In past years I have participated in Project 2,996 by choosing (or being given) the name of someone who died in the disaster that happened on September 11, 2001. The idea was to make folks aware that these were individuals who died, not just a nameless, faceless crowd. My job was to use Google to find out something about some of the people who died on September 11, 2001, as a result of the tragedy at the World Trade Center. I found some information about all of them, often from their obituaries. Every once in awhile, especially around September 11, someone will comment that they knew that person, and will thank me for keeping that name alive.
I'm linking to the entries I did about each of those people in different years. The project seems to be no longer active, but I'm glad I was part of it.
Thelma Cuccinello
Christopher Sullivan
Veronique Bowers
Derek James Statkevicus
Linda C. Lee
All those entries get hits throughout the year, but on September 11, they get more. People who were friends of these people leave a comment, thanking me for doing this. Project 2,996 seems to be operating mainly on Pinterest this year, and I have no desire to add another time-wasting site to my online life. So what you see here is my only way of participating.
I updated this page I originally did in 2012, rather than try and do it completely over. Project 2996 has idled to a halt, I believe, as well it should. It's no use trying to keep anger alive after so much time has passed. This is a reminder to live each moment to the fullest: one morning these people got up, went to work or to the airport expecting an ordinary day, and never came home.
I memorialize the same victim every year and have been doing so since 2009. It is an honor to me to keep her memory alive. I got her name, Eskedar Melaku, from one of the project sites but it's like she's become a part of my life since I researched her and got to 'know' her as the wonderful and vibrant young woman she was on that fateful day. It gives me the chills when I hear her name read. And on this day each year, she is almost constantly on my mind.
ReplyDeletewe shall never forget.
ReplyDeleteThe first time since Pearl Harbor we had been attacked. Both my sons were in this war. Both had four deployments. It cost both of them their marriages.
ReplyDelete