Poignant 9-11 Ceremony at Huntington High School
All around America, the 10th anniversary of the devastating September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 innocent civilians was observed in solemn ceremonies. It's a day that will always be remembered at Huntington High School, which saw six alumni lose there lives at the World Trade Center complex.
This year's ceremony at the school was held in the lobby near the building's main office. It included moving poetry readings by students, a rendition of "God Bless America" by the chamber choir, the playing of Taps and special remembrances of speakers.
Principal Dr. Carmela Leonardi spoke briefly about the feelings faculty and staff members grappled with on that dark day a decade ago, including "the disbelief, the pain for those lost and the welcome show of support from all parts of the United States," she said. Dr. Leonardi then led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Several staff members who have served in the armed forces or are still in service to their respective branch of the military, were on hand, including some in uniform.
District security guard Thomas Burns is one such employee with a background of military service that participated in the 9/11 observance. Mr. Burns came in his full United States Marine Corps dress uniform, complete with a chest full of medals. During his nearly 6 ½ years of service, he was awarded two Purple Hearts, among other medals, citations and honors.
Mr. Burns reported to Parris Island for boot camp on November 23, 1963. He can't help but remember the date since it followed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy by one day. He rose in rank to sergeant and served as a rifleman in the infantry, in the military police and for two years as an instructor at officer candidate school in Quantico, Virginia.
The most memorable stretch of his service saw Mr. Burns on the ground in South Vietnam for 13 months as America was ramping up its involvement in the Vietnam War. He served in the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Brigade, in the city of Chu Lai, located 56 miles south of DaNang, South Vietnam. The US Marines provided security while engineers and construction units built one of the largest air bases used in the war.
Once the Chu Lai air base was operational, Mr. Burns and his fellow Marines turned to offensive operations. He was wounded twice and saw death up close. During a recent interview Mr. Burns recounted how his unit was strung along foxholes when the Viet Cong launched a mortar attack.
The VC scored a direct hit three foxholes away and killed three Marines. "It's when all of us realized this isn't a game anymore," he recalled in an interview last week, saying the Marines were pronounced dead by a medical corpsman, who then lined up the bodies and urged Mr. Burns and the others to take the war very seriously. Once he left the US Marines, Mr. Burns enjoyed a long career in defense industries.
Among Huntington High School's lost alumni on September 11, 2001 were Susan Clyne-Dietrich (1977), Dennis Edwards (1984), Michelle Titolo (1985), Michael Desmond McCarthy (1986), Judson Cavalier (1993) and Joe Anchundia (1993).
Chairperson of Humanities, Joseph Leavy, served as master of ceremonies for this year's 9/11 remembrance. Many teachers held related discussions in their classes and students indicated they were well aware of the significance of the day in United States history.