I recently had a conversation with my teenage son about what happened on 9/11. He struggled to comprehend all the destruction. The 9/11 attacks happened before he was born. This year marks the 25th year since that unforgettable day. I would offer that we all struggle to comprehend what happened. It was horrific.
This month’s Love of Learning column seeks to reflect and remember the 9/11 attacks and the resulting global war on terror.
Philomath resident Nancy Wyse, a mother of two daughters who currently chairs the Benton County Board of Commissioners, reflected on that day.
“On Sept. 11, 2001, I remember my mom waking me up early. Her demeanor was serious, and she quietly said, ‘A plane flew into the World Trade Center Building.’ Only half awake and completely confused, I struggled to comprehend the significance of what happened. The devastation and loss of life was unthinkable.
“Just days earlier, I had turned 18 and was preparing to move to Corvallis for my freshman year in college. Suddenly, my personal feelings and apprehensions regarding moving away to college felt insignificant.
“Each year I take time to think back on that experience, and even though it was 25 years ago, it is still incredibly impactful.
“My children were born more than a decade after 9/11, and I feel a deep responsibility to convey to them the solemnity of that occasion. We are reverent. We are respectful. Asking questions is encouraged. We don’t make jokes about it. We remember, and we honor those who lost their lives.
“Each year we look up the list of those 2,977 souls who perished and read a few names. People we never met, but people who had family, friends and full lives.
“This year’s names include Joshua Todd Aron, Kevin Dennis, Jose A. Guadulupe, Diana B. Padro, Eileen Mary Rice and Khamladai Kami Singh.
“Some years my kids have cried. Some years they have been more engaged and interested than in other years. But we talk about it every year. Because we ‘never forget.'”
Of those who died in New York City, 343 were firefighters. Love of Learning reached out to retired Philomath Fire and Rescue Capt. Rich Saalsaa, who now serves as a Philomath city councilor, for his perspective on that day. He shared the following reflection:
“I remember waking to the news of the crash into the first tower and saw the live pictures of the second plane into the second tower. I was living in Salt Lake City at the time and knew several members of the New York Fire Department who perished in the response. Every first responder I knew was asking the same question: How can I help? My company in Salt Lake City trained dispatchers in 911 centers around the world, and we arranged for a team to travel to assist in the New York City 911 center during the ongoing event. They had to drive, of course, since all flights were grounded.
“For me, the immediate outpouring of help was inspiring. People set aside differences and pitched in.
“As a city councilor, I have a moral and sacred duty to provide for the well-being of our community. In times of crisis, people expect their elected officials and emergency services personnel to coordinate the appropriate response. I have no doubt that the people of Philomath would provide additional help when needed. It’s one of the reasons I’m proud of our community.”
All the people of Oregon were wondering what they could do. Weeks after the attacks, courageous Oregonians banded together and organized a “Freedom Flight” of a thousand volunteers, affectionately called “Oregon Loves New York.” The idea behind the trip was to show support for the New York City businesses adversely impacted by the attacks.
Marilyn Sileski, who was serving on the Philomath City Council on Sept. 11, 2001, braved the Freedom Flight from Portland to New York City weeks after the attacks.
Philomath High graduate and former Philomath Frolic queen Peg (Gerding) Caridi and her husband, Frank, welcomed these brave Oregonians into the restaurant they owned in New York City.
This story was captured by Love of Learning five years ago, on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
It was suspected that members of a terrorist group based in Afghanistan were the masterminds behind the hijackings.
In October 2001, just a month after the 9/11 attacks, our nation responded by dropping approximately 200 paratroopers from the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, to secure an airfield in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan in a combat action known as Operation Rhino. This was the beginning of the global war on terror, which would lead to a 20-year involvement in Afghanistan known as Operation Enduring Freedom.
The 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, rotated into and out of Afghanistan during roughly two dozen deployments over the two decades of the war.
Eleven years after the 9/11 attacks, Cody Patterson, a 2007 graduate of Philomath High School, stepped up, volunteered and enlisted in the U.S. Army.
He raised his right hand and recited this oath of enlistment: “I, Cody Patterson, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.”
After completing basic training, he earned his paratrooper jump wings and was selected for an elite assignment as a rifleman in B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He completed two deployments in Afghanistan.
On Oct. 6, 2013, Cody Patterson was killed in action, along with three fellow soldiers, when an improvised explosive device detonated during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. He was 24 years old.
I reflect on Rich Saalsaa’s earlier sentiment: “I have no doubt that the people of Philomath would provide additional help when needed.”
Cody answered his country’s call.
Col. Patrick Ellis, commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment, said in an official press release after his death: “Pfc. Cody Patterson was the poster child for the Ranger Regiment. He was courageous and dedicated and lost his life while fighting tenaciously against our nation’s enemies alongside his fellow Rangers. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Patterson family.”
Cody’s Gold Star Mother gave her blessing for Love of Learning to share his story in this column. She went on to say, “People need to remember; it does happen in little towns like Philomath, and our men and women come from every walk of life to step up and serve. It is a volunteer army, and those who answer the call are made up of the very fortitude that built this country.”
Remarkably, Cody’s family continues serving others through a partnership with the Philomath Community Foundation. The family established the Cody James Patterson Memorial Scholarship, awarded annually to a Philomath High School student who demonstrates the attributes Cody held: leadership, dependability, sportsmanship and citizenship. The scholarship keeps Cody’s legacy alive.
Rich Saalsaa concluded his reflection, saying: “On this, the 25th anniversary of that day that stopped time, I am mindful of those that gave their lives as first responders and ordinary citizens to save other lives, as well as the resilience of a nation to never forget who we are in times of crisis that brings us together.”
(Eric Niemann is a former mayor and city councilor in Philomath. He can be reached at Lifeinphilomath@gmail.com).
Thank you for helping all of us to remember. As you indicated, some are too young to have first hand knowledge of that day and need to be told. I am incredulous that New York City now has an city executive administration that includes members who provided or expressed support for the terrorists. We must not forget!