Remembrance Ceremony, Candlelight Vigil Held At Garden Of Reflection To Honor 9/11 Victims
By Greg Argos and Diana Rocco
LOWER MAKEFIELD, Pa. (CBS) -- It's been 14 years since the terrible terrorist attacks that rocked our country, and today dozens gathered at the Garden of Reflection in Lower Makefield to pay their respects to the 18 men and women from Bucks County that lost their lives on September 11th.
"This is the day we remember America's scars," said one speaker.
Those scars are still very deep and so very real for the families of the 9/11 victims that gathered this morning.
"It seems when you wake up it was just like yesterday," said Judith Reiss, whose 23-year-old son Joshua died that morning.
"I know for me the phone rang about 10 minutes before to 9. I remember rushing to try to find where my children were," she recalled.
But Judith never found Josh, and realized that day her life would be forever changed.
"In the 14 years, we all stand back and say, did we do something wrong? No. We didn't. Each one of these people were in the places they were supposed to be doing their jobs that morning. Each one of these people would not want us to spend the rest of our lives crying," she said.
Tonight, a prayer service and candlelight vigil was held.
The fountains have stopped on evening of September 11th. The community remembered the 18 Bucks County victims killed 14 years ago. As the sun set in Lower Makefield their names were read.
Hundreds lit candles and said a prayer for the victims and their families, remembering their sacrifice. The names of all of the nearly 3,000 victims are etched in the memorial.
"We just pray that everybody remembers this day," said Bucks County resident Elizabeth Koch.
Jamie Stein and her husband felt it important to commemorate this day as a family.
"We are trying very hard to show our kids who are very young that this was an important day in our history that should be remembered forever," said community member Jamie Stein.
Family members like Tara Bane are still hoping for healing.
"Today is always a difficult day, but coming here to the garden make it's a little easier and seeing the amount of the community that comes out to support us," said Bane.
