The Bradenton Times Salutes the Heroes of Patriot Day

10 years ago today, nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives, including over 400 firemen, paramedics, police and port authority officers. We would like to express our deepest regrets to the families of those lost, while expressing our gratitude for the emergency responders that continue to risk their lives for others.

There are few Americans that do not recall where they were at the moment they first heard that airplanes had struck the twin towers at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and then brought down in a field over Pennsylvania. Our area bares a special relationship with the event, as then President George Bush was actually visiting Booker Elementary School when he was given the news about the events.

In the decade since, we have been a nation at perpetual war and the very idea of American liberty has been altered by laws and even entire agencies that have been put in place since. It is undeniable that September 11, 2001 is the most impactful date of recent American history and the defining event for an entire generation of Americans. Today, we remember our fellow Americans who lost their lives on that fateful day.

Click here for a full rundown of local events honoring the holiday.