Sep 4, 2014 2 min read

On Thursday at 8:30 a.m., there will be a memorial service honoring those who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. This service will be hosted by various VFW and American Legion posts, religious organizations, local police and firefighters.

It seems that each year the number of people who attend this solemn ceremony declines. As a veteran and member of the American Legion, I find this disheartening.

On Sept. 11, 2001, this country was attacked and more than 3,000 civilian lives were lost due to a cowardly and senseless act. And it appears that Washington residents have either forgotten or no longer care to honor those who lost their lives on that fateful day.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked, and 2,500 servicemen perished. That act led the United States to enter World War II. More innocent people died at the World Trade Center on 9/11 than at Pearl Harbor, and it seems as if we have forgotten the loss sustained by those victims and their families.

Leading up to next Thursday, take the time to remember all the parents, sons, daughters, wives, husbands, and, especially, children who lost loved ones on that day. Remember the people who leapt to their deaths from the World Trade Center to avoid the fire ravaging the building. Remember the acts of heroism by civilians, firefighters and police, many of whom lost their lives.

And please, take the time to attend the ceremony at Washington Mall that honors the 9/11 victims. The only thing they did on that fateful day was go to work or get on an airplane. Their families never thought that would be the last time they would see them alive or hear their voices.

Wayne Schiffauer

Washington