Another memorial day today. The 9/11 memorial. American writers consider this the day that changed everything. It seems to me it was the first time the US had to coordinate all of its arms of government - ordering all civilian aircraft to land, officially shutting down the National Airspace System, the military took control of the skies, with airplanes having to leave the skies immediately. Halifax received 7,000 passengers, Vancouver 8,500. In Gander there were 6,700 people landing amongst a community of less than 10,000.
North Americans (Canadians too) became transfixed with the individuals who died in the attack. There's a memorial in St. Catharines at Happy Rolf's farm on the lake shore, with the names of each person from Niagara, and a tree planted in their honour.
The 9/11 Commission report identified the lack of coordination and communication between the CIA and FBI as much of the cause, and that this was determined to be a preventable disaster. It hasn't changed our sense of the magnitude of the experience.
We were millions who watched the events. There were hundreds of thousands in New York who experienced the events at the ground level. There were thousands around the world who experienced the shutting down of the airspace. All of us saw the clear skies and lack of pollution as a message, too. As an act of terrorism, its impact was vast.
Such a different sort of memorial we will experience with Queen Elizabeth's funeral. That will be a celebration of a life well-lived.
This tree is in then cemetery near me. It is entwined around a gravestone, and seems a fitting image of the fire and destruction that we commemorate on 9/11.
