On September 11, 2024, 23 years after the terrorist attacks on the United States on 9/11/2001, the City of Naperville held its 9/11 remembrance ceremony in collaboration with Naperville Responds for Veterans. Naperville’s 9/11 remembrance ceremony took place at the Commander Dan Shanower memorial, located behind city hall and marked by a wall of faces and beam from the World Trade Center. The ceremony included patriotic songs performed by the Naperville Municipal Band, speeches from Naperville leaders, and a keynote presentation by local teen and award-winning essay writer Elizabeth McConkie. Speeches by Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis and Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres paid tribute to the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice helping civilians on 9/11, as well as the first responders that serve our nation every day and know the risks involved in keeping their community safe.
How do we inform younger generations on the events of 9/11?
The keynote speaker, 17 year old Elizabeth McConkie, talked about her experience gathering information about 9/11. Born in 2006, she was not yet alive when the attacks of the day occurred. She spoke about the reduction of impact in summarizing the events of 9/11 in a history book, and that connecting with adults in her life who remember the day connected her to the emotion and shared mourning the nation experienced on that day.
“My generation did not experience firsthand the pain of that day as it unraveled. We did not experience the hardship in Naperville as the community lost a beloved family member and friend, one of over 3000 people whose lives were unexpectedly cut short by factors outside their control.”
Elizabeth discussed how we need to continue to pass on the history of September 11, 2001, just as Americans have passed on the history of many other pivotal days in our Nation’s history. She spoke of the Dan Shanower memorial and its impact, stating:
“Unlike the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, and other icons of older origin. This 911 memorial is recent and raw (…) Add together the impact of the memorial and priceless intergenerational conversations, and my generation has a clear image of the significance of September 11th. It helps us realize that the event is recent and raw. Really, how do passages about 9/11 in a textbook compare to standing mere feet away from a beam from the World Trade Center?”
Commander Dan Shanower Memorial in Naperville reminds all that “freedom isn’t free”
One of the main themes of the Commander Dan Shanower Memorial is “Freedom isn’t free”, a quote that he believed in and lived out through his years as commander for the U.S. Navy. Naperville Native Commander Dan Shanower was killed at his post at the Pentagon during the 9/11 attacks. The memorial was dedicated to Commander Dan Shanower in 2003, and includes many faces to represent the over 3000 lives lost on that horrific day in American History.
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