Commemorating 9/11, 20 Years Later
The TD SYNNEX Patriots BRG invites others to honor this milestone anniversary by connecting with each other in remembrance.
This article was written by Kaylee Misch, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Specialist at TD SYNNEX.
This Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York’s iconic twin towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers diverted it from an attempted attack on the U.S. Capitol Building.
Although two decades have passed, most Americans can still remember the tragic events of this day clearly, and the impact it had on the nation.
As we reflect on 9/11, it’s important to connect with one another and support each other. Sharing our stories and experiences can help us honor those who were lost that day and the heroes who saved so many others.
TD SYNNEX Vendor Solutions Rep and Patriots Membership Onboarding Chair, Dale Fulzenloger, shared his experiences from 9/11 ahead of the anniversary:
“My father is a retired attorney and at the time, his retirement job was a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines. His hub was also Baltimore, where the planes came out of. I talked to him the night before and he was flying Baltimore-NY-LAX that day; I remember because that was the route of one of the planes that hit the tower. Waiting for confirmation for hours that he was OK was pretty bad, but as the night went on, the airlines started notifying which plane was missing and I knew he was OK. But the 8–10 hours of waiting was pretty emotional.
I’ve met a few survivors and a few families that lost loved ones. Those stories were heart-wrenching but I loved hearing them all.”
Fulzenloger, who also serves as an active Florida Army National Guard Sergeant First Class (SFC) and Platoon Sergeant, has also had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial in New York. He described seeing a 3-foot high by 5-foot wide piece of debris collected from the wreckage, that was actually five stories of the World Trade Center compacted from the collapse of the tower.
“Five complete stories in one section. That single [image] of the collapsed stories pushed me out the door. I lasted about an hour to an hour-and-a-half inside the memorial. I had to leave; being a Service Member and seeing that, a flood of emotions came over me and I had to leave. The 9/11 flag that was raised after the collapse was right behind the compressed floors and that gets your heart rate up, and then you see the collapsed floors and read the plaque, and it’s emotional to realize what these Americans went through that day.”
Dale provided photos from the 9/11 memorial below to give TD SYNNEX coworkers and channel peers a chance to share in remembering those who were lost, and honor those who survived.
We thank Dale for sharing his story and photos with us, and invite all our co-workers and channel peers to also share their 9/11 memories in the comments. Together, we can remember this pivotal day in American history.
On behalf of the TD SYNNEX Patriots, we also thank Dale and all our veteran and active U.S. military members for their service to our country.
