Belizeans recall Sept. 11 tragedy
No Belizean who happened to turn on the television on the morning of September eleventh, 2001 will ever forget the images on the screen. A year later, residents of the United States stopped to remember the death and destruction that ravaged New York City, Washington, D.C. and rural Pennsylvania. As News 5’s Janelle Chanona discovered, they were not alone in their grief.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Today, around the world, the first anniversary of the horrific events of September eleventh, 2001 is being commemorated with reflections on the thousands senselessly lost, the emotional recovery of the families left shattered, and the endurance of the human spirit.
And when the names of the dead were read at a ceremony held in New York this morning, one name might have sounded familiar.
Reader at Ceremony
“Alva Cynthia Jefferies Sanchez”.
Belizean Alva Jefferies Sanchez was working on the 96th Floor of Tower One that life changing morning. Today, at a service held by the United States Embassy in Belize, Jefferies and the rest of the victims were remembered by U.S. Ambassador to Belize Russell Freeman.
Russell F. Freeman, U.S. Ambassador to Belize
“Although the United States was the direct target last September eleventh, of perhaps the most heinous act of terrorism ever committed, many other citizens suffered as well. Citizens from more than ninety countries, including Belize, were killed during the attacks on the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.”
“I believe that one of the most important lessons we have learnt from the terrorist attacks of September eleventh, is not a lesson of fear or hatred, but rather one of how we can united as free nations to stand against a threat to our freedom.”
Clean up of the rubble continued for almost a year, but days after the attack, the Belize Mission in New York City received a call from the New York State Police Department, asking representatives to pick up an item belonging to Belize.
Stuart Leslie, Belize’s Ambassador to the U.N.
“When we sent our people down there, we found this Belizean flag there. It was all tattered and torn because it was found in the rubble of World Trade Centre Tower One. It was quite an emotional moment when we brought it into the office because we had people in our own mission who had relatives who had died down there at the World Trade Centre. So in and of itself, people started to reflect upon the flag being representative of the spirit of the Belizean people. Because as you have seen, it’s intact. It had holes it is dirty, and if you could smell it, it reeks of the ash and dust of ground zero, but it is pretty much intact as far as flags go.”
From ground zero to the ground floor of the Museum of Belize; at the request of the Prime Minister the flag was brought home as a physical reminder of the tragic events.
Stuart Leslie
“Normally, whenever a flag is tattered or torn, culture and history dictates that you burn a flag, you destroy it. Not burn it in protest, but a flag should be intact. This one had special significance to us, because it represents to some people what is an enduring spirit.”
Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.
Despite many rumours at the time, News 5 could not confirm that any Belizean other than Alva Jeffries perished in the September eleventh terror attacks.
