Terrorists hoped to break America’s spirit Sept. 11, 2001, but a local fire chief who helped lead rescue efforts after a passenger plane struck the Pentagon that morning said the destruction they wreaked strengthened America’s sense of community.
The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing inspired emergency responders throughout the national capital region to create a team-oriented approach to crisis and tragedy that “contributed so much” to responders’ success on 9/11, Arlington County Fire Department Chief James Schwartz said during a remembrance ceremony at the McNamara Headquarters Complex Sept. 11.
“When you respond to an incident or crisis the size of 9/11, it isn’t about what firefighters or paramedics are going to do. It isn’t about what police officers are going to do, and it isn’t about what the hospitals are going to do. Those are all elements of a community, a community that must come together in working unison to support the tragedy,” he said.
Schwartz was the fire department’s assistant chief of operations and director of emergency management at the time of the attacks, which took the lives of almost 3,000 Americans.
9/11 changed more than the skyline of New York City, DLA Director Navy Vice Adm. Mark Harnitchek said.
“The attacks changed a whole generation of Americans, our military and our world. It’s really changed the way we live our lives today,” he said.
The admiral also spoke of his son, who was 14 years old on 9/11 and is now preparing to deploy to Afghanistan.
“It’s appropriate that every year on 9/11 we remember what happened, even though it’s easy to get complacent after being at war for 11 years,” he said.
Americans should also honor the sacrifices made by military families, Schwartz added.
“9/11 set in motion a whole set of military activities to defend our nation. … It is the families of those military members who have lost loved ones across Afghanistan, across Iraq and in other places around the world where they were sent to defend this nation,” he said. “To me, it’s not just about the losses at the World Trade Center; Shanksville, Pa.; or the Pentagon. It’s about the continuing losses and the suffering of our military families that we need to be reminded of.”
Schwartz thanked audience members for taking time to reflect on 9/11.
“What I know about logistics is that it is critically important to the success of all field operations, whether it’s in the military, the fire service or the public-safety community at large. I appreciate very much what you do in service to America, and I especially appreciate you taking some time this morning to reflect on the tragedy of 11 years ago,” he said.