PETERSON AFB, Colo. – A memorial service held recently at North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command headquarters not only honored the more than 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, but also the thousands killed or injured since the start of the global war on terrorism.
“It’s difficult to know how to honor those who responded so valiantly on that tragic day (Sept. 11, 2001), those who lost their lives and their families and those who serve today,” said Chaplain (Col.) David Park, command chaplain.
He said more than 1,000 U.S. military members have died and more than 6,900 others have been wounded in Iraq.
“I think one way we can honor them is by doing our very best right here at USNORTHCOM because this is our purview of responsibility,” said Park. He said those who have died because of terrorist activity “sacrificed so much for this nation.”
“One way to honor them … is to do our best with the hope and a prayer that – due to our efforts – we gain the edge and maintain and sustain that edge so our children will not have to live with the threat that you and I deal with day in and day out. That’s my prayer and my hope,” Park said.
The chaplain also acknowledged the countless others who have suffered or died recently because of terrorist attacks, including people in Afghanistan, Russia, Palestine, Israel, Australia and Columbia. “This is a global war that reaches out and touches every continent,” he said.