I touched a piece of the twin towers, a bagpipe, newest US citizens, reverence, tears, and more

[Omaha Steve]

The local paper notice: Together We Stand, a memorial ceremony, will begin at 3:30 p.m. with honors outside the Lied Activity Center, 2700 Arboretum Drive in Bellevue. The indoor program will begin at 4 p.m. Outdoors, attendees can touch a 3-ton relic of the World Trade Center, courtesy of the Bennington Fire Department. The ceremony includes several components: a citizenship ceremony at which 22 new Americans will take their oath of citizenship, recognition of local emergency first responders, and a roll call of our fallen heroes from Nebraska and western Iowa.


They ran out of programs, so I don't have all the details. I'll try to have them later.

It was much more than the simple ceremony I expected. As I approached the site I couldn't miss the huge American flag high over the area on a Fire Dept ladder truck. The next thing was the large number of Patriot Guard Riders. They escorted the piece from the World Trade Center to the ceremony.

After touching the metal from ground zero, I went inside. I got a good seat in the second row center. What followed was an hour of honor to the citizens from around the world that lost their lives 10 years ago this morning.

The ceremony was reverent and without going over the top. I learned how the Fire Dept. in NYC used a system of bells to spread the word through the system that President Lincoln was dead.

Twenty two of our newest US citizens had their oath administered to them: I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

A lady from China wiped away tears of joy. So did a very proud man from Europe.

The hardest moment for me was a single bagpipe playing "Amazing Grace". Every funeral in my family as far back as I can remember has had that song in it. I shed a few tears for my family members and thinking of all the families that lost members 10 years ago.

I hope to post more tomorrow if I can get a copy of the program.

Omaha Steve

[frazzled]

1. That 19th century Fire Dept.: who needs Twitter?

First, it sounds like it was a very moving ceremony, especially the swearing in of the new US citizens. Glad you were able to attend and report.

But I was interested in the detail of the N.Y. Fire Dept. after Lincoln's assassination. I'd love to collect stories of how people spread the word of urgent events--and how quickly--in earlier times, from Lexington and Concord to the barricades of the French Revolution, to news of President Lincoln's death. Communication networks have always existed, and were quite effective. A history of them would be fascinating.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. The Lincoln assassination spread to major hubs by that new fangled

Telegraph to major hubs and from there the way it did before, horse riders. From there to really small places by foot.

French revolution, horse, foot and letter.

Fire and smoke were also used in the past for alarms.

But mostly until the telegraph a person can walk 3 miles per hour comfortably and a horse can do five. So it was a lot of that and letters or word of mouth.

[sufrommich]

3. Very touching account. Sounds like a wonderful place

to be today.

[Omaha Steve]

4. Kick