their duties in aprofessional manner, and they do it effi-ciently when circumstances allow it.

The emotional and mental strain fromwitnessing such scenes over and overagain would be difficult for anyone tocope with. It's not all that different fromwhat our soldiers witness in the world'swar zones. Post-traumatic stress disorderis a major byproduct of a military career,but it is also a part of the world of first

responders.Police, or law enforcement, are typically

the first on the scene of some tragicevent, whether it be a vehicle accidentor killing. They are the first to see thecarnage. They have to assess the situation,call in for fire or EMS responders if no-body else has already done so, attemptto restore calm at the scene to the bestof their abilities and interview witnessesif there are any.

That doesn't even include making ar-rests if the situation warrants it. And, itdoesn't end there. If a death is involvedand no family members are at or nearthe scene, it's the duty of police to locateand inform people of a relative's pass-ing.

After the police make the call that EMSand/or the fire department is needed,personnel from those public servicesarrive on the scene to take over the careof the victims. While the police are thefirst to witness the potential gruesomenessof an incident, it is usually the EMS orfirefighters who must actually get intothe actual physical work of caring forthe injured or deceased.

Undoubtedly, it's that part of the jobthat can take an emotional toll on theresponders. It is probably even moretraumatic if a child is one of the victims.

Is it any wonder that some first re-sponders suffer job burnout from wit-nessing such events? Thankfully, first re-sponders do have support groups and/ortherapy to help them cope with all that.

Not everyone is cut out to be a first re-sponder, but we are thankful for and ap-preciate those who are. We should alltake the time to let first responders knowhow much their work is needed and ap-preciated.

ANOTHER VIEW

Editorial: Ourfirst respondersdeserving ofthanks, admirationfor their work


760-446-2575760-499-MIKE (6453)

317 West Inyokern Rd.A&L Tire& Service Center

WE WILLNEVERFORGET

Thanking AllWho Responded

To Save TheLives Of Many

Heating & Air Conditioning

760.446.5577821 W. INYOKERN RD.RIDGECREST, CA 93555STATE LIC.NO 672679

My Thoughts:Ridgecrest patriotic as everBeing a Navy town, Ridgecrest has a long

history of patriotism.Every year local civic, fraternal and veterans’

organizations as well as schools and churcheshonor the United States with events and ob-servances.

The Fourth of July, Memorial Day andVeterans’ Day are revered holidays with vet-erans and local residents.

Since 1976, the Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints has presented “Our Countrytis of Thee” to local audiences every Fourthof July. Five- to 12-year-old children performthe musical tribute to the nation coveringimportant events in our nation’s history suchas the signing of the Declaration of Inde-pendence, the westward expansion and theCivil War.

The church also holds an early morningFourth of July flag-raising ceremony.

The Fourth of July celebration also featuresthe Ridgecrest Lions Club’s fireworks showat the Desert Empire Fairgrounds. Underthe chairmanship of Lion Steve Morgan, theshow has grown into an extravaganza featuringmore than $20,000 in fireworks.

Local organizations gather at the DesertMemorial Park for a Memorial Day service.The event features a keynote speaker. Partic-

ipating organ-izations laywreaths, anda local BoyScout plays“Taps” to con-clude the serv-ice. Scouts alsoplace flags onthe graves ofveterans.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Ship 4084also host a Veterans’ Day observance whichfeatures a keynote speaker.

The Ridgecrest and Trona Elks lodges alsohold Flag Day observances. Local Boy Scoutsperform the cremation of worn out or unser-viceable flags at the Ridgecrest Lodge.

Local schools such as Pierce and Gatewayelementary schools also honor veterans.

Students also learn about patriotism duringthe school year.

The Panamint Springs Chapter Daughtersof the American Revolution visit all the localschools and teach kindergarten students ThePledge of Allegiance. After they recite thepledge, each student is given a certificate andan American flag.

Local Boy Scouts also place the flags along

Blandy Avenue near the China Lake NavalAir Weapons Station Administration Buildingon federal holidays.

Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,Ridgecrest Charter School has hosted a Hero’sDay luncheon in which volunteers serve localfirst responders such as Ridgecrest Police of-

ficers, Kern County Firefighters, Kern CountySheriff ’s deputies and Liberty Ambulanceparamedics lunch, and students get to interactwith them.

John V. Ciani is a retired education andpublic safety reporter for the Daily Inde-pendent and a contributing columnist.

JOHN V. CIANI

COURTESY PHOTOInyokern Elementary students pledge alligience on Sept. 11, 2015.


Rememberingthe Victims and

Honoring the Heroes

1-760-384-3131501 N. China Lake Blvd

1-760-384-4541501 N. China Lake Blvd

HONORING ANDTHANKING THOSE

WHO RISKEDTHEIR LIVES TOSAVE THE LIVES

OF MANY.

The Parade of 1,000 Flags in 2008 rallied signs of hope in Ridgecrest residents.

We will never forget what happened on the morning of September 11, 2001.

On this fifteen year anniversary of that tragic day, let us renew ourcommitment to God and country, remembering those heroes who lost theirlives and those who gave their lives to save others.

We are forever grateful to thosebrave patriots who are defendingour country and preserving ourfreedom. We thank them for theirservice and we will never forgetthose who have made the ultimatesacrifice for all of us. God blessthe USA.

Congressman

Kevin McCarthy23rd District


1-760-446-6960908 N Norma

Open Daily 6am–10pm

Rememberingall who

were lost

Honoring allwho helped

760-375-4202217 Balsam St.,

Serving Toddlers to Champions Since 1972

September 11, 2001

In Our HeartsThose who lost their lives

Those who survivedThose who saved

And Our United Country

BurroughsBandmarches on,2012 Paradeof 1,000Flags

DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOThe Burrouhgs High School marchingband performs as it participates in the2012 Parade of 1,000 Flags. The bandwill again assume its role in the Saturday,Sept. 10 Parade of 1,000 Flags.

(760) 446-2320 • 1601 Triangle Dr

(760) 446-PIZA

1601 Triangle Dr

REMEMBERING THEONES WE LOST

THANKING THE ONESWHO RESPONDED

AND HONORING THEONES WHO ARE

CONSTANTLY THERETO PROTECT US

REMEMBERING THEONES WE LOST

THANKING THE ONESWHO RESPONDED

AND HONORING THEONES WHO ARE

CONSTANTLY THERETO PROTECT US

DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOSMick Gleason coordinates a team of marchers during the Parade of 1,000 Flags in2012 prior to his election as First District Supervisor for Kern County. Below, firefight-ers prepare for the “Last Bell” ceremony at the Sept. 11, 2012 candelight vigil.

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTO

Alli Garcia stands for a photo while holding her at Freedom Park during the 2015 Pa-rade of 1,000 Flags.

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTORidgecrest residents take a moment of silence during the Sept. 11, 2015 candlelightvigil at Freedom Park.

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Daily Independent - Gannettcdn.gatehousemedia.com/custom-systems/ghns/files/2016 Rememb… · fitting tribute to the 9/11 tragedy. "We honor those who were lost, but we also celebrate