Photo By Luke Graziani | Soldiers from the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry...... read more read more
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NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Sept. 11, 2011 marked the 10th anniversary of a dark chapter in American history.
Decade-old scars have healed over time, but the deep wounds are far from being fully healed.
Service members and civilians all over the world are taking time out of their busy schedules to honor those who lost their lives and shine a beacon of strength to those still hurting.
The soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Task Force Bronco, participated in a memorial run, Sept. 11, at Forward Operating Base Shinwar, Afghanistan, to honor the fallen and pay tribute to New York firefighter Stephen Siller.
“I feel as a New Yorker and an American it was important to bring meaning to the soldiers why they are deployed here,” said U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Kevin Caneco, Staten Island native and a platoon leader with 3-4 CAV, 3 BCT, 25th ID. “I wanted the soldiers to have a time to reflect on the meaning of 9/11. I think serving your country is a noble calling, to be deployed here in Afghanistan on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 means a lot to me.”
Caneco took it upon himself to plan the memorial run in honor of Stephen Siller’s ultimate sacrifice.
Duty and selfless service are two of the Army’s values. Stephen Siller demonstrated those values on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
Siller was off-duty from an overnight shift at the station. He overheard the news of the World Trade Center tragedy while on his way home. He immediately turned his car around to drive back.
Traffic was bumper-to-bumper, so he abandoned his car. He didn’t, however, abandon his 60 pounds of firefighting gear. Siller donned his equipment and ran the remaining 3.1 miles through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to what is now considered ground zero.
Siller and his team rushed into the center but unfortunately he and 10 others were fatally wounded.
Every year, for the past nine years, civilians and service members from all over the world have planned and participated in 3.1-mile memorial runs to pay tribute to the fallen in the name of Siller.
This year is no different, except that it was held in a war zone thousands of miles away from where it all began.
All of the runners have their own reason for participating. Each was affected by 9/11 in some way.
“It’s a very emotional feeling,” said U.S. Army Pfc. Dennis Akeem, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native assigned to Dakota Platoon, 3-4 CAV. “I personally haven’t lost anyone, but I know friends who lost family, relatives and friends.”
The degree to which 9/11 affected everyone varies greatly; from soldiers who enlisted after the attack knowingly sacrificing themselves for the greater good to civilian contractors who volunteer for overseas duty despite the danger.
American resiliency is ever present, across the United States and beyond. A testament to that resiliency is the military’s ability to adapt and overcome such a terrible tragedy. These hard-earned freedoms will always be held tightly to service member’s chests.
“The biggest thing is remembering those who gave all,” said U.S. Army Capt. Brandy Toth, commander of the 307th Military Police Company. “It means my daughters will always know what freedom means.
She says explaining that to her daughters, in words they will understand, would be to say that they can wear rain boots on a sunny day, they can wear a dress or pants and that they have the opportunity to go to school.
American soldiers are still on the front lines engaging the enemy ensuring those freedoms and rights are protected.
“We’re still fighting out here,” said Akeem. “We’re still out here, there’s still a war. We’re doing what we have to do to get the mission completed.”
Although danger still lurks in the shadows of Afghanistan and Iraq, perseverance can be like a light in the darkness.
The dedication of soldiers in combat and the selfless sacrifices of people across America in this dark time show that there can be a light at the end of the tunnel.
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2011 09:05 |
| Story ID: | 76872 |
| Location: | JALALABAD, AF |
| Web Views: | 529 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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