Near O’Fallon City Hall, lays commemorations like you wouldn’t imagine. Specifically, a memorial to the Twin Towers, that local citizens won’t soon forget. The warped and twisted steel is essentially harkening to the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks occurring about 20 years ago now. A keynote speaker, last Saturday, by the name of Captain Frank Mininni, had thoughtful words to share about the “horrific terrorist attack on our great country.”
He goes on to say, “America turned this moment of horror into one of great hope, courage and strength.” Al throughout Missouri, steel from the original 9/11 attacks have been featured in five other commemorations. By the power of local residents, the pieces arrived at Belleville, Arnold, and other towns. All in order to honor the fallen.
Years after the original attack in 2001, the Port Authorities launched a program. To dispense thousands of artifacts for memorials throughout the fifty United States.
For the case of O’Fallon, two memorials are the commemorations for the benefit of remembering who should never be forgotten.
Among the movers and shakers, John Griesenauer, an assistant city administrator, helped. He worked with former Mayor Paul Renaud and nearby artist Mark Carroll to design the memorial. Griesenauer decidedly retired following 38 years of working in Missouri.
Yet this is what he had to say: “I think the mayor had this idea that O’Fallon needed something to always remember what happened that day.”
Elizabeth Weeks brought her children to the ceremony. None of them had been born to learn about the terrorist attacks of 2001.
“I want to teach our kids our history, and to remember firefighters and police officers who ran in when we ran out,” said Weeks. “I want them to know about it.” The ceremony was not open to the public due to COVID-19 and on Facebook.
However, Some people disagree. Outside of the greater St. Louis area, a student went viral for putting American flags in trash bags. This is what he responds with.
“Any memorial of 9-11 that does not contend with these facts. Is not only incomplete, but it also amplifies pro-imperialist sentiment and actively disrespects those who have died because of the American invasion.”
More than 7,500 flags pay tribute to first responders killed on Sept. 11, 2001, and all the military service members killed in the War on Terror that followed.
