ABC 27 WHTM
Governor Tom Corbett took part in ceremonies at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle to remember the nearly 3,000 people who died in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.
The ceremony Tuesday also honored those who sacrificed their lives in war over the past 11 years.
“We have shown the world that there is no compromise in our determination to remain a nation of free people, safe in our homes, and entitled to the liberties inscribed by our founders,” Corbett said in a prepared statement.
Among those attending the ceremony was Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Holman, who was delivering a catalog to the Pentagon mailroom 11 years ago when five hijackers flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the opposite side of the building.
Holman went to the crash area to help and later realized how lucky he was.
“I noticed that the person I was supposed to deliver the catalog to was one of the names on the list a couple days later,” he said. “I realized he was one of the last people to be discovered. So had I taken that catalog back instead of the post office, I probably would have been a casualty myself.”
Another remembrance ceremony took place at the naval depot in Mechanicsburg, where a piece of the Pentagon salvaged from the rubble stands as a September 11 memorial.
Pennsylvania State Police Commission Frank Noonan joined base officials and said Americans must remember the tragic events of 11 years ago to remain vigilant against terrorists.
“They’ve tried many times to do so in this country and they have failed, and we have to make sure they continue to fail,” Noonan said. “I would never want to feel that way again as on 9-11, watching those people die, it’s something none of us will ever forget.”
U.S. and state flags are flying at half-staff in observance of the anniversary, now known as Patriot Day.