CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Members of the Kingsville community got together at Turcotte-Piper Mortuary to honor the Americans that were affected by the terrorist attacks that happened on September 11, 2001.
According to Kingsville Mayor Pro Tem Hector Hinojosa, three firefighters from Kingsville went to Ground Zero to help in the aftermath of the attacks.
Monica Johnson was one of the people that went to the ceremony. She got emotional as she described the tragic day when she was watching the news in 2001. She said she remembers people not knowing whether or not there would be more terrorist attacks in the country on that day.
“Nobody knew what the future looked like. Life just kind of changed, you know, you felt safe and then all of a sudden it wasn’t safe anymore,” Johnson said.
She said she supports the first responders and personnel that were there on that day because many of them sacrificed their lives.
“All the first responders, all the veterans out there, we support you and we love you and just know that we’re behind you all the way 100 percent,” she said.
Her step-daughters were not alive when the terrorist attacks happened. Sivan Gonzalez,13, and Aria Gonzalez,9, said they have learned about the attacks at school.
“A lot of people died that day and it’s very sad. We can’t let history repeat itself,” Sivan said.
“We can remember the people that scarified their lives,” Aria said.
During the ceremony, a bell was rung as each significant event of that day was read out loud, like when the first tower fell and when the second tower got hit.
“Why the flag? Because the flag symbolizes everything that’s best about us. It symbolizes, it goes after the Constitution that has such high ideals,” Colonel John T. Hubert, a retired veteran said.
Norman Gonzalez, a Navy veteran, was also in attendance at the ceremony. He joined the Navy as a mortician at Dover Port Mortuary in Dover, Delaware. He joined the Navy in 1999 and said the attacks on 9/11 changed the military’s mentality.
“What it really did is give us resolve and a sense of patriotism and unity with my brothers and sisters in arms,” he said.
