Flags placed at Boston Public Garden to honor lives lost in 9/11 attacks 25 years ago
Volunteers and students came together Thursday evening in Boston's Public Garden to plant nearly 3,000 flags, each one a tribute to the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
Behind each flag is a name, a family, and a life representing 2,977 souls lost in the terrorist attacks. Twenty-five years later, the sea of red, white and blue stands on the Public Garden as a reminder to never forget.
Among the flags, one is honoring Mark Bavis, who was aboard one of the two hijacked planes that took off from Boston's Logan Airport that morning. Teaming up with the Massachusetts 9/11 fund, his brother Patrick has now made it his mission to make sure younger generations understand what happened that day and always remember.
"It seemed like yesterday," said Patrick Bavis. "The young kids are the future of this country, they got to understand that life isn't fair and people get taken from you. For us in Boston, 206 victims were taken that day."
Helping put the display together were the Navy Junior ROTC at John D. O'Bryant School and Scouting America who were learning while remembering.
"I want to give them my respects as well as honor them because that's a really big moment in our history even though it wasn't the best one, it's something we all want to pay attention to," said ROTC student Karissa Jean-Michel.
The impact of 9/11 heightens our appreciation for our first responders and service members like retired Air Force Gen. Jonathan Treacy, who commanded Otis Air National Guard Base fighter jets to respond to the attacks.
"It's a little surreal, 25 years have gone so very fast," said Treacy. "Those lessons that we've learned from 9/11 aren't something that get passed on unless every generation has a sense for what happened, why it happened, the incredible impact of what happened and the loss of life."
And as long as the flags stand, they also symbolize the resolve of our country after one of its darkest days.
"Nineteen terrorists took us to our knees that day, yeah they beat us that day, but the next day America came back, and I want the students today to understand that we can be strong together," said Bavis.
The 9/11 commemoration events start at the State House on Friday at 8:30 a.m. with a reading of the names of the 219 victims with ties to Massachusetts, a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., and the presentation of the Madeline "Amy" Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery inside the House Chamber.
